Volunteer management system overview

Created on 27 Oct 2025

The Volunteer Management System provides a comprehensive solution for organising, managing, and coordinating volunteers for your events. This system streamlines volunteer recruitment, team organisation, shift scheduling, and on-site management.

Teams and roles

Teams are the primary organisational units for grouping volunteers by function or department.

Create account-level teams (available across all events) or event-specific teams
Assign colour codes to teams for visual identification
Add descriptions to help volunteers understand team responsibilities
Drag-and-drop reordering for custom team display order
Track active/inactive status

Roles provide more granular organisation within teams.

Define specific positions within each team
Set required volunteer counts for each role
Add detailed role descriptions
Reorder roles within teams
Link roles to specific shifts

Volunteer registration

Integrated registration allows volunteers to sign up when purchasing tickets.

Add volunteer registration to any ticket type
Collect contact information (name, email, phone)
Optional emergency contact details
Customisable team preference collection (1-10 preferences)
Experience level tracking for each preference
Phase/period availability selection
Volunteers are automatically added to your contact list

Preference system captures volunteer interests and experience.

First, second, and third choice team/role preferences
Experience levels: None, Some, Moderate, Experienced, Very experienced
Optional notes field for additional information
Validation prevents duplicate preferences
Sequential preference requirement (no skipping)

Shift management

Shifts define specific time periods when volunteers are needed.

Set start and end times for each shift
Link shifts to specific teams and roles
Define required volunteer count per shift
Add location information
Track shift capacity and availability
Active/inactive status management

Shift assignments connect volunteers to specific shifts.

Assign volunteers to shifts manually or through roster generation
Track assignment status: Confirmed, Pending, Cancelled, Completed
Check-in and check-out tracking with timestamps
Add notes to individual assignments
Monitor shift fill rates

Skills and certifications

Skills track volunteer capabilities and qualifications.

Define account-level skills (e.g., First Aid, Forklift Licence)
Mark skills that require certification
Assign skills to volunteers
Track certification status and expiry dates
Filter volunteers by skills for shift assignments

Phases and availability

Phases represent different time periods or stages of your event.

Create account-level or event-specific phases (e.g., Bump-in, Event Day, Bump-out)
Volunteers indicate which phases they're available for
Filter and assign volunteers based on phase availability
Useful for multi-day events or events with distinct setup/packdown periods

Contact integration

Automatic contact management keeps your database organised.

Volunteers are automatically added to your contact list
The system finds existing contacts or creates new ones based on email address
Contact information stays in sync across the system
Updates to volunteer details automatically update their contact record

Status tracking

Volunteer statuses help manage the volunteer lifecycle.

Pending: New volunteer registrations awaiting approval
Active: Approved volunteers available for shifts
Inactive: Volunteers no longer participating

Reporting and export

Data export provides volunteer information for external use.

Export volunteer details with team/role preferences
Include experience levels and availability
Export shift assignments and attendance data
Download reports for planning and recognition

How it works

Setting up teams and roles

Navigate to Volunteers > Teams & roles in your admin panel
Create teams at the account level (available for all events) or event level (specific to one event)
Assign colour codes to teams for easy visual identification
Add roles within each team by expanding the team row
Set required volunteer counts for roles if needed
Reorder teams and roles using drag-and-drop

Collecting volunteer registrations

Create or edit a ticket type in your event
Add the Volunteer registration form to the ticket
Configure settings:
- Number of team preferences to collect (1-10)
- Whether to show role selection or team-only selection
- Emergency contact field visibility and requirements
- Whether preferences are required or optional
When customers purchase tickets, they'll complete the volunteer registration form
Volunteer records are automatically created and linked to their ticket

Managing volunteers

View all volunteers in Volunteers > Volunteers
Filter by event, team, status, or search by name/email
Review volunteer preferences and experience levels
Approve pending volunteers by changing status to Active
Edit volunteer details or preferences as needed
View linked tickets and contact information

Creating and assigning shifts

Navigate to Volunteers > Shifts for your event
Create shifts with specific times, teams, roles, and locations
Set the required number of volunteers per shift
Assign volunteers to shifts based on:
- Their team/role preferences
- Experience levels
- Phase availability
- Existing shift commitments
Track shift capacity in real-time

On-site management

Use the shift management interface to view today's shifts
Check volunteers in when they arrive using the check-in feature
Check volunteers out when they complete their shift
Add notes to assignments for important information
Handle no-shows by marking assignments as cancelled
Mark completed shifts for record-keeping

Best practices

Team organisation

Create logical team groupings that match your event structure (e.g., Registration, Catering, Security, Stage Crew)
Use account-level teams for teams that are consistent across all your events
Create event-specific teams for unique requirements
Assign distinctive colours to teams for quick visual identification
Keep team names concise and descriptive

Role definition

Define roles with clear, specific responsibilities
Set realistic required counts based on historical data
Use role descriptions to help volunteers understand expectations
Create roles that match skill levels (e.g., "Team Lead" vs "Team Member")

Volunteer preferences

Collect 2-3 preferences to provide flexibility in assignments
Make preferences required if volunteer placement is critical
Enable role selection if you need granular volunteer placement
Use experience levels to identify training needs
Review preferences before making shift assignments

Shift planning

Create shifts with realistic time blocks (typically 3-4 hours)
Build in buffer time between shifts for handovers
Set required volunteer counts slightly higher than minimum needs
Link shifts to specific roles when specialised skills are needed
Add location details to help volunteers find their assignment

Skills management

Define skills that are actually relevant to your volunteer needs
Mark certification requirements for compliance (e.g., RSA, Working with Children Check)
Track certification expiry dates to ensure compliance
Use skills to filter volunteers for specialised shifts

Communication

Use volunteer status to track approval workflow
Add notes to volunteer records for important context
Include clear descriptions in teams, roles, and shifts
Export volunteer data for email communications
Keep emergency contact information up to date

Data quality

Encourage volunteers to keep their contact information current
Review and approve pending volunteers promptly
Sync volunteer data with contact records regularly
Clean up inactive volunteers after events
Archive old shift data while retaining volunteer records

Integration with other features

Ticketing system

Volunteers can register when purchasing tickets
Link volunteers to specific tickets or entire orders
Track which ticket types include volunteer commitments
View volunteer information from ticket details

Contact management

Volunteers are automatically added to your contact list
Contact information stays in sync
Use contact segments to send emails to volunteers
Track volunteer history across multiple events

Reporting

All volunteer management actions are tracked
View who created, edited, or deleted records
Monitor volunteer status changes
Review shift assignment history

Common workflows

Recruiting volunteers through ticket sales

Create a "Volunteer" ticket type (free or discounted)
Add the volunteer registration form to the ticket
Configure team preferences and settings
Promote the volunteer ticket to your community
Review and approve registrations as they come in

Building a volunteer roster

Review all registered volunteers and their preferences
Create shifts for all required time periods
Assign volunteers to shifts based on:
- First preference matches
- Experience levels
- Phase availability
- Shift capacity
Fill remaining shifts with second and third preferences
Contact volunteers to confirm assignments

Managing volunteers on event day

Print or display shift rosters
Check in volunteers as they arrive
Direct volunteers to their assigned locations
Track no-shows and make last-minute adjustments
Check out volunteers when shifts complete
Thank volunteers and mark shifts as completed

Post-event follow-up

Review shift completion data
Export volunteer hours for recognition or reporting
Add notes about volunteer performance
Update volunteer statuses (keep active volunteers for future events)
Send thank-you communications to all volunteers

Tips and troubleshooting

Volunteers can't see their preferences

Ensure the volunteer entity component is properly configured on the ticket type
Check that teams are set to Active status
Verify teams are available at the account or event level as appropriate
Confirm the form settings allow the desired number of preferences

Shifts aren't showing volunteers

Check that volunteers have been assigned to the shift
Verify shift status is Active
Ensure shift team/role matches volunteer preferences
Confirm shift date/time is correct

Duplicate volunteer records

The system links volunteers by email address
If duplicates exist, merge the contact records in your contact list
The volunteer records will automatically link to the merged contact

Missing teams or roles

Inactive teams/roles don't appear in selection lists
Check the status field and set to Active if needed
Make sure you're viewing the correct event (some teams may be event-specific)

Preference validation errors

Preferences must be filled sequentially (can't skip preference 1 and fill preference 2)
Team/role combinations must be unique
Experience level can only be selected if a team/role is chosen
Check form settings for required preference configuration

Summary

The Volunteer Management System provides end-to-end volunteer coordination from recruitment through to on-site management. By integrating with your ticketing system and contact management, it creates a seamless experience for both volunteers and organisers. The flexible team and role structure adapts to events of any size, while preference tracking and shift management ensure volunteers are placed in positions that match their interests and skills.

For additional support or questions about the volunteer system, please contact your system administrator.

Volunteer management