Volunteer Portal Guide

New: Until March 2026, our volunteer application system used a single process for all school volunteer roles, regardless of clearance level, which created challenges for both volunteers and School Volunteer Liaisons. This school year, with support from the Buildings, Technology, and Academics Levy, we built a new system that organizes volunteer profiles by school and volunteer role, providing a more user-friendly experience for new volunteers and reducing onboarding errors. This reorganization requires returning volunteers to pick their school and role before updating or renewing their application. If you are approved to volunteer at your school, no action is needed until you change your volunteer role or your background check expires. All previously completed application items will automatically repopulate when you pick a volunteer role, and you will only need to complete new or expired items. This web page was updated on 3/23/26 to reflect these changes.

SPS volunteer applications are processed in the online volunteer portal. The online volunteer portal saves over 100,000 sheets of paper every school year. Thank you for helping us save trees and education funds!

How to verify if you already have a volunteer portal account

• Select the school where you were asked to volunteer

• Choose the volunteer role you were assigned

• Click on the blue Sign Up link

• Next, click “New Volunteer.”

• Enter the email address you used when you originally signed up to volunteer with SPS. Please check multiple email options if you use or currently use more than one email.

• If a notification appears that a user with that email address already exists, please follow the instructions for returning volunteers.
• If a notification does not appear, you do not have an application on file under the email address you entered. Please follow the instructions for new volunteers.

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Logging in to the SPS volunteer portal

New: Until March 2026, our volunteer application system used a single process for all volunteer roles at SPS schools, which created challenges for both volunteers and School Volunteer Liaisons. This school year, with support from the Buildings, Technology, and Academics Levy, we built a new system that differentiates among volunteer clearance levels and provides a more user-friendly experience for new volunteers. To transition your existing volunteer application into the new system, the next time you update your information or renew your background check, you will be asked to connect your profile to the volunteer role assigned to you. All previously completed application items will automatically repopulate, and you will only need to add items required for your new role if they were not part of your previous application.

1. Choose the school where you have been volunteering
2. Choose the volunteer role you were assigned
3. Click the Volunteer Login button. A message will display confirming your role choice.
4. Click on the blue “Dashboard” link in the top right corner.
5. You will see a welcome message, and underneath, two tabs, each displaying your onboarding steps.
6. Click on the onboarding tab for the volunteer role you were asked to sign up for.
7. You will see up to 7 application steps. Steps marked with a green check mark were completed by you previously.
8. To renew your volunteer application, review and complete each step on your dashboard that is not yet marked with a green check box.

Problems logging in to the volunteer portal

You receive a message stating, “Sorry, but you are not allowed to log in until your activity status has been changed.”

• This means your application was archived. We archive applications that have expired for more than two years, and when volunteers opt out of the program. Occasionally, volunteers accidentally opt out of the program, causing their application to be archived unintentionally.
• Please do not create a new volunteer application! Your archived application can be recovered.
• Email your School Volunteer Liaison and ask them to submit a “Volunteer Application Support Ticket” on your behalf.

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How to update the school(s) you wish to volunteer with?

• Choose the school where you have been volunteering
• Choose the volunteer role you were assigned and click “Sign Up.”
• A pop-up window will open confirming that your application is now affiliated with a volunteer role and school.

• Click the “Dashboard” link in the top right corner

• Scroll to the bottom of your dashboard to locate the list of volunteer roles you applied for and the schools that have access to your volunteer application:

• Continue with steps 1-3 when another school assigns you to a new volunteer role.

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What if I don’t remember my volunteer portal password?

How to reset your volunteer portal password:

1. Go to the password reset page in the Volunteer Portal.
2. Enter the email address you used when filling out the application.
3. Enter your birth date.
4. If your email address is in the SPS volunteer application system, the following message will display. Please note that this is step 2 of 3, not the final step yet:

5. You must click on the blue hyperlink and type your full email address into the blank red text box:

6. Click “Send Password Reset Email”.

7. An email will be sent to you shortly with a link to create a password. You must click on the link in the email within 30 minutes.

Check your junk/bulk/spam box if you can’t locate the email.

You requested a password reset but have not yet received the automatic email.

• Make sure you followed all 6 steps for password reset described above. Many volunteers stop at step 4 and close the window. If you are not sure, please complete the reset again.
• Check your junk/bulk/updates folders to locate an email from system@ecemail.samaritan.com with your password reset link.
• Not there? Wait 24 hrs – your email server may be filtering our message.
• Find the email address you used in your original volunteer application. Search for “system@ecemail.samaritan.com“ in all your email accounts to find the email receipt from your original application or other emails you received from us. Then find the exact email address or its variation to which the receipt was sent – only this email will allow you to log into your volunteer profile.
• Still no luck? Contact the Volunteer Liaison of the school where you originally applied, who can provide you with the email address you used. Please include your full name and Date of Birth when you contact them so they can look up the correct application.

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Updating your email, user information, or password

1. Log in to the Volunteer Portal
2. On the left, click “Edit Profile.”

3. Update your email, personal information, password, preferred name, contact information, communication preferences, and emergency contact.
4. Keep scrolling to the bottom of the webpage and then click “Save” to submit your updates.
5. Do not close your web browser until the following message is displayed: “Your profile has been updated!”

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How to renew an expired background check

• Choose the school where you will be volunteering
• Choose the volunteer role you were assigned and click “Sign Up.”

• Click “Sign Up”, then “Login”

• A pop-up message will confirm your new school and volunteer role affiliation
• Click “Dashboard” in the top right corner
• Under the “Welcome Back” message, you will see a number of tabs, each displaying your onboarding steps for one volunteer role. Click on the tab displaying the volunteer role you want to prioritize.

• Review your onboarding steps: incomplete or missing steps will show in blue boxes; completed items will be marked with a green check box:

• Step 4 focuses on your background check reauthorization.
• Be sure to complete the “Criminal History Disclosure” section. Review your past answers and update them if needed. Volunteers who do not disclose their criminal records are automatically ineligible to volunteer with SPS (including misdemeanors and records older than 7 years).
• Carefully read each section before you agree to it.
• Submit your background check.
• Your dashboard will be updated according to the results of your background check.
• Your School Volunteer Liaison will receive a notice about your background check clearance. If your background check does not clear automatically, your Liaison will submit a background check review ticket to the central office. Please note that applicants with no criminal record are not always cleared automatically, especially if they have a popular name or made errors when entering their name and/or aliases.
• Your background check is confidential – learn more on our background check page.

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How to upload your ID

Before you begin, please review the ID requirements:

• Allowed File Types: doc, docx, webp, jpg, jpeg, png, gif, otf, pdf, csv, xls, xlsx. Max File Size: 4mb
• The ID must show:
  • Date of Birth
  • Full legal name
  • A photo of your face
• WA State ID is best, especially if issued at least three years ago. If your current WA ID was issued more recently and you still have your older ID, you can take a photo of both side by side to upload them as one file.
• If you are an international student, a J-1 or a work visa holder, please use the image of your US Embassy-issued visa as your ID.

If you are new to volunteering at SPS and are not able to provide this type of ID, please email another proof of 3-year residency in Washington State to your volunteer program liaison. See “Step 6” on the new volunteer application page for details.

How to upload your ID file:

1. Log in to the Volunteer Portal
2. Click “My Attachments” on the left.

3. Click “Upload” inside the Identification box.

4. Click “Choose File”. This will open your computer files.

5. Select an image of your ID from your computer, preferably your WA State ID.
6. Click “Upload File”. The image you attached will be shown for your review.

5. Click the Save button to confirm and save the image.

Note: Your school does not have immediate access to changes you make to your volunteer profile. They will be able to review your ID no sooner than 24 hours after you upload it.

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How to check the status of your volunteer application

1. Log in to the Volunteer Portal
2. The volunteer dashboard will show you one or more onboarding tabs, each displaying the steps required for approval for that volunteer role.

In this example, the volunteer completed all onboarding steps. If a school staff member is waiting for their approval to fill an upcoming volunteer shift, the School Volunteer Liaison will review this application and determine if the volunteer can be approved – see step 6 here.

3. Once the School Volunteer Liaison approves the application, step 8 will change from “Final Review” to “Approved”.

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How to find out if you are approved to volunteer

Each school has a designated school volunteer liaison. Liaisons receive and process volunteer applications. The liaison completes your approval process based on the information you entered into the application. See Step 6 “School Approval” on the volunteer application page for details.

Once approved for a specific volunteer role, your onboarding tab will show step 8 as complete, marked with a green check mark:

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How to edit your Adult Sexual Misconduct Prevention Training answers on your volunteer application

1. Choose the school where you have been or will volunteer
2. Choose the role you were asked to volunteer for.
3. Click on the blue Sign Up link.
4. Next, click “Login”. Fill in the login prompts. A message will display confirming your role choice.
5. Click on the blue “Dashboard” link in the top right corner.
6. You will see a welcome message, and underneath, two tabs, each displaying your onboarding steps.
7. Click on the onboarding tab for the volunteer role you were asked to sign up for.
8. You will see up to 7 onboarding steps. Steps marked with a green check mark are complete.
9. Step 2 focuses on the Sexual Misconduct Prevention Training Verification. Click “Watch SPS Training” and complete the online course.
10. Return to the dashboard and click “Share three things you learned.”

Enter three distinct lessons from the ASMP course that will help you protect students from abuse while volunteering at SPS.

Click “Save”.

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How is volunteer information protected?

SPS and Samaritan Technologies (the volunteer portal) signed a memorandum of agreement for collecting, maintaining, and storing volunteer data to ensure volunteer information is rigorously protected and meets or exceeds accepted industry practices, including specifically the International Organization for Standardization’s standards ISO/IEC 27001:2005 (Information Security Management Systems- Requirements), ISO-IEC27002:2005 (Code of Practice for International Security Management). Review Samaritan Technologies Terms of Service.

SPS selected Samaritan Technologies as our partner for volunteer application management. Learn about their safety features and privacy policy.

At the school level, each volunteer program liaison (VPL) receives volunteer application data for their school only and maintains a list of Approved School Volunteers. This list shows names of approved volunteers and their contact information so school staff can identify volunteers available to support their classrooms, field trips, or programs. Only SPS employees working at the school can utilize this list.