Engaging VolunTOLDs (Required Service Volunteers)

 

As policies shift and community needs evolve, many organizations are finding themselves navigating a growing question: Should we engage volunteers who are required to serve?

These “VolunTOLDs”—individuals who volunteer because they are required to, rather than because they independently chose to—are not new. Volunteer engagement professionals have sought to engage:

• Students completing school-based community service requirements
• Individuals fulfilling court-ordered community service
• Participants in workforce readiness or rehabilitation programs
• Interns or service-learning students seeking experience and hours

But recent policy changes are likely to increase the number of people seeking volunteer opportunities tied to required service.

In particular, House Resolution 1 introduced new work and participation requirements connected to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility. Under these changes, many adults must complete at least 80 hours per month of work, education, training, or community service to maintain benefits. SNAP-related changes begin in late 2025, while Medicaid requirements begin in 2027, though some states may implement them earlier.

For nonprofit organizations and volunteer engagement leaders, this creates both opportunity and tension.

On one hand, required volunteers may help organizations:

• Expand capacity
• Build new partnerships
• Support workforce development
• Connect more people to community engagement

On the other hand, engaging required volunteers also raises important questions:

• Do we have the staff capacity to supervise and support them effectively?
• Are our screening and placement practices ready?
• What risks should we consider?
• Are we creating meaningful experiences—or simply filling shifts?
• How do we balance mission impact, ethics, and organizational realities?

Too often, organizations respond reactively:

“Sure, we’ll take them.” Or “No, we don’t do that.”

But both responses are strategic decisions—whether they are treated that way or not.

That’s why it’s increasingly important for leaders of volunteers to guide these conversations intentionally.

At VQ Volunteer Strategies, we’ve developed a new guide on Engaging VolunTOLDs, designed to help organizations make informed, thoughtful decisions about whether—and how—to engage required service volunteers, including assessing, planning, and making the case for your decisions.

In Part I of the guide, you can walk through 7 steps to assessing and planning, through evaluating:

• Organizational readiness and capacity
• Potential roles and opportunities
• Existing partnerships and community assets
• Risk management and policy considerations
• Ethical questions related to required service

Importantly, the tool encourages organizations to think beyond simply “placing” volunteers. Instead, it frames volunteer engagement as intentional experience design—creating opportunities that are meaningful for both the organization and the individual serving.

Part I focuses on casemaking and communication with leadership and other stakeholders. This tool helps you:

• Clarify recommendations
• Connect decisions to organizational priorities and mission
• Anticipate concerns or resistance
• Guide productive conversations about resources, risks, and success measures

Engaging required volunteers is not simply an operational decision. It is a leadership opportunity.

Volunteer engagement professionals are uniquely positioned to help organizations respond proactively to changing community realities, shifting policies, and evolving expectations around civic participation.

And perhaps most importantly, these conversations challenge us to think more deeply about the experiences we create.

Even when service is required, people still want to feel welcomed, respected, supported, and connected to purpose.

The goal is not simply to track hours or fulfill requirements. It is to build thoughtful pathways for contribution that align with mission, community needs, and organizational capacity.

As the landscape continues to shift, organizations that approach “VolunTOLD” engagement strategically—rather than reactively—will be better positioned to serve both their missions and their communities well. Download the guide today – and explore the topic further with me during my associated workshop at the Points of Light Social Impact Conference (June, Washington DC) and the Colorado Conference on Volunteerism (September, Fort Collins, CO).