From sign-up to certified hours.
Everything you need to find community events, bring your group, check in on-site, and walk away with a formal record of every hour you served. Most volunteers are up and running in a few minutes.
1. Create your account
On the volunteer home page, choose Create account and enter your name, email, and a password of at least 8 characters. A phone number is optional but helps organizations reach you about last-minute changes.
Volunteer vs. organization accountsThe volunteer site and the organization console are separate. If you’re signing up to host events for a charity, use the Charity guide instead.
Already registered? Use Sign in. If you accidentally created an admin account, signing in will send you to the organization console automatically.
2. Find an event
Your dashboard lists open events under Discover events. Use the filter bar to narrow the list:
-
Search
Match words in an event’s name or description — for example “food bank” or “beach cleanup”.
-
Date
Show only events happening on a particular day. Leave it blank to see everything upcoming.
-
Work tag
Filter by the kind of work, such as environment, food, or animals. Start typing to see tags other events use.
Each event card shows the host organization, location, date, and a list of time slots. The coloured label on every slot tells you how many spots are left — green means plenty, amber means nearly full, and a slot marked Full can’t be booked.
3. Register your group
Pick a slot and select Register. A form opens where you confirm the primary contact (that’s usually you) and set your group size.
Bringing friends or family?Set the group size to the total number of people, including yourself. Each person takes one spot in the slot, so a group of four uses four spots. You can optionally list everyone’s name for the organization’s records.
Confirm the registration and it appears at the top of your dashboard under Upcoming & my registrations, where your check-in controls live.
Slots fill in real time.If a slot fills before you confirm, you’ll see a “slot full” message — just pick another slot or event. You can’t register twice for the same slot.
4. Check in on-site
On the day of the event, open your dashboard and find the registration. The Check in button becomes active 30 minutes before your slot starts and stays active until it ends.
When you tap it, your browser asks to use your location. Givewell uses that single reading to confirm you’re actually at the venue — your position must be inside the organization’s check-in radius. Your coordinates are checked once and are never tracked continuously.
Allow location access.Check-in won’t work if location is blocked. If you tapped “Don’t allow” by mistake, enable location for this site in your browser settings and try again. Being outdoors gives the most accurate reading.
If you’re too far away, the app tells you exactly how many metres you need to close. Move closer to the venue and tap Check in again.
5. Check out when you’re done
After checking in, the button changes to Check out. Tap it when you finish your shift. Your hours are measured from the moment you checked in to the moment you check out, using the server’s clock — so there’s nothing to calculate yourself.
Don’t forget to check out.Your hours aren’t submitted until you do. If you leave without checking out, contact the host organization.
6. Hours get certified
Checking out sends your hours to the host organization as pending. An administrator reviews your check-in and check-out times and either certifies or rejects them. Once certified, the hours are added to your lifetime total.
You don’t need to do anything during this step — it happens on the organization’s side. Certification timing depends on the host.
7. Download your certification letter
From your dashboard, use the Certification letter button (top of the registrations panel) to download a formal PDF. It totals every certified hour across all organizations and carries each host’s authorized signatory — ideal for schools, employers, and service-hour programs.
“No certified hours yet”?The letter becomes available the moment your first hours are certified. If you just checked out, give the organization time to approve them, then try again.
8. Tips & troubleshooting
-
Look for the “?” icons
Throughout the app, small ? markers sit next to fields and buttons. Hover, tap, or focus one to read a quick explanation right where you need it.
-
Check-in button is greyed out
It only activates from 30 minutes before your slot until it ends. The dashboard shows the exact time check-in opens.
-
“You’re N metres away”
You’re outside the venue’s check-in radius. Move closer and try again; accuracy improves outdoors and away from tall buildings.
-
Switching devices
Your registrations are tied to the browser you registered in. Sign in on the same device you’ll use to check in on the day.
9. Frequently asked questions
Does Givewell track my location?
No. Your location is read once when you tap Check in (and optionally Check out) to confirm you’re at the venue. It is not monitored before or after, and there’s no background tracking.
Can I register more than one person at a time?
Yes. Set your group size to the total number of attendees, including yourself. You can also add each member’s name so the organization knows who to expect.
What if I need to cancel?
Simply don’t check in — uncompleted registrations generate no hours. If your spot is needed by others, let the host organization know so they can free it up.
Who decides how many hours I earn?
Hours are calculated automatically from your check-in and check-out times. The host organization then certifies them; they cannot inflate or shorten the recorded time.
Can I volunteer with several organizations?
Absolutely. Your certification letter combines certified hours from every organization you’ve served into one document.