Frequently Asked Questions

How does your site work?
It's simple. Someone is interested in volunteering. They come to our site and tell us where they are located, what social issues interest them, what skills they can apply and what time constraints they have. Our website instantly and automatically returns to them a list of the volunteer opportunities that best fit their profile. The volunteer will then read through the descriptions and pick an opportunity that is of interest. The volunteer has all the information to contact your agency directly and from there it's up to them to contact you and up to you to answer them.

Will your service cost anything for volunteers?
The online database is completely free of charge for nonprofit organizations and volunteers who want to use it.

Is there someone regulating site content?

Yes, all agency listings and volunteer opportunities go through an approval process before they can go live on the site. When you fill out the registration form or post an opportunity, it goes to our site administrator who checks it for minor spelling or grammatical errors. If more significant changes are needed, we will contact your organization to seek clarification. This may delay the approval process and can often be avoided by proofreading information before submitting it, writing in complete sentences, and keeping the volunteer's perspective in mind. We also use Guidestar to ensure that organizations which register are appropriate for the Cape Cod Volunteers website.

Do you do CORI checks?

We have looked into it, and unfortunately the CORI checks we do are only in effect for our own volunteers. Each organization is responsible for conducting their own CORI check, even if it means someone who volunteers at three separate organizations gets CORI-checked three times.

What are all these forms?
It may look tedious, but filling out the forms thoroughly will give volunteers a better understanding of what your organization stands for. Additionally, it is the comprehensive information we collect from you on these forms that makes our unique search engine possible. Your mission, your structure and your history are important pieces of information to have on the Agency Sign-Up Form. The Opportunity Signup Form allows you to give a very specific description of a single volunteer opportunity or event at your organization. It is up to you to fill out as many copies of this form as you have distinct opportunities.

Can I search for volunteers directly?
Though we are often asked, we do not support this option. You have a number of ways to post information with us, but then you must wait for the volunteers to contact you.

What sort of volunteers will I get?
Volunteers come to this web site from every walk of life. You will find high school students, college students, professionals in various fields, homemakers, retired people, corporate executives and employees of other nonprofits. Anyone looking to make a difference may come to this web site.

How can I help Cape Cod Volunteers grow?
There are a number of ways you can help.

Mention us to your friends at other nonprofit agencies: The more nonprofits we get signed up, the more publicity we can get and the more volunteers we can attract to carry out your volunteer opportunities.
Mention us to your volunteers: The more people who register information with our site, the more information we can provide to nonprofits to help improve their programs.
Post a link to your agency's Cape Cod Volunteers profile on your agency's website.
Help us get the word out: As Cape Cod Volunteers evolves, we will be developing promotional materials which we will be happy to send your way- all you have to do is ask!