Created on 14 Apr 2026

Volunteer management basics

Managing volunteers for your event involves a structured process from recruitment through to shift assignments. This guide walks you through the complete workflow of building and managing your volunteer roster.

Overview of the volunteer management process

The volunteer management workflow follows these key stages:

1. Setup – Create teams, roles, and event phases
2. Recruitment – Attract and register volunteers
3. Shift planning – Create schedules and generate shifts
4. Assignment – Match volunteers to shifts
5. Communication – Keep volunteers informed and confirmed
6. Event delivery – Monitor attendance and manage day-of changes

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Stage 1: Setup

Creating teams and roles

Teams help organise volunteers into functional groups. Set these up before opening registration:

1. Go to Volunteer management → Teams & roles
2. Click Add team to create teams for each functional area (e.g., Registration, Catering, Security)
3. For each team, add specific roles with appropriate position types:
   • Participant – Standard volunteer
   • Crew member – Experienced volunteer
   • Team lead – Supervises other volunteers
   • Supervisor – Oversees multiple teams

Tip: Use account-level teams for roles you use across multiple events. Create event-specific teams for one-off needs.

Setting up event phases

Event phases help organise your event timeline and are used when creating shift schedules:

1. Navigate to Event → Phases (or the event settings area)
2. Create phases for different periods of your event:
   • Setup – Pre-event preparation
   • During event – While the event is running
   • Pack down – Post-event
3. Set start and end dates/times for each phase
4. Phases will be available when creating shift schedules

Tip: Create phases that match your event's natural workflow. Volunteers can then be assigned to shifts within specific phases.

Setting up volunteer registration

Once teams and phases are configured, enable volunteer registration:

1. Navigate to Volunteer management → Settings in your event
2. Enable volunteer registration
3. Configure registration form fields (name, contact details, preferences)
4. Set up any custom questions specific to your event

Managing team availability

Control which teams are open for volunteer registration:

1. Edit each team in your event context
2. Set Registration status:
   • Open for registration – Team appears as selectable
   • Closed for registration – Team appears disabled
   • Hidden from registration – Team not shown in registration form eg. teams that don't require shifts
3. Optionally set a Maximum capacity to limit registrations
4. Add internal notes about availability

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Stage 2: Volunteer recruitment

Promoting volunteer opportunities

With teams, phases, and registration configured, you're ready to recruit:

• Attach your volunteer form to a ticket type and offer registration when customer buy their ticket
• Create a standalone webform and share the form link on social media and email
• Highlight specific teams that need more volunteers
• Communicate the benefits and expectations clearly
• Set registration deadlines to manage your planning timeline

Reviewing applications

As volunteers register:

1. Navigate to Volunteer management → Volunteers to view applications
2. Review volunteer profiles and team preferences
3. Filter by team to see interest levels
4. Note any special skills or experience volunteers have mentioned
5. Follow up with volunteers if you need additional information

Managing capacity

Monitor team registration numbers:

• Close teams that have reached capacity
• Promote teams that need more volunteers
• Adjust maximum capacity limits as needed
• Use internal notes to track recruitment status

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Stage 3: Building your roster

Understanding shift schedules

Shift schedules are templates that automatically generate multiple shifts based on a pattern. This is the most efficient way to create your roster.

A schedule defines:

• Which team and role the shifts are for
• Start and end times
• How many volunteers are required
• Which days the pattern repeats
• Priority level (Mandatory, Desirable, Normal)

Creating a shift schedule

1. Navigate to Volunteer management → Shift schedules
2. Click Create schedule
3. Fill in the schedule details:
   • Name – Descriptive name (e.g., "Registration desk morning shift")
   • Team and role – Who this schedule is for
   • Start time and end time – When shifts run
   • Required people – How many volunteers per shift
   • Days – Select which days this pattern applies
   • Priority – Set importance level
   • Location and notes – Additional information
4. Click Save

The system will automatically generate individual shifts based on your schedule.

Generating shifts

Once schedules are created:

1. Review the generated shifts in Volunteer management → Shifts
2. Check that shifts appear on the correct dates and times
3. Use Volunteer management → Roster to view the visual calendar

Note: If you need to modify multiple shifts, edit the schedule and regenerate. For one-off changes, edit individual shifts directly.

Creating manual shifts

For unique or one-time shifts that don't fit a schedule pattern:

1. Go to Volunteer management → Shifts
2. Click Create shift
3. Enter all shift details manually
4. Click Save

Manual shifts work independently from schedules.

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Stage 4: Assigning volunteers to shifts

Reviewing volunteer applications

Before making assignments, review your volunteer pool:

1. Navigate to Volunteer management → Volunteers
2. Review volunteer profiles, team preferences, and experience
3. Filter by team preference to see who's interested in each area
4. Check availability and any notes volunteers provided

Assignment methods

There are several ways to assign volunteers to shifts:

From the roster view

1. Go to Volunteer management → Roster
2. Click on any shift card
3. Search for available volunteers
4. Select volunteers to assign
5. Choose whether to send notification emails
6. Click Assign

This method gives you visual context of surrounding shifts and coverage.

From the shifts table

1. Go to Volunteer management → Shifts
2. Click the Assign button on a shift
3. Follow the same assignment process

This method is useful when working through shifts systematically.

From volunteer profiles

1. Open a volunteer's profile
2. Go to the Shifts tab
3. Click Assign to shift
4. Select from available shifts

This method works well when building a schedule around specific volunteers.

Assignment best practices

• Match preferences – Assign volunteers to their preferred teams when possible
• Balance workload – Avoid overloading volunteers with too many consecutive shifts
• Consider experience – Place experienced volunteers in critical or leadership shifts
• Check conflicts – Ensure volunteers aren't double-booked
• Prioritise critical shifts – Fill mandatory shifts first

Assignment statuses

Once assigned, volunteers have one of these statuses:

Status	Meaning
Pending	Assigned but hasn't confirmed attendance
Confirmed	Volunteer has confirmed they'll attend
Cancelled	Assignment was cancelled

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Stage 5: Managing your roster

Using the roster view

The roster provides a visual calendar of all shifts and assignments:

1. Navigate to Volunteer management → Roster
2. Use filters to focus on specific:
   • Days – View specific dates
   • Teams – Focus on one team or view all
   • Status – Filter by Open, Fulfilled, or Confirmed shifts

Understanding shift statuses

Status	Colour	Meaning
Open	Yellow	Needs more volunteers
Fulfilled	Blue	Required number assigned (not all confirmed)
Confirmed	Green	All volunteers confirmed
Inactive	Grey	Shift is disabled

Identifying gaps

To find shifts that still need volunteers:

1. Use the Status filter and select "Open only"
2. Look for shifts with red indicators (understaffed)
3. Check the assignment count (e.g., "2/3" means one more needed)

Making adjustments

As you review your roster:

• Edit shift times if there are gaps or overlaps
• Adjust required numbers if you've over or underestimated
• Disable or delete shifts that are no longer needed
• Create additional shifts for areas that need more coverage

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Stage 6: Communicating with volunteers

Sending shift notifications

Keep volunteers informed about their assignments:

1. Click the Notify button on a shift
2. Choose notification type:
   • Assignment offer – Offer the shift to potential volunteers
   • Confirmation request – Ask assigned volunteers to confirm
   • Assignment summary – Send shift details
   • Status change – Notify about changes
3. Review recipients and message
4. Click Send

Requesting confirmations

Don't assume assigned volunteers will attend:

1. Filter shifts by "Fulfilled" status (assigned but not confirmed)
2. Send confirmation requests to all assigned volunteers
3. Follow up with volunteers who don't respond
4. Set a confirmation deadline before the event

Bulk messaging

For broader communications:

1. Go to Volunteer management → Messages
2. Create a new message
3. Select recipients by:
   • Team preference
   • Assignment status
   • Specific volunteers
4. Compose your message
5. Send immediately or schedule for later

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Stage 7: Pre-event preparation

Final roster review

A few days before your event:

1. Review the roster and filter by "Open" shifts
2. Fill any remaining gaps
3. Confirm all critical (Mandatory) shifts are covered
4. Check for volunteers with excessive shift loads

Exporting rosters

Provide rosters to team leads:

1. Filter the roster by specific team
2. Click PDF to download a printable roster
3. Distribute to team leads for their reference

You can also export to Excel for detailed analysis:

1. Click Export at the bottom of the roster
2. Choose visible days or all days
3. Use the spreadsheet for planning and reporting

Preparing volunteers

Send final reminders to volunteers:

• Confirm shift times and locations
• Provide arrival instructions and parking information
• Share contact details for day-of questions
• Remind them of any required items (ID, clothing, etc.)

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During the event

Monitoring attendance

Track volunteer attendance as shifts begin:

1. Use the roster or shifts table to view current shifts
2. Mark volunteers as present or absent
3. Make last-minute assignments for no-shows

Handling changes

Be prepared to adjust on the fly:

• Reassign shifts if volunteers can't make it
• Create emergency shifts if unexpected needs arise
• Cancel shifts that are no longer needed
• Communicate changes quickly to affected volunteers

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Tips for successful volunteer management

Planning phase

• Start early – Begin recruiting at least 4-6 weeks before your event
• Overbook slightly – Expect 10-15% no-shows and plan accordingly
• Create clear role descriptions – Help volunteers understand what they're signing up for
• Set realistic shift lengths – 3-4 hour shifts work well for most roles

Roster building

• Use schedules for efficiency – Don't create hundreds of shifts manually
• Build in breaks – Ensure volunteers have rest periods between shifts
• Balance teams – Distribute experienced volunteers across all areas
• Plan for peaks – Schedule more volunteers during busy periods

Communication

• Be responsive – Reply to volunteer questions promptly
• Send regular updates – Keep volunteers engaged leading up to the event
• Confirm early – Request confirmations 1-2 weeks before the event
• Provide clear instructions – Include all details volunteers need to succeed

Day of event

• Have a backup plan – Keep a list of on-call volunteers for emergencies
• Empower team leads – Give them authority to make shift adjustments
• Show appreciation – Thank volunteers throughout the event
• Gather feedback – Ask volunteers about their experience for future improvement

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Common challenges and solutions

Not enough volunteers

Solutions:

• Extend recruitment timeline
• Reduce shift requirements where possible
• Recruit from past events
• Offer incentives (meals, merchandise, free entry)

Last-minute cancellations

Solutions:

• Build in buffer capacity (overbook by 10-15%)
• Maintain an on-call list
• Cross-train volunteers to cover multiple roles
• Have team leads ready to fill gaps

Uneven team distribution

Solutions:

• Close full teams and promote understaffed ones
• Set capacity limits on popular teams
• Highlight benefits of less popular teams
• Allow volunteers to work across multiple teams

Poor confirmation rates

Solutions:

• Send multiple confirmation requests
• Make confirmation process simple (one-click if possible)
• Set clear deadlines
• Follow up personally with critical shifts

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Next steps

Now that you understand the volunteer management process:

1. Set up your teams and phases – Create the foundational structure for your event
2. Open registration – Start recruiting volunteers
3. Build shift schedules – Create templates for your roster
4. Assign volunteers – Match people to shifts
5. Communicate regularly – Keep volunteers informed and engaged

For detailed information on specific features, refer to:

• Volunteer teams & roles – Team setup and management
• Volunteer shift schedules – Creating schedule templates
• Volunteer shifts – Managing individual shifts
• Volunteer roster – Using the visual roster view
• Volunteer messages – Communicating with volunteers