Volunteering as a Ball State Employee

A woman in a blue volunteer t-shirt and a woman in a yellow volunteer t-shirt sit at the end of a table. In the foreground and stretching toward the employees is a blue and yellow felt blanket they are knotting for the unhoused. In keeping with Ball State University policy, Ball State employees may volunteer for a governmental entity or a 501(3) not-for-profit organization at the sole discretion and with prior approval of the employee’s supervisor.

Employees who wish to volunteer on university time must obtain written pre-approval from their supervisor, keep a record of the time spent volunteering, and use the pay code “Volunteer Pay” in Kronos. Scroll down for frequently asked questions.

Ongoing Local volunteer opportunities
Organization	Description	Sign-up
Avondale Church Thursday Night Meals	Food prep and serving	Website
Classroom Connections	Support our mission to provide essential classroom tools to under-served teachers and students to ensure teachers can teach and learners can learn.	Website
Cornerstone Center for the Arts	Event helper, administrative work, building cleaning/maintenance, classroom assistance	Website
Delaware County CASA Program	Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children - requires 30 hours of training	Website
Habitat for Humanity	Multiple building opportunities for individuals and groups	Website
Heart of Indiana United Way	Volunteer opportunities determined via a one-on-one meeting to determine your strengths/interests (reading with children, leading financial literacy classes, checking in on seniors, etc.)	Website
Inside Out Community Development	Community empowerment kitchen, food rescue or delivery driver	GivePulse
LifeStream Services Volunteer Concierge Program	Match with older adults in need of a friendly visit or task assistance; Administrative Tasks, AngelWish, Safety Solutions, Special Events Meal Delivery, Wellness, Senior Medicare Patrol, Creating Crafts/Gifts, Yard Clean Up, Senior Cafes, Friendly Caller, Virtual Opportunities, Senior Safety Net/Gleaners	Website
Muncie Civic Theatre	Backstage, prop, and/or costuming, work with Youth or Barrier-Free Education programs, concessions, & ushering	Website
Muncie Community Schools	Reading programs, clubs, after-school programs, & coaching athletic programs	Website
Muncie Delaware Clean and Beautiful	White River cleanup	Website
Muncie OUTReach	Volunteer Fair 2/1/25 @ 3 PM - Ongoing needs: board membership, programming/mentorship help, pride committee	Email
Recovery Cafe Muncie	Serve as a café companion or teach a class/workshop with our members	Website
Ross Community Center	Sports, community outreach & events, and education	Website
Second Harvest Food Bank	Helping in the warehouse and at tailgates	Website
Second Harvest Neighborhood Van	Partnership to serve neighborhoods that lack grocery stores	Website
Soup Kitchen of Muncie	Cooking, greeting guests, cleaning dining room, & picking up food donations	Website
United Way: Road to Reading	Greet families at local events, help kids pick out free books, set up engaging, welcoming spaces, and spread smiles and spark a love for reading.	Website
Whitely Community Council Food Pantry	Sorting & packing pantry items	Website

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Frequently Asked Questions

Must my supervisor approve my request?

Supervisors are encouraged to allow employees to participate. However, the supervisor must ensure that there is appropriate staffing to meet the needs of the organization.

How do I report the time spent volunteering?

Non-Exempt (hourly)

If you are non-exempt (hourly paid), clock out for the time that you are volunteering (this includes travel time). You or your supervisor will add the hours using the pay code “Volunteer Pay” in UKG. This process mirrors how you handle other paid time off such as sick, vacation, PTO, etc.

For example, if Mary is volunteering from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and leaves at 8:30 am and returns at 11:30 am, she would clock out at 8:30 am, clock back in at 11:30 am, and then add 3 hours of “Volunteer Pay” in UKG.

Exempt (Salaried)

If you are exempt (salaried), the hours spent volunteering should also be coded as “Volunteer Pay” in UKG. Unlike sick and vacation that are reported in half and full-day increments, “Volunteer Pay” is entered in increments of 15 minutes.

For example, if Mary spends 2.5 hours performing volunteer work, she would add a line in UKG with 2.5 hours of “Volunteer Pay”.

If I am the supervisor, what documentation do I need to keep?

Please keep a copy of your employee’s request to volunteer along with your approval of the request. If your employee submitted a paper UKG Adjustment Form, please keep this document for three years.

For additional information regarding Ball State University record-keeping policies, please contact Kate Stoss in Human Resources.

Where can I volunteer?

In general, managers should only approve requests for University sponsored events such as the Angels for Life Blood Drive, United Way Day of Action and Muncie Community Schools opportunities listed on our website. If an employee requests to volunteer for a non-University sponsored event, managers should carefully consider how the activity will positively impact the Muncie community.

Volunteering as an Employee

Frequently Asked Questions

Non-Exempt (hourly)

Exempt (Salaried)

Other Questions?