Volunteer Handbook
The short version, so you know what you would be signing up for before you apply.
What volunteers actually do
Three shapes of work. Working groups are teams of three to six people assigned to one case, building the timeline, running down records and proposing next steps. Project volunteers take one-off local tasks — a courthouse record pull, a photograph of a location, a drive to a television interview. Subject matter experts are consulted case by case rather than assigned to a team.
What is expected of you
Confidentiality, which you sign for in the portal. Case material stays inside the Coalition, and you do not contact families, witnesses or law enforcement on your own initiative — contact is coordinated, because uncoordinated contact can distress a family and damage an investigation.
Beyond that, honesty about your time. “Not right now” is a real and useful answer, and it is better than silence.
Training
Monthly, on the third Wednesday, and open to everyone on the list whether or not they have been matched to a case. It is recommended rather than required.
How assignment works
A coordinator reviews open cases against volunteer skills, languages and location every month. There is no queue to climb and no date anyone can honestly promise you.
There are far more volunteers than open cases. Most people wait a long stretch, and some are never matched to a working group at all. The training and the resources stay open to you either way.
The full handbook