Volunteer Application: What Should I Expect?

We’re thrilled that you are interested in mentoring a child or youth in your community! Before you get started, you should know that you are not alone – you are joining hundreds of volunteers who are already building BIG friendships. You’ll also have the support of professional caseworkers who are here to support you with training and regular check-ins.

Child safety and finding the right match between “Bigs” and “Littles” are our top priorities – that’s why our application form and screening process is so detailed. Our volunteers tell us that finding the right match is worth the effort and patience.

Here’s an idea of what to expect:

Filling Out the Application Form

• Give yourself 30 minutes or more to fill out our application.
• If needed, you can hit "Save and Continue" to save your answers and return to the form later.
• You’ll be asked for a minimum of 4 adult references who have known you for at least 2 full years (1 significant other/family member; 1 employer; 2 personal non-family references). You’ll need to provide their full address with postal code, email, and phone number, so consider contacting them now to gather that info. We know everyone's circumstances are different, so if you have questions about references, reach out to our team at volunteer@bbgvf.com.
• If you have worked or volunteered with vulnerable people (e.g. youth, seniors, people living with disabilities) within the last 5 years, you’ll be asked to provide an additional reference related to that experience.
• Applicants to the Big Brothers Community program will be asked to submit a driver’s abstract (we’ll send you instructions after the application is received).
• Please note that if you save your application and do not continue filling it out within 2 months, we will remove it from our database, and you’ll no longer be able to retrieve it.

Application Process

1. Online volunteer application
2. Police information check (we’ll send you instructions after the application is received), references check
3. In-person interview
4. In-person group training session
5. Notification of acceptance/non-acceptance as a volunteer
6. If accepted, our caseworkers will find the best match for you based on location, shared interests, etc. If everyone agrees, your match will officially begin!

To ensure safety and the best match possible, the entire process typically takes 2-3 months to complete.

Tip: completing your police information check in a timely manner and letting your references know that we will contact them can help speed up this process. We ask your references to verify the information you’ve provided us with, and generally, these conversations only take roughly 20 minutes.

Eligibility Frequently Asked Questions