When referring to rescue groups, we mean animal welfare organizations that:
- Typically do not have a brick-and-mortar location where volunteers report for their duties
- Whose services rely mostly on volunteers to fulfill a number of different roles (with the potential exception of a few paid leadership positions)
Due to practical constraints with the survey process and reporting, there are a few eligibility requirements to participate in RGPA. If you have any questions about these requirements, please feel free to contact us at volprogram@uncc.edu.
Volunteers must have access to email and the internet
Volunteers need to have the ability to access the RGPA survey, particularly because a central physical location may not be available.
Rescues should have at least 7 active volunteers
Having at least 7 active volunteers helps guarantee anonymity of answers.
There must be a volunteer coordinator, or similar individual (e.g., Executive Director) who coordinates volunteer activities and has a vested interest in improving volunteer attitudes and experiences.
Because there is not typically a paid volunteer coordinator, it is necessary to identify whether the information gathered from the RGPA survey will be used to address volunteer concerns.
Rescue organizations should be operating for at least one (1) year.
Due to the fluid nature of rescue organizations, insuring that the organization has been operating for at least one year establishes commitment to maintaining the organization over time and increases the likelihood that a set of standard volunteer roles and responsibilities has been established. In some instances, exceptions to this policy can be made.