Volunteer Status Options
- Nov 4, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 19
Updated 1/19/2026
Your volunteer status is used to set annual expectations, recognize milestones in a volunteer’s service and monitor an individual’s volunteer history.
Review the Master Gardener Volunteer Manual for details about policies and procedures affecting volunteers in the Extension State Program. Scroll down to learn more about each status.bout each statu.bout each stat.bout each stati.bout each statis.bout each stati.bout each stat.bout each sta.bout each st.bout each s.bout each .bout each.bout eac.bout ea.bout e.bout .bout.bou.bo.b..
Active Statuses | Inactive Statuses |
Volunteers in one of active statuses participate in volunteer activities and accrue years/hours of service.
| Volunteers in an inactive status do NOT participate in volunteer activities and do NOT accrue years/hours of service.
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Active
Active volunteers are those members who completed the internship and return annually to serve as a volunteer in the program. Active volunteers annually fulfill and record at least of 25 volunteer service hours and 5 continuing education hours before December 31. Active volunteer who do not fulfill the minimum requirements are automatically changed to an Temporary Inactive status at the start of the following year.
Volunteers in Active status:
Has successfully completed his or her internship.
Is eligible for volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program.
May attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
Has access to all program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, education, events, etc.
Must complete a background check and the safety of minors training every three years.
May serve in local county leadership capacity.
May apply to and serve on the State Advisory Board.
Time spent in an Active status will count toward both the Years of Service awards and Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Emeritus (Emerita) Active
Emeritus status recognizes a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the program in the past, but now chooses to permanently limit his or her participation in the future. Once taking on Emeritus status, a volunteer is no longer eligible for awards recognizing hours volunteered or years of service. There are two Emeritus status options, including Emeritus Active and Emeritus Retired.
A volunteer seeking an Emeritus status
Must have accrued 10 or more years as a volunteer (any combination of Intern, Active, and Emeritus Active) ORÂ
Must have reported 1,000 or more volunteer service hours as confirmed by the state database AND
Must be in good standing with the program
Emeritus Active volunteers commit to volunteering and reporting at least one (1) hour of volunteer service and five (5) hours of continuing education per year. Emeritus Active volunteers are encouraged to report all hours, even if the number of volunteer and continuing education hours exceed the 1 and 5 year requirements.
Volunteers in Emeritus Active status:
Remain an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer or a member of the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Have access to all program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, education, events, etc.
Are eligible for all volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program.
Must complete a background check and the safety of minors training every three years.
May attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
Time spent in an Emeritus Active status will count toward both the Years of Service awards and Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Emeritus (Emerita) Retired
Emeritus status recognizes a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the program in the past, but now chooses to permanently limit his or her participation in the future. Once taking on Emeritus status, a volunteer is no longer eligible for awards recognizing hours volunteered or years of service. There are two Emeritus status options, including Emeritus Active and Emeritus Retired.
A volunteer seeking an Emeritus status
Must have accrued 10 or more years as a volunteer (any combination of Intern, Active, and Emeritus Active) ORÂ
Must have reported 1,000 or more volunteer service hours as confirmed by the state database AND
Must be in good standing with the program
Emeritus Retired volunteers do NOT volunteer in any capacity, including plant sales, horticulture days, etc. Volunteers with Emeritus Retired status are considered "inactive." They maintain a social connection with the program.
Volunteers in Emeritus Retired status:
Remain an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer or a part of the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Do NOT have access to program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, etc.
Are NOT eligible for any volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program.
Do NOT report volunteer service or continuing education hours.
Are NOT required to complete a background check or the safety of minors training
Do NOT attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
May attend local social gatherings, including awards banquets and holiday parties
Time spent in an Emeritus/Emerita Retired status do NOT count toward either the Years of Service awards and Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Intern
Interns are new volunteers to the program. They are considered to be volunteers-in-training and their primary goal is to complete completing the internship requirements of core course and at least 50 volunteer service hours before December 31. Interns who fulfill the minimum requirements are automatically changed to an Active status in the year following their internship.
Volunteers in Intern status:
Are eligible for most volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program. It is suggested that the intern volunteer with the guidance of active volunteers during his or her internship.
Are encouraged to attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
May serve in local county leadership capacity if interested.
Has access to all program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, education, events, etc.
Are NOT eligible to serve on the State Advisory Board.
Time spent in an Intern status will count toward both the Years of Service awards and Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence is a sabbatical-like status and is designed for active and emeritus-active volunteers in good standing to take a voluntary 12-month leave from the program for personal reasons. Leave of Absence status may be requested by the volunteer at any time of the year. The request should be directed to the local coordinator.
It is the volunteer’s responsibility to stay in contact with his or her local coordinator about his or her intentions to return to active status after 12 months. Leave of Absence status CANNOT be granted two consecutive years without the special approval of the local coordinator.
A volunteer who adopts Leave of Absence status:
Remains an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer or a member of the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Have access to all program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, education, events, etc.
May report volunteer service or continuing education hours.
May attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
Are NOT required to complete a background check or the safety of minors training while on leave. (When returning to the program, the volunteer has 60 days to view the training and complete a background check if the check and training elapsed in the year prior.)
Time spent in an Leave of Absence status count toward the Years of Service awards but NOT do NOT counts towards Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Leave of Absence should not be confused with the Temporary Leave status, which involves an alleged volunteer disciplinary issue.
Permanently Inactive
Permanently Inactive status is used to defined an individual who has voluntarily or involuntarily left the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program. He/she is no longer volunteering on behalf of the program and may not present himself/herself as a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer.
Permanently Inactive volunteers:
Do NOT remain an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer or a member of the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Do NOT have access to program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, etc.
Are NOT eligible for any volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program.
Does NOT report volunteer service or continuing education hours.
Are NOT required to complete a background check or the safety of minors training
Are NOT eligible to serve in local county leadership capacity
Are NOT eligible to serve on the State Advisory Board.
Do NOT attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
Do NOT attend local social gatherings, including awards banquets and holiday parties
Volunteers who leave the program after being Permanently Inactive may return and become reinstated as Active volunteers in the in Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program.
Returning Volunteers
To return to the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program, people who have previously been party of the Minnesota program must do the following:
Complete the new member application between August and October and be accepted into the local program including successfully clearing the volunteer background check and completing the safety of minors training required by the University of Minnesota.
Purchase the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener materials.
Complete the Core Course Quiz Series online and pass with at least 80%. Failure to pass the quizzes will require that the volunteer take the Core Class again.
Pay a $100 reinstatement fee online.
Once an individual completes the above requirements, he or she may assume the title, benefits and responsibilities of an active University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer.
Temporary Leave
Temporary Leave status is used infrequently to address a situation where it is in the best interest of the volunteer and the program that a volunteer be temporarily removed from the program. The Temporary Leave status is determined by the local county leader and the state staff. This is a probationary status.
Resolution of the situation in question will determine conditions associated with reinstatement if it is granted. In situations that have very serious and/or legal implications, the Temporary Leave status will be implemented immediately. This removes the volunteer from the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program until the matter is resolved.
Volunteers in a Temporary Leave status:
Do remain an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer or a member of the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Do NOT have access to program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, etc.
Are NOT eligible for any volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program.
Does NOT report volunteer service or continuing education hours.
Are NOT required to complete a background check or the safety of minors training
Do NOT attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
Time spent in a Temporary Inactive status do NOT count toward either the Years of Service awards and Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Temporary Inactive
The Temporary Inactive identified a volunteer who has not reported the minimum required volunteer hours for the previous calendar year. In the current year is still considered a volunteer who is active in the program. This change is automatic. This is a probationary status.
To return to Active status, the volunteer must fulfill and report the minimum 25 volunteer service and 5 continuing education hours within the next calendar year or become Permanently Inactive and give up their certification.
Volunteers with Temporary Inactive status:
Have access to all program and Extension resources, staff, websites, listservs, education, events, etc.
Are eligible for all volunteer activities in the local county program and offered by the state program.
Are encouraged to attend monthly meetings, continuing education classes, and conferences
Are required to complete a background check and the safety of minors training every three years.
May serve in local county leadership capacity.
May apply to and serve on the State Advisory Board.
Time spent in a Temporary Inactive status do NOT count toward either the Years of Service awards and Lifetime Service Hours awards.
Transfer
Any Active, Emeritus or Temporarily Inactive volunteers who move to a new Minnesota county and would like to be a part of the program in their new location must:
Apply to and be accepted into their new local program including successfully clearing the volunteer background check and completing the safety of minors training required by the University of Minnesota.
Request that a letter from their original local program be sent to the coordinator or leader of the new local county program. The letter should include the following:
Confirmation that the individual has been an active Master Gardener in good standing to-date.
The year the individual completed his or her internship.
Total years in the former program.
Any additional information about the individual’s volunteer history such as special certifications, leadership positions, etc.
Volunteers may also transfer to other states, join multiple state or county programs, or enroll in the Volunteer-at-Large program in Minnesota. See the Volunteer Manual for details.