Make time for a good cause.

Money, time exchange or volunteering.

Choose the arrangement that fits the work. Paid work has an agreed price. A direct time exchange involves two tasks and equal time for each other. Volunteering means freely giving help with no payment and no task owed in return.

The Volunteering label stays visible on opportunities, services, applications and workrooms. It creates no earnings, platform commission or transferable time credits. You can leave a volunteer arrangement using End volunteering in its workroom.

A clear plan helps everyone.

1. Say how you can help.

   Enable volunteering in your helper profile, or list a service with Volunteering selected. You can still offer paid services and time exchanges through the same account.

2. Describe the opportunity.

   Post a job and choose Volunteering. Explain the cause, practical tasks, suggested times, location, supervision, accessibility and any checks or training needed. A soup kitchen shift or help with a charity’s website can both be listed.

3. Confirm it is voluntary.

   Both sides explicitly confirm that there is no pay or work in return before starting. Any agreed out-of-pocket expenses should be stated separately in the brief and messages; HourHelpers does not reimburse them.

4. Stay in touch.

   Use the workroom for updates. Either participant can end volunteering without the other person’s permission; let them know promptly. Completed help can receive feedback from the organiser.

Keep volunteering safe and lawful.

All HourHelpers members must be at least 18. Being unpaid does not remove safeguarding, food hygiene, licensing, insurance or other requirements. Ask the organiser about supervision, training, safe facilities and the particular role.

A volunteer label does not determine employment status or remove minimum-wage rights. The actual arrangement and local law matter. Do not use volunteering to replace a role that legally requires payment, or require a person to work in exchange for a promised paid role. Check the relevant labour authority before posting.

For childcare or work with vulnerable people, check the actual person, role and location. A profile rating, company label or email activation does not establish suitability.

Start with the relevant authority.

These official guides are starting points, not a worldwide clearance. In the UK, payments or benefits beyond expenses can affect worker status. US guidance restricts volunteering for for-profit private-sector employers. Australian guidance distinguishes genuine volunteering from employment. For another country or local area, consult its labour authority and the regulator for the activity.