The best way to stay on top of the opportunities we have available is to sign up for our weekly newsletter here: https://austinallies.org/.

You can also check out the monthly calendar on our website. Simply click on the activity you're interested in, see if the timing, location, and age limit works for your family, and then sign up through the SignUp Genius link! Pay attention to how many spots we ask you to sign up for - sometimes it’s one per family, sometimes it’s choosing how many projects you’d like to pick up.

We'll send you all of the info that you need, whether it's parking and dress requirements for an in-person event or when and where to pick up materials for an at-home activity.

You can also follow us on Facebook (ask to join the closed group - we post lots of last minute needs there) and on Instagram to find out about upcoming public events (Book Club, Pride events. etc.).

We welcome families of all ages, shapes and sizes! Some in person activities will have an age minimum, this is set by our nonprofit partners and will be communicated in the signups.

For at home activities, all ages are welcome to participate, but we do ask that parents supervise younger children closely to ensure that we are giving quality materials back to our nonprofit partners.

Kids 16+ may attend without an adult, but will need to have a waiver signed prior to the activity. (Link waiver)

Kids under 16 must attend with an adult or a sibling 18 or over.

You are free to decide how often you would like to participate! Choose the activities that fit your family’s schedules and sign up as often as you can! You will continue to receive our newsletter regardless of participation level.

At the end of each month, we’ll send out the upcoming month’s calendar of activities to those on our email list (see question above for info about signing up for our email newsletter).

Weekly emails will go out on Fridays with activities that still have spots open and any projects or activities that we’ve recently added to the calendar.

Join our Facebook group for info about last minute needs and check the signups on our calendar each week - cancellations do happen!

First, you will receive an emailed confirmation from SignUp Genius (check your spam folder if you don’t see one right away). Then, as the activity gets closer, you will receive an email from our team with any registration and parking info for in-person activities, pickup instructions and project directions for at-home activities , etc. We will contact you by email and/or text message if anything changes (bad weather, cancellation of project, etc.).

For our at-home projects, the number of volunteer spots is based on the materials provided by our nonprofit partners, the materials we are able to purchase within our budget, and/or the number of completed items that has been requested by our partner organization.

For in-person activities, those numbers (and any age limits) are set by our nonprofit partners based on their needs and available space.

Put your name on the waitlist! We do have cancellations, so if you know you’d like to participate, there’s a good chance you’ll get the opportunity!

Once a volunteer cancels their spot, we’ll notify the first family on the waitlist to see if they’re able to participate. Sometimes this happens days in advance, sometimes it’s very short notice. If you’re no longer able to participate, make sure you remove your name from the waitlist so we can use our time to reach out to families who are still available.

It depends on the activity - we will always indicate on the signup how many spots each family may grab. For in-person activities, we almost always ask for you to choose the TOTAL number of people in your group. For at-home activities, pay close attention to the instructions - they will always say how many spots each family may choose.

If you’re signing up more than one family (for example, you’re signing up to pick up materials for you and for your neighbor), simply note in the comments of your signup that you’re picking up for 2 families.

If you’re looking for an activity for a group of families or a group of kids, see the FAQ below addressing group activities.

All of the info you need will be in the signup - any age limits, date & time, location, what work we’ll be doing, if an extra registration is needed, etc. Please read this info carefully, as we have to follow our nonprofit partners’ requirements on age and number of volunteers we can bring.

Once we get closer to the date of the activity, you’ll receive an email from our team with info about parking, what to bring, what to wear, and if an extra registration through our nonprofit partner is necessary.

At each event, we love to take photos of our volunteers hard at work and HAVING FUN! These photos are wonderful for us to share on social media to grow our volunteer network as well as to promote our nonprofit partners!

At each in-person activity, each family signs a waiver that includes a photo release. You may always decline to have your photos posted. If you’d rather your family not be photographed, we do ask that you refrain from joining the group photo (or stand to one side of the group) so that we are still able to post the photo. We never post the names of our volunteer families on social media.

If you’re working on a project at home, please take photos and send them to us! We love to see our #helpingfromhome families hard at work!

We have 3 locations to conveniently pick up materials each week - North (Cedar Park), Central (38th & Guadalupe), and South (Circle C). When you sign up for an activity, you’ll choose which location to pick up from and will be sent the address and time frame for pick up a day or two prior to the beginning of the pick up window.

Please be mindful of these pick up dates and times. Two of the locations (North and South) are the homes of members of the Austin Allies team so we want to make sure to respect their personal time and space. The third location (Central) is our office, which is closed and locked on weekends and between 5pm and 8am.

Each at home activity will come with all materials needed to complete the project, information about the organization we are helping, a discussion guide to help start a conversation about who you’re helping and why it’s important, an inventory sheet, and instructions for completing the activity. Sometimes the discussion guide and instructions will be included digitally in your email - we will always let you know where to find this info.

It is extremely important that you read and follow ALL INSTRUCTIONS. Our nonprofit partners often have strict parameters around the items they can receive and distribute to their clients, and sometimes we are using materials provided by the organization that can be costly and time-consuming to replace. We always want to make sure we are taking work OFF of our nonprofit partners’s shoulders, not adding more work for them.

Yes! With each at-home activity, we provide information about the organization we’re supporting, why the project is important, and who it will help.

We’ll also include a discussion guide with sample questions to help start a chat with your kids that will deepen their understanding of volunteerism and grow their empathy for people in our community!

This sheet allows us to keep track of the completed projects that are coming back in as well as all of your volunteer hours. Tracking the number of volunteer hours we are providing to the community is crucial for our fundraising each year. Please make sure to fill this sheet out completely for each activity and return it with your completed projects.

Typically you will pick up the prepped materials on Friday or Sunday from our North and South locations, and Friday or Monday from our Central location, and return the completed project the next Friday or Sunday/Monday, allowing 10 days to finish the task. Occasionally, we do have projects with a shorter turnaround time, but this will be clearly communicated in the signup and all emails related to the project.

Please be mindful of pick up dates and times. Two of the locations (North and South) are the homes of members of the Austin Allies team so we want to make sure to respect their personal time and space. The third location is our office, which is closed and locked on weekends and between 5pm and 8am.

We do ask that you make every effort to pick up and drop off during the times and dates listed in the signup and in your instruction email. But, we also understand that things come up - so if you find that you just can’t make it, send an email as early as possible to the person and address listed in your instruction email and we’ll work with you as best we can to arrange another time for pick up or drop off.

We understand that kids get sick and emergencies happen, but keep in mind that our nonprofit partners are depending on us to help them with these tasks, and it takes our team time to find a replacement, so please do your best to attend the activity or complete the at home project you signed up for.

If you have to cancel, let us know of your change in plans at least 48 hours in advance when at all possible to allow us time to try to fill your spot.

To cancel, log into SignUp Genius, find the activity, and click the “X” to cancel your spot(s). Then, send an email to info@austinallies.org or a text to the phone number provided in your instruction email and let us know you are canceling. Only canceling on SignUp Genius does not give us enough advance notice to be able to easily fill your spot(s).

Volunteers who consistently fail to pick up or return materials on time, or no-show to events/for activities may be placed on temporary probation and not allowed to participate for 3 months.

Unfortunately, sometimes we do have to cancel - this can be due to weather for outdoor activities, lack of volunteers, or a cancellation from our nonprofit partner. In the event of a cancellation, we will contact you with the email address you provided in your signup and by text at the phone number provided if we don’t hear back from you by email. We will attempt to contact you as soon as possible after the decision is made, but sometimes this is a last-minute call (especially with weather-related issues).

We will follow the guidelines of the non-profit partners in whose space we will be working. Any specific protocols will be communicated in the email prior to the volunteer shift.

At Austin Allies, the safety of our volunteers, staff, nonprofit partners and their clients is of utmost importance to us. If anyone in your household is ill, please do not attend and contact us as soon as possible. Thank you for helping to keep us all safe and healthy.

Many of our volunteers need to track their hours for school, Scouts, college applications, etc. and we are happy to help with that!

If you’re at an in-person activity, ask the Allies Lead to sign a volunteer sheet for your child.

For at home activities, print out our worksheet here: https://austinallies.org/volunteer-hours . then email erika@austinallies.org to arrange for a signature when you’re ready!

We’re happy to help you plan an activity for your group! Contact Erika Nowlin at erika@austinallies.org for more information.

Austin Allies's mission is to organize volunteer activities for kids and their families, but we have recently started a corporate volunteering program as a fundraising opportunity for our organization. In this program, we will put together a corporate volunteering activity for a suggested donation of $25 per person (to cover our staff's time in organizing the activity and the cost of materials).

Contact Erika Nowlin at erika@austinallies.org for more information!

We try really hard to meet the needs of any nonprofit that aligns with our mission and beliefs who reaches out to us for support. Sometimes we do have to say no due to misalignment of missions and/or belief systems or simply because we just don’t have the resources to say yes. But, mostly, we want to help as many as we can, as often as we can!

You are always welcome to schedule your own shift with any of our nonprofit partners! However, volunteering with Austin Allies makes it so much easier to find a variety of activities on one calendar and our nonprofits often curate activities specifically for our volunteer families.

We guide you through every step of the volunteer process, tell you everything you need to know ahead of time, are responsive to questions, and always have a lead at each in-person event to greet you and volunteer alongside your family.

For our at-home activities, we provide an educational component so that you and your family know who you’re helping and why! Information cards and discussion guides are sent with every activity.

Our goal is to make volunteering fun, meaningful, and easy for busy families!

Yes! We make it so easy to volunteer with our partners, but we also love for our volunteers to participate directly with our nonprofit partners! We share their needs outside of our calendar all the time - contact the org directly to arrange a shift for you and your family.

https://austinallies.org/nonprofit-partners

We’re so glad you asked! Austin Allies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and we rely on donations to be able to provide your family with a variety of fun and meaningful volunteer opportunities all year long!

There are many ways to support us - make a one time donation, or become a monthly donor, an annual Family Supporter, and/or a Corporate Sponsor. You can also make sure to attend our annual family-friendly fundraising events and tell all of your friends and family about us!

More info on how to donate here: https://austinallies.org/sponsors