Introduction

Configio Volunteer Management can enable you to skillfully attract and manage Volunteers. Volunteers can register (and stay informed) for jobs via the Shopping Cart. The Checkout process can be skipped if there is no cost. Admins can designate some Volunteers as Leaders, and Volunteers can cancel themselves (if they can't make it) or be removed by Admins (if you don't want their help).  

Volunteers can earn discounts for their service, and if they quit or get fired, they lose that discount.

Getting Started

There are many configurations available to personalize your instance of the Volunteer Management System. Login to the Admin, navigate to Settings -> Configuration, and search for "Volunteer".


As you can see, almost all of the configurations are for the Shopping Cart, which is the front end of our system. Many of the configurations are for the privacy of Volunteer data in regards to other Volunteers and Leaders. While their level of privacy is your determination, as always please give us a call and we will work through it with you.

Some of the other configurations are for how the Volunteer Jobs are displayed. You may change the term "Volunteer Jobs" to whatever best suits your needs. And as Volunteer Jobs are often free (naturally), there are also several configurations related to that.

There is also a System List that you should create List Items for, if you are going to use it. It is called "Volunteer Job Types". Once populated, those items can be assigned to Volunteer Products, and then used as a Search Control on the Volunteer Jobs page to help match Volunteers with Jobs. See the Product Lists Tab help document for more information.

Creating a Volunteer Job

Creating a Volunteer Job is like creating any other Event. Navigate to Products click on the "Add New Event" button, choose the Type "Event", input a Name, and click the "Create" button.

Fill-out the Main Tab of the newly created Product. Here, I have 50 Volunteer Jobs available, dates and times for the Jobs, and a brief description with an image.


Then, proceed to the Advanced Tab of the Product, where there are some important configurations for a Volunteer Job. Indicate that it is a Volunteer Job. The System will require that you also make it "Single Page Checkout". You can optionally "Bypass checkout steps when free" as well. See the Bypass Checkout help file for more information. Make sure that those are checked, and click "Save".


Tip: Also check "Requires Account" so that your Volunteers can login to the System and get information about their Jobs.

Assign Admins for Notification

Go to the Assignments tab and locate the 'Volunteer Administrator' list item. Then assign the admin User(s) you want to be notified when a volunteer cancels their registration.

Job Types - Overview

My Custom Event has provided two types of Volunteer Jobs: Group and Individual. Group Jobs are designed for members of specific organizations (like the Red Cross). Organizations typically volunteer their services, and then they receive a donation in exchange.

Individual Jobs are for anyone. An example would be Water Station Volunteer. To recruit and reward these Volunteers, you may use a special discount. It can be used by the volunteer, or the Volunteer can use it for another participant on their account (depending upon how you setup the discount). If a Volunteer ends up not participating in the Job, then the Discount can be removed. If they have already used it, this will result in a balance due on their Account. See the Any to Any discount help file for more information.

Job Types - Individual

Individual Jobs are open to anyone for registration. Let's create one.

To begin, login to the Admin, navigate to Products, and click to create a new Event. Start to build it like would you any other Event, and click to "Save".


Go to the Advanced tab. Check that it is Volunteer Job. The System will require that you use Single Page Checkout, and to "Bypass checkout steps when free". This will make the registration process much faster, which should result in more Volunteers.



Once an Event has been marked as a Volunteer Job, a Volunteer Jobs tab is added to the product. Click it to see and manage your Volunteers. You may mark someone as a Job Leader or remove them from the Job. 

Job Types - Group

Group Jobs are designed for organizations, such as the Red Cross. This is done using your database's Organization Mode. Group Jobs can have Leaders who manage the Volunteers, without the need for an Admin Account..

Below is an example of a Group Volunteer Job called "EMS Crew." I created an Event, indicated that it was a Volunteer Job, and created two variations - one for the Fire Department and one for the Red Cross.


Go to the Advanced tab. Check that it as Volunteer Job. Assign the correct Organization to the product. Save.

CRM Integration - Leads and Organizations

In my Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), I already had two Leads built, the Red Cross and the Fire Department, and I had already indicated that those Leads are Organizations. Below is for the Fire Department.

CRM Integration - Coordinators and Contacts

And under those Organizations, I had already inputted some Contacts, and I had already granted Coordinator Access to those Contacts. Below is for the Battalion Commander.

Group Jobs - Volunteer Tab

I then returned to the Products section of the Admin, found the EMS Crew job, chose the Fire Department variation, and clicked on the Volunteer Jobs tab. The Coordinators in the Fire Department's Organization are now listed as Coordinators for the Volunteer Job. I mark a Coordinator a the Group Leader for the Job. Be sure to click "Save" when you are done.

Granting Access via a Link

Because I only want people from the Fire Department or the Red Cross to volunteer to the EMS Crew job, I also marked the Volunteer Job as "Hide from cart" on the advanced tab and will grant access via the Access tab.

Then on the Access tab I created an Access Link. You can also grant access to Accounts or by Email Domain. See the Access help file for more information.


See your Volunteer's perspective in the Volunteer's Experience help file.