Volunteer data and records¶
Status: Draft, pre-formation. Defines what the Guild collects about volunteers, where it lives, who can see it, and how long it is kept. The point of this document is to make sure the Guild does not accumulate sensitive information beyond what it needs and can defend.
Principle¶
Collect only what's needed for the role. Store it in one approved place. Tell volunteers what is held about them. Delete it on schedule. Never, ever commit any of it to the proposal repository.
What the Guild collects¶
The volunteer record contains the minimum needed to operate the program and meet recordkeeping obligations. It is not a profile.
| Item | Why we keep it |
|---|---|
| Full legal name and preferred name | Identification on the roster and in agreements |
| Member status (Friend of the Guild, Community Education Member, Certified Ganjier Member, or additional tier if adopted) | Eligibility |
| Email address | Operational communication |
| City and state | Geographic representation, event logistics |
| Role(s) held, dates, supervisor | Roster and recognition |
| Hours contributed (self-reported, optional) | Recognition milestones, annual report aggregates |
| Conflict of Interest disclosure (current) | Required by COI policy |
| Signed acknowledgements (Ethics, Conduct, Whistleblower, Volunteer Agreement) | Required by program; required by counsel |
| Training completion records | Compliance and continuity |
| Reference checks (notes from screening; no documents from references) | One-time, for screening |
| Any documented performance feedback (positive or corrective) | Continuity for future supervisors |
| Removal-for-cause record, where applicable | Required for board oversight |
The Guild does not collect:
- Date of birth
- Government identifiers (SSN, driver's license number, passport number) — except where a paid contractor relationship exists, in which case the data lives in the finance system, not the volunteer record
- Personal financial information
- Health information
- Information about family members beyond what the volunteer voluntarily provides on the COI disclosure
- Background-check results — none are run on volunteers in Year 1
Where the volunteer record lives¶
The volunteer record lives in one approved system: the Guild's membership service (post-formation per tech/migration-plan.md). Pre-formation, working drafts may live in the Guild's Google Workspace under restricted access.
Documents covered by retention rules (signed acknowledgements, agreements, removal records) are stored in the Guild's document management system per document retention policy, with access limited to the Volunteer Program Lead, the Administrator, the Board Chair, the Secretary, and the volunteer themself.
Who can see what¶
| Role | Can see | Cannot see |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer themselves | Their entire record | Nothing redacted from them |
| Volunteer Program Lead | All volunteer records | — |
| Administrator | All volunteer records | — |
| Board Chair | All volunteer records | — |
| Board Secretary | Acknowledgements and COI disclosures (for January refresh) | Reference notes, performance feedback unrelated to corporate-record needs |
| Treasurer / Audit & Finance | Records for any volunteer with access to financial systems; aggregate hours | Other volunteers' records |
| Membership & Ethics committee | Records relevant to a specific complaint or disciplinary matter | Other volunteers' records |
| Committee chair | Records of volunteers serving in their committee | Other committees' volunteer records |
| Project sponsor | Records of volunteers serving in their project | Other projects' or committees' records |
| Other volunteers | Public roster (opt-in) only | Anything else |
| Public | Public roster (opt-in only); aggregate volunteer counts and hours | Anything else |
Access is enforced by role-based permissions in the membership service. Sharing screenshots or exports is prohibited except as part of approved board, committee, or audit work.
Retention schedule¶
| Record type | Retention from end of service | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Application materials (not selected) | 6 months | Future opening matching window |
| Application materials (selected) | Until end of service + 3 years | Continuity, audit |
| Signed Volunteer Agreement | End of service + 7 years | General records-retention practice and indemnification window |
| COI disclosures, signed acknowledgements | End of service + 7 years | Compliance audit trail |
| Training completion records | End of service + 3 years | Compliance audit trail |
| Reference notes | 1 year from screening | One-time use |
| Hours and milestones log | End of service + 3 years (then aggregated and source records purged) | Recognition and reporting |
| Performance feedback notes | End of service + 3 years | Continuity |
| Removal-for-cause record | End of service + 7 years | Board oversight, possible litigation window |
| Alumni roster | Indefinite while opted in | Honorary status |
Retention timelines are reviewed each December under the document retention policy.
What the volunteer can ask for¶
The volunteer may at any time:
- See their record — the Volunteer Program Lead provides it within 10 business days
- Correct an error — the Lead corrects within 10 business days; corrections are dated and noted
- Withdraw consent for public listing in roster or annual report — effective immediately for future publications
- Request deletion of materials not subject to a retention rule — the Lead deletes within 30 days and confirms
Materials subject to a retention rule (signed agreements, acknowledgements, removal records) are kept for the retention period regardless of deletion request, because the Guild may need them for audit, compliance, or litigation. The Lead explains this in writing if asked.
Privacy posture and notice¶
Volunteers receive a short volunteer privacy notice at Gate 1 of onboarding (onboarding.md) describing:
- What the Guild collects
- Why
- Who has access
- How long it is kept
- How to ask for it, correct it, withdraw consent for public listing, or request deletion
- The contact for these requests (the Volunteer Program Lead)
The notice is also posted on the Guild website and linked from the volunteer application.
Security¶
- All systems holding volunteer records require MFA
- Access reviews are conducted annually per the compliance calendar
- The proposal repository is never an approved storage location for any volunteer record
- Per SECURITY.md, incidents involving volunteer data are handled the same way as incidents involving member data
Reporting¶
The Volunteer Program Lead reports each board meeting:
- Active volunteer count by category (committee, event, project)
- New onboardings and offboardings since last meeting
- Aggregate hours for the period
- Any open Sensitive-role vacancies
- Any active removal-for-cause matters (anonymized unless a board decision is requested)
- Any data subject access or deletion requests since last meeting