Volunteer Enrollment and Screening Documents
Enrollment and screening of VMN volunteers has three mandatory steps that are required for compliance with Virginia Cooperative Extension and VMN volunteer policies. Only after all three steps are completed may a prospective volunteer be enrolled in the VMN chapter's Basic Training course. Please review the section on this in the VMN Volunteer Policy Handbook for important guidance. The volunteer screening process, including the enrollment agreement, interview, and reference checks, are considered a confidential process.
Prospective applicants: Please contact your local chapter for the link to their online application form, course information, and any other specific details. You may want to review this tip sheet to prepare for completing the online application.
Prospective applicants: Please contact your local chapter for the link to their online application form, course information, and any other specific details. You may want to review this tip sheet to prepare for completing the online application.
Step One: Volunteer Enrollment Application
The Volunteer Application is completed, in most cases, online through our volunteer management system, Better Impact.
We have standardized the application statewide so that it includes questions and agreements required by our sponsoring agencies as well as typical questions that chapter might use when making decisions about whether to accept someone into the program. Chapter may not use their own, different application forms. Local chapters will obtain the link to their online Better Impact application and provide it to prospective volunteers when they are accepting new applications. Extra care should be taken to maintain confidentiality of applicants' and volunteers' profile information.
The Volunteer Application is completed, in most cases, online through our volunteer management system, Better Impact.
We have standardized the application statewide so that it includes questions and agreements required by our sponsoring agencies as well as typical questions that chapter might use when making decisions about whether to accept someone into the program. Chapter may not use their own, different application forms. Local chapters will obtain the link to their online Better Impact application and provide it to prospective volunteers when they are accepting new applications. Extra care should be taken to maintain confidentiality of applicants' and volunteers' profile information.
Supporting Documents for the Volunteer Enrollment Application:
- VMN Tip Sheet or Online Application Completion (PDF): This document is a tip sheet for applicants to aid them in completing the online application on Better Impact. We suggest that Chapters provide a link to this tip sheet as part of their course information for applicants.
- VMN New Volunteer Applications on Better Impact (PDF): This document is for use by chapter leaders and provides guidance on setting up your chapter's online application on Better Impact.
- Using the Better Impact Online Application (video link): This is a video that walks you through the steps described in the document above.
- VMN Course Information for Applicants - Template for Chapters to Use (.docx): This document is a template for the course information that you will want to provide to prospective applicants. The information includes essentials such as course schedule, cost, and expectations. Except for the required ADA information and civil rights indicia statements, this template we have provided can be altered to fit the Chapter's needs, or simply used as a guide to create your own. You may choose to provide the information to prospective applicants on your Chapter's own webpage, as a PDF document that you can post or email, and/or on your Chapter's Better Impact public page.
Step Two: Reference Checks
One of the required parts of the online application and enrollment form is a list of three references. VMN chapters must check the references provided by the applicant as part of the application review before accepting a volunteer into the VMN program. Acceptable means of checking the references include an in-person conversation, a phone conversation, or a written form sent via email or hard copy. Below is a document describing the types of questions that may and may not be asked.
One of the required parts of the online application and enrollment form is a list of three references. VMN chapters must check the references provided by the applicant as part of the application review before accepting a volunteer into the VMN program. Acceptable means of checking the references include an in-person conversation, a phone conversation, or a written form sent via email or hard copy. Below is a document describing the types of questions that may and may not be asked.
- Volunteer Screening Questions and Interviews and Reference Checks (PDF): Chapter leaders and others involved in the volunteer recruitment and screening process should read this document before interviewing applicants or checking their references. It will give examples of questions to ask as well as questions that should not be asked in order to avoid discrimination.
Step Three: Applicant Interviews
To ensure the best possible experience for everyone in the VMN program, it is important to make sure that prospective volunteers understand the expectations of the VMN program and to determine whether volunteers’ expectations adequately match those of the program. Acceptable methods for accomplishing this goal include an interview with the prospective volunteer in-person or over the phone, or in a group information session in which the expectations of the VMN program are communicated and participants are given the opportunity to ask questions. Please keep in mind that we do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. The volunteer screening questions and suggestions documents above (under Reference Checks) also apply to the applicant interviews.
To ensure the best possible experience for everyone in the VMN program, it is important to make sure that prospective volunteers understand the expectations of the VMN program and to determine whether volunteers’ expectations adequately match those of the program. Acceptable methods for accomplishing this goal include an interview with the prospective volunteer in-person or over the phone, or in a group information session in which the expectations of the VMN program are communicated and participants are given the opportunity to ask questions. Please keep in mind that we do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. The volunteer screening questions and suggestions documents above (under Reference Checks) also apply to the applicant interviews.