Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
RAOGK is a global volunteer organization. At one time there were thousands of volunteers in every U.S. state and many international locations, and helped thousands of researchers.
Is this your first visit to Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness? We want your visit to be a successful one. Our staff has put together a list of Guidlines for making requests for you to view and read before making any requests.
The purpose of this site is to help others obtain copies of documents, pictures of tombstones, etc., that can not be obtained easily by those who do not live in the area of their ancestors.
Our volunteers have agreed to do a free genealogy research task at least once per month in their local area as an act of kindness. While the volunteers of Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) have agreed to donate their time for free, you MUST PAY the volunteer for his/her expenses in fulfilling your request (copies, printing fees, postage, film or video tape, parking fees, etc.) if they ask for it.
Our volunteers take time to do everything from looking up courthouse records to taking pictures of tombstones. All they ask in return is reimbursement for their expenses (never their time) and a thank you.
If you would like to volunteer, ideally, you should reside in the area for which you volunteer. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions for Volunteers before doing so.
We also provide U.S., State by State and County by County Research guides. In these you will find resources and information that can be found. Most will inform you of what type of records can by found in each area, dates of availability and addresses, links and contact info to those records.
It’s all about Volunteering
FAQ – Guidelines for Requesting a lookup from a Volunteers
Looking for a RAOGK volunteer? Please read the FAQs in this section before you decide to make a Request from a RAOGK volunteer
Then go to the Volunteer Directory and locate someone in your area to do a lookup. Be sure to Rate your Volunteer to tell them and others how they did!
Please do not send your requests for lookups to the site coordinator, or the site’s hosting service. Requests sent to either one will not be answered.
The site is free to use. However, you WILL be expected to reimburse expenses incurred such as: film, video, postage, copies, and/or printing fees. In some areas you will also be expected to pick up parking fees. You are NOT to be charged time. If you feel you have been unfairly charged, please contact us and we will look into the situation.
Locate a volunteer in the area where information is needed. Read their Act of Kindness. Please only select a volunteer who has stated they will do the research you need in that area. Please do NOT request lookups/information if you live within travelling distance (up to 50 miles) from the city/area where you’ve made your request. In some instances and in some areas, the volunteer you’ve requested information from may even live further away than you do. When you have made your selection, click on the volunteer’s name. Fill in the form, making sure you have entered your e-mail address correctly. Click the submit button. If you have filled your e-mail address in correctly, you should receive a blind carbon copy of your request for your own records.
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