Frequently Asked Questions
General Volunteering
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Signing up is easy! Visit our event calendar to browse upcoming volunteer opportunities. Click on an event that interests you and you will be taken to POINT to create an account and sign up!
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Not at all! Our events are designed to be welcoming for all experience levels. Our Event Leaders and/or nonprofit partners will provide instructions and guidance at the event to ensure you feel comfortable and engaged.
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Absolutely! We encourage you to invite friends, but they must register on POINT in advance so we can track attendance and ensure enough space for everyone
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Columbus Gives Back events are designed for adults, and all volunteers must be 18 or older. If you're looking for volunteer opportunities for children, we recommend checking out Seeds of Caring, an organization dedicated to engaging kids in meaningful service projects.
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If you can no longer attend an event, please cancel your registration on POINT as soon as possible so another volunteer can take your place.
Group Volunteering
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Columbus Gives Back focuses on providing social volunteerism opportunities for individuals. While we don’t organize private volunteer events or reserve spots for external groups, if a particular event interests you, we can make an introduction and connect you directly with the nonprofit partner.
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Columbus Gives Back does not allow group sign ups on POINT, each person must register individually.
Events & Volunteer Experience
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A social twist is what makes Columbus Gives Back unique! After many of our volunteer events, we invite volunteers to join us somewhere local (coffee shop, bar, park, restaurant, etc.) to socialize and build connections. It’s a great way to continue the fun after an event while supporting local businesses. Social twists are optional and organized at the discretion of the Event Leaders.
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We partner with a variety of nonprofits across Central Ohio, offering diverse volunteer experiences such as meal/food preparation, park clean-ups, donation sorting, working with children, and more. We aim to provide flexible and engaging opportunities for volunteers of all interests and schedules.
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You can follow us on instagram @cbusgivesback, subscribe to our email list, or check our website and POINT regularly for the latest volunteer opportunities.
Getting More Involved
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Event Leaders are the heart of Columbus Gives Back. Event Leaders play an important role in shaping the volunteer experiences. They serve as the main point of contact for volunteers, ensure everything runs smoothly, and help create a welcoming, fun, and engaging environment.
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To apply to become an Event Leader, you must have volunteered at four unique events with Columbus Gives Back. This allows you to gain experience, familiarize yourself with our nonprofit partners, and connect with our leadership team.
Once you’ve met this requirement, fill out our Event Leader application form. No prior leadership experience is required — just a passion for giving back!
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Yes! We are a 100% volunteer-run organization and always looking for individuals to help with event planning, marketing, outreach, and leadership roles.
Note: Board Members positions are typically filled by individuals who have first served as Event Leaders. This ensures that our leadership team understands our mission, operations, and nonprofit relationships before stepping into larger roles.
If you're interested in leadership opportunities, reach out to brooke@columbusgivesback.org for more information.
Nonprofit & Community Partnerships
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We love partnering with nonprofits that align with our mission of engaging volunteers through social volunteerism. Our focus is on group-based events where volunteers can work together, build connections, and foster a sense of community while giving back.
For this reason, we prioritize volunteer opportunities that accommodate small to medium-sized groups (6-15 volunteers) and allow our volunteers to stay together rather than being split up into isolated tasks. If your organization offers group-friendly opportunities that encourage collaboration and social interaction, we’d love to explore a partnership with you!
Please fill out our Partnership Inquiry Form or email us at events@columbusgivesback.org to discuss how we can work together. -
We love partnering with local nonprofits, but we do require at least one of our trained event leaders to be present at every event. This means we can only commit to opportunities when we have an available event leader to guide volunteers. If you're interested in partnering, we encourage you to reach out with flexible dates so we can coordinate leadership coverage.
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We’ve decided to step away from festivals and similar large-scale events. While we love being involved in the community, these events make it challenging for us to welcome and connect with volunteers in the personal, engaging way that defines the CGB experience.
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Since most of our volunteers and event leaders are young professionals with 9-to-5 jobs, weekday daytime opportunities can be difficult for us to support. We are best able to participate in events that take place on weekday evenings or weekends. If your organization has flexible scheduling, we’d love to explore ways to make it work!
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Please reach out at least one month before your event. This gives us enough time to review the request, discuss with our team, and recruit volunteers to support you effectively. You can fill out the partnership inquiry form to get started.