Volunteer Management

In the fifth step of the Members setup, you can activate Volunteer Management. This allows you to manage assignments, shifts, and track volunteer hours.

Overview

Volunteer management includes:

Volunteer Profiles

Capture additional data for volunteers.

Opportunities

Create opportunities for volunteers.

Shifts

Assign volunteers to shifts.

Hours Tracking

Record and approve completed hours.

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What You See in Setup

The volunteer step shows you:

1. Title: “Volunteer Management”

2. Description: “Activate management for volunteers and helpers.”

3. Info Box: “Manage volunteer assignments, shifts, and track hours with approval workflow.”

4. Note: “Cloud Functions for email notifications can be configured in the Setup Wizard.”

5. Toggle switches for each option

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Volunteer Options in Detail

Volunteer Management

Activate Volunteer Management

Enables all volunteer features

Property	Value
Default	Disabled
Effect	Unlocks all volunteer features
Requirement	Firestore rules for volunteers

What gets activated?

• Volunteer dashboard for users
• Volunteer management in admin area
• Additional Firestore collections

When to activate?

• Organizations with volunteers: Organize helpers for events
• Social institutions: Coordinate volunteers
• Events: Assign helpers for events

Main Switch

This is the main switch for all volunteer features. The other options are only available when this is activated.

Opportunities

Opportunities

Create opportunities for volunteers

Property	Value
Default	Disabled
Effect	Admins can create assignments
Display	List of available assignments

What are opportunities?

Opportunities are tasks or events for which volunteers are needed.

Example	Description
Help at festival	Helpers wanted for summer festival
Support training	Assistance for youth training
Set up event	Setup helpers for event
Driving service	Drivers for away games

Opportunity Details

Each opportunity contains:

• Title and description
• Date and time
• Location
• Number of volunteers needed
• Requirements (optional)

For Events

Opportunities are particularly suitable for one-time events with multiple helpers.

Self Sign-up

Self Sign-up (Self-Scheduling)

Volunteers can sign up for shifts themselves

Property	Value
Default	Disabled
Effect	Volunteers sign up themselves
Alternative	Only admins assign

Benefits of Self Sign-up

• Less admin effort: Volunteers organize themselves
• More flexibility: Quick response to requests
• Motivation: Volunteers choose their own assignments

Process with Self Sign-up

1. Admin creates an opportunity
2. Volunteers see assignments in the app
3. Volunteer signs up themselves
4. System updates available spots
5. If needed: Admin approves the sign-up

Process without Self Sign-up

1. Admin creates an opportunity
2. Admin manually assigns volunteers
3. Volunteers are notified

Recommendation

Activate self sign-up to reduce administrative effort. You can still set individual assignments to “manual assignment only”.

Hours Tracking

Hours Tracking

Track volunteer hours

Property	Value
Default	Disabled
Effect	Completed hours are recorded
Overview	Dashboard shows total hours

Benefits of Hours Tracking

• Recognition: Visible appreciation for engagement
• Documentation: Proof for grants or insurance
• Statistics: Overview of volunteer engagement
• Motivation: Gamification through hour counter

How are hours recorded?

Method	Description
Automatic	Based on shifts (start to end time)
Manual	Volunteers enter hours themselves

Entering Hours (for volunteers)

1. Open “Enter Hours” in volunteer dashboard
2. Select the date
3. Enter number of hours (e.g. 2.5)
4. Briefly describe the activity
5. Tap “Submit Hours”

For Documentation

With hours tracking, you can create documentation for insurance or grants.

Approval

Hours Approval

Hours must be approved by admins

Property	Value
Default	Disabled
Effect	Submitted hours are reviewed
Workflow	Submit → Review → Approve/Reject

When to activate?

• Proof requirement: When hours must be officially documented
• Grants: When hours are relevant for grants
• Quality control: To avoid unrealistic entries

When to deactivate?

• Trust basis: When volunteers are trustworthy
• Less effort: Without approval step
• Quick recording: Hours are credited immediately

Approval Workflow

1. Volunteer submits hours
2. Status: “Open”
3. Admin reviews in Admin Area → Approve Hours
4. Admin approves or rejects (with reason)
5. Volunteer is notified
6. Approved hours are credited

Hour Status

Status	Meaning
Open	Submitted, waiting for review
Approved	Confirmed by admin, credited
Rejected	Rejected by admin, not credited

Recommendation

Activate approval when hours are used for official purposes (grants, documentation).

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Summary of Options

Option	Description	Default
Volunteer Management	Enables all volunteer features	Off
Opportunities	Create opportunities for volunteers	Off
Self Sign-up	Volunteers can sign up for shifts themselves	Off
Hours Tracking	Track volunteer hours	Off
Hours Approval	Hours must be approved by admins	Off

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Volunteer Dashboard

When volunteer management is activated, users have access to a Volunteer Dashboard:

Dashboard Elements

Element	Description
My Profile	Volunteer status and information
Total Hours	Cumulative approved hours
This Month	Hours in current month
Next Shifts	Upcoming assignments
Quick Actions	Find assignments, enter hours

Routes for Navigation

Route	Description
Members Directory	Overview of all members
Volunteer Dashboard	Own volunteer profile and statistics
Opportunities	Available volunteer assignments
My Shifts	Own planned and past shifts
Enter Hours	Record volunteer hours

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Email Notifications (optional)

In the Members Editor, email notifications can be configured:

Option	Description
Reminder Emails	Send reminder before shift start
Thank You Emails	Send thanks after completed shift

Cloud Functions Required

Cloud Functions are required for email notifications. These can be configured in the Email Setup Wizard.

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Admin Area for Volunteers

The following functions are available in the admin area:

Manage Volunteers

Function	Description
Search Volunteers	Search list of all volunteers
Statistics	Total hours, active volunteers
View Profiles	Details on individual volunteers

Manage Assignments

Function	Description
Create Assignment	Create new opportunity
Edit Assignments	Change details, assign volunteers
Delete Assignment	Remove completed assignments

Manage Shifts

Function	Description
View Shifts	All shifts overview
Change Status	Scheduled, Checked-in, Completed
Assignments	Manually assign volunteers

Approve Hours

Function	Description
Open Hours	Review submitted hours
Approve	Confirm hours
Reject	Reject hours with reason
Processed Hours	History of approved/rejected hours

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Firestore Collections

Volunteer management uses the following Firestore collections:

Collection	Description
volunteers	Volunteer profiles
volunteer_opportunities	Opportunities
volunteer_shifts	Shift assignments
volunteer_hours	Completed hours

Firestore Rules

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Tips

Start Without Complexity

Initially activate only volunteer management and opportunities. You can add hours tracking and approval later.

Use Self Sign-up

Self sign-up significantly reduces administrative effort. Volunteers organize themselves.

Approval for Grants

If volunteer hours are needed for grants or official documentation, activate hours approval.

Emails for Engagement

Reminder and thank you emails increase volunteer engagement. Use them to show appreciation.

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Next Steps

Back to Overview Members Module Setup Overview