Volunteer opportunities
Service hours that build more than a transcript.
Help run community builds, workshops, and student events. Sign up by shift, get hours verified by a real person, and export reports your school accepts.
Why volunteer with YAO
What you actually get.
Verified hours
Every shift is logged in the portal and verified by an event lead. Download signed reports anytime.
Flexible shifts
Two-hour blocks, weekend events, virtual support roles. Take what fits your schedule.
Real responsibility
Run check-in, assist builds, mentor younger students — not just folding flyers.
A path to leadership
Consistent volunteers are first in line for staff and project manager roles.
Membership tiers
Every program stays free. Tiers unlock more seats.
Everyone starts as an Explorer for free. Optional Ko-fi memberships support the org and open tier-gated program signups — admins apply your tier within a day of subscribing.
Free · default
- All free programs & volunteer shifts
- Verified hours & certificates
- Discord community access
$3/mo on Ko-fi
- Everything in Explorer
- Core-tier program signups
- Early access to new cohorts
$4/mo on Ko-fi
- Everything in Core
- Priority placement on waitlists
- 1:1 portfolio feedback session
Tiers are applied manually for now: subscribe on Ko-fi with the same email as your YAO account and an admin upgrades you within a day. If a membership lapses, the tier is removed the same way. Automatic Ko-fi syncing is on the roadmap.
Hour tracking
How your hours get verified.
No paper forms, no chasing signatures. The portal replaces the old SignUp.com workflow end to end: signups, waitlists, attendance, and exportable hour logs in one place.
- 1
Sign up for a shift on this page or in the portal. You'll get an email confirmation immediately.
- 2
Check in at the event (QR code or shift lead). Your hours start counting automatically.
- 3
After the event, the lead verifies attendance and your hours move from pending to approved.
- 4
Download your hour report or certificate from the portal whenever school needs it.
Good to know
- Discord is required for new volunteers — announcements live there, and you'll verify with the volunteer ID (like #A0123) from your approval email.
- Cancel up to 48 hours before an event — your spot goes to the waitlist.
- Two unexcused no-shows pause your account until you talk with a coordinator.
- Virtual volunteering (research support, design feedback, outreach) counts too.