Guides for tracking volunteer hours
Straight answers to the questions students actually ask about volunteer hours, from graduation requirements through to writing the experience onto a resume. Every guide here is free to read, and none of them needs an account.
Where to start
- You are just starting out
- Read how to track your volunteer hours first, then set up the log template. Ten minutes now saves the Grade 12 scramble.
- You need hours to graduate
- Ontario students want the 40-hour requirement guide. Everyone else, start with high school volunteer hours.
- You cannot find anywhere to volunteer
- 40 places students can volunteer lists the categories and, more usefully, where to look for openings near you.
- A form or application is asking
- For proof, read how to prove your hours. For writing them up, see the resume guide or the scholarships guide.
How to Track Your Volunteer Hours
A step-by-step system for logging hours accurately so you never lose credit for work you've done.
Read guide7 min readRequirementsOntario's 40-Hour Community Involvement Requirement
What counts, what doesn't, and how to finish the 40 hours you need to graduate high school in Ontario.
Read guide8 min readApplicationsVolunteer Hours for Scholarships & College Applications
How admissions and scholarship committees actually read service, and how to present your hours well.
Read guide7 min readProofHow to Prove Your Volunteer Hours
Keep a record that stands up, export a certificate as your main proof, and get a confirmation from your organization when a school asks.
Read guide6 min readIdeas40 Places Students Can Volunteer
Real ideas - in person and remote - for finding meaningful volunteer work that fits your schedule.
Read guide8 min readTemplatesFree Volunteer Hours Log Template
A ready-made log you can copy into a spreadsheet or download as a CSV, with worked examples and the formulas that total it for you.
Read guide6 min readApplicationsHow to Put Volunteer Experience on a Resume
Where it goes, how to write the bullet points, and how to use numbers without inflating them, with before and after examples.
Read guide8 min readGetting StartedHigh School Volunteer Hours
What to record for every session, how records get lost, and a four-year plan that avoids the Grade 12 scramble.
Read guide9 min readInternshipsHow to Track Internship and Co-op Hours
What to capture per shift, why breaks change your total, and how to build a placement report from records you already have.
Read guide8 min readPopular tools and topics
Put these guides into practice
Volunteerly gives you one organized home for every hour - log entries in seconds and export a polished PDF whenever a school or scholarship asks.
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