SF Ed Fund Volunteer Application: Mentor Program

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the SF Ed Fund for the 2025–2026 school year!

Public education is a cornerstone of our democracy, and community members like you play a powerful role in helping students reach their full potential. Sometimes, what a student needs more than anything else is to know there's someone who cares about them; someone they can talk to. As a mentor, you can be that person.

This application is the first step to becoming a mentor.

*Before you apply below, please make sure you've reviewed the roles, responsibilities and expectations of an SF Ed Fund Mentor Volunteer here.

In addition to submitting an application, you'll need to complete the following steps:

Schedule a virtual meeting with the SF Ed Fund's Volunteer Coordinator for a 20-minute informational interview, to determine if mentoring a student is the right match for you. You will receive an email from the SF Ed Fund after completing this application with instructions. If the two of you decide that this is a good fit after the interview, then you'll...
Attend a three-hour in-person training. You'll be able to select one from a list of training dates below.
Complete a criminal background check (fingerprinting) and submit proof you are negative for TB. (Instructions for completing these two items will be provided at the training.)
Submit the names and email addresses of two references (also via the application), both of whom will receive an email from the SF Ed Fund with a short list of questions to answer.

Once you’ve completed all these steps, you are considered "cleared" to volunteer, which means you have completed both the SFUSD and SF Ed Fund requirements for authorization to volunteer on a school campus.

After submitting your application, look for an email from the SF Ed Fund with next steps, including instructions for scheduling the informational interview. If you have any questions, please contact us at mentor@sfedfund.org.

Contact Id

About You

Legal First Name

Last Name

Preferred Name

Mobile Phone

Primary Street

Primary City

Primary Zip/Postal Code

Date of Birth (Required for background check. Must be 18 years or older.)

Required for LiveScan background check. All volunteers must be 18 years or older.

Our goal is to assemble a diverse team of school volunteers that reflects the demographics of SFUSD’s student population. Knowing who our volunteers are helps us work toward that goal.

Gender

Ethnicity

If you selected 'Multi-ethnic' above, please specify the ethnicities with which you identify: (Use CTRL + Click or Command + Click to select multiple options.)

If you selected any of the 'Other' options in either of the above ethnicity questions, please specify the ethnicities with which you identify:

In addition to English, please let us know if you are proficient in any other languages: (Use CTRL + Click or Command + Click to select multiple options.)

Please specify any additional language proficiencies not listed above:

Preferred Pronouns

Please specify

Occupation

Current Place of Work

Please let us know who we can contact in case of an emergency. This is required by our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the school district.

Full Name

Emergency Contact's Phone Number

How did you hear about us?

Who referred you?

Who in the school district? Please include school name and person if applicable

What college?

Please check this box if you need accommodations to perform any of the essential volunteer job duties:

Accommodations needed

Please explain accommodations needed

Volunteer Training

All volunteers are required to attend a three-hour in-person training.
During the training, you’ll learn about the mentor/mentee relationship and how to establish a strong bond with your assigned mentee. In addition, you'll learn about:

The SFUSD student community
Your role and responsibilities as a volunteer
How to complete the final steps of the clearance process

You’ll receive more details about the training after you submit your application and complete the informational interview.

Select a training date and time

Volunteer Bio

Please answer the following questions as thoughtfully and thoroughly as possible. Your responses will help us create a short biography to share with school social workers in order to find a mentee match.

Why are you interested in becoming a mentor, particularly for school-aged children in San Francisco?

What qualities and/or skills do you have that would make you a good mentor?

Describe your experience working with children. What ages? What did you do? How would you describe the experience?

What are some values and beliefs that are of special importance to you? How do you feel these relate to working with young people?

What experiences do you have working with people from other cultures?

Please describe your hobbies and interests (in case we can match you with a student with similar interests).

Please share any preferences you may have for a mentee match, e.g. geographic limits, gender, age, ethnicity/religion.

What age group do you want to work with?

Do you have an SFUSD school in mind where you'd like to volunteer?

YesNo

I am willing to travel further to help at a priority school if there isn't one in my neighborhood

YesNoMaybe

What is the name of that school?

References

In order to be fully cleared to volunteer, you will need to share two references with us. Once you submit this application, your references will be emailed a short form to fill out on your behalf. Please verify that both reference email addresses are correct before submitting your application so we can reach your references without delay, and alert your references to look out for an email from volunteer@sfedfund.org.

Reference #1: Must be someone other than family and someone you have known for at least one year.

Full Name:

Email:

How long have you known reference?

Enter number ONLY. E.g: For 2 years enter as 2 or for 2.5 years please round it off to the nearest whole number. E.g: 3

How do you know this reference?

Reference #2: Must be someone other than family and someone you have known for at least one year.

Full Name:

Email:

How long have you known reference?

Enter number ONLY. E.g: For 2 years enter as 2 or for 2.5 years please round it off to the nearest whole number. E.g: 3

How do you know this reference?

Criminal Background & Media Release

For the safety of all students, community members who would like to volunteer in SFUSD schools consistently must be fingerprinted (LiveScan) and pass a criminal background check. The questions below support that process. You will receive more information about the background check requirement during the training.

Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony?

Please briefly describe the details of your conviction.

The SF Ed Fund has my consent to take, edit, exhibit, publish, distribute, or make use of any photograph, videotape, and/or audio recording of myself, in connection with my volunteering. I grant permission to the SF Ed Fund to use any such media for any purpose in their discretion, including to increase public awareness of the SF Ed Fund through the use of mass media, displays, brochures, websites, or social media outlets. Additionally, I release and forever discharge the SF Ed Fund from any and all claims or liabilities of any kind which may arise from the use of my likeness. I acknowledge and agree that I will not receive any compensation in connection with any use of my likeness.

I certify that the information provided on my volunteer application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.This is required

GA4 Tracking Code

G-Tag ID (Set default value to your Tag ID)