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Frequently Asked Questions
FOR VOLUNTEERS
- I am a Boston Cares member and have forgotten my log-in information.
- I would like to volunteer...where do I start?
- How do I sign up for a project?
- I forgot my username and/or password.
- How do I remove myself from a project so that others can take my place?
- I have been wait listed for a project. Now what?
- I signed up for a project but never received a confirmation email.
- I need to fulfill court-appointed service hours.
- What are the eligibility requirements for Boston Cares Volunteer Service Awards?
FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
- How does my organization become a Boston Cares partner?
- In what ways can my organization partner with Boston Cares?
- Where can I find the forms to submit projects?
FOR CORPORATE GROUPS
- How long does planning for a corporate group event take?
- What size corporate groups do you plan events for?
- How long does a corporate event last?
- What types of events do corporate groups engage in?
- What day of the week do you offer corporate events?
- What if our employees are not able to get away from their desks for an entire day?
- Do you provide food and drinks for corporate volunteers?
- What would volunteers need to bring with them to the service event?
- How much does a corporate group event cost?
STILL HAVING TROUBLE?
- Volunteers and Agencies: For additional assistance or other questions, please email volunteers@bostoncares.org or call 617-422-0910, ext 209.
- Corporate Groups: For additional assistance or other questions, please contact Kacey Sanfillipo, Associate Director of Corporate & Community Engagement at ksanfilippo@bostoncares.org or 617-422-0910 ext 212.
FOR VOLUNTEERS
I am a Boston Cares member and have forgotten my log-in information.
1. Enter your email in the login window on the home page and click "Forgot Password"
2. A pop-up window will appear saying a temporary password has been emailed to you. IMPORTANT: Close this window completely. The temporary password will not work in the pop-up window.
3. Check your inbox for an email from volunteers@bostoncares.org. It should arrive immediately, check your spam folders if you don't see it.
4. Return to the login window on our homepage and login again with the temporary password provided. You will be prompted create a new password.
5. Once you create your new password, you should be able to access your account.
If the system does not recognize your email address and you had an account on our previous site, email volunteers@bostoncares.org for assistance.
...........................................................................................................................................I would like to volunteer…where do I start?
The first step is becoming a Boston Cares member. You will create an account on our website and sign up to attend an online New Volunteer Orientation where you will learn more about our programs and our system. Once you have completed this, you can start signing up for volunteer opportunities. Visit our Ways to Volunteer page for more information on the variety of pathways for volunteers to get involved!
How do I sign up for a project?
Click “Login” (upper right-hand corner of the page). Once you are logged in, go to the Boston Cares Calendar to find projects that you are interested in. Click on any project from the Calendar, which will take you to a page with more information about that project and all the dates that it is scheduled. Click the plus sign next to a date you are interested in and click, “Sign Up!” If "Sign Up!" doesn't appear, you are either not signed in or you have not attended a New Volunteer Orientation. If you are still running into issues, email volunteers@bostoncares.org for assistance.
How do I remove myself from a project so that others can take my place?
If you need to remove yourself from a project, please log in, go to the "My Account" tab, find the project under the "Upcoming Opportunities" section, and click "Remove Me."
I have been waitlisted for a project. Now what?
When (and if) space opens up, you will be notified via e-mail. Open spaces will be filled on a first come, first-served basis so if you are still interested in and available for the volunteer opportunity, make sure you log in, return to the sign-in page and claim one of the open spaces. Do not show up for the project unless you receive a confirmation email.
I signed up for a project, but never received a confirmation email. Any project you sign up for will appear in your "My Account" page. To access it, login to the site and click on “My Account.” If you did successfully sign up for the project it will be listed under "Upcoming Opportunities." Check your spam folders for the confirmation and be sure to add volunteers@bostoncares.org to your email address book.
...........................................................................................................................................I need to fulfill court-appointed service hours.
While we do offer an online tracking system through which volunteers can review and print out their own service record, Boston Cares staff, non-profit partners and volunteer project leaders are unable to personally sign off on your hours. Individuals who have completed a New Volunteer Orientation have access to approximately 200 service projects each month, ranging from one to six hours. Our web-based system allows volunteers to register online for projects in advance and also to track and print out their volunteering history. This is an honor system and all volunteers are expected to accurately record their volunteer service.
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What are the eligibility requirements for Boston Cares Volunteer Service Awards?
Boston Cares recognizes outstanding volunteers through the Boston Cares Service Champion Award and the Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award.
Boston Cares Service Champion Award Criteria
The Boston Cares Service Champions Award was launched in partnership with the City of Boston to recognize volunteers who meet the service hour requirements for the PVSA, but are otherwise ineligible for that award. Based on the same service hour levels as the PVSA, recipients of the Boston Cares Service Champions Award receive a certificate signed by the Mayor of Boston. This award does not require an application and is available to any volunteer who meets the hour requirements and eligibility criteria below.
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Volunteers must have a Boston Cares account and have gone through a New Volunteer Orientation in order to qualify.
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Volunteer must have completed at least 50% or more of their service completed in the service year through Boston Cares or active Boston Cares Community Partners.
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The majority of service hours should be completed locally, benefitting the Greater Boston area
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Awards are issued for service hours* served within a 12-month time period or over the course of a lifetime.
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Awards are issued for volunteer service only; additional levels of participation with the organization (i.e., charitable support) are not a factor considered for the award.
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Court-ordered community service does not qualify for the award.
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Service must be with an Organization that is legally established in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or one of the U.S. territories.
*self-reported hours are included.
Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award
Each year, members of the Boston Cares community are invited to nominate volunteers they believe exemplify outstanding volunteer leadership to receive this award. Boston Cares selects 3-5 nominees to be honored at the Awards for their contributions to the Boston community through service and leadership. The nominating process generally opens 3-4 months before the event and nominees must be active Boston Cares members. You can watch videos of past winners on Boston Cares' YouTube page.
FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
How does my organization become a Boston Cares partner?
We are happy to connect with you and discuss your volunteer needs to see if they are a good match for our programs. Read more about the different ways we partner with community orgnaizations and complete our partnership request form here.
Where can I find the forms to submit volunteer requests?
We only post volunteer opportunities for current partners. If you are new to Boston Cares and are looking to submit a volunteer project request, please first fill out the Become a Boston Cares Partner form and a staff member will follow up. If you are currently a Boston Cares partner click here to submit a new project request and a staff member will follow up. Please note that in general, new volunteer project requests from current partners are reviewed on an ongoing basis and based on when projects are submitted, we manually post on our calendar for our volunteers to view and sign-up within 1 to 2 weeks of receiving the request. We ask that you submit volunteer requests a minimum of 4 weeksin advance of the project request date to ensure we have time to post and share your opportunity with Boston Cares volunteers.
FOR CORPORATE GROUPS
How long does planning for a corporate group event take?
We ask for a minimum of 6 weeks lead time for groups under 100. Groups larger than 100 should contact us as early as possible to ensure that there is enough time to develop projects that are a perfect fit for your group! Our staff is flexible and willing to work on shortened timelines if necessary. September - November is an especially busy time for our team, so contact us as early as possible to reserve your date for your corporate group!
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What size corporate groups do you plan events for?
Smaller groups are contracted up to 20 volunteers, but we have the capacity to plan for groups of 1000+ volunteers as well. Whether you are looking to engage 5 employees or hundreds, our team is ready to create, plan, and facilitate options that are right for you.
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How long does a corporate event last?
Most projects run 2-4 hours with the option to include a lunch break on site.
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What types of events do corporate groups engage in?
We work with over 180 nonprofit and school partners in the Greater Boston community and work to pair corporate groups with the perfect project based on your desired impact areas. The four main impact areas that we engage volunteers in are Basic Needs, Ensuring Youth Success, Health and Wellness, and Cultural and Environmental Vibrancy.
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What day of the week do you offer corporate events?
We are open to planning events any day of the week including weekends and evening events.
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What if our employees are not able to get away from their desks for an entire day?
For many corporate groups, an in-office project is the answer to this common problem. Boston Cares can set up and facilitate meaningful and impactful service events in a conference room or even outside of your office! We also lead projects that are planned for shorter 1 hour drop-in shifts to ensure that employees who have limited time available can still participate.
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Do you provide food and drinks for corporate volunteers?
We do provide snacks and water at every project. While we do not provide lunch, we are happy to build in a lunch break on-site and can manage lunch or catering orders upon request. Lunch costs would be additional outside of contract pricing.
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What would volunteers need to bring with them to the service event?
The beauty of having Boston Cares plan your day of service is that volunteers just need to bring themselves! We take care of all of the supplies for the project from safety gear, sunscreen and bugspary. We will also be there early to set-up and stay after to clean up, as well as being on-site to provide project management throughout the service event. Any clothing requirements will be made known to the corporate lead 1-2 weeks ahead of the scheduled project.
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How much does a corporate group event cost?
A service event is priced at $3,500 for up to 20 volunteers or $175 per person for groups greater than 20. This fee covers all supplies needed to complete the project as well as project management from the Boston Cares team.