Volunteer Request Form
Please use this form to request volunteers for upcoming events, tasks or projects.
Timeline
Requests for volunteers should be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to your event/tour/task date to allow sufficient time to post shifts and acquire volunteers. Once you submit a request, staff will follow up with any questions and post your requested shift(s) in Volunteer Matters, an online, cloud-based system used to coordinate volunteers. Shifts are posted at least 3 weeks prior to an event/tour/task. Volunteers are then notified that shifts are posted, and they sign themselves up in the system. Approximately 1 week prior to your event/tour/task, you will receive a roster of assigned volunteers.
Staffing Shifts
We will make every effort to find volunteers to staff your event/tour/task. Given the distance needed for volunteers to travel, Indianapolis volunteer participation cannot be guaranteed if the event or tour is outside of Indianapolis. Staff will communicate proactively with you regarding shift staffing.
Pre-Event Meetings
Volunteers are trained to arrive early for a shift to check in and attend a group, pre-event meeting with staff in charge of the event. Please ensure that you meet with volunteers prior to their shifts to go over any last-minute details/instructions. If that responsibility falls to someone other than the person submitting the request, please note this in your volunteer request, as well as with whom volunteers should check in and out prior to and after their shift.
Shift Length
Volunteers should be asked to arrive 15-30 minutes early for event and tour shifts to get checked-in, attend the pre-event meeting with staff, and get to their assigned location. As a rule, volunteer shifts should range from 1-3.5 hours. If you need volunteers for 4 hours or longer, we recommend you split this time into two shifts. Volunteers should also receive a break during their shift, so plan for those, perhaps by adding a Floater to your request. Shift times should end 15-30 minutes after an event or tour ends to ensure volunteers are still in place when guests leave or the event runs over time. Shifts for office tasks do not need this extra time added to the start/end times.
If you have any questions about this form or need some guidance thinking through your volunteer needs, please contact Kasey Zronek, 317-822-7951, kzronek@indianalandmarks.org.