March 2026 OOT Volunteer Application

Out-of-Town Desert Aid Volunteer Program

Onboarding Month: March 2026

Start Date: March 1st

Application Deadline: November 30th, 2025

About this Application: This application is a first step in getting to know you. Please note that this application involves several short answer questions and will likely take some time to fill out. We receive many applications and can only accept a small number each program. We appreciate your time and effort in answering all of the questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. You may want to review the application and think through your answers before submitting. We look forward to reviewing your application!
Name*

First NameLast Name
Phone Number*

Area CodePhone Number
Email (Please do not use a university or employer email! Gmail is also preferable for the purpose of Google Calendar access)*
example@example.com
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
What organization or individual will be providing your letter of introduction?*
Please provide the phone number and email of an individual who can verify your involvement in the above organization and act as a character reference. This can be the same individual who wrote the letter of introduction.*
Out-of-town volunteers can choose to participate in desert aid anywhere between 2 weeks and 3 months. Please note that despite the date flexibility, this application is for those intending to begin their onboarding on the listed start date listed at the top of this application. Any applicants looking to apply for future onboarding dates should wait for the corresponding application to be uploaded onto our website. Please select all that apply and for the write-in option please list an end date between 2 weeks - 3 months:

Two Weeks (End Date: March 13th)One Month (End Date: March 27th)Three Months (Estimated End Date: May 29th)Other
Reference

We ask for a letter of introduction, preferably from someone in a grassroots organization with which you have worked or in which you have been involved. Examples include activist collectives, nonprofits, advocacy groups, volunteer organizations, and community-service organizations. If you do not have a reference from a grassroots organization, you can use a reference from a current/former employer, co-worker, or professor. Please make sure they complete the recommendation form by the application deadline

The link to the recommendation form can be found ->HERE<-
Background Information
Age*
What pronouns do you use to refer to yourself? *
Example: She, her, hers / they, them, theirs / he, him, his
What is your racial or ethnic identity?*
Do you have any of the following dietary restrictions? We will try our best to accommodate the following dietary needs, but cannot guarantee being able to do so.*

NoneVegetarianVeganGluten freeHalalKosher
Do you have any health conditions, including allergies, that we should know about? Please tell us about them, including any medications you are currently taking.*
Which of the following describe your status in the US? This information is pertinent to legal protections for those volunteering in the desert. Please see our FAQ for more information.*

US CitizenLegal Permanent Resident / Visa recipient / Visa Waiver Program recipient / Temporary Protected Status recipient / Other
Skills/Abilities/Experience
Do you speak Spanish? Please choose the percentage that best indicates how much you can understand and articulate in ordinary situations.*

None: 0%Basic: below 50%Intermediate: 60%Conversational: 80%Completely fluent: 95-100%Native speaker: 100%
What other languages do you speak and how would you rate your proficiency? (I.E. Intermediate French, Conversational Arabic, Basic Quechua, etc.)
Do you have previous camping experience? Hiking experience?*
Desert Aid volunteers will spend time in remote areas with primitive camping conditions. We encourage volunteers to bring their own backpack and hiking supplies for day trips, and sleeping bag and tent for overnights, if possible. If not, please contact our volunteer or logistics coordinators about our gear lending library.
Do you have any medical certifications?*

NoneCPRFirst AidWilderness First AidFirst ResponderWilderness First ResponderEMT/ WEMTParamedicNursing StudentNurseMedical StudentPADoctor
Health Information
While the official COVID-19 public health emergency was declared over in 2023, we are still mindful of the possible vulnerability of the people we serve and the potential impact of COVID and other infectious diseases on their health and that of the other volunteers in the program.

Please review our current COVID protocols and health information.
Do you have any questions or concerns about the Health Information?*
Short-Answer Questions

Please write a couple of sentences to share your answer the following questions with your thoughts and experiences. There are no minimum wording requirements but the more you share with us (in a concise manner) the easier it is for us understand you.
How did you find out about No More Deaths? Do you know anyone involved in the organization? If so, who? *
Do you have any previous experience volunteering with NMD, or experience with any other humanitarian aid work, grassroots organizations, social justice work, or social service work? If not, what draws you towards doing this kind of work? *
Why are you interested in volunteering with No More Deaths?*
What strengths do you have that you think could contribute to No More Deaths? (For example: experience working with maps and GPS, organizational skills, interpersonal skills/conflict resolution, translation skills, experience cooking for large groups, legal background, mechanical skills, carpentry, plumbing.) *
A day of volunteering with Desert Aid often means waking up early to do physical labor until the afternoon and occasionally longer. This can require a lot of emotional and physical energy. In what ways will you prepare for your experience volunteering with us? This might include intellectual, emotional, or physical preparation. *
Please let us know if you have concerns- physical, moral, legal, ideological, etc.- regarding our work. (Also please see the General FAQ on our website.)
Is there anything else about yourself or your background that you would like us to know?
Should our Application Review Team decide to move forward with your application would you be interested in participating in a 30-40 information session with the Volunteer Coordinator?

YesNo
Should be Empty:

Background Information

Skills/Abilities/Experience

Health Information

Short-Answer Questions