Frequently asked questions
If your question isn't here, email dax@paragonmediacanada.ca and Dax will answer it himself.
About NVO
What is NVO?
Niagara Volunteer Opportunities is a free directory of volunteer opportunities across all twelve Niagara municipalities. Organizations post what they need help with and anyone can browse and apply.
Who runs it?
Dax Tigley, a Grade 12 student at DSBN Academy. He started NVO as a personal project in Grade 9 after struggling to find anywhere to volunteer, and he still runs it. The About page has the full story.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free for organizations and free for volunteers. There are no ads, no paid listings and no paid tier, and NVO does not sell or rent anyone's information.
How does NVO pay for itself?
It doesn't need to. The site was built without a bill and the running costs are small. NVO is not a business and will not start charging.
Students and parents
Do I need an account to apply?
No. Students never make an account. Open a listing, fill in the short form, and your details go to that organization so they can contact you.
How old do I have to be?
You must be 13 or older to apply through NVO. Many listings set a higher minimum age, and each listing shows its own.
Will these hours count toward my 40 hours?
Listings that normally count carry a badge, but your school has the final say. If an activity isn't on your school board's list, you need your principal's approval before you start, and if you're under 18 a parent or guardian approves it too. Check with your guidance office first. The Student Hub explains the rules.
Does NVO verify or record my hours?
No. Your supervisor at the organization signs off your hours, a parent or guardian does too if you are under 18, and your school records them. Nothing on this site counts as proof of hours.
What happens to the information I send?
It goes to the organization you applied to and nobody else. NVO deletes applications after 12 months, and you can ask for yours to be deleted sooner at any time. The privacy policy has the details.
A listing says a police check is required. Can I still apply?
Niagara Regional Police generally won't issue a police record check to anyone under 18 for a volunteer role outside government. If you are under 18, ask the organization how they handle it before you apply. What keeps younger volunteers safe is supervision by the organization's own screened adults.
Safety
Does NVO check the organizations?
Every organization's details are confirmed by phone or email before any of its listings go live. That confirms the organization is real and reachable. It is not a background check, and each organization screens and supervises its own volunteers. The Safety page explains what is and isn't checked.
Something about a listing looks wrong. What do I do?
Use the report link on the listing. Reports come straight to Dax and every one is read. Use it for anything from an out-of-date date to a listing that asks for money or makes you uncomfortable.
Organizations
How do we post an opportunity?
Get in touch. Once your details are confirmed you get an invitation to sign in and post listings yourself.
What can we do once we're signed in?
Post and edit listings, see who applied, export applicants, take attendance at each shift, and record the hours your supervisors observed.
Can we choose what applicants are asked?
Yes. Asking for a phone number and requiring a police check are both switches on each listing, and both are off unless you turn them on. You can also add your own questions.
Schools
Is NVO connected to a school board?
No. NVO is independent and isn't run by DSBN, Niagara Catholic or any school. Guidance offices are welcome to point students to it, and there is a printable poster on the For schools page.
Is the site accessible?
NVO aims to meet WCAG 2.1 level AA, the standard Ontario uses for websites. If something doesn't work for you, email Dax and he'll fix it or get you the information another way. The accessibility statement has more.