Recruitment
Volunteer signup forms
Share signup forms on social media, include them in emails. Make it easy for people to raise their hand.
Capture availability
When someone signs up, ask about their availability. Weekends? Evenings? Specific dates? Collect the information you need to actually schedule them.
Skills and interests
Some volunteers want to knock on doors. Others want to make phone calls. Others want to do data entry. Know who wants to do what.
Scheduling
Shift management
Create shifts with specific times, locations, and tasks. “Canvassing in Ward 11, Saturday 2-4pm, need 8 people.”
Self-service signup
Volunteers claim their own shifts through your website or email links. Less phone tag, more autonomy.
Capacity limits
Set how many people you need for each shift. Show volunteers where you have gaps, where you’re full.
Waitlists
Shift full? Volunteers can join a waitlist. If someone cancels, the next person is notified.
Communication
Shift reminders
Automated reminders before each shift. Email, SMS, or both. “Don’t forget, you’re canvassing tomorrow at 2pm.”
Day-of coordination
Last-minute updates, location changes, weather cancellations. Reach everyone signed up for a shift quickly.
Thank you messages
Automatic thank-yous after shifts. Recognition keeps volunteers coming back.
Tracking
Attendance tracking
Check in volunteers when they arrive. Know who showed up, who flaked, who’s reliable.
Hours tracking
Track volunteer hours automatically. Useful for recognition, reporting, and understanding capacity.
History
See every volunteer’s full history. Shifts worked, hours contributed, events attended. All in their profile.
Recognition
Leaderboards
Friendly competition can motivate. Show top volunteers by hours, shifts, or other metrics.
Milestone acknowledgment
Automated recognition for milestones. “Thanks for your 10th shift!” Personal touches that scale.
Volunteer appreciation events
Track who should be invited to thank-you events based on their contribution.
Team management
Volunteer leaders
Designate shift leads and team captains. Give them tools to manage their people.
Permissions
Control who can see what. Volunteer coordinators need different access than regular volunteers.
Communication channels
Segment communication by role. Canvass team gets canvass updates, phone team gets phone updates.
Integration
Connected to people
Volunteer activity appears in supporter profiles. See the full picture of someone’s engagement.
Event integration
Volunteer shifts for events are connected to event management. One system, not two.
Reporting
Export volunteer data for reports, recognition, or compliance requirements.
Getting started
- Create volunteer signup forms — Put them everywhere
- Set up your first shifts — Start with what you need
- Invite your existing volunteers — Get them in the system
- Enable reminders — Reduce no-shows
- Track and thank — Build a volunteer culture that lasts
Volunteers are people, not resources. Treat them well and they’ll move mountains for you.