Local opinion: Asking about safeguarding ends a volunteer role

The fastest way to learn whether an organization has safeguarding policies is to ask about them.

This year, while volunteering with the Tucson chapter of a national climate advocacy organization, I notified national leadership that I planned to raise a governance question about volunteer boundaries and youth participation. Their reply: My volunteer membership was terminated, and I was instructed not to contact volunteers or leadership further.

The question I planned to ask was simple:

Who is the designated safeguarding officer responsible for receiving and responding to concerns about volunteer boundaries and youth safety, and if that role does not currently exist, what is the organization’s plan to establish one?

The question itself was never addressed.

This experience highlights a broader issue that extends beyond any single organization. Many nonprofit advocacy groups encourage students and young people to participate in civic work, but lack clear safeguarding policies to protect those participants.

Tucson’s climate movement relies heavily on volunteers, student activists, and youth leaders. Youth climate organizers frequently collaborate with adult-led nonprofit organizations on advocacy campaigns, policy proposals, and community events. These collaborations can be powerful opportunities for mentorship and civic engagement.

But they also require clear boundaries and reporting structures.

Without defined safeguarding policies, volunteer organizations often rely on informal leadership networks and personal relationships to handle concerns. When issues arise, they can be treated as interpersonal conflicts rather than governance questions.

That approach leaves volunteers, especially vulnerable participants, with little clarity about where to turn if something goes wrong.

Safeguarding policies are not about assuming misconduct. They are about ensuring that organizations have transparent systems in place to handle concerns responsibly.

Basic safeguards are common in many institutions that work with young people. They typically include a designated safeguarding or ethics officer, clear reporting channels for volunteers and participants, written policies addressing boundaries between leaders and volunteers, and protections for individuals who raise concerns in good faith.

These structures protect both participants and the organizations themselves.

Tucson’s climate movement has accomplished important work in recent years, from advancing local climate policy discussions to mobilizing community engagement around sustainability. But the strength of those efforts depends on the safety and trust of the people who participate.

When volunteers ask about safeguarding, the answer should not be silence.

If nonprofit organizations want young leaders to participate in civic life, they also need to ensure that the spaces they enter are transparent, accountable, and safe.