Q: Who can volunteer?
A: Any adult who successfully completes the screening process is eligible for a volunteer role.
Q: What is involved in the process of becoming a Girl Scout volunteer?
A: We gather specific information from all potential volunteers. Potential volunteers can expect to receive the following:
- Volunteer application form complete with contact information, references request and background check authorization
- Information on Girl Scout Program and Outcomes (PDF)
- Information on Girl Scout Pathways, including all short-term and long-term opportunities for adults to volunteer
- Girl Scout marketing and communications materials, including brochures, fact sheets, flyers, and council newsletters
Q. What is the time commitment for Girl Scout volunteers?
A. Time commitment varies from one position to another and most of the volunteer opportunities are very flexible, allowing volunteers to choose their time availability for Girl Scouts. Estimated time commitment is listed on each position description so volunteers can consider whether or not a particular role is a good match on the front end.
Q: What does Girl Scouts look for when interviewing volunteer candidates?
A: Girl Scouts Heart of the South offers girls a variety of opportunities to discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place. As such, we seek a variety of adults who will use their expertise, skills, interests, and life experience to shape fun and enriching leadership opportunities for girls, and inspire girls to reach their personal best.
Our goal is to match the right volunteers to the right positions, which increases girls' and volunteers' satisfaction with their Girl Scouting experience. Through Girl Scout Pathways—the ways that girls and adults participate in Girl Scouting—volunteers can shape their experience to fit their lifestyles. They can participate locally, regionally or at the council level, and can choose to work directly with girls or provide indirect service to girls on a short-term or long-term basis.
Q: Does Girl Scouts Heart of the South run background checks on their volunteers?
A: Yes. Protecting the girls and young women in our organization as well as the Girl Scout Movement is top priority, and screenings are an integral part of our due diligence process and risk management policy. Background screening is the process of authenticating the information supplied to a potential employer by an applicant on his or her resume, application and during interviews. At Girl Scouts, the screening of volunteers (and employees) includes reference checks and criminal background checks, which are performed by independent, third-party, background-screening agencies.
Q: What happens when you select new volunteers?
A: If the interview and background screening results are successful, Girl Scouts Heart of the South will notify volunteer candidates of their appointment in an official congratulatory letter sent by email or regular mail generally within ten business days (of the results). In addition to the official letter, which confirms the volunteer position and start and end dates, volunteers will receive a volunteer agreement that has to be signed and returned, the name of the volunteer's contact person, and the next steps to take.
Q: Will new Girl Scout Volunteers receive orientation?
A: Yes. The online volunteer orientation is an exciting, educational presentation that welcomes all new Girl Scout volunteers to the organization. The orientation, which is also available in Spanish, takes approximately 25-45 minutes to complete, but can be stopped at any point and resumed later. It contains information on the history of the organization, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience program, and the Girl Scout Pathways for girls and adults. The council-specific orientation may vary depending upon a volunteer's position or role.
Q: How will new volunteers be supported in their volunteer positions?
A: Staff and/or volunteer coaches/managers will meet frequently and regularly with the new volunteer to develop a close working relationship with her or him. The frequency will depend on the volunteer's position or role (short or long term).
The support person will provide:
- Guidance and direction, as needed and requested
- Ongoing verbal feedback on role performance, competencies, strengths, and challenges
- Written review of the volunteer's performance, using checklists and self-reviews
- Conflict mediation, as needed
- Arrangements for ongoing training, as needed
- Assistance with formulating personal development goals
- Recommendations for awards and recognitions
At the end of the year, the support person explores the volunteer's interests for the following year, and relays that information to the appropriate council staff and/or volunteer manager.
Q: Are new volunteers trained for their volunteer positions?
A: Yes. Based on the volunteer's placement, additional training may be necessary. If so, the council's volunteer development staff/volunteer manager will inform the new volunteer of the training/learning requirements, schedule, and location, and provide a choice of learning methods: online at any time (asynchronous), classroom, or self-taught. Evidence of satisfactory completion is forwarded to the relevant council staff/volunteer manager, who will record the completion in the volunteer management database.
Q: Are volunteers recognized for their service?
A: Yes. Collectively, volunteers contribute thousands of service hours each year at every level and in a number of ways. For this reason, we believe that volunteer recognition or appreciation should happen periodically, not only at the end of each year. The council also presents peer-nominated, council-level awards to volunteers each year.
Q: What happens when a volunteer's contract ends?
A: The decision to reassign the volunteer to the same or a different position, or to release a volunteer, is made by the volunteer development staff/volunteer manager, after reviewing—with the volunteer and her or his council staff members and manager—the volunteer's performance, interests, and training. The decision is provided verbally or in writing to the volunteer, and documented in the volunteer's file alongside supporting rationale.
Q. Is there a cost associated with volunteering?
A. All adults are encouraged to become members of GSUSA. Some volunteer positions require membership to the organization. Volunteer Position Descriptions list whether membership is a requirement for particular roles. Membership for the organization is $12 per year and includes mailings and activity insurance, among other things. Volunteers may also choose to purchase their own resources, membership pins, and GS clothing, however these are all optional.