Volunteer application form guide: sections and exact fields
A volunteer application form should be organized into clear sections: contact details, availability, areas of interest, relevant experience and skills, references and background checks, and consent. Ask only what helps you place and onboard the volunteer — name, email, availability, and interests are essential; long work histories usually aren't. Below are the exact fields for each section, an example form, and the mistakes that cost you good volunteers.
Volunteers are giving you their time before they've even started, so a bloated application is the wrong first impression. The goal is to gather just enough to place someone in the right role and run any required checks — not to replicate a full job application. This guide breaks the form into sections, gives the exact fields for each, and ends with a complete example you can adapt for a nonprofit, event, school, or community group.
What sections does a volunteer application form need?
- Contact details — how to reach the volunteer.
- Availability — when they can actually help.
- Areas of interest — where they'd like to contribute.
- Experience and skills — relevant background, kept light.
- References and checks — only where the role requires it.
- Emergency contact and consent — safety and agreement.
Section 1: Contact details
| Field | Field type | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Short text | Yes |
| Email address | Yes | |
| Phone number | Phone | Yes — coordinators often call or text |
| City / area | Short text | Yes, if location affects placement |
| Date of birth or 'Are you 18+?' | Date or multiple choice | Only if roles are age-restricted |
Section 2: Availability
| Field | Field type | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Which days are you available? | Checkboxes | Yes |
| Preferred time of day | Multiple choice | No |
| How many hours per week / month? | Multiple choice | No |
| Are you looking for one-time or ongoing? | Multiple choice | Yes |
| Start date / earliest availability | Date | No |
Section 3: Areas of interest
| Field | Field type | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Which roles interest you? | Checkboxes | Yes |
| Why do you want to volunteer with us? | Long text | No |
| Any specific causes or programs you care about? | Long text | No |
Example role checkboxes: 'Event setup', 'Front desk / greeting', 'Fundraising', 'Tutoring / mentoring', 'Admin support', 'Social media', 'Wherever you need me'. The last option captures flexible volunteers.
Section 4: Experience and skills
Keep this light. You're matching people to roles, not hiring — a full work history is overkill and a deterrent.
| Field | Field type | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant skills or experience | Long text | No |
| Do you have any of these certifications? | Checkboxes | Only if roles require them (e.g. first aid) |
| Languages spoken | Checkboxes or short text | No |
| Have you volunteered with us before? | Multiple choice | No |
Section 5: References and background checks
Only include this section if the role genuinely requires it — for example, working with children or vulnerable adults. For a one-day event, skip it entirely.
| Field | Field type | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Reference name | Short text | Only for roles that require references |
| Reference contact | Email or phone | Only if collecting references |
| Consent to a background check | Consent checkbox | Only for sensitive roles |
| Upload a certificate or clearance | File upload | Only if required |
Section 6: Emergency contact and consent
| Field | Field type | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency contact name | Short text | Yes for in-person roles |
| Emergency contact phone | Phone | Yes for in-person roles |
| Liability / waiver agreement | Consent checkbox | Yes, where applicable |
| Photo / media consent | Consent checkbox | No |
| Signature | Signature | Only if a signed waiver is needed |
Use conditional logic to keep the form short. Show the references and background-check section only when someone selects a role that needs it — most volunteers never see those fields, so the form stays welcoming.
Example volunteer application form
A complete, friendly application for a community nonprofit, in order:
- 1Welcome screen: 'Thanks for wanting to help! This takes about 3 minutes.'
- 2Full name, email, phone, and city.
- 3'Which days are you available?' (checkboxes) and 'One-time or ongoing?' (multiple choice).
- 4'Which roles interest you?' (checkboxes) and 'Why do you want to volunteer with us?' (optional long text).
- 5'Any relevant skills or experience?' (optional) and 'Languages you speak' (optional).
- 6Conditional: if a role requiring clearance is selected, show references and the background-check consent.
- 7Emergency contact name and phone, plus the liability waiver consent.
- 8Ending screen: 'Got it — a coordinator will reach out within a week to find your fit.'
A free form builder handles all of this. Formkii supports the exact field types here — checkboxes, file upload, signature, consent — plus conditional logic to hide the checks section, a branded welcome and thank-you screen, and CSV export of applicants for your coordinator.
Common volunteer form mistakes
- Treating it like a job application with a full résumé and work history.
- Requiring references and background details from everyone, including one-day helpers.
- Not asking about availability, then struggling to schedule people.
- Free-text fields for roles and availability instead of clean checkboxes.
- No emergency contact for in-person roles where it matters for safety.
- No confirmation screen telling applicants what happens next, so they wonder if it went through.
- Marking optional fields like 'Why do you want to volunteer?' as required.
Volunteer form checklist
- Contact, availability, and interests are captured for every applicant.
- Experience is kept light — optional, not a résumé.
- References and checks appear only for roles that require them (use logic).
- Emergency contact and waiver are collected for in-person roles.
- Roles and availability use checkboxes, not free text.
- A welcome screen sets the time expectation and a thank-you screen sets next steps.
- The form is tested on a phone, where many applicants will fill it out.
Frequently asked questions
What should a volunteer application form include?
Organize it into sections: contact details, availability, areas of interest, light experience and skills, and consent (plus references or background checks only for roles that require them). For most volunteers, name, email, phone, availability, and role interests are the essentials.
Should a volunteer form ask for references?
Only when the role genuinely requires it — for example, working with children or vulnerable adults. For a one-day event or general help, skip references entirely. Use conditional logic so only applicants selecting sensitive roles see the references and background-check section.
How long should a volunteer application form be?
Keep it to about three minutes. Volunteers are donating their time, so a long, job-application-style form is a deterrent. Ask only what you need to place and onboard them, and defer deeper details to a follow-up conversation.
Can I make a volunteer application form for free?
Yes. Free form builders like Formkii handle every section here, including checkboxes for availability and roles, file upload for clearances, a signature field for waivers, conditional logic to hide unneeded sections, and CSV export of applicants.