Information for Potential Volunteers

It's no mystery that MaxFund survives and thrives because of the help from its many great volunteers. Without them we just wouldn't be able to do all the functions the shelter requires with the staff the shelter has budget for. Volunteers allow MaxFund to help more animals find loving homes and to help them enjoy their time at the shelter even better!

If you haven't done so already, you should familiarize yourself with who MaxFund is and what our mission/goals consist of. There are a few pages on the MaxFund website that will help you become more educated about MaxFund. Among others, they are the MaxFund Story (the story of how we began and the basics of the shelter), the MaxFund FAQ (Frequently asked questions about MaxFund), and our Charity Navigator Page (that proves that we are among the best non-profits as far as how we use our money).

• Are you a minor (under 18), interested in volunteering? Click Here
• Are you needing to complete some court-ordered community service? Click Here
• Are you looking to complete some community service hours for a school project? Click Here

The community expects a lot from MaxFund, and MaxFund expects a lot from our volunteers.

• We expect our volunteers to be self-motivating, self-starting, and self-driven. We currently do not contact volunteers to sign them up for shifts, assign duties, or schedule them for events, etc. Volunteers are expected to take the initiative on their own to get into the shelter on a schedule that works for them and make every attempt to help out when possible.
• We expect our volunteers to be committed to the mission of taking in sick/injured animals, making them better and adopting them to loving homes within our adoption guidelines. We will discuss the MaxFund mission and goals during the orientation if you are unfamiliar with them already.
• We expect our volunteers to make every effort to volunteer at least four hours a month, or 12 hours per quarter (so if you can't volunteer for two months we'd ask you to volunteer 12 hours the third month). Volunteers may contribute as much time as they'd like, but we hope you can find time in your schedule to help at least that often.
• We expect our volunteers to seek out ways to help, unless you already have a way of helping in mind. If you are unsure of what to do with your volunteering time after going through the orientation feel free to ask the coordinator but specific duties won't be assigned you, we expect you to find something you want to do, and do it!

All of our volunteers must be fully devoted to this mission and always represent MaxFund in a positive light. If you do not feel that you can completely commit and stand behind MaxFund's mission, then MaxFund is probably not the right fit for you. If you feel that you won't be able to fulfill these expectations, perhaps consider contacting the coordinator for clarification or assistance.

Step One:

On the second Saturday of each month, we will have an enrollment day for prospective volunteers. Please come to the dog shelter (1005 Galapago Street) at 9:00 a.m. At that time, we will provide a one-hour orientation; please bring your completed application (or if you can't download/print the application, you can complete a hard copy application while you're there). We'll do a quick interview with you if you're still interested in MaxFund after the one-hour orientation. Expect to spend up to 2 hours on Step One.

Step Two:

We will then review your application and check your references. If all is satisfactory, we'll schedule you for Step Two, which consists of a more extensive Dog Handling 101 or Cat Handling 101 class (depending on your interest). You'll conclude Step Two with a one-on-one mentoring session with an experienced volunteer. Please bring $25 (cash, credit card, or check) as a one-time fee for your badge and orientation pamphlet, and wear CLOSED TOE SHOES (no sandals or flip-flops). Expect to spend 2 hours on Step Two.

Once you have gone through the complete volunteer orientation, a variety of activities will be open to you; you'll be able to work with the animals, help with events and fundraisers, and event pick up specific shifts around the shelter to help out! The list below will give you an idea of some of the activities available. If you have any questions that aren't answered on these pages, please contact jesse [at] maxfund [dot] org.

We ask that volunteers contribute at least 4 hours every month. This is 1 hour per week or one half day per month. Volunteers have several months to make up these hours, so if you aren't able to come in for a few months you can make up those hours during a later month. We realize not everyone can come in every week and we are as accommodating as possible.

Because we are an informal program, once you have gone through the orientation you are able to come in when you want, do what you want while you are there, and leave when you want. No "shifts" are required, and the scheduling is wide open. You are also allowed volunteering freedom with what tasks you perform, so if you feel like walking dogs for a few hours then playing with the cats, that is fine! The volunteer coordinator will be happy to assist you with any questions about volunteering.