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Register for an Opportunity

Goal: Sign up for the volunteer event you want, with the slot you want, and walk away knowing what's next.

Where to find opportunities​

  • The Volunteer Events page in your account shows all current events open to you. Opportunities you can still register for appear at the top, with the soonest first, so you don't have to scroll past events that have already ended. Past and closed events are listed further down.
  • A direct invite link sent by email lands you on the event details page
  • A public opportunity link shared by your affiliate works the same way, even if you're not yet logged in

Picking a slot​

Many events offer multiple slot types — different roles within the same event. You'll see the list with each role's description and remaining capacity. Pick the slot that fits what you'd like to do and what you're qualified for.

If a slot requires a skill or requirement you don't have, it's marked accordingly. You can either:

  • Pick a different slot you do qualify for
  • Address the requirement first (see Meet Event Requirements) and come back

Shifts​

If the event runs in shifts (e.g., morning and afternoon), pick the shift you can attend. You can register for one or more, depending on what the event allows.

Once you're registered for a shift, the opportunity page shows your shift's hours rather than only the full day's — so an Afternoon shift reads 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, with the opportunity's overall 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM shown underneath for context. Your shift time also appears next to the shift name in the Registration panel.

Registering for a recurring series​

If the opportunity repeats — every Wednesday morning at the ReStore, say — you don't have to sign up one date at a time. On a recurring opportunity you'll see a Register for multiple dates button below the usual Register Now button. Open it to see the upcoming dates in the series, check the ones you want (or Select all), and register for them in a single step.

You'll find the same thing on the calendar: when you confirm a registration for a repeating opportunity, the confirmation window lists the other upcoming dates so you can tick the ones you want without going back to the calendar for each.

If the series uses roles or shifts​

You still only choose once. Pick your role and shift as usual at the top of the page, then open Register for multiple dates — whatever you picked is what you'll be signed up for on every date you select. Choose the 9–12 shift and the Site prep role, and that's your shift and role for all of them.

The list of dates shows a reminder of the role and shift they'll use, so you can see what you're committing to before you confirm. If you haven't made a choice yet, the button stays disabled and tells you what's still needed.

If a particular date doesn't offer the role or shift you chose — a coordinator changed that one date, for instance — it's skipped rather than swapped for something else, so you're never signed up for work you didn't pick.

A few things to know:

  • Dates that are already full, closed, or that you're already signed up for are handled for you — if any of your picks can't be booked, you'll be told how many were skipped and the rest still go through.
  • To vary your role or shift from one date to the next, register for those dates individually instead.

What you'll see during registration​

  • Confirmation of date, time, and location
  • The slot you've picked
  • Any waivers to sign (you can sign them in line)
  • Anything else the event asks for (a t-shirt size, a meal preference, an emergency contact)

Then you confirm.

Will other people see my name?​

Only if the coordinator turned on Show who's signed up for that opportunity, and it's off unless they did. When it is on, the opportunity lists registrants by first name and last initial — yours would appear as "Dana O." — and that list is visible to anyone viewing the opportunity, including people who aren't logged in. Your email, phone number, and full last name are never published either way; staff see those, other volunteers don't.

The registered count ("8 of 12 registered") always shows. That's a number, not a name.

If you'd rather not appear, ask the coordinator — the setting is per opportunity, so they can turn it off.

After you register​

You'll get a confirmation email with the details and (often) a QR code for fast check-in on event day. The event also shows up on your Volunteer Events page until it's complete.

Changing your mind​

If your plans change:

  • Switch slots — request a slot change from the event page; if the new slot has capacity, you're moved
  • Cancel — withdraw your registration. Open the event you're signed up for (it's shown in the You're Registered color from the calendar's legend, green unless your organization picked another color), and use the Cancel Registration button at the bottom of the event details. You'll be asked to confirm, then your spot is released and the event drops off your list. You can sign up again anytime if plans change back. Cancel as early as you can so the slot can go to someone else.