How to hire a volunteer program coordinator

How to hire a volunteer program coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step volunteer program coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a volunteer program coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new volunteer program coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the volunteer program coordinator you need to hire. Certain volunteer program coordinator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a volunteer program coordinator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a volunteer program coordinator that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of volunteer program coordinators.

   Type of Volunteer Program Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Volunteer Program Coordinator	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$14-26
   Coordinator	Coordinators are responsible for liaising between the department they are assigned to and any other external party. They oversee projects or agreements... Show more	$12-29
   Residence Coordinator	A residence coordinator is responsible for supporting and providing the needs of the residents, including move-in procedures and processing of papers for residency. Residence coordinators interact with organizations and community offices for housing projects and property lease, identifying locations according to clients' requirements and budget limitations... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Speaking
   • Community Outreach
   • Child Care
   • Community Services
   • Mathematics
   • Volunteer Recruitment
   • RSVP
   • Community Resources
   • Training Sessions
   • Community Events
   • Event Planning
   • Non-Profit Organization
   • Program Development
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage volunteer information, communication, on-boarding, and statistics in Salesforce database.
   • Coordinated/Conduct statewide community education forums/workshops on various Medicare topics.
   • Increase clinic efficiency with consistent volunteer scheduling using Volgistics database.
   • Maintain volunteer files through use of volunteer database management system call Volgistics.
   • Coordinated/Conduct statewide community education forums/workshops on various Medicare topics.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your volunteer program coordinator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A volunteer program coordinator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, volunteer program coordinators' average salary in new hampshire is 43% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level volunteer program coordinators earn 46% less than senior-level volunteer program coordinators.
   • Certifications. A volunteer program coordinator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a volunteer program coordinator's salary.

   Average volunteer program coordinator salary

   $41,210yearly

   $19.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level volunteer program coordinator salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a volunteer program coordinator job description

   A job description for a volunteer program coordinator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a volunteer program coordinator job description:

   Volunteer program coordinator job description example

   Major duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Recruits, enrolls, and trains volunteers the meet RSVP eligibility requirements; ensures all proper documentation is obtained; conducts regular volunteer recruitment and gathering events and recruits, trains, and directs activities of local Advisory Council members with assistance from other staff as assigned. Coordinators will examine data to interpret current trends in senior living and in voluntarism to develop volunteer recruitment strategies to effectively recruit and retain volunteers. Provides appropriate volunteer recognition throughout the year (i.e. birthdays, important life events) and co-manages the planning and implementation of annual RSVP recognition event. Establishes volunteer stations and ensures stations comply with grant performance measurements as needed; insures stations submit reports when scheduled; addresses any concerns expressed by the station relative to the RSVP program. Maintains local volunteer, station, and program files in compliance with federal regulations and provides central office with required paperwork and reports on time. Provides coordination of the RSVP Programs activities with activities conducted by other government and nonprofit organizations in the assigned counties. Coordinators will continually monitor social and environmental factors affecting older Iowans and use that information to create meaningful volunteer service activities that meet the changing needs of Iowans 55 and older. Other duties as assigned that assist the department in meeting its mission.
   Essential Functions:
   
   Manages the day to day operations of the RSVP initiative in assigned counties. Creates, develops and conducts senior volunteer recruitment strategies. Represents RSVP & Iowa Department on Aging. Coordinates RSVP program activities with other local non-profit and government programs. Speaks to community groups and represents the agency program in public appearances.
   
   Special Requirements: Position is subject to a three part criminal history check which will include a statewide criminal history repository check, and a National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) Check Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
   
   1) Six years of full-time work experience in the administration or operation/execution (i.e., providing consultation and/or technical assistance to stakeholders, research and analysis, or enforcement of program guidelines/policies/procedures) of a program (i.e., the provision of a service or an administrative oversight/enforcement responsibility).
   
   2) All of the following (a and b):
   
   a. A total of four years of education and full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience; and
   
   b. A total of two years of graduate-level education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
   
   3) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work as a Program Planner 1.
   
   For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find volunteer program coordinators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your volunteer program coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit volunteer program coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit volunteer program coordinators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new volunteer program coordinator

   Once you've selected the best volunteer program coordinator candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new volunteer program coordinator. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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