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GDG Brooklyn
Volunteers

Volunteering with GDG Brooklyn

Every event we run is put on by volunteers. Most of the organizing team started by helping at a registration desk once and enjoying it enough to come back.

Sign up to volunteer
What we ask

What we expect from volunteers

Short version: follow the code of conduct, show up when you said you would, and do not speak for Google. The rest is detail.

  • Conduct at events

    Every GDG event runs under Google's Community Guidelines and Anti-Harassment Policy. Volunteers are held to it the same as attendees — and, because you are visibly staff for the day, a bit more visibly.

    • Treat attendees, speakers, and other volunteers with respect
    • Harassment of any kind ends your involvement in the event immediately
    • If someone reports a problem to you, bring it to an organizer rather than handling it alone
    • Know where the organizers are, so you can point people to them

  • Reliability

    This is the single thing we actually need. A volunteer who shows up is worth more than one with a better resume who does not.

    • Arrive at the time you agreed to, or tell us early if you cannot
    • Let us know as far ahead as possible if plans change
    • Finish the shift you took, including teardown if that was the deal

  • Speaking for the chapter

    Volunteers represent GDG Brooklyn on the day, but not Google. This distinction matters more than it sounds — GDG chapters are independent, and Google's terms are explicit that organizers must not speak on its behalf.

    • Do not make statements on behalf of Google or any Google company
    • If you share an opinion about a product, make clear it is your own
    • Refer press or partnership questions to an organizer
    • Do not commit the chapter to anything — venues, sponsors, dates — without an organizer

  • Attendee privacy

    You will have access to attendee names, emails, and sometimes a check-in list. Treat all of it as confidential.

    • Do not copy, keep, or share attendee contact details
    • Do not photograph anyone who has asked not to be photographed
    • Do not post attendee information or photos without checking first
If you join the organizing team

What the GDG program requires of organizers

Becoming a chapter organizer is a bigger commitment than helping at one event, and it comes with a formal agreement with Google. Here is what that agreement covers, in plain language.

These summaries are not the agreement. The binding version lives on the GDG platform and is accepted there when you become an organizer. Google can revise it at any time, so treat the linked documents below as authoritative and this page as orientation.

  • Your relationship with Google

    Organizing is voluntary and unpaid. The terms are explicit that it creates no employment, agency, or partnership relationship with Google.

    • Participation is entirely voluntary
    • No compensation, equity, or employee benefits — and you waive any claim to them
    • Either side can end your participation at any time
    • Being given anything of value does not create an employment relationship

  • Running the chapter

    The program sets concrete activity requirements. Falling below them can mean removal from the program.

    • Run at least one event every 90 days
    • Publish every event on the GDG platform
    • Stay reachable by your Google Regional Lead when they get in touch
    • Collaborating with other groups and companies is encouraged

  • Money

    The program may not be run for profit. Ticket revenue and sponsorship exist to cover the cost of putting events on — venue, food, equipment, speakers — and nothing else.

    • No running the program for profit
    • Charge for tickets or take sponsorship only to cover event operating costs

  • Confidentiality

    Organizers sign a confidentiality agreement with Google. You may be told things ahead of public announcement.

    • Use confidential information only for its intended purpose
    • Do not pass it on outside the program

  • Name, logo, and how you talk about the program

    Use of the GDG name and logo is a permission granted while you are in good standing, not something the chapter owns.

    • Follow the GDG brand and community guidelines
    • Mention your connection to the program when speaking about it publicly
    • Do not misrepresent the program, how it works, or your role in it
    • Do not claim active involvement once you have left
    • Covering non-Google technology is fine; disparaging any company is not

  • Your data

    Information you give Google in connection with the program is handled under Google's Privacy Policy, and some of it becomes public.

    • Google may display information you provide on its websites
    • Google may share your personal information with program partners and vendors
Official documents

Read the actual terms

Everything above is our paraphrase. These are the real documents.

Ready to help at an event?

You do not need to be a senior engineer, and you are not signing up to be an organizer. Most roles need reliability, not expertise — students and career changers especially welcome.

Sign up to volunteer