A Tall Timbers Group product
Volunteer application form template
This volunteer application form template has the fields most nonprofits need: contact details, interests, availability, references, emergency contact and consents. Open the live sample form. We split it into a short first step and a later step, so volunteers aren't asked for their date of birth before you've said yes.
Updated 26 Sep 2026
See a live sample form Have a PDF already? Convert it
Shorter first step, paper, or interview
Need a shorter first step? Use the volunteer interest form.
Prefer paper? Download the Word or PDF version.
After the form: volunteer interview questions.
Try the live sample
Open /o/helotes-humane/volunteer, or convert your own PDF. Hosted forms use /o/your-org/volunteer.
What fields should a volunteer application include?
These defaults follow the staged design. A coordinator can move any field. This is a design recommendation, not a required legal form.
| Field | Stage | Why you ask it | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| First name | First step | Identify the person | Yes |
| Last name | First step | Identify the person | Yes |
| First step | Contact and a continue link | Yes | |
| Mobile | First step | A way to reach them about a shift | Yes |
| Interests / roles | First step | Match people to openings | Yes |
| Availability | First step | Scheduling | Optional |
| Anything we should know? | First step | One textarea at most | Optional |
| Address | Later | Matching and logistics | After they submit |
| Date of birth | Later | Age check; three text boxes, not dropdowns | After they submit |
| Skills, languages, T-shirt size | Later | Matching | After they submit |
| References | Later | Only after you decide to proceed; emails only | After you proceed |
| Emergency contact | Later | Safety on a shift | After you proceed |
| Role-specific documents | Later | Only when the role needs them | When the role needs them |
| Waivers and consents | Later | Before the first shift, not as a gate to interest | When relevant |
| SSN, driver's license, criminal history | Not on this form | The screening vendor collects these, not the application | Never here |
Which questions should come first?
Name, email, phone, interests, and availability. Long forms lose people, especially on a phone. We haven't measured the effect on Apply2Volunteer forms yet.
What should you not ask on a volunteer application?
SSN, driver's license number, and criminal history belong in the background-check provider's flow, not the application. That is a design recommendation, not legal advice.
Already have a PDF application?
Upload it and get a mobile-friendly online form you can host or embed. We haven't measured conversion time yet.
FAQ
Can I use this template?
Yes. Open the live sample or convert your own PDF. Hosted forms use /o/your-org/volunteer.
Can I put it on my own website?
Published forms can be hosted at /o/your-org/volunteer or embedded with a script tag. We have not published a site-builder compatibility list yet.
Can I add a background check step?
Not today. Apply2Volunteer doesn't run background checks. If you screen volunteers, keep using your current provider, and leave SSN and criminal-history questions to their process.
Do volunteers need an account to apply?
Volunteers fill the public form. We do not require a volunteer login on the sample.