Q: How do I update my contact information?
A: Once you log in to the Alumni Volunteer site, go to the profile page to update your contact information and volunteer preferences.

Q: How do I change my name on my profile?
A: If you have a preferred name or maiden name/birth surname, update your official University records.

Q: How do I find a volunteer opportunity?
A: You can search for a wide variety of volunteer opportunities without logging in. Just go to the Alumni Volunteer homepage and start searching. You can filter opportunities by location, interest, topic, and dates as well as U-M schools, colleges, campuses, and units that are hosting these opportunities. After selecting your criteria, click “search” to view all available opportunities.

Once you find an opportunity that interests you, click on “Sign Up” or “Express Interest.” You will receive an automatic confirmation message, and the opportunity coordinator will contact you with the next steps.

Q: What are the “virtual” and “nationwide” opportunities?
A: If you want to widen your search, don’t forget to check “Virtual” and/or “Nationwide” opportunities under “Location Type.” Virtual opportunities are remote, which allows you to volunteer wherever you are using your computer. In addition, many of our University partners are offering nationwide opportunities, which are scheduled for a future date based on need, without geographical constraints. These are opportunities in your area that currently do not have a set date but also may be available in your area in the future.

Q: After I sign up for an opportunity, how do I find information about the opportunity and begin training?
A: Depending on the nature of the volunteer opportunities, there may be additional training required. Please ensure to carefully review the position description, including any requirements (e.g., time commitment) prior to signing up. Your volunteer coordinator (a U-M staff member) will reach out to you with additional information and/or special instructions as appropriate. If you have additional questions or concerns after signing up for an opportunity, please contact the volunteer coordinator noted on the opportunity you registered for, or reach out to our Alumni Volunteer staff by email at [email protected].

Q: How can I see all of the volunteer opportunities I have coming up?
A: Once in the Alumni Volunteer platform, go to the “Volunteer Overview” page to see all of your upcoming volunteer opportunities and their statuses in the “Upcoming Opportunities” section.

Q: What is the difference between “Sign Up” and “Express Interest” for an opportunity?
A: There are many different Alumni Volunteer opportunities available for you — many of these allow you to sign up directly for a specific date and time. By signing up, you are automatically confirmed to participate in this opportunity.

Sometimes, volunteer opportunities have specific criteria to be met prior to confirming one’s eligibility to serve in the role (e.g., serving as a classroom speaker for a particular school). By using “Express Interest,” volunteer coordinators can reach out to individual volunteers to verify criteria and follow up accordingly. When confirming alumni volunteers’ eligibility, the opportunity coordinator manually changes participants’ status within the system, which then sends an automated email with the status update.

Haven’t heard back from an opportunity you expressed interest in? Contact the volunteer opportunity coordinator directly through the Alumni Volunteer platform.

Q: How can I cancel an opportunity that I already signed up for?
A: Life happens, and we understand that there will be times you need to cancel an opportunity. To do so, you can remove yourself from the sign-up list directly on the portal by going to your “Volunteer Overview” tab and selecting “Remove Me” under an upcoming opportunity’s action/status or by emailing the opportunity coordinator through the email link available at the bottom of the opportunity description.

Q: How can I update my self-reported volunteer history? 
A: You can add past hours to your U-M volunteer history directly through the system. Once in the Alumni Volunteer platform, go to the “Volunteer Overview” tab and go down to “Self-Report” history. Click on the “+” symbol and then add any past U-M volunteer history into the system. You can either report a specific date and time that you volunteered or report a regular schedule of dates you’ve volunteered in the past (you cannot report future hours).

For example:

Case #1: Serving as guest speaker in classroom
Organization Served = College of Engineering
Report = A specific date and time that you volunteered
Opportunity Name = Guest Speaker for Senior Design Class
Date of Service = March 10, 2020
Start Time = 3:00 PM
End Time = 4:00 PM

Case #2: Serving as a board of director in the past year
Organization Served = College of LSA
Report = A regular schedule of dates you’ve volunteered in the past
Opportunity Name = Board of Director
Start Date =  Jul 1, 2019
End Date = Jun 30, 2020
Start Time/End Time = Estimated number of hours you’ve spent on a weekly basis during the volunteer period (e.g., 4 hours = 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
Days of Week = Monday

If you volunteered an average of more than 24 hours per week, please contact [email protected] for additional support.

Only U-M volunteer history with affiliated units can be added into this Alumni Volunteer platform.

Q: How do I earn badges?
A: You can earn badges as you complete volunteer opportunities. Badges are awarded based on the time spent volunteering and the number of volunteer opportunities completed. To see all the badges you’ve earned, log in to the Alumni Volunteer platform and go to the “Volunteer Recognition” page.

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