The Volunteer Advantage

Q: Are there any costs for volunteers to participate?

Absolutely not!

Q: How can I earn Volunteer Advantage Points?

Members of the program earn Points by volunteering at any approved non-profit or charitable organization. The more you volunteer, the more you can earn. Volunteers are awarded 100 points for every one hour of service. One hour is the minimum amount of time for which points can be awarded. If your donated time for a specific organization/activity is less than an hour, please feel free to round up to 1 hour.

Points are earned in one hour increments. (i.e. 90 minutes does not equal 150 points.) After you volunteer, simply log onto your account and select the "Log Hours button". Input the required information. Once you submit, an online notification is sent to the non-profit/community organization requesting verification of your hours. (While we trust you immensely, the little man sitting on our shoulder made us put this step in!) You will be able to see both your verified and "awaiting verification" hours in your account.

Q: What counts as volunteering?

Activity is performed for no pay, completed at a nonprofit, hospital, community or charitable organization. Activity cannot be affiliated with organizations classified as private foundations by the IRS. Athletic activity is excluded unless it is an athletic endeavor performed for a community organization - i.e. a fundraising road race; Activities mandated by a court or other disciplinary action are not eligible.

Q: What if I do a fundraising athletic endeavor - like a road race or a jump-a-thon? Does that count?

We think that it does! If you run a 10k race and it takes you 65 minutes, please log that hour! If you do a 3 day walk for breast cancer, please log the total number of hours you walked over the 3 days. If your athletic activity takes less than one hour, please feel free to round up to one hour.

Q: What if I foster a dog/cat or other animal in need?

We love fosters! While we would to give you points for every hour that you are fostering, our reward partners might become quickly overwhelmed. We consulted with four foster families, seven dogs, a famous actor, a turtle and a horse, and everyone agreed that 100 points per day of fostering seemed like a fair deal.

Q: I do a lot of emergency/disaster volunteering and am often volunteering for days at a time. How should I count my hours?

Kudos to you for your time and commitment. This is another area where we need your guidance. We'd love to give you points for every hour that you are involved, but realize that is probably not feasible. Email us at rewards@thevolunteeradvantage.com to tell us what you think.

Q: How do I get my rewards?

Visit our Rewards Spot! The items will be placed in your "shopping cart" and once finished; you'll be able to "check out"! If the reward is for a physical store or service provider, you'll be guided to a printable coupon wizard. If it's an online store, you'll be provided with a promo code.

Q: How many businesses are participating in the Volunteer Advantage program?

We are currently signing up many businesses with our goal being to offer you at least 100 reward offerings within your area at any given time. For examples of the kinds of rewards in the program, please visit our Rewards Spot page. Please contact us at rewards@thevolunteeradvantage.com with any suggestions.

Q: Will the rewards program change? Will the rewards change?

The Volunteer Advantage Rewards program will change as we determine new and exciting reward options. Please check our Rewards Spot often for new reward options. We are constantly adding new businesses to better serve you and rewards are subject to change. Partners can also decide to discontinue their ...

Q: Will my Volunteer Advantage Points expire?

No. After six months of no activity, we will contact you to reactivate your account.

Q: Do Volunteer Advantage rewards expire?

Not all rewards are offered all the time. Our partners may try new and different rewards so you may not see the same reward each time you visit.

Q: What if I did not receive my point credit?

You can report any missed credit by contacting us from within your online account page or email us at info@thevolunteeradvantage.com Please note that points may not show as conformed until we receive verification from your non-profit.

Q: Can I purchase points?

No.

Q: My husband, wife, in-law, partner, child, mailman, imaginary friend, etc. volunteers with me. Can we combine points?

Unfortunately, we do not offer this option at this time. It may be something we consider down the line.

Q: I am going on vacation and would like to see what rewards and discounts might be available to me. Can I do that?

Not yet, but very soon! We think that this is a great idea and hope to offer it within the next few weeks.

Q: I volunteer all the time. How far back can I record my hours?

While The Volunteer Advantage launched in June of 2010, we will recognize hours from January 1, 2010.

Q: Can I select the same reward over and over?

We're glad you like the rewards so much. Each reward can only be selected one time per month.

Q: What should I do if I have trouble accessing my account page online?

E-mail us at: info@thevolunteeradvantage.com.

Q: I can't login, or I forgot my username or password.

If you can't login, check to make sure that your "caps lock" key is off. Your username and password are CaSe SeNsItIvE. If you still cannot login, you can request to reset your password or contact us via email at info@thevolunteeradvantage.com.

Q: How can I update my profile?

Once logged in to your dashboard, click the Edit Your Personal Information link on the left of the screen.

Q: How do I make my profile information private?

On the Edit Your Personal Information page, select Private from the options at the top and click Save. Your information will not appear to the public, or on the lists of any of the organizations with which you are associated.

Q: Are there any costs for businesses to participate?

Yes. Please visit www.thevolunteeradvantage.com/businesses to view our standard program pricing. We also offer customized packages tailored to meet your needs. Please email us at rewards@thevolunteeradvantage.com to discuss.

Q: What type of advertising will my business receive?

Your business will be advertised in multiple locations on The Volunteer Advantage website.

Q: What is my business responsible for?

For partners with physical locations, we ask that you place The Volunteer Advantage window sticker prominently on your window. After that - it's easy! Warmly greet the customers, honor the rewards, and help spread the word about The Volunteer Advantage!

Q: How can my business become a Volunteer Advantage partner?

Simply contact us at rewards@thevolunteeradvantage.com

Q: This reward set-up is a bit tricky. Is there an easy way for me to Quickly set up a reward?

Yes - we offer two "1 click rewards" - a $5 off any purchase coupon and a $10 off any purchase coupon. Simply click one of these and we'll do the rest!

Q: What is inventory?

While your reward will be viewed by hundreds of volunteers, our programs are designed and priced to offer you flexibility and control over the maximum number of volunteers who can use their points to select your reward offerings. Once this maximum inventory is reached, your rewards will show as "sold out" until day 1 of the next month. Upgrading your program to increase the maximum inventory is an option at anytime.

Q: What are the reward denominations? Is there flexibility?

While volunteers earn 100 points for every one hour of service, you can structure the reward in any way that you want. For further insight or recommendations, please feel free to email us at rewards@thevolunteeradvantage.com.

Q: Can I change my reward?

Yes. Simply log into your business dashboard and make any adjustments that you would like.

Q: Can I set up multiple rewards?

Yes! Our system will track the number of volunteers who select your rewards and once the total reaches your "maximum inventory", all of your rewards will show as "sold out".

Q: I am going to set up multiple rewards, but for one of my rewards, I only want to give away 10. Can I do this?

Yes! We have added a box to the redemption tab that asks you exactly that Question!

Q: What is targeting?

Targeting enables you to select the categories under which your reward will appear.

We also offer cause targeting which allows you to only have your reward displayed to volunteers who donate their time to certain causes.

Q: Can I target by zip code?

We are working on that!

Q: Are there any costs for non-profits/community organizations to participate?

Absolutely not!

Q: What type of advertising will my non-profit/community organization receive?

Tons! Your organization will be included in various sections of our site - we've got portals based on both causes and geographies - giving your organization even more visibility! We'll be offering a Volunteer Calendar shortly to which you can upload any events and a Volunteers Needed Bulletin Board for your ongoing volunteer needs.

Q: What is my organization responsible for?

Encouraging your volunteers to sign up and confirming hours once we do. Confirming hours is easy! We'll send you an online reminder when we need you to verify service. You will simply log onto your dashboard and with a simple click, you'll be back to your organizational responsibilities and making the world a better place.

Q: How can my organization become a member?

Simply click the Get Started button at thevolunteeradvantage.com/organizations.