Volunteer

How Will You Make A Difference?

We partner with professionals and entrepreneurs who want to give back to their community.

Volunteers serve in every YEI department, and whether you can give two hours or two hundred hours, we thank you for taking a step to help!

Important Volunteer Information

All new volunteers must complete our General Liability Waiver and review our Volunteer Handbook.

Background Checks: All ongoing volunteer roles that involve close contact with youth will require fingerprinting and a background check, by law. One-time guest speakers that are referred by YEI partners and or staff are exempt from this requirement ; but must sign background affirmation letter and must stay with a YEI staff member at all times.
Attire: We recommend comfortable clothing and supportive, close-toed shoes. You may want to bring a water bottle and/or a snack.
Cancellations: If you cannot attend your shift, please cancel your spot on Point with ample notice so others can join us. Our teams rely on you!
Groups: Contact us directly at volunteer@yeidc.org to coordinate a group volunteer session.
In-Kind Donations: Please contact us directly at InKindDonations@yeidc.org.

We are especially looking for volunteers who have passion for our mission can commit atleast 2 hours of their time are local professionals and entrepreneurs have experience working with youth live or grew up in East of the River DC

Step 1: Explore Volunteer Opportunites

We have several volunteer opportunities including volunteering with us on at a Pitch Competition, at the YEI Incubator, on a committee or for an event! We accept groups and individuals that want to make a difference.

Step 2: Volunteer Eligibility & Waiver Form

Fill out a form to start the process. Our volunteer coordinator will be in touch. We interview every prospective volunteer to determine the best fit, and all roles that involve unsupervised or close contact with youth will require fingerprinting and a background check.

Step 3: Volunteer Paperwork

New volunteers must complete our General Liability Waiver and review our Volunteer Handbook.

The bulk of paperwork needed for most volunteers is below.

Sexual Harassment Training Prevent Sexual Harassment
YEI Anti-Harassment Policy YEI Anti-Harassment Policy
YEI Liability Waiver All volunteers must sign before serving.
Student Confidentiality Agreement For ongoing volunteers providing direct services.
Community Service Timesheet For volunteers reporting hours to third parties.

Some assignments/departments require additional paperwork. For example, volunteers and interns working in the salesforce database will need to sign confidentiality and information security agreements. In addition, volunteers and interns who will work regularly with youth must undergo a FBI fingerprinting and DC background check.

Step 4: Background Check

At the Youth Entrepreneur Institute, we prioritize the safety and well-being of the youth we serve. As such, all volunteers working or providing direct services or contact with youth are required to undergo background checks. Please note, these background checks are conducted at no cost to you.

Detailed instructions on how to complete the background check process is located here. This guide is designed to walk you through the background check process smoothly and efficiently. Instruction details are also in the volunteer handbook. If you have any questions about whether or not you need to complete the background check process, reach out to volunteer@yeidc.org

Step 5: Volunteer Orientation

Once a month, YEI hosts a volunteer orientation. This information session provides an overview on

Youth Entrepreneur Institute, volunteer expectations and responsibilities, and current volunteer opportunities. Some volunteer opportunities, such as InnovationLab Support, require a department-specific orientation beyond the general volunteer orientation.

Step 6: Sign-Up for POINT app & Select Your Day

We organize our volunteers through the POINT app. This allows volunteers to stay up-to-date with our organization and see all upcoming volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can create an account on either the computer or by downloading the app from the Google Play or Apple App Store. To sign-up, you can use the app or visit this page again to see our latest opportunities.

Don’t want to download the app? That’s okay! You can use POINT online from a computer to sign-up for your volunteer shifts from right here on our volunteer page. You will be redirected to POINT’s website to create your account.