Volunteer Tracking Best Practices

Learn best practices for tracking volunteers in DonorSnap.

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Meeting Summary for Volunteer Tracking Best Practices

The trainer discussed the best practices for tracking volunteers using Donor Snap, including adding and managing attributes, fields, and reports. She also demonstrated how to use the platform for communication, time tracking, and managing volunteer applications, while emphasizing the importance of clear labeling and specification of volunteer records. Lastly, she discussed the customizability of DonorSnap and its ability to handle various types of data, including financial transactions.

Tracking Volunteers With Donor Snap

The trainer explained that volunteers can be incorporated into the existing database under community > contacts, with changes made to label and track them as volunteers. She also emphasized the importance of this for reporting and communication purposes, and demonstrated how to add a new contact and label them as a volunteer in the database. The trainer also discussed the search feature to find volunteers, which can be found under community > contacts.

Managing Data and Building Reports

The trainer demonstrated how to manage and search for specific data within a system. She showed how to adjust user settings to display desired fields and conduct a search for ‘volunteers’. She emphasized that the exported data would only reflect the fields visible on the screen. She then demonstrated how to build a report using ‘DataMiner Platinum’, focusing on the ‘Contact’ tab which contains essential information like address, phone number, and email. She explained the query function, which allows for specific data filtering, using the example of volunteers’ attributes.

DataMiner Platinum Tool for Efficient Communications

The trainer discussed the functionality of the DataMiner Platinum tool. She highlighted how it can be used to manage and update volunteer reports, which are then available for various tasks such as sending mass emails or creating mailing labels. The trainer emphasized that once a report is created, it auto-updates as new volunteers are added to the database, making future communications more efficient. She also noted that this tool allows for more targeted communications, as it enables the user to specify who should receive these communications based on their volunteer status.

Volunteer Tracking in Databases Discussion

The trainer discussed the issue of tracking volunteers in a database, particularly when multiple names are associated with a single record. She explained that she often adds volunteer records without specifying the name of the individual, relying on her own memory to keep track of who she has labeled. She noted that this approach is generally acceptable, as long as the individuals being labeled don’t mind sharing a volunteer list. However, the trainer also acknowledged that some organizations may require exact specification of the volunteer’s name for various reasons, emphasizing the need for clear understanding of who is being tracked, which requires alternative tracking methods.

Database Attribute and Field Management

The trainer demonstrated how to add and manage attributes and fields in a database setup. She explained that attributes can be added to the attributes dropdown and they will appear in both attributes 1 and 2 fields. She also showed how to add new fields under the ‘user-defined’ section in the ‘maintenance site setup’. The trainer further demonstrated how to run reports based on specific attributes or fields, using the example of identifying volunteers willing to work a 5K event. She emphasized that any fields added to the database could be used for reporting and querying.

Managing Volunteer and Donor Records

The trainer discussed the process of managing volunteer and donor records. She explained that she initially labels volunteers on a shared record with their donor counterparts, like Polly and Nathan. However, as requirements for specific fields become more unique to each individual, it gets challenging to maintain one combined record. Consequently, The trainer suggested having separate records for each volunteer like Nathan and Polly, which would allow for more detailed information about their specific interests, skills, and availability. This approach would also ensure that communication and requests for support are directed to the correct record, even though it requires additional work to keep the records up-to-date.

Volunteer Tracking and Mass Entry Methods

The trainer discussed the functionality of the volunteer tab, which tracks activity by date. She mentioned that you can use the Mass Entry tool to quickly create volunteer hours records. She also suggested the creation of an online form for volunteers to log their own hours. The trainer clarified that the system does not include check-in and check-out times, but these can be manually calculated using the hour field and Excel. She noted that this method is useful for those who require precise time tracking.

Online Volunteer Application Forms Demonstration

The trainer demonstrated the use of online forms for volunteer applications on her community center website. She explained that these forms, which collect information like name, email, interest, availability, and specific skills, are linked to DonorSnap for data management. The trainer emphasized the importance of adding a ‘read and agree’ checkbox to these forms to ensure potential volunteers have reviewed and understood the terms and conditions. She also clarified the difference between ‘contact’ and ‘volunteer’ forms, stating that the latter should only be used for tracking volunteer hours, not for collecting general contact information.

DonorSnap Demonstration and Customization

The trainer demonstrated how to use DonorSnap for managing volunteer hours and communicating with volunteers. She showed how to add new fields to the volunteer tab, build an online form for volunteers to log their hours, and use the platform for various tasks like sending texts and building forms. She also clarified how to add volunteer interests and explained the process of setting up forms for financial transactions. The trainer emphasized DonorSnap’s customizability and its ability to handle different types of data.