Question: asking volunteers to pay

Should we be asking our volunteers to pay for an event they are volunteering for even at a discounted rate? It doesn't sound ethically right.

Asked by betsyo

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Rose H writes:
Hi betsyo,
That would be pretty unusual. If a parent is willing to give their time to help at the event, that certainly seems like payment enough. This kind of practice could also discourage parents from volunteering in the future.

Rose C

Community Advice

gjcoram writes:
I don't think it's that unusual, because it depends on the type of event and how much the volunteer does. Eg, we have held an adult social that includes dinner; a volunteer may have just sent out a few donation requests, should that person get a free dinner for that? On the other hand, there are a few people who spend the night working the check-out computers, and they probably do deserve a free dinner.