Template · Operations
Kickoff call agenda for skilled help
A 30-minute agenda for the first working call with a volunteer expert or another charity, so you leave with a shared goal, a written scope and next steps.
The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice. Reviewed October 21, 2026.
A kickoff call is the first working conversation with a volunteer expert or a charity that's helping you. Thirty minutes is usually enough. A short agenda keeps it on track and means you finish with the things that make help actually land: a shared goal, a clear "done when", and agreed next steps.
Use it with our guide on working with a volunteer expert, and write up what you agree in our scope of work template. Golden Hint's community guidelines ask both sides of an exchange to agree the scope and timing before work starts, and to treat what's shared in an exchange as confidential.
How to adapt it
- Send the agenda, and anything the expert should look at, a day ahead. Leave out anything private they don't need.
- Give each section a rough time, and let one person keep an eye on the clock.
- If the call runs out of time, agree the goal and the next call first. The rest can follow by message.
- For a one-hour advice call, use the same agenda but spend more of the time on the expert's questions.
Preview
Kickoff call agenda
Project: [SHORT NAME FOR THE WORK]
Date and time: [DATE, TIME, TIME ZONE]
On the call: [NAMES AND ROLES]
Notes taken by: [NAME]
1. Introductions (3 minutes)
- Who we are, and who will be the main contact on each side.
2. The problem and the goal (10 minutes)
- What's happening, in our words.
- The expert's questions.
- The goal, in one or two sentences: [GOAL]
3. What "done" looks like (5 minutes)
- This is done when: [ONE SENTENCE]
- Not included: [ANYTHING NEARBY THAT ISN'T PART OF THIS]
4. How we'll work (5 minutes)
- How we'll stay in touch: [MESSAGES IN THE EXCHANGE / EMAIL / CALLS]
- How quickly each side will usually reply: [FOR EXAMPLE, WITHIN TWO WORKING DAYS]
- What we'll have ready, and by when: [FILES, ACCESS, ANSWERS]
- Who decides, and whether the board must approve the result: [NAME OR "THE BOARD, AT ITS MEETING ON DATE"]
5. Timeline and next steps (5 minutes)
| Next step | Who | By when |
|---|---|---|
| [STEP] | [NAME] | [DATE] |
| Send the written scope | [NAME] | [TODAY] |
6. Anything else (2 minutes)
- Anything confidential, or anything we shouldn't share.
- Questions either side still has.
Keep going
- GuideAsking for skilled help: scope a request an expert can finishTurn a big, vague need into a small piece of work with a clear finish line, so a volunteer expert can say yes, do it well and hand it back.
- GuideInsurance basics for small charitiesThe main types of insurance a small charity may need, from general liability and D&O to volunteer accident and cyber, and how to shop for them.
- GuideLogistics for small charities: donated goods, storage and food safetyManaging donated goods, storage, transport and simple inventory, plus food safety basics and the Good Samaritan food donation law.
- Founder pathwayRunning day-to-day operationsOpen a bank account, keep simple books, get insured, treat volunteers and workers fairly, protect people's data and adopt the core policies.
Sources
Checked on October 21, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links for the current version.
Was this page useful?
Need help with something specific? Ask a person.