Volunteer INcentive Program 
Rules of Engagement
2023 

1. Qualifying Youth Organizations: Any Student team or club (Organization) within San Juan County is eligible to participate in the VIP program. Students are defined as being between 5 and 18 years of age and not yet graduated from High School. The Organization does not have to be associated with a school but can be any youth organization. 

2. Qualifying Individuals: Individual youth proposals (not associated with a group application) will be considered for purposes that enrich their education (eg, Advance Placement testing fees) or life experiences (eg, attend a youth camp). The youth must still volunteer under the guidelines below, and the payments from VIP must be made, not to the youth, but to the end function they are seeking (eg, to the AP program or to the youth camp directly). Individual funding from the general fund shall be limited to $500 per individual per school year unless otherwise approved by the Board. In addition to general fund money, individuals can earn funds that have been designated on their behalf. There is no limit on Designated Contributions that can be earned.
 
3. Funding Pay Rate: Unless another rate is set by a donor making a designated contribution, funding will be paid to an Organization at a rate of $15 per Student per hour of volunteer time. Each youth organization is eligible to earn up to $1,500 from our General Fund per school year. If your organization would like to earn more, please read about "Designated Donations."
 
4. Qualifying Volunteer Activities: Students must volunteer to help some outside organization, entity or individual, not their own group or team (i.e. feed the homeless, not man the booth at the team’s own bake sale). The volunteer Activity must to be done outside the regular school day such that the Student volunteers are giving up their own free time.
 
To get ideas for volunteer activities, visit JustServe. VIP does not sponsor and is not associated with the volunteer Activity in any way. VIP does not recommend, promote or endorse individual volunteer Activities and is not responsible for the safety of the students at the Activity. VIP merely provides donations to the Organization based on Student service conducted at the volunteer Activity. As such, the Organization shall be fully and solely responsible for the safety of the Students participating in the volunteer Activity. The Organization should make sure that the volunteer Activity will be conducted under adult supervision. The VIP program urges organizations to evaluate activities to assure student safety. Further, the organization is encouraged to determine whether the volunteer Activity will be covered by insurance provided by the Organization or their parent entity or the organization, entity or person being provided the volunteer service.
 
5. Pre-Activity Form: Prior to the Activity, the adult advisor for the club or team must submit a Pre-Activity Information Sheet for approval by the VIP program (see attached form) including but not limited to: a. Date of the volunteer activity. b. Description of the volunteer activity, including who the service is being performed for. c. Estimated number of students, hours each, total volunteer time anticipated. d. Annual total budget for the club or team that must be raised from community sources. Activity Information Sheets can be submitted at the beginning of a semester for any project that will be completed in that semester. Activity Information Sheet will be taken on a first come, first serve basis until General Fund monies are exhausted.
 
6. Activity Form: After the volunteer Activity, the adult advisor must submit the Activity Form. This Form will be emailed to the advisor upon approval of the project. This form will include the following information: a. Date of the volunteer Activity b. Names of students, time each arrived, left, and total hours volunteered c. Signature of cause coordinator.
 
7. Designated Donations: Contributions designated by Donors to go to specific Organizations (Designated Contributions) shall be accounted for separately from General Fund monies. Compensation for volunteer activities by an Organization shall be funded first by designated contributions, and when those funds are exhausted, by General Fund monies. A Donor who designates money to an organization or individual may also specify the activity and/or the rate of pay. For example, rather than donating the football team $10 per hour served, the Donor can specify that they will give a certain amount to an organization for a certain volunteer activity, regardless of how many volunteer hours are actually spent there (ie, donate $5,000 to football if team picks up trash in River Reach). There is no limit to the amount of Designated Contribution money that can be given to a youth organization or to an individual youth.
 
8. General Fund Donations: General Fund monies shall be available on a first come first serve basis. A maximum of $1,500 per school year will be donated to any team or club out of the General Fund. Subject to funding availability, applications from organizational subgroups (ie varsity and JV) may be combined when setting the maximum limit for that organization. A maximum of $500 per school year will be donated to any individual youth  out of the General Fund. Donation Guidelines

9. Return of Unclaimed Funds: Any money earned but not claimed by the end of a semester or within 45 days of completion of the activity, whichever is sooner, shall be returned to the general fund as unencumbered. Any Designated Contributions not earned by the end of a school year shall be transferred to the general fund as unencumbered.

Youth Organizations can get started by filling out our Pre-Activity Form.