Playbook · Volunteers and schools
Run a volunteer deployment
Move a team of volunteers to a project and home again, with a roster that changes, readiness tracked and someone watching over them.
Coastal rebuild, team 3 (example)
- For
- Volunteer coordinators, program managers
- Lead time
- Ideally 8 weeks before the event; we can work to shorter timelines when inventory allows
- Group travel
- Group travel from 10 attendees
- Owner
- Volunteer coordinator
Before you start
Decide these first
Decisions to make
- Project dates and the arrival window the project needs
- Who pays for volunteer travel, and the code
- Insurance, health and entry requirements (yours to arrange)
- Your safety plan and in-country contact
People to involve
- Volunteer coordinator
- Project lead in country
- Safety lead
- Finance lead
The plan
A workable timeline
Our suggested lead times. Adjust them to your organization; shorter is possible, but costs and stress go up.
12 weeks before
Plan
- Set team dates around the project
- Check entry rules and travel advice for each nationality
- Arrange insurance that covers the work and destination
8 weeks before
Book the group
- Ideally 8 weeks before the event: send the group to the travel team
- Names can follow as the roster fills
6 weeks before
Names and documents
- Collect passport names and details
- Confirm visas or entry permissions are in hand
- Swap names as volunteers drop out and join
2 weeks before
Brief
- Run the briefing: project, culture, safety, emergency contacts
- Share itineraries and the urgent help number
During
Watch over
- Incident monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- If an incident happens nearby: first contact attempt within 30 minutes of an incident being confirmed
After
Home and close
- Confirm everyone is home
- Code costs; track refunds and unused credits
- Debrief and record lessons
Who does what
Your part, and ours
| Task | Your organization | silentVIP |
|---|---|---|
| Project, briefing and safety plan | Owns them | — |
| Visas, health, insurance | Volunteers and organization arrange | Fits travel around them (dates, onward tickets) |
| Group booking and names | Sends the roster | Books the group; changes names where the airline allows |
| Ground transfers | Says what is needed | Pre-books airport transfers for groups |
| Incidents | Decides and informs families | Finds who is nearby, contacts them, rebooks |
Checklists
Copy these into your plan
Print this page or copy the lists into your own template.
Collect from each volunteer
- Name exactly as in passport
- Passport number, nationality and expiry
- Departure city
- Emergency contact
- Accessibility, medical or dietary needs that affect travel
Readiness, per volunteer
- Ticketed
- Entry permission in hand
- Insurance confirmed
- Briefed
- Emergency contact on file
Common mistakes
What usually goes wrong
Booking names too early
Hold the group, then add names as the roster settles; name changes are not always possible.
Arrivals that miss the project
Book around the project's start, not the cheapest flight.
No one counting
Know who is where on each day; it is the first question in any incident.
Related
Tools and guides
More in Playbooks
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