• Programs Overview
• Educators
• Volunteers
  • Individuals
    • Tutor/Enrichment
    • Mentors
    • Literacy
    • Interpreter
  • Corporate Volunteers
  • Meet a Volunteer
  • FAQ
• Students
• Partners
• Policy & Public Engagement

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What are the different opportunities for volunteering in a classroom?
  Check out our volunteer page, where you can click into the different volunteer roles for more information.
• I work full time. How can I fit volunteering into my busy schedule?
  Many of our volunteers work full time jobs and have a multitude of commitments during the week. Volunteers often find one hour a week before work, during a lunch break, or in the afternoon they can spend volunteering. Schools need volunteers both during the school day (8am to 3pm) as well as in afterschool programs (3pm to 6pm). Spending time working with students in a classroom can provide a welcome and rewarding break from the office.
  
  If you’re schedule still doesn’t permit regular weekly volunteering, we encourage you to check out our other volunteer opportunities, including Interpretation, and Career Speakers.There are also a few months a year when there are Saturday opportunities for Special Events, or to tutor students studying for the high school exit exam.
  
• Can I choose in which school/grade level/subject matter I volunteer?
  Our goal is to match teacher requests with volunteers' requests to best meet the needs of both. Some schools, like our Priority Schools have a greater need for volunteers than others. Through our online application and your orientation interview, we aim to get a sense of your skills and interests in order to place you where your volunteer experience can be most effective and rewarding.
• Are there opportunities to volunteer on the weekends?
  A few weekends a semester, our organization helps put on volunteer service projects in our community. These opportunities will be posted on our website when available. There are also a few months a year when there are Saturday opportunities to tutor students studying for the high school exit exam.
  
• How soon can I start?
  For the safety of students and to comply with SFUSD policy, all volunteers must go through an orientation and clearance process before starting. After filling out an online application and attending a new volunteer orientation, it normally takes approximately 3-4 weeks to receive clearance from the Department of Justice and get placed in a classroom for your first day of volunteering. To make your clearance process go as quickly as possible, we recommend compiling your application packet materials as soon as you fill out an online application.
• I used to volunteer with SFSV x years ago and would like to volunteer again. Do I need to go through the clearance process again?
  If you volunteered with San Francisco School Volunteers 4 or more years ago, you will need to go through the clearance process again. This includes: submitting a new TB test result; attending a new volunteer orientation; and getting fingerprinted. If you volunteered with us within the past four years, you will just need to check if your TB test is still valid (they are good for four years) and make sure you were fingerprinted, as that requirement was a recent policy change.
  
  
• I need to change my orientation date, how should I go about doing that?
  If you already signed up for an orientation but would like to change your orientation date, contact Lianna Wright, Volunteer Program Coordinator, at 415.749.3700 ext. 3006 or lwright@sfedfund.org.

• I have been fingerprinted already. Do I need to get fingerprinted again?
  For your privacy, fingerprints are not shared between organizations so you must re-fingerprint.
  
  
• Are there any costs involved?
  TB test: If you are not seeing a private physician for your TB screening, see our TB Test Form for a list of clinics and their fees -many are either free or use a sliding scale for pricing.
  
  Fingerprinting: We will scan your fingerprints at orientation to do a criminal background check.
  Fingerprinting costs us $66 per person. We ask each volunteer for a one-time contribution to help cover that cost.
  
  
• Does the volunteer program provide a letter of recommendation or verification of hours?
  We encourage volunteers to track volunteer hours with and obtain a letter of recommendation from the teacher with whom they work. Our School Resources Coordinators can write a letter verifying that you were cleared and placed to volunteer with our organization.
• If I can no longer fulfill my volunteer commitment, can I change my commitment, or volunteer in some other way?
  Once you are cleared through our organization, we wil keep all of your information on file for four years after your stop volunteering. If your schedule changes, it is always possible to decrease your level of commitment. Helping out at special events is an easy way to keep volunteering event with little free time.