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Free template · for nonprofits
Volunteer application form template (free)
Updated October 2026
Here's a volunteer application you can copy today, a filled-in example to show how it reads, and a note on why each field is there. It asks less than most, on purpose.
A good volunteer application asks only what you need to decide: who they are, which role they want, when they can help, and why. Ask for a date of birth, an emergency contact and guardian details after you've said yes, on a second short form. Copy both below.
A filled-in example
Here's what a finished application looks like for a made-up food pantry. Notice what isn't there.
Maple Street Food Pantry: volunteer application
Your name: Dana Reyes
Email: dana@example.org
Phone (optional): 555-0142
Which role interests you? Saturday morning food sorter
When can you usually help? Saturdays, 8 to noon, twice a month
Why would you like to help? I moved here last spring and want to meet my neighbors.
Any experience or skills you'd like us to know about? Ten years in a grocery stockroom. I can lift 40 pounds.
Are you at least 16, our minimum age for this role? Yes
Anything we can do to make volunteering work for you? A chair for breaks, please.
Someone who can speak to your character (optional): Sam Ortiz, neighbor, 555-0177
Signed: Dana Reyes, March 3
Blank volunteer application form to copy
Paste this into a document, or use it as the question list for an online form. Cut anything your roles don't need.
[Organization]: volunteer application
Your name: ____
Email: ____
Phone (optional): ____
Which role interests you? ____
When can you usually help? ____
Why would you like to help? ____
Any experience or skills you'd like us to know about? ____
Are you at least [minimum age], our minimum age for this role? Yes / No
Anything we can do to make volunteering work for you? ____
Someone who can speak to your character (optional): ____
Everything here is true as far as I know. I understand that sending this doesn't guarantee a place, and that [role] may need [training / a waiver / a background check] before I start.
Signed: ____ Date: ____
Why each field is there
| Field | Why it's there |
|---|---|
| Name and email | How you reach them. Add the phone number as optional, since plenty of people prefer email. |
| Role | Applying for a job, not “volunteering” in general, helps people picture it. Link each role description. |
| When they can help | Saves a long back-and-forth about schedules later. |
| Why they'd like to help | One short answer tells you more than a page of questions. |
| Experience or skills | Asks for what they bring, without making anyone feel underqualified. |
| Minimum age, yes or no | Tells you what you need without collecting a birth date from someone you may never place. |
| Making it work for you | An open door for access needs, with no one asked to explain a condition. |
| Reference | Optional for most roles. Make it required where a role calls for it, like work with children. |
| Signature | Confirms what they wrote and sets expectations about what comes next. |
Why date of birth and guardian details wait
Most free forms ask for everything up front. That means you're storing birth dates, health notes and family phone numbers for people who may never set foot in your building. Every detail you hold is one you have to protect.
So split it in two. The application asks whether someone meets your minimum age. Once you've accepted them, a short welcome form collects the rest. It's a small change, and it's kinder to the person applying.
Welcome to [Organization]: a few details before your first shift
Date of birth (only if your role has an age rule): ____
Emergency contact name and phone: ____
If you are under 18, parent or guardian name, phone and email: ____
Allergies or health needs you'd like us to know about (optional): ____
Your [waiver / other paperwork] is attached. Please sign and return it before [date].
Keep those answers somewhere private, and share them only with the people who need them. A volunteer waiver often covers the emergency contact too, and anyone under 18 needs a guardian's signature on it. Then work through the onboarding checklist before the first shift.
Do you need an application at all?
Not for every role. A one-morning cleanup needs a sign-up, not an application. Use the form for ongoing roles, for anything with keys or money, and for work with children or vulnerable adults. For an open-ended “I'd like to help,” an interest form is lighter.
When a sign-up link is enough
With Ember Volunteers, anyone can sign up for a shift from your one link with just a name and an email: no account, no password. Your first 25 public sign-ups need nothing more from you; confirm your EIN to raise the limit. The public form never asks for a date of birth or guardian details, so ask for those yourself, privately, once someone is on your team.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules for volunteers, minors and personal details vary by state. Ask a local attorney or your insurer before you rely on a form.