VSF 15: Volunteer/Donations Management

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

• Links
  • Donated Resources to offset the jurisdiction’s cost-share for federally declared public assistance disasters - Page 88 of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide V4: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_pappg-v4-updated-links_policy_6-1-2020.pdf
  • Non-profit of Oregon: https://nonprofitoregon.org/ (really great support for non-profits, even for COADs and LTRGs to understand best practices for handling donations/funds/etc)

VSF 15: Sample Volunteer and Donations Plan/Annex Knowledge Base

File/Resource	Description	Author	Publish Date
Homeland Security Digital Library	Search for "volunteer and donation" to pull up example plans.	Department of Homeland Security	-
Talking Points for Public Audience - Donations and Volunteers	WEBSITE: Public messaging talking points for soliciting donations from the general public.		-
Clackamas County Volunteers & Donations Management Plan		Clackamas County	2024.06.__
Sample MOU with Adventist Community Services	Sample MOU with nonprofit to assist with donations distribution.		2023.12.08
North Carolina Donations and Volunteer Management Plan		North Carolina Emergency Management	2023.__.__
Hamilton County Emergency Management Volunteer and Donations Management Plan	The Hamilton County Volunteer and Donations Management Plan serves as the strategic foundation for""Hamilton County's Emergency Management Plan.	Hamilton County Emergency Management (Indiana)	2022.12.16
Local Volunteer and Donation Management Guidebook	This document provides step-by-step instructions, links, tools and other information to assist jurisdictions in developing an effective volunteer and donation management plan before a disaster occurs.	Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management	2022.__.__
Houston County (MN) Donations and Volunteer Management Plan		Houston County	2022.__.__
Volunteer and Donations Management Annex Checklist	Checklist by FEMA for the development of a Volunteer and Donations Management Annex to an EOP. Best used in conjunction with FEMA's Guide: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.	FEMA	2021.06.__
FEMA Form 90-91 and sample	FEMA Form 90-91, known as the Project Worksheet (PW), is used by state, local, and eligible non-profit entities to document the scope of work and cost estimates for repairs, debris removal, or emergency services following a presidentially declared disaster. It is the foundational document for obtaining Public Assistance (PA) funding. Download includes sample from Oso Landslide. Be sure to check you have the latest version of 90-91 before completing.	FEMA	2020.06.30
State of Oregon Volunteer and Donations Management Plan	OEM EOP Annex for Volunteer and Donations Management.	Oregon Emergency Management	2017.03.20
Puget Sound Volunteer and Donations Management Toolkit	This User Guide is designed to 1) provide an overview of the Volunteer and Donations Management (VDM) toolkit and to 2) be practical, hands on mechanism for navigating regional coordination of spontaneous volunteers and unsolicited donations.	Washington State Military Department	2014.07.__
Community Points of Distribution Planning: A Guide for Washington Communities	...a team led by Thurston County has been developing a Resource Management and Logistics Toolkit. As part of this effort, the team elected to develop a guide to help Washington communities create local Community Points of Distribution (CPOD) plans.	Washington State Military Department	2013.01.__
Local Disaster Logistics and Donations Management Planning Handbook	A guidance handbook to assist local emergency management programs in the development of a disaster logistics and disaster donations management plan, counterpart to and in support of the Michigan disaster logistics management plan and Michigan disaster donations management plan.	Michigan State Police	2012.10.__
Stillwater NY Donations Management Taskforce	This guidance document provides information on planning considerations for a major event to aid local government in: 1) formulating a donations management strategy; 2) developing, activating and demobilizing a donations management operation; 3) managing donated monies, goods and services; 4) managing volunteer resources and government agency assistance; 5) coordinating with the media; and 6) miscellaneous housekeeping issues.	Stillwater, NY	2012.05.__
Banks County Volunteer Coordination and Donations Management Support Plan	The Volunteer Coordination and Donations Management Support Plan describes the coordinating processes used to ensure the most efficient and effective utilization of unaffiliated volunteers and unsolicited goods during major emergencies and disasters.	Banks County, GA	2012.__.__
Emergency Operation Center Support Guidelines for Donations and Volunteer Management	This document has been developed by the State of Colorado’s Donations Coordination Team/Volunteer Coordination Team (DCT/VCT) in an effort to provide guidance on donation and volunteer management in the event of a disaster. It is intended to be used as a hands‐on guide to those serving in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in support the management of unsolicited in‐kind donations (items donated by the general public) and spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers (individuals from the general public who want to help but are not associated with a designated disaster relief organization).	Colorado VOAD	2011.09.__
Department of Homeland Security Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex	The Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex describes the coordination processes used to support the State in ensuring the most efficient and effective use of unaffiliated volunteers, unaffiliated organizations, and unsolicited donated goods to support all Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) for incidents requiring a Federal response, including offers of unaffiliated volunteer services and unsolicited donations to the Federal Government.	Federal Department of Homeland Security	2008.__.__
When Disaster Strikes (brochure)	Printable material to distribute to prospective SUVs and donors.	National VOAD and FEMA	2007.08.__

VSF 15: Spontaneous Volunteer Management Knowledge Base

File/Resource	Description	Author	Publish Date
NET Tumblr: SUV tag	Articles tagged "SUV" in the NET Tumblr account.	N/A	-
Community Resource Network	WEBSITE: The Community Resource Network is a community engagement platform that focuses on firming up safety nets and expanding opportunities. The CRN aligns services, connects resources to fill unmet needs for community members, and accelerates impact by utilizing private sector innovation, leveraging public sector resources and mobilizing social service networks. This link is added as part of our research; its presence does not constitute an endorsement.	Community Resource Network	-
Crisis Cleanup	WEBSITE: Crisis Cleanup is a collaborative disaster work order management platform that improves coordination, reduces duplication of efforts, improves efficiency, and improves volunteers' experience. This link is added as part of our research; its presence does not constitute an endorsement.	Crisis Cleanup	-
Value of Volunteer Time	WEBSITE: Perennially updated website of record on the value of an hour of volunteer time, broken down by state.	Independent Sector	-
NVOAD Volunteer Points of Consensus	The National VOAD Volunteer Management Committee has created a Points of Consensus document to guide best practices for volunteer rights and responsibilities in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for volunteers serving in any capacity with a National VOAD member organization.	National VOAD	2024.05.__
Donated Labor Timesheet	Timesheet to use for donated volunteer labor, particularly specialized and professional labor.	Portland Bureau of Emergency Management	2023.12.20
Ethical Dilemmas Presented by Convergent Volunteers During Emergency Response	This article addresses the phenomenon of convergence as it applies to disaster management and helps to explain why nonaffiliated volunteers respond to disasters. The article will illustrate how “convergent” volunteers can present ethical conflicts and management concerns to emergency managers during a critical incident and how convergent volunteers can be managed by the development of a comprehensive Volunteer Management Plan.	Ronald K. Sigman	2022.11.04
Management of Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers (SUVs)	Load video Vimeo Vimeo might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss Video: Portland NET guidance on SUV management.	Portland Bureau of Emergency Management	2021.08.26
Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster	Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster classroom curriculum.		2020.08.__
Portland NET SUV Management Training Packet	SUV intake process training propagated through Pearl District NET.	John Warner (Pearl District NET)	2018.01.09
Emergent groups and spontaneous volunteers in urban disaster response	Spontaneous responses by self-organizing, “emergent” voluntary groups and individuals are a common feature of urban disasters. Their activities include search and rescue, transporting and distributing relief supplies, and providing food and drink to victims and emergency workers. However, informal actors are rarely incorporated into formal disaster and humanitarian planning. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge concerning the nature and scale of emergent activity around the world, its impact in the short and long terms, challenges associated with it in different contexts, and lessons for future urban humanitarian practice.	Environment and Urbanization	2017.10.__
NET SUV Intake Form 2b	Form used by NETs to intake SUVs	Portland Bureau of Emergency Management	2017.02.05
NET Guidelines: SUV Appendix	Guidance to NET volunteers for the management of SUVs; integrated to the official NET Guidelines.	Portland Bureau of Emergency Management	2016.07.21
CERT Liability Guide: A Risk Management Overview for Local CERT Programs	CERT program activities can create risk and adverse consequences; however, perceptions about liability may be a larger barrier for CERT formation, activities and partnerships than is justified by reality. There is no indication that CERT programs have any unusual liability experience. Still, perceptions can pose as great a barrier as reality. The purpose of this Guide is to offer information and suggested techniques to help CERT programs overcome this barrier.	FEMA	2015.11.__
Australian Spontaneous Volunteer Management Resource Kit	The Spontaneous volunteer management resource kit was developed in support of a project, overseen by the Australian Red Cross and funded by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, to develop a framework for managing spontaneous volunteers in an emergency. The core principle for the effective management of spontaneous volunteers is that those affected by a disaster are the first priority. The kit offers a range of resources to help support jurisdictions, municipalities and organisations to manage potential spontaneous volunteers during emergencies.	Australian Government Department of Social Services	2014.01.25
Volunteer Coordination in Civil Defense Emergency Management Groups	New Zealand take on spontaneous volunteer management.	Resilient New Zealand	2013.11.01
Spontaneous Volunteer Management Plan Template	The Spontaneous Volunteer Management Plan provides guidance for safe, efficient and scalable volunteer management. The Plan includes integration with incident management systems, communication with community members and voluntary organizations, volunteer reception, screening and training, matching and deployment, and volunteer retention.	Western Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps	2013.05.29
Research Report: A survey of spontaneous volunteers	Australian Red Cross engaged Dr Alison Cottrell from the Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University to undertake primary research into the motivations and expectations of spontaneous volunteers following the Queensland storms in November 2008 and the Victorian bushfires in February 2009 to inform the development of a draft implementation plan and associated communication strategy. This report provides a summary of Dr Cottrell’s findings.	Australian Red Cross	2010.__.__
Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster: The Synergy of Structure and Good Intentions		Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network	2008.__.__
Unaffiliated Volunteers in Response and Recovery	As surely as disasters will happen, volunteers will come. Many emergency managers admit to being unnerved by the prospect of coping with convergent volunteers because there are so many unknowns. How many will come and when? Will any of them have the skills we really need? What happens if somebody gets hurt? Where will they stay? Who will feed them and how? How will they know where to go and what to do? Who will manage them? As Florida’s lead agency for Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF-15), Volunteers and Donations, Volunteer Florida will provide straightforward answers to these questions and some compelling reasons to include procedures for utilizing this powerful resource in your Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP).	Volunteer Florida	2000.__.__

VSF 15: Donations Management Knowledge Base

USAID graphic depicting why cash is the best way to donate to disaster survivors. Graphic by Brandon Lopez.

File/Resource	Description	Author	Publish Date
Relief Compass	Over the last couple of decades, nonprofit organizations and government agencies have struggled with persisting disruptions to the relief coordination process such as logistical insufficiencies and the lack of a reliable communication channel between survivors and responders. Relief Compass application was conceptualized to combat these issues by creating a single platform where relief groups can efficiently stage their response, adeptly track data, and allow free community access to essential resources. This link is added as part of our research; its presence does not constitute an endorsement.	Relief Compass	-
OEM: Donations After Disaster: Why Monetary Donations Are Best	Press release from OEM encouraging cash donations instead of donating stuff in response to the Rowena Fire.	Oregon Emergency Management	2025.07.17
Donated Offers Form example	An example form from MDEM, for organizations or companies to complete if they are offering donated stuff.	Maryland Department of Emergency Management	2025.07.__
LAFD: Your Generosity is Inspiring	Press release re: donations of stuff	Los Angeles Fire Department	2025.01.10
Executive overseeing $150M Maui Strong fund defends phased approach to disbursing aid	Object lesson in best practices for distributing cash donations.	Hawaii News Now	2023.11.14
Lahaina POD Report	Mark Meininger's report from working as a donations management volunteer following the Lahaina fires.	Mark Meininger, Sabin NET	2023.09.06
Sample Donated Equipment Tracking Form			2018.11.19
Sample Donated Materials Tracking Form			2018.11.19
Why Cash is Best for Disaster Relief	Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss Video: Why Cash is Best for Disaster Relief	Center for International Disaster Information	2017.05.11
Adam Ruins Everything - Why You Shouldn't Donate Canned Food to Charities	Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss Video: Hunger is a real problem, but canned food drives are a terrible solution. Adam explains why.	Adam Ruins Everything	2015.09.28
National VOAD Donations Points of Consensus	The mission of donations management is to provide a comprehensive process that organizes the giving, receiving and distribution of both solicited and unsolicited (or undesignated) donated cash and goods so that the maximum benefit is derived for the disaster survivors or people in crisis	National VOAD	2011.05.__