The District of Columbia welcomes volunteers to augment District government agencies and better support the provision of services to residents, businesses, and visitors. District government volunteers are valuable sources of knowledge, connection, and assistance for beneficial causes, residents in need, and our community. Agencies are encouraged to use the time and skills offered by talented volunteers to strengthen District programs and services to the greatest extent possible. This issuance outlines the eligibility, selection considerations, conduct requirements, and management of volunteer positions within the District government. 

This issuance generally applies to all District government agencies and individuals who are seeking or who are selected to provide regularly scheduled volunteer services as part of an established agency volunteer program. 

This issuance does not apply to: 

• The District of Columbia Board of Education, Council of the District of Columbia, Office of the DC Auditor, Office of the Attorney General, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals;  

• Volunteers who donate their time to support occasional events including but not limited to, festivals, games, and school events where parents, students or community members donate their time for tasks that are not safety sensitive as provided in Chapter 4 of the DPM; or 

• Volunteers who perform functions that are not established as part of an official agency volunteer program. 

Eligibility

To be eligible to perform volunteer services for the District of Columbia, individuals must:

1. Be at least fourteen (14) years old or older;

2. Be qualified to perform the specific duties and responsibilities of the anticipated volunteer service, to include any physical and mental health requirements;
3. Be able to perform duties without a conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest as specified in D.C. Official Code § 1-319.03 and Chapter 18 of the DPM, such as the volunteer or their family member having a financial interest in the work being performed, holding an additional position that creates the appearance of a conflict of interest, etc.

4. Successfully pass any required suitability screenings as required by Chapter 4 of the DPM.
5. Not be prohibited from performing volunteer services in the District by law; and
6. Agree in writing to the scope of duties for the anticipated volunteer position.

Volunteer Application and Service Agreement

Individuals must submit volunteer applications directly to the District agency where the established volunteer program is located.   

Upon selection as a volunteer, individuals must sign a Volunteer Service Agreement. Volunteers may not perform work until this agreement is signed. The agreement must:

1. Include the nature and scope of the duties of the volunteer position.
2. State the name of the District employee who is the supervisor of the volunteer.
3. Inform the volunteer that they are:
   1. Subject to the rules for employee conduct in Chapter 18 of the DPM;
   2. Prohibited from engaging in political activities (i.e. any activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, candidate for partisan political office, partisan political group, ballot initiative, or referendum) while:
      1. Performing volunteer duties
      2. Wearing an official uniform or insignia identifying themselves as a District government volunteer
      3. In a building or room where official District duties are being discharged
      4. Using a vehicle owned or leased by the District
   3. Ineligible for employee benefits, including but not limited to collective bargaining, salary or wages, leave accrual, unemployment compensation, and retirement;
   4. Subject to termination from volunteer service at any time, for any reason, and that such termination is not grievable, nor appealable;

Volunteer Background Checks

All District positions, including volunteer positions, require a background check. Acceptance as a volunteer is not guaranteed, and applicants may be denied based on information discovered during the suitability screening process.

• If deemed suitable for volunteering with the District government, additional follow-up checks may occur depending on the sensitivity of the volunteer position. Follow-up checks may occur every:
  • Two (2) years, for safety and protection sensitive volunteer positions.
  • Four (4) years, for security sensitive volunteer positions.
• If deemed unsuitable for volunteering with the District government, applicants have the right to request and challenge any derogatory information that may have caused the determination, including criminal records, traffic records and credit reports received during any required background checks.
  • Requests for information uncovered during the screening process must be made in writing within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a disqualification notice. The personnel authority will provide the requested records within fifteen (15) days of receiving the request.
  • If an individual is found unsuitable to work with children or youth, they may appeal that decision to the Commission on Human Rights within thirty (30) days following the date of the suitability determination.
  • If an individual cannot appeal a decision to the Commission on Human Rights, they may file a grievance with the agency personnel authority pursuant to Chapter 16.

Volunteer Rights and Conduct Requirements

District government volunteers are covered under Title XXIII of the Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978 ((D.C. Law 2-139; D.C. Official Code § 1-623.01 et seq.) and the District of Columbia Employee Non-Liability Act (D.C. Official Code § 2-411 et seq.). In addition, volunteers are subject to the suitability requirements outlined in Chapter 4 and the health and safety provisions in Chapter 20 of the District Personnel Manual (DPM).

Volunteers must also comply with the same rules governing political activity as District employees, as set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of the Prohibition on Government Employee Engagement in Political Activity Act of 2010. D.C. Law 18-335, D.C. Official Code § 1-1171.03.

To the extent practicable, volunteers shall be considered employees for the purposes of:

• Chapter 18 (Employee Conduct);
• Chapter 31 (Records Management and Privacy of Records); and
• Chapter 40 (Travel Expenses).

Drug and Alcohol Testing

It is the policy of the District government to provide a drug free workplace and for all employees, appointees, and volunteers to abide by this policy. Employees, appointees, and volunteers of the District government are prohibited from engaging in unlawful manufacturing, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance in the workplace; and may not use, possess, or be impaired by any drug or alcohol while on duty.

Volunteers are not subject to pre-employment or random drug and alcohol testing unless required by federal law, but are subject to reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and post-incident drug and alcohol testing when warranted.  Generally, a volunteer with a positive drug or alcohol test, or a failure to submit or cooperate with any required drug or alcohol testing, will result in the volunteer being deemed unfit to volunteer in the District government. Procedures for testing volunteers are outlined in issuances I-2022-19 Reasonable Suspicion of Drug or Alcohol Impairment and I-2022-8, Post-Accident and Post-Incident Drug and Alcohol Testing.

Marijuana Use

The District government defines marijuana as “a substance…derived from the cannabis plant and consumed for recreational or medicinal purposes and containing more than 0.03% of the psychoactive chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).” No volunteers, even those who hold a valid medical marijuana card, may use marijuana while on duty, on District property, or while representing the District government.

Volunteers in non-safety sensitive positions may engage in-off duty, lawful use of marijuana products provided that such use does not impair or impede their ability to carry out assigned duties and responsibilities. A positive drug test for marijuana resulting from reasonable suspicion, post-accident, or post-incident testing may result in a determination that the individual is unsuitable for volunteer service. Issuance I-2021-7 Marijuana and District Government Employees contains further guidance on marijuana use by personnel in non-safety sensitive positions.

Volunteers in safety sensitive positions are prohibited from using any marijuana products. Safety sensitive volunteers who test positive for marijuana on a reasonable suspicion, post-accident, or post-incident test will be presumed to have been impaired at the time of the incident and will face disciplinary consequences. Guidance regarding positive marijuana tests for volunteers in safety sensitive positions can be found in issuance I-2020-18 Marijuana and Safety Sensitive Employees.

Agencies may establish formal volunteer programs to support their operations. These programs must comply with the requirements set forth in this issuance.

Authorized Use of Volunteer Services

District government agencies may engage volunteers to support and enhance agency operations in the following ways:

• To supplement existing programs and services staffed by District government employees by providing services for roles that are not yet filled, or duties that are not being carried out by District government employees.
• To create a government service that would otherwise not be available with existing programs or resources;
• To provide coverage for the responsibilities of a position while an agency employee is temporarily absent; and
• To temporarily assist with a short-term increase in workload within the agency or with an existing work backlog.

Volunteer Supervision

District volunteers must be assigned a District government employee to serve as their manager. The assigned manager is responsible for:

• Determining and monitoring the days and hours when volunteer services are being performed;
• Assigning specific duties and tasks;
• Supervising and overseeing the volunteers’ activities;
• Providing informal performance feedback;
• Completing and approving any required documentation verifying the volunteers’ hours of service (e.g., for school credit, court requirements, or community service recognition)

Administrative Requirements

Agencies must use the volunteer service application, volunteer agreement forms, and volunteer program procedures as issued by the D.C. Department of Human Resources (DCHR). If a volunteer position requires enhanced suitability screening, this requirement must be disclosed in writing prior to the volunteer signing the Volunteer Services Agreement.

Volunteer records must be managed in accordance with applicable records management and privacy requirements, consistent with those governing employee records. Additionally, any travel expenses incurred by volunteers are subject to the same policies and procedures that apply to District government employees. 

1. Talent Acquisition, EDPM Chapter 2
2. Suitability, EDPM Chapter 4
3. Employee Conduct, EDPM Chapter 18
4. Safety and Health, EDPM Chapter 20
5. Records Management and Privacy of Records, EDPM Chapter 31
6. Travel Expenses, EDPM Chapter 40
7. Volunteer Services Act of 1977, effective June 28, 1977 (D.C. Official Code § 1-319.03)
8. Conflicts of interest; ineligibility for employee benefits; liability of District for torts of volunteers D.C. Official Code § 1-319.03
9. Title XXIII of the Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978
10. The District of Columbia Employee Non-Liability Act
11. Prohibition on Government Employee Engagement in Political Activity Act of 2010

Volunteer: A person who donates their services to a specific program or department of the District of Columbia government, by their own free choice, without expectation of any future benefit from the government, and without payment for the services rendered. The reimbursement of the actual expenditures by a volunteer on behalf of the District government shall not make that person an employee of the District of Columbia.