Volunteer Recruitment

Each year, Volunteer San Diego engages nearly 51,000 San Diegans in service to our community. Last year, these volunteers contributed over 150,155 hours to San Diego County.

How to submit a volunteer opportunity:

Authorized project coordinators for our Agency Partners are able to submit new volunteer opportunities and make changes to your existing opportunities online. Email volopps@volunteersandiego.org to make sure that you are listed as the "Referral Contact" for your agency. Download a PDF file with step-by-step instructions on this process or our quick tips.

If you would prefer to use paper forms, you are always welcome to download the project submission form and either email or fax it in and Volunteer San Diego staff and volunteers will enter the information for you.

How Volunteer San Diego can help you recruit volunteers:

Online, Searchable Database
All opportunities (either ongoing or special events) will be added to our online, searchable database. Volunteers look at the online project listings more than 100,000 times each month.

Volunteer Referrals
Each year, more than 1,000 prospective volunteers turn to Volunteer San Diego for more in-depth assistance with finding volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are briefly interviewed and then referred to 3-5 organizations that match their interests and availability.

Annual Directories of Volunteer Opportunities
Youth Guide to Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer San Diego helps connect thousands of youth to a wide range of volunteer projects.

Holiday Volunteer Guide
Thousands of San Diegans choose the holiday season to participate in community service and donate resources to wish lists. Last year, Volunteer San Diego made 9,700 community referrals to our community organization partners from November to January.

Episodic Volunteer Programs
Flex Program Project Calendar
For our Agency Partners, our Flexible Volunteer Program (Flex) Project Calendar offers a unique way to help meet your volunteer needs. For Flex projects, Volunteer San Diego will:

• Recruit volunteers
• Provide a volunteer Team Leader to help supervise the project
• Provide a group of volunteers on either a regular or one-time basis to help meet your agency's needs

Each month, hundreds of volunteers of all ages participate in 80+ projects, at different agency locations across the county. For more information, please contact flex@volunteersandiego.org or call 858-300-3280.

Corporate Teambuilding Events
Volunteer San Diego coordinates a number of customized, teambuilding volunteer projects for a wide range of corporate partners each year. If you have work for a large group of volunteers (typically 30-100), that can be completed through a one-time event, please contact Jaci Feinstein, 858-300-3280 x207.

Annual Events
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January
Every January, volunteers remember and memorialize Dr. King by participating in service projects in their communities. Agencies are encouraged to offer volunteer projects during the holiday weekend; Volunteer San Diego will highlight them as ways to honor Dr. King's legacy.

Global Youth Service Day – April
GYSD is the largest service event in the world. Students age 5 -25 and youth groups are encouraged to volunteer during this event. Agencies are encouraged to offer youth- and family-friendly volunteer projects throughout the week; Volunteer San Diego will highlight them as special ways to get involved in the community.

Serve-a-thon – October 2009
Volunteer San Diego's Serve-a-thon (formerly known as Hands On San Diego) is our largest annual, service event which takes place in the Fall every year. Each year, we focus on one issue and provide educational components allowing community members to learn about and openly discuss the issue, community needs, viable solutions and ways to take action. The 2009 focus was on the issue of poverty with 42 projects, over three days, occurring throughout the county.

Skill-Based Volunteering
Board Connection
Are you looking for members for your Board of Directors or committees?  Simply complete the volunteer opportunity submission form with as much information as you have on the specific slots that you are trying to fill on your Board of Directors or committees. Interested individuals will contact you by email.

Tips for volunteer recruitment:

Check your listings
You can help secure more volunteers for your organization by spending just a few minutes checking your listings and updating any information that may be outdated. We want to make sure that prospective volunteers are receiving current information on your organization’s opportunities. To check your agency description, contact information and the projects you currently have listed with us, click here. Please send updates and/or questions to  volopps@volunteersandiego.org.

Sell Yourself
Volunteer San Diego supports over 800 different agencies. Every opportunity you post is competing with opportunities from other, equally deserving organizations. Most people are interested in helping their neighbors and their community, not a specific organization. Make sure your volunteer opportunity is described in terms that show how the prospective volunteer will make a difference in the lives of people and our community. Ensure that every opportunity you submit to us is appealing to prospective volunteers. If you knew nothing of your organization, would that listing make you want to volunteer? Email volopps@volunteersandiego.org, with questions or for help tweaking your project descriptions.