Dollar Scholars Foundation

Become a Volunteer Instructor

Our volunteer instructors are part of the core mission of Dollar Scholars. By bringing your knowledge directly to classrooms and community centers, you empower adults and young people with the financial literacy they need to make confident, informed decisions. We are currently looking for volunteer instructors in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. Though we hope to extend our programs to other areas, there are no immediate plans to do so.


Instructor Requirements:


  1. Background: A strong foundational understanding of personal finance, economics, or education. (Undergraduate economics/finance students or professionals are highly encouraged).
  2. Commitment: Availability to teach at least one 4-to-6 week cohort (approx. 2-3 hours per week).
  3. Training: Completion of our mandatory Dollar Scholars curriculum and pedagogy training.
  4. Communication: Strong public speaking skills and the ability to explain complex financial concepts in accessible, everyday language.
  5. Clearance: Must pass a standard volunteer background check.

We provide all the curriculum materials, presentation slides, and logistical support. You provide the energy, expertise, and passion to help your community thrive.

Ready to teach?

Already applied, on this page or the other volunteer page? Don't apply again: sign in and add to your profile.

Apply here. You'll choose a password, so you can sign in later to see your application. Fields marked Optional can be left empty.

About you

You'll use it to sign in to the volunteer portal.

Optional.

Your experience

Up to 2,000 characters, in whichever language you prefer. You can include a link to your LinkedIn profile or website. Please don't include ID numbers, or health or immigration details.

For example, classes or workshops you have taught, tutoring, or work in finance or education. Up to 2,000 characters, in whichever language you prefer.

Languages and time
Languages you speak

Tick at least one, or write yours under Other languages.

Optional.

When could you volunteer?

Tick every time that usually suits you.

Where you are
Where are you based?

Optional.

Your password

At least 8 characters. Avoid common passwords and anything like your name or email.

How Dollar Scholars keeps your volunteer record
What we keep
Your name, email and phone number; what you tell us when you apply and on your profile, such as your experience, the languages you speak, when you are free and where you are based; and, once you volunteer, the time you log, what you did and which class or event.
Why
To consider your application, coordinate volunteering, approve and total your hours, and report on our work as a nonprofit. Nothing else.
Who sees it
You and Dollar Scholars volunteer coordinators. We don't share or sell it.
Your password
We keep only a scrambled form of it that can't be turned back into your password, so nobody at Dollar Scholars can see it.
Emails
We email you to confirm your address, if someone applies again with your address, when you ask for a new password, and every 3 years after you stop volunteering, to remind you that we still keep your record. Each reminder has a link that stops them.
How long
If we don't go ahead with your application, we delete it 180 days after we decide. If we haven't decided within 180 days of your applying, we delete it then. Otherwise we keep your record after you stop volunteering. 3 years after you stop, and every 3 years after that, we email you to remind you, with a button that erases it. When your record is erased, your name and details go, and your hours stay in our totals without your name.
Translating
If you translate the website for us, the translations you review are marked with your volunteer ID, not your name. They keep it after you stop volunteering, even if your record is erased.
Your choices
See and download your record at any time, change your profile, ask a coordinator to correct anything else, or ask us to erase your record (we do it within 30 days). If you can't sign in, write to volunteer@dollarscholars.org to see or erase your record.
Cookies
Signing in stores a cookie, ds_volunteer, that keeps you signed in until you go 30 days without using the portal (14 days for coordinators). Opening a password link stores another, ds_volunteer_link, for up to an hour while you choose your password. The portal also uses csrftoken, which protects its forms, and a short-lived messages cookie that shows confirmations.
Age
Volunteers must be 18 or older.

Version 2026-09-28

Questions? Write to teachers@dollarscholars.org.