Volunteer Coordinator job description
A Volunteer Coordinator recruits, trains and schedules volunteers for an NGO, trust or social enterprise and keeps them engaged. The role fits organisations that depend on unpaid helpers for events, classrooms or community drives.
Why the role exists
Many Indian NGOs run drives, camps, tutoring and seva activities that depend on volunteers who have jobs, classes or family duties. The Volunteer Coordinator makes sure the right people show up, know the task and feel valued. The role usually reports to the programme or operations head.
What the person does
- Recruit volunteers through colleges, corporate groups, religious and community bodies and social media appeals.
- Run a short orientation that explains the cause, the task, safety on site and the behaviour expected with beneficiaries.
- Build duty rosters for camps, classrooms, distribution drives and events, and confirm each person a day before.
- Keep a volunteer register with contact details, skills, hours given and any police or reference checks the employer decides on.
- Be the first point of contact on the day of an activity and fix no-shows, late arrivals and sudden changes.
- Handle concerns, such as a volunteer who is unsuited to a task or a complaint from a beneficiary, and escalate when needed.
- Thank volunteers through certificates, messages and small gatherings, and ask for feedback after every drive.
- Report volunteer hours and numbers to the programme head and to corporate partners who send employee teams.
Skills and tools
- Recruiting and onboarding volunteers from colleges, companies and community groups
- Rostering and last-minute rescheduling for events and camps
- WhatsApp group and broadcast list management
- Simple volunteer database in Excel, Google Sheets or a CRM
- Public speaking and clear briefing of small groups
- Conflict handling and tactful feedback to unpaid helpers
- Awareness of child safety and dignity practices in beneficiary settings
- Event logistics such as transport, food and materials
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Graduate degree in any stream is preferred, or equivalent experience in community or student organisations.
- Prior experience leading volunteers, campus clubs or social drives is preferred.
- Working knowledge of the local language and English for briefings and records is useful.
- Willingness to work some weekends and evenings when volunteer activities are held is preferred.
How the work is judged
- Volunteers turn up as rostered and tasks are covered during each activity
- Volunteers return for further drives, which shows they feel valued and well used
- Orientation is completed before every volunteer starts a task
- Volunteer records and hours are accurate and ready for partner reports
- Beneficiaries, staff and partner companies give good feedback on volunteer conduct
Where the role can lead
- Senior Volunteer Coordinator or Volunteer Engagement Manager
- Community Engagement or Partnerships Manager at the organisation
- Programme Coordinator or Programme Manager, with field delivery experience
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Forty volunteers are expected for a Sunday camp and only twenty confirm. What do you do in the final three days?
- How would you brief a college group that will work with children for the first time?
- Tell us about a volunteer who was unreliable or unsuitable. How did you handle it?
- How do you keep volunteers engaged between big events when there is less to do?
- A corporate partner wants a team volunteering day that does not fit your needs. How do you respond?
- What records would you keep to show a partner what the volunteers achieved?
Hiring tips for this role
- Check how the candidate talks about volunteers. Look for respect for unpaid helpers and ideas for thanking them, not only for rostering them.
- Ask for a sample roster and briefing note. A clear one shows the planning habit the role needs.
- A common mistake is hiring someone who only recruits well. Retention and the quality of each volunteer's task matter just as much.
- Where volunteers work with children or vulnerable people, decide your own screening and safety steps with your adviser before the role starts.
Questions about hiring a volunteer coordinator
The person finds volunteers, briefs them, schedules them for activities, looks after them on the day and keeps records. They also thank volunteers and gather feedback so people come back.
It helps. Someone who has run a campus club, a community drive or a camp already knows how to handle no-shows and last-minute changes. A degree alone is rarely enough.
Usually yes, even though the volunteers are unpaid. The employer sets the terms. Smaller trusts sometimes combine the role with events or community outreach, which should be stated clearly in the job description.
Yes. GullyHR helps with permanent hiring: it agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates with community or event experience, and supports the offer stage. The final choice stays with you.
Hiring a volunteer coordinator?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.