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Owls for Philly

Volunteering: A Temple Tradition Since 1884 

Temple University’s Owls for Philly program provides meaningful opportunities for its faculty, staff, students and alumni to engage with its North Philadelphia neighbors and community through volunteerism.  

Volunteer service helps 

  • provide valuable human resources to help achieve community goals;

  • build long-lasting relationships between organizations, educators, professional staff and students; 

  • create opportunities for more collaborations; and

  • gain fresh energy and ideas for the organization.

Volunteer Opportunities

Temple faculty, staff, students and alumni can log into TUportal for details about volunteer opportunities and information about how to register. You can also read responses to frequently asked questions.

Volunteering has been a part of Temple since the beginning, starting with founder Russell Conwell, who believed impact starts right where we are—our own backyard. Conwell tutored working adults in the basement of the North Philly church where he held classes run by volunteer teachers. Since then, the Temple community has remained dedicated to the communities around us. 

  • North Philadelphia is home: For 140+ years, Temple has served in partnership with the neighborhoods around it.

  • Legacy of showing up: Students, staff and faculty support the community through K–12 collaborations, clinics, Good Neighbor initiatives and much more.

  • Modern programs, same spirit: Partnerships such as Community Gateway, formal volunteer pathways and civic engagement initiatives provide services and resources to the community.

  • Institutional commitment: Temple actively engages in Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and other activities throughout the year. The university recently established a new policy that provides employees paid time for volunteering in the community.  

Temple On Board: Foundations of Community Board Service 

At Temple University, we believe that leadership extends beyond our classrooms, laboratories, and offices. It reaches into the neighborhoods and communities we serve. In that spirit, we are pleased to announce Temple On Board: Foundations of Community Board Service, a new university-wide professional development program that prepares Temple faculty, staff, and graduate and professional students to serve effectively on community, nonprofit, and advisory boards.  

Nonprofit boards are powerful levers of change, shaping the direction of the organizations that strengthen civic life. Yet many lack the insight and innovation needed to reflect and respond to the communities they represent. Temple On Board addresses this challenge directly by cultivating a new generation of inclusive, impact-driven leaders rooted in Philadelphia and powered by Temple’s public mission. 

Applications are open now and due by Friday, December 19, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. There is no cost to participate. For additional information, contact the Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement at . 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find volunteer opportunities as a Temple faculty member, staff member, student or alum?

There is a new system integrated into TUportal that is designed to lower barriers to engagement, cultivate a pipeline of volunteer opportunities, and match those opportunities to volunteers who can help our neighbors and community achieve their goals. You will be able to browse and register for volunteer opportunities in TUportal.

We encourage Temple faculty, staff, students and alumni to review available opportunities on a regular basis on TUportal and offer your talent and time to make an impact in North Philadelphia. 

How do I post a volunteer opportunity?

Volunteer opportunities and events will be added to new or existing entries in the community engagement application. Anyone who has access to TUportal can enter activities in the application. It will then be approved through the school/college/unit community collaborator approver and posted. A full list of approvers is available in the application for review.  

Once approved, please email  and indicate that you would like this event to be included in the Owls for Philly volunteer program. Please provide all the required information including the date, time, location, description of the opportunity, the populations you would like to have volunteer (faculty, staff, students and/or alumni) and how many volunteers you need. If there are children under 18 present at your event without their parents, be sure to indicate this on the form so that only those individuals with minor clearances can apply. Once all relevant information is entered, submit your opportunity. A Community Gateway team member will review and approve and then post the opportunity which will then be visible on the TUportal homepage under upcoming events.

The system will generate a list of volunteers, allow you to easily communicate and send reminders, allow individuals to cancel their involvement up to 48 hours in advance, and will allow for a waitlist so that it is easy to fulfill your obligations to your community partner. Because the system is through single sign on, all relevant data about your volunteers will be available, including faculty and staff with minor clearances for events requiring it. Registering through the system will also provide the unit and the university with detailed data that can be used for reporting volunteer activities and hours.

How can an organization outside of Temple become a volunteer site?

The Owls for Philly program was initially shared with over 80+ community-based organizations in North Philadelphia that have established relationships with various units across the university and where volunteers may have been requested previously.  

A key element of a successful community partnership includes

  • reciprocity,

  • continual and transparent communication,

  • feedback throughout the process,  

  • reflection, and

  • sustained involvement.

Once an organization indicates that they would like volunteers for an activity, the opportunity will be vetted and then a Community Gateway team member will enter the details for that activity into the community engagement application. If an organization is working with a specific unit at the university, that unit can enter the information.  

Over time, additional organizations will be added.  

How can I find more information about the Employee Civic Engagement Benefit Time policy?

The university has established civic engagement hours for employees to use for volunteer activities in the community. Annually, nonfaculty employees may use up to eight (8) hours of paid civic engagement time to volunteer for work within our community through the Owls for Philly program.

Find more information about the policy and eligibility requirements. 

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Temple University faculty, staff, students and alumni are committed to partnering with community organizations and neighbors to build relationships and service opportunities. Volunteer programs include mentoring local Philadelphia students, beautifying neighborhoods, summer camps and more.