{"id":783,"date":"2026-03-05T19:01:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T19:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/?page_id=783"},"modified":"2026-05-01T17:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T17:35:51","slug":"prospective-4-h-volunteers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/jefferson-4-h\/prospective-4-h-volunteers\/","title":{"rendered":"Prospective 4-H Volunteers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group c-breadcrumbs alignfull is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><span class=\"last\">Home<\/span><\/p><\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-14cf5ab5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why be a volunteer leader?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">People volunteer with 4-H for many reasons. One obvious benefit is to help guide and mentor our country\u2019s future citizens and leaders. Volunteers also develop new leadership skills, meet new friends, and take great adventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Adult volunteers play an important role in 4-H youth education programs. They coordinate local community clubs and help to plan and conduct local, regional, state, and national 4-H events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-default has-white-color has-accent-5-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-dcdefdc630aaa5360c05dde0d8088e9d is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Volunteers help 4-H&#8217;ers:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Learn by doing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Develop leadership and life skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make new friends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give back to the community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build connections with others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prepare, do, and share.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-separator alignfull has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-brush-stroke\" style=\"height:40px\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e4f164ad wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to become a leader?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Complete an application in our state <a href=\"https:\/\/co.4honline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>4-H database<\/strong><\/a>. Create a family profile if you don\u2019t already have one. If you do have one, log in and add yourself into your family profile to access the leader application.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select three references and let them know that they will be receiving a questionnaire via email from Extension and ask them to fill it out ASAP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fill out Background Check information from CSU HireRite as soon as you receive the e-mail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watch the online training modules and answer questions.&nbsp; A link and password will be sent to you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interview with 4-H Staff. You will be contacted to select a date and time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attend a New 4-H Leader Orientation, conducted twice per year by the county Extension Agent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4-H adult volunteers must re-enroll in<a href=\"https:\/\/co.4honline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00a0<strong>co.4honline.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0every fall when re-enrollment opens in order to stay active. \u00a0If you are inactive for more than a year, you will need to reapply and go through the whole process over again. \u00a0So it is better to re-enroll, even if you are not sure how much time you will be able to volunteer, than to let your leader status lapse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Application materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-content-selector--grid wp-block-csu-content-selector\" data-grid-columns=\"3\">\n\n\t\n<article class=\"grid-card c-card c-card--link-inherit c-card-post c-card-post--resource post-2096\">\n\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/co4h.colostate.edu\/4h-resource\/4-h-online-new-volunteer-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\n\t\t<span class=\"c-card__label\">Resource<\/span>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"c-card__content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-card__eyebrow is-style-eyebrow\">\n\t\t\t\t\tEnrollment Resources\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"c-card__heading\">\n\t\t\t\t4-H Online New Volunteer Guide\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/a>\n\n<\/article>\n\n<article class=\"grid-card c-card c-card--link-inherit c-card-post c-card-post--resource post-7220\">\n\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/co4h.colostate.edu\/4h-resource\/volunteer-appointment-agreement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\n\t\t<span class=\"c-card__label\">Resource<\/span>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"c-card__content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-card__eyebrow is-style-eyebrow\">\n\t\t\t\t\tVolunteer &amp; Project Leader Resources\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"c-card__heading\">\n\t\t\t\tColorado 4-H Volunteer Appointment Agreement\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/a>\n\n<\/article>\n\n<article class=\"grid-card c-card c-card--link-inherit c-card-post c-card-post--resource post-1902\">\n\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/co4h.colostate.edu\/4h-resource\/reporting-volunteer-hours-in-4-h-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\n\t\t<span class=\"c-card__label\">Resource<\/span>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"c-card__content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-card__eyebrow is-style-eyebrow\">\n\t\t\t\t\tVolunteer &amp; Project Leader Resources\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"c-card__heading\">\n\t\t\t\tReporting Volunteer Hours in 4-H Online\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/a>\n\n<\/article>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a5117e2c wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want to start your own 4-H club?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"e4a50c70-1ee3-4d37-9d9e-0906a6c4f537-accordion\" id=\"e4a50c70-1ee3-4d37-9d9e-0906a6c4f537-accordion-button\">How to recruit 4-H members, and how many should we have?<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"e4a50c70-1ee3-4d37-9d9e-0906a6c4f537-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e4a50c70-1ee3-4d37-9d9e-0906a6c4f537-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>First of all, how many members? 4-H clubs should have at least five members from two or more families. Some suggest that six to 10 members per adult leader is an optimum number. Some clubs have as many as 70 youth. However, it depends on the age of the members in your club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also depends on how many other leaders will be working with you. Limit your first group to a number with which you and your co-leaders feel comfortable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recruiting members is seldom hard to do. Start with a contact to your county Extension staff. They usually have names of people who want to join a club in your area. You can always write newspaper articles, recruit at schools or church, or just talk up the club to parents and children you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because 4-H receives federal and state funds, we must be certain our programs are made available to all people equally without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or handicap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may find it helpful to recruit some other adults to help with club leadership as co-leaders, project leaders, or program leaders. Interested parents, 4-H alumni, or friends are often willing to help. This gives the leader much needed assistance and also provides continuity for club meetings in case of the leader\u2019s absence. To provide a safe environment for youth enrolled in 4-H, all leaders must go through the leader application process. Please see above section on how to become a leader.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"e5f961ab-402d-44b9-a96e-bc080d7d43f0-accordion\" id=\"e5f961ab-402d-44b9-a96e-bc080d7d43f0-accordion-button\">Club\/Group chartering<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"e5f961ab-402d-44b9-a96e-bc080d7d43f0-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e5f961ab-402d-44b9-a96e-bc080d7d43f0-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>Before youth can enroll in a new club, leaders will need to complete the state 4-H club\/group chartering paperwork. &nbsp;You can view chartering documents at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/co4h.colostate.edu\/4-h-resources\/?order=DESC&amp;orderBy=title&amp;perPage=12&amp;currentPage=1&amp;sites=27&amp;postType=4h-resource-cpt&amp;tax%5Bglobal-4h-resource-category_tax%5D=club-chartering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State 4-H Website<\/a>. &nbsp;These chartering documents must be completed by a September deadline every year that the club remains active. &nbsp;Organizational leaders are responsible for getting these materials to the Extension Office, along with any treasurer records for auditing, each year. &nbsp;Clubs who wish to have a bank account must apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) before opening a bank account. &nbsp;There are specific guidelines for managing 4-H funds, so please contact the Extension Agent for more information.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"04e6bd1d-2dee-4a07-a8bc-94dd2d7f6c18-accordion\" id=\"04e6bd1d-2dee-4a07-a8bc-94dd2d7f6c18-accordion-button\">How can I enroll my members?<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"04e6bd1d-2dee-4a07-a8bc-94dd2d7f6c18-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"04e6bd1d-2dee-4a07-a8bc-94dd2d7f6c18-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>Colorado uses a computer-based enrollment system, which means the forms must be filled out completely and accurately. Be sure to check the projects listed. All returning 4-H members should re-enroll by <strong>January 31<\/strong> to avoid a late fee. New members can join at any point in the program year. It\u2019s a good idea to enroll as soon as possible so you and your members remain on the e-mail distribution\u00a0lists to receive notices of all events and activities. Jefferson County also has a deadline for project enrollment additions and changes in order to be eligible to participate in state and county fairs, <strong>May 1<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"e88d0a8c-d7c1-4603-9e50-4d864dc38be0-accordion\" id=\"e88d0a8c-d7c1-4603-9e50-4d864dc38be0-accordion-button\">Are there dues for 4-H members?<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"e88d0a8c-d7c1-4603-9e50-4d864dc38be0-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e88d0a8c-d7c1-4603-9e50-4d864dc38be0-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>4-H club members are charged a program development fee, $50 per member (ages 8-18) and $20 per Cloverbud (ages 5-7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, some clubs may decide to pay for local club program costs by assessing a small fee per member or by working together on a fundraising project. Special events such as camps and office activities may also have registration fees connected to them. If a family feels they cannot afford the amount, they contact the County 4-H Office and ask about scholarships. No child will be denied access to the 4-H program.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"b4561d4a-bf5b-4803-b0b8-27e98303b582-accordion\" id=\"b4561d4a-bf5b-4803-b0b8-27e98303b582-accordion-button\">What about insurance?<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"b4561d4a-bf5b-4803-b0b8-27e98303b582-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"b4561d4a-bf5b-4803-b0b8-27e98303b582-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>4-H leaders automatically have liability insurance coverage through Colorado State University when leading a 4-H group or 4-H activity as soon as they are officially enrolled in the 4-H program. County Extension offices and clubs are required to&nbsp;carry accident insurance.&nbsp;Additional insurance is also required for special activities or events on a per-day basis.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"00ffbdf6-8584-4711-8a03-1c8069f6ca73-accordion\" id=\"00ffbdf6-8584-4711-8a03-1c8069f6ca73-accordion-button\">How often will our club meet?<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"00ffbdf6-8584-4711-8a03-1c8069f6ca73-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"00ffbdf6-8584-4711-8a03-1c8069f6ca73-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>There are several possibilities in choosing a day and time for club meetings, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>once a week, after school (this works well for elementary age members)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>once every 2 weeks, after school or on a weeknight<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>once a month, on a weeknight<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>once a month, on a Saturday or Sunday (sometimes this works best for clubs with members of a wide age span)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>other variations, limited only by the needs of your club members<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is required that a 4-H club be involved in at least six hours of educational programming during the year, more if desired or needed. This provides continuity for the club as well as time for development and accomplishment of individual and club goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some projects can be taught on a short-term or seasonal basis. Members can enroll at any time during the year, prior to May 1 for competition in the County Fair. Some clubs start at the beginning of the school year but may plan to meet later for a shorter period of time, perhaps for a 3- or 6-month time period, and some clubs meet monthly all year long, depending on the project needs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__title js-wp-block-csu-accordion\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__trigger\" aria-controls=\"e7ad5226-62cb-4966-945d-253fab3608f8-accordion\" id=\"e7ad5226-62cb-4966-945d-253fab3608f8-accordion-button\">Club Expectations<i class=\"accordion-marker\"><\/i><\/button><\/h3><div id=\"e7ad5226-62cb-4966-945d-253fab3608f8-accordion\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e7ad5226-62cb-4966-945d-253fab3608f8-accordion-button\" class=\"wp-block-csu-accordion-item__content\" hidden>\n<p>4-H clubs are groups of youth and adults who meet on a regular basis, chartered by the county Extension office. Leadership is jointly provided by youth and adults where there is a planned educational program, and the club meets at least 6 hours in any given year and plans to continue meeting from one year to the next.<br>4-H Clubs and its members will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Build youth and adult partnerships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set goals and evaluate progress toward those goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plan fun experiential-based activities where youth learn life skills by:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Attending meetings, workshops, camps, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Completing service projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demonstrating learning by giving a presentation or demonstration before a group.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keeping records of activities and evaluate experiences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-brush-stroke-dark has-white-color has-accent-1-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-1e652d30ca177d947d99d3e7d2050175 is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7bae66cf wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5b3d42a2 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Learn more about volunteering for 4-H<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">Looking for more information about volunteering for 4-H? Visit the state site to view more information, volunteer resources, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-70da71f9 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a aria-label=\"Button takes you to the Colorado State 4-H website for more info on how to Volunteer for 4-H\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/co4h.colostate.edu\/volunteer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Volunteer for 4-H (State 4-h)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why be a volunteer leader? People volunteer with 4-H for many reasons. One obvious benefit is to help guide and mentor our country\u2019s future citizens and leaders&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":789,"parent":249,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-783","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","pp_post_mime_type":"","acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=783"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1310,"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/783\/revisions\/1310"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/jefferson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}