A sign-up sheet is the quickest way to see who’s doing what and where you still need help. Our free template is an Excel file you can download straight away, with no email address or form to fill in. It also opens in Google Sheets.

Download the volunteer sign-up sheet template (Excel)

What’s in the template

• Sign-up sheet: event details at the top, then 30 rows for each shift or task, start and end times, volunteer name, contact details, notes and a checked-in column.

• Example: the same sheet filled in for a made-up food bank.

• How to use: quick instructions and a note on personal data.

Hours work themselves out from the start and end times, the totals show places filled and hours volunteered, and each sheet prints on one A4 page.

How to use the sign-up sheet

1. Add your event details

Fill in the shaded cells at the top, including a named contact, so volunteers know who to tell if their plans change.

2. Add a row for every place

List each shift or task on its own row, with 24-hour start and end times such as 09:00. If you need three people for one shift, add three rows, so gaps are easy to spot.

3. Share it or print it

Share the file with your team, or print it for a noticeboard or event stall. If it holds contact details, keep it to the people who need them.

4. Check people in on the day

Mark Checked in as people arrive. The sheet then shows total volunteer hours for your reports and thank-yous.

What to include on a volunteer sign-up sheet

• The task, named specifically: “Packing food parcels”, not “General help”

• The date, start and end times, and where to meet

• How many people you need

• A named contact and how to reach them

• What to wear or bring, and whether the role involves lifting, driving or working with children or adults at risk

Collect only what you need to run the shift, usually a name and a way to get in touch. For help describing roles, read our guide to writing volunteer role adverts.

Keep volunteers’ details safe

A sign-up sheet holds personal data, so UK data protection law applies. In practice:

• Store the file securely with limited access, rather than emailing it around.

• On a printed sheet, ask for names only and collect contact details separately.

• Delete sheets you no longer need, keeping only records such as hours.

This is general good practice, not legal advice. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has guidance for small organisations and charities.

A simpler way to manage volunteer sign-ups

A spreadsheet works for one event. Once you run regular shifts, it means copying names from emails, chasing people who forget and adding up hours by hand. Volunteero replaces all of that:

• Online sign-up forms: build forms with exactly the questions you need, share them by link or embed them on your website, and collect unlimited submissions at no extra cost. Responses can add volunteers to the right group automatically, and staff can be notified of each new submission.

• Shift booking in the app: volunteers claim or request shifts within rules you set, and recurring shifts are set up once.

• No double bookings: stop volunteers booking shifts that clash, and restrict last-minute cancellations.

• Automatic reminders: volunteers are notified about upcoming shifts, so you don’t chase each person.

• Hours recorded for you: volunteers check in by app, QR code or kiosk, and their hours feed straight into reporting.

Everything stays in one place, and you can still export to Excel whenever you need to. Giving volunteers this control also helps keep them involved: see how letting volunteers manage their own shifts can boost engagement. Find out more about volunteer recruitment, volunteer scheduling and volunteer hours tracking.

Download the template

Running a one-off event? The spreadsheet is free, with nothing to sign up for.

Download the volunteer sign-up sheet template (Excel)

Getting started with Volunteero

Volunteero is volunteer management software for charities, nonprofits and events. With volunteer scheduling and online forms, volunteers sign up and book shifts themselves, and your rota updates as they do. Book a demo to see how it works.