ABOUT Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders

We are a national 501(c)3 nonprofit that connects 6th-12th grade students with local volunteer opportunities that help them build a passion for service while building vital leadership skills. Through the digital member portal, teens can find service opportunities within 20 miles of their location on their Lion’s Heart calendar, track service hours, connect with peers, and export their volunteer portfolio to use on college/scholarship applications. Check out this video for a short walkthrough of how the Member Portal works!

In addition to these member and partner testimonials, we highly encourage you to check out our Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders Podcast, TOBY Talk, on SoundCloud. Hear from teens as they share their volunteer stories and get inspired by our podcast hosts as they offer service-learning and leadership tips! “Think of others before yourself,” is at the core of the Lion’s Heart philosophy and the TOBY Talk Podcast serves as a free resource for anyone looking to get involved in their community.

No, Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders is not a faith-based program and welcomes members from all walks of life to get involved in service and community leadership. Members who elect to participate in volunteer opportunities hosted by religious organizations may log service hours from these experiences as long as they are not focused on faith-based instruction or study. For example, participating in a food drive or building homes with your church group may qualify as community service but hours spent instructing a Bible study session are not applicable. For more information on community service categories, click here.

No, Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders is not associated or chartered with another organization. We are an individual 501(c)3 nonprofit. We have over 280+ chapters across the country and nearly 10,000 members strong!

Yes, teens must be registered members in order to create a profile, access the Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders volunteer opportunity calendar, attend group meetings, qualify for awards, and participate in Lion’s Heart leadership programs. Members may begin to log service hours in their Lion’s Heart profile immediately upon registration. Service hours performed PRIOR to joining Lion’s Heart are not eligible to be logged.

Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders members who enroll or renew starting April 1, 2020 will be required to complete 25 service hours each membership year to maintain their membership status. This will help motivate teens and groups to try new experiences and feel accomplished in meeting their goals!

When a member logs 25 service hours, they will receive a Digital Achievement Badge and will be eligible to participate in Lion’s Heart awards programs. Members who fail to meet the minimum hour requirement by their annual renewal anniversary date will be archived and will not be eligible to reenroll for at least three months. *If paid through graduation, you must wait 3 months to be reactivated. If archived for not meeting this requirement, please understand that your group could be full when you re-enroll or are *reactivated (*Paid through graduation only). No refunds.

Yes! Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders is a great companion to your scouting and/or youth group experiences! Ideally, your Lion’s Heart service portfolio serves as a one-stop place for you to track all of your service experiences so that you can export them for use on college, scholarship, and job applications. If you participate in volunteer opportunities you find outside of the Lion’s Heart calendar, you are more than welcome to log those experiences in your Member Portal. Find a great opportunity you think would interest other members? Submit the opportunity here.
Congratulations! We are thrilled to have you join our network of empowered teens across the country. Whether you are a group member, individual member, or pending member (waiting for a group), you can start volunteering and logging hours immediately! You can expect your t-shirt to arrive within 2-3 weeks, we ship on the 5th of every month. If you are a group member, your Class Coordinator will reach out to you with information about upcoming meetings. All members are also encouraged to explore the Member Toolkit tab for project ideas, award information, and other resources to help you build a strong commitment to service.
There are two ways for teens (ages 11-17) to participate in Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders--group membership and individual membership. Groups are formed based on high school graduation year, gender, and chapter location. Group members are required to attend meetings during the Lion’s Heart year (May 1 - April 30), elect officers, and work together to reach their volunteering goals. To form a new group in an existing chapter, there must be a minimum of 3 members and a class coordinator. Lion’s Heart does not form new groups until the existing group is closed. There is a maximum of 20 members per group. An adult volunteer (typically a parent of one of the group members) oversees group facilitation in the role of Class Coordinator. Colors are included in group names to help distinguish similar groups within a Lion’s Heart Chapter. For example, if you are an 8th grade boy in the Huntington Beach, CA area you may elect to join the Huntington Beach Boys Blue Class of 2023. During registration, you will see a selection of open groups (if applicable) within 20 miles of your zip code. If a group has not yet formed in your area, you may elect to start a group or enroll as an Individual Member. Individual Members are not required to attend meetings and may volunteer on their own schedule. Both group and individual members receive the same volunteer opportunity suggestions in their email and have the ability to earn awards throughout their Lion’s Heart experience.
Members receive email notifications when a new volunteer opportunity has been added to their Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders calendar. Members may also view upcoming volunteer opportunities by logging in to their Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders portal and accessing their personalized calendar. Activities listed on the Lion’s Heart calendar are suggested experiences. Members are not required to attend all the volunteer opportunities that appear on their calendar and are encouraged to participate in any volunteer experience that interests them--whether they discover an experience on the Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders calendar, with their group, or on their own. Refer to the “What is Community Service?” page for additional support.
At this time we do not offer short-term opportunities. Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders membership is offered on an annual basis. On average, most Lion’s Heart teen members volunteer approximately 52 hours or more per year and also participate in group meetings, leadership programs, and other skill-building activities.
No. You can input verified service hours immediately after you have completed the enrollment process. Service hours performed prior to your enrollment date are not eligible to be added to your Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders log.
No forms are required from Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders outside of initial registration. On occasion a nonprofit hosting a volunteer opportunity may require additional information. Members should not have to pay any additional fees to volunteer. All volunteer opportunities are vetted by Lion’s Heart staff prior to posting on the calendars. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
Parents may elect to volunteer alongside their Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders member if they choose, but there is no requirement. Parents are encouraged to support their Class Coordinator as needed for group meetings and activities. Depending on the volunteer opportunity and age of the member, parents (or adult supervisors) may be required to attend a service event--be sure to confirm any requirements! Adult volunteers are also encouraged to serve as a Chapter President for their Chapter. The Chapter President serves as the first-point of contact for all Class Coordinators in their Chapter and works with Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders staff to provide support.
It’s easy! Click on the sign-up button at the top of the page and follow the steps as outlined. We look forward to having you join the Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders family!
Does your company or organization support youth leadership development? Do you value helping others and building strong communities? Our teen volunteers are preparing themselves for an empowering future by participating in Lion’s Heart. Your support--in the form of a sponsorship, program offering, volunteer opportunity, company tour, and/or more--can become extremely inspirational for teens as they become the service-minded workforce of tomorrow. Connect with us to learn more about how you can be a part of the Lion’s Heart legacy!
Thank you for thinking of us and our teens. Visit our donations page to learn more about making a donation that supports programming and resources for teens.

ENROLLMENT AND DUES

For new members, there is a one-time $75 enrollment fee and annual dues are $100.

Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders is a non-profit that connects teen members (ages 11-17) with age-appropriate volunteer opportunities in their area through a digital platform that also helps them track service hours, earn awards (including the President’s Volunteer Service Award), interact with peers, and build a strong service portfolio that can be used for college/scholarship applications. Enrollment fees and annual dues support production of the digital platform and other collateral materials; cultivation of volunteer opportunities, awards, and sponsorships; programs that complement member volunteer experiences; facilitator trainings; and overall community support. All of these features provide members with the tools they need to develop vital service-minded leadership skills that empower them to achieve their lifelong goals.

The one-time enrollment fee includes a Lion’s Heart t-shirt mailed to you (ships on the 5th of every month), and for your account to be set up. You will immediately have access to volunteer opportunities near you with local non-profits, along with college scholarship opportunities. You will be able to start today logging in and tracking your volunteer hours, and on your way to earning awards. You will see your personalized volunteer, leadership and awards portfolio grow every day which you can share with your school, National Honor Society, potential employers, and colleges!

Every teen should have the opportunity to participate in Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders and grow their skill set while making a positive difference. We offer a limited number of hardship discounts for those who qualify. If you would like to be considered for a full or partial discount, complete the Hardship Assistance form on our website. To continue receiving your hardship discount for annual dues, you will need to re-submit a Financial Assistance form annually at least two weeks prior to your renewal date (which can be found in your member Portal under “My Info”).

Yes! Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders dues are tax deductible. The Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders Federal Tax ID number is 26-2781977. If you would like to make a donation in support of teens making a difference, click here. For questions related to member fundraising programs, see the Programs and Nonprofits section below.

For new members, Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders offers a 24-hour grace period to request a refund of enrollment dues, after 24 hours dues are non-refundable. To request a refund within 24 hours of enrollment, please fill out this survey and we will be in touch ASAP.

It is important to make sure your contact information is up to date in your Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders profile. Log in to your Member Portal at any time to update your contact information, school information, and more. If you need assistance, you can contact our Volunteer Services Manager.

GROUP MEMBERS

Groups are required to schedule six meetings per Lion’s Heart - Teen Volunteers and Leaders year (May 1 through April 30) and members are required to attend at least 4 of the 6 meetings in order to maintain their group membership status. For new members who join a group after the month of May, attendance requirements will vary depending on assignment date. See table below for reference.

leadership requirement meetings

Class Coordinators are responsible for recording meeting attendance and overseeing the teen-led meetings. Members who do not fulfill their meeting requirement will have their status updated to Individual Member. Group members have meetings to get to know each other, share ideas, learn Robert’s Rules of Order, and plan service activities. Most Lion’s Heart groups have found that meetings held on Sundays in the late afternoon or early evening have the best attendance. Click here to download a sample meeting agenda.

Members may run for officer positions in their groups to earn service hours and practice positive leadership skills--positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, and Historian/Photographer. All positions are held for a one-year term. Members who serve in an officer position earn service hours for their participation. There are required online trainings members will need to complete in order to confirm their officer position. You can access these trainings in your Member Portal under the Member Toolkit tab.
If there is not yet a group or chapter in your area, you may explore any of the following options: 1) elect to be notified when a group forms; 2) identify a Class Coordinator, start a new group, and recruit additional members; or 3) volunteer as an Individual Member. For those interested in becoming a Chapter Founder, our Volunteer Services Manager is available to assist you in getting started!

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

RENEWALS

LION'S HEART - TEEN VOLUNTEERS AND LEADERS SHOP AND T-SHIRTS

PROGRAMS AND NONPROFITS

AWARDS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Have additional questions?

Reach us M-Th 9am-4pm (PST) by calling 800.894.8877 or send us message on our Live Chat feature here on our website.

Contact Us

Business Hours

  • Monday-Thursday: 9am to 4pm
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed

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