How to Fill Out and Submit the Goodwill Volunteer Application Form

There is no single Goodwill volunteer application. Goodwill Industries is a network of independent regional organizations, and each one runs its own volunteer intake, so the form you fill out depends on which local Goodwill you want to serve. Start at the official locator at goodwill.org, find the regional organization covering your ZIP code, and follow that location’s application process, whether that means an online portal, a downloadable PDF, or a paper form you pick up in person.¹ Placement options range across retail stores, donation sites, outlets, career coaching centers, and administrative offices, so it helps to know roughly where you want to help before you begin.²

Find Your Regional Goodwill First

Because each Goodwill territory runs its own programs, one region may route you through an applicant-tracking system while another still hands you a paper form at the front desk. The locator at goodwill.org/locator returns the regional organization for your ZIP code with its contact information and website.¹ On that regional site, look for a link labeled “Volunteer” or “Get Involved.” Some regions post separate applications for adults and minors, as Goodwill of Southwest Florida does.³ Others send you to an outside portal that bundles the application and background check together, as Land of Lincoln Goodwill does.⁴ If the website has no visible volunteer page, call the nearest retail store or career center and ask for the volunteer coordinator.

Who Can Apply

Age minimums are set regionally. Goodwill of Southern Nevada requires volunteers to be at least 18, or 17 with a parent or guardian who registers with them and comes to every shift.⁵ Goodwill Suncoast in Florida sets the floor at 14.⁶ Roles that involve equipment, cash handling, or warehouse work almost always carry a higher minimum than sorting or general retail floor duties. Check your regional page for the exact threshold.

Background Checks and Records

Most regions require a criminal background check before placement. At Land of Lincoln Goodwill you cannot start until the completed report comes back.⁴ Federal law treats these as consumer reports, so Goodwill must give you a standalone written disclosure that a report will be pulled and get your written authorization before ordering it.⁷ That consent form is usually part of the application packet.

A record is not an automatic disqualification. Goodwill of Northeast Indiana, for example, reserves the right to deny placement based on “the nature, type and/or specifics” of an offense rather than applying a blanket rule.⁸ If your application is denied because of something in the report, the organization has to tell you, identify the consumer reporting agency that supplied it, and inform you of your right to dispute inaccurate information.⁹

What the Application Asks For

Layouts differ, but the questions overlap heavily from region to region. Expect the form to ask for:

Your full legal name, mailing address, phone, and email.
An emergency contact’s name, relationship, and phone number.
Your weekly availability, listed in specific day and time blocks. Coordinators build schedules from these windows, so be precise.
One or two references who can speak to your reliability. Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids calls references before clearing a volunteer, so give people who will actually pick up.¹⁰
Relevant experience or certifications. Retail, sorting, logistics, administrative work, forklift operation, or CPR can open additional placements.
A placement preference, if the form offers one: retail store, donation center, outlet, or career services.

Some regions also want a government-issued photo ID. Goodwill of Southern Nevada, for instance, asks online applicants to upload their referral form together with a current photo ID.¹¹ Before you submit, double-check every name and phone number. A single wrong digit on a reference can stall the review for days.

Submitting the Application

Many regional Goodwills now use online portals where you complete the form, upload documents, and submit in one workflow. Goodwill of Southern Nevada even lets you enroll and complete orientation entirely online.¹¹ Where paper forms are still used, deliver the packet to a store manager or career center and ask the person accepting it to initial or stamp your copy as received. Keep that copy, along with any confirmation email, in case the application goes missing.

After You Apply

Response times vary, but the sequence is roughly the same everywhere. At Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids, staff call your references and follow up within three to five days.¹⁰ At Land of Lincoln Goodwill, the local retail store leader contacts you to schedule orientation once both the application and the background check are complete.⁴ If you have not heard anything after roughly ten business days, follow up by phone or email.

Orientation covers workplace safety, organizational policies, and the specific duties of your role. You will sign a liability waiver and acknowledge that you have read the conduct and safety guidelines. Some regions offer orientation virtually.¹¹ Afterward, the coordinator sets your regular schedule and tells you where to report on day one.

Court-Ordered Community Service Is a Separate Track

If you are completing court-ordered service, you usually do not use the standard volunteer application. Goodwill of Northeast Indiana, for example, has a dedicated online form for court-ordered applicants and notes that approval can take three to four business days once all documentation is in. After approval, a staff member calls you to schedule shifts. Bring your court referral paperwork and photo ID to the first appointment. Tracking hours is your responsibility, and Goodwill will supply a log for daily arrival, departure, and staff signature if the court has not given you one. The same expectations apply as for any volunteer: showing up late, being unproductive, or being disruptive can void that day’s hours and end the placement.⁸

Bringing a Group Instead of Applying Alone

Teams from a workplace or civic group do not each fill out an individual application. Goodwill’s national site directs companies to contact their local organization and arrange a group service project on a schedule that suits the team.² Typical projects include sorting donations for a day, staffing a career fair, or assembling kits for job-readiness programs. One coordinator on your side handles the date, headcount, and scope. Call the volunteer services line listed on your regional Goodwill’s website to set it up.

Deducting Volunteer Expenses on Your Taxes

You cannot deduct the value of your time, but you can deduct unreimbursed out-of-pocket costs tied directly to your Goodwill service.¹²

Mileage to and from shifts, deductible at 14 cents per mile, a rate set by statute and unchanged for 2026. You can instead deduct actual gas and oil, and parking and tolls are deductible either way.¹³
Uniforms Goodwill requires you to wear, such as a specific shirt, apron, or vest that is not suitable for everyday use, including upkeep.¹²
Supplies you buy for your service, like gloves, cleaning products, or materials for a coaching session, as long as Goodwill does not reimburse you.

Keep a written mileage log and receipts. If your unreimbursed expenses for the year reach $250 or more, you also need a written acknowledgment from Goodwill describing your services and confirming whether they gave you anything in return, and you must have it in hand by the time you file your return.¹²

1
Goodwill Industries International. Locator
2
Goodwill Industries International. Be a Goodwill Volunteer
3
Goodwill Southwest Florida. Volunteer Your Time
4
Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries, Inc. Volunteer Program
5
Goodwill of Southern Nevada. Community Service Volunteer Eligibility
6
Goodwill Industries Suncoast. High School Student Volunteers
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681b – Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports
8
Goodwill Industries of Northeast Indiana. Court Ordered Community Service
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports
10
Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids. Volunteer
11
Goodwill of Southern Nevada. Community Service Volunteer Program
12
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526 – Charitable Contributions
13
Internal Revenue Service. IRS Sets 2026 Business Standard Mileage Rate at 72.5 Cents per Mile, Up 2.5 Cents