Welcome to class three in the Better Impact Academy!
Join us for class 3 in the Better Impact Academy series to learn about how you can create roles that represent the jobs volunteers undertake and how they can be assigned to those roles.
Below is a video and some frequently asked questions to set you on your way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I use for my activities?
Create Activities that represent the roles and tasks volunteers can sign up to work. They can be active roles with recurring schedule patterns, one off training events, or interview slots.
What’s the difference between Scheduled and Unscheduled activities?
Scheduled Activities are those that occur at scheduled, pre-determined times represented by shifts. Unscheduled activities are those where volunteers can contribute hours at any time of their choosing.
What does the ‘auto log hours’ setting mean?
If the auto log hours setting is enabled for an activity, the software will automatically log the length of the shift to the volunteer profile(s) assigned to the shift. This feature is not available for unscheduled activities.
What do I need to enter in the pre and post assigned description boxes?
Consider adding information such as a volunteer role description, or practical considerations, i.e. what volunteers need to bring with them on the day they work
Some organizations like to use the post-assigned description to provide volunteers with more sensitive information that should not be visible to all volunteers, but only to those assigned to the activity. For example, a contact phone number or address.
What does Self Scheduling mean?
This setting, if enabled, allows volunteers to be automatically assigned to the activity or shift they signed up to, providing they meet the requirements set by you, such as having the correct status and qualifications. It saves you time having to manually review sign-ups.
We have roles where I require no more than a specific number of volunteers each shift – what can I do here?
Use the auto-lock settings area within the visibility and automation tab to set minimum and maximum numbers for each shift. Once the maximum has been reached, the shift will lock to other volunteers.
What are Feedback Fields?
These are fields that volunteers can complete when they manually input their hours. It allows you to capture information that helps form a picture of the work volunteers do. Please note that if you require feedback field data, then these fields will not be completed if the system auto logs volunteer hours.
When I go to assign a volunteer, I am able to assign them to activities they are not qualified for – why?
The rules you set to each activity only affect what volunteers can see and do. As an admin, you can assign a volunteer to any activity, regardless of status or the qualifications.
When I assign a volunteer to an activity, do they get a notification?
No. You will want to inform the volunteer about the action you’ve taken. Once they log in, they can view their own schedule and sign up for schedule e-mail reminders if required.
I have 6 volunteers who are do the same job, do I need to create 6 different activities all with a different schedule?
No, we recommend creating one activity for each volunteer role/ job that you have. Within this activity you can create a schedule that covers the shifts for all 6 of these volunteers and afterwards assign them to their “regular” shift. This method ensures that all hours for this volunteer job are being recorded in the same place resulting in easier reporting down the road.