Volunteer Connection User Guide

Share your volunteer opportunities statewide!

Basic Functions(post volunteer opportunities, manage contacts and locations, and track volunteer referrals)

Agency Login

Volunteer Connection User Guide

Click "Volunteer" on the top menu

Or click "Volunteer" on the side menu

Or click "Volunteer Now" from the image slider

Agency Login

Volunteer Connection User Guide

1. Click on Login2. A box will pop up asking for a username and password. Beneath that you will see a link that says "We have a separate sign in for agencies." Click that link.

3. Enter your Agency Name and password.

Creating a Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteer Connection User Guide

We will start by adding a new volunteer opportunity.

1. Click on the opportunities tab.2. On the next screen, select if it is an ongoing opportunity or a date-specific opportunity.

For training purposes, we will enter an ongoing opportunity.

This is your Agency Dashboard - the place where you add volunteer opportunities, edit your agency and contact information, manage your volunteer referrals and more!

Creating a Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteer Connection User Guide

When creating a date-specific opportunity you will be asked to add the dates, times, and the number of volunteers you need to recruit.

Creating a Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteer Connection User Guide

You will then be prompted to answer the following questions by checking the appropriate boxes:

• What types of volunteers do you accept for this position?• When do you need volunteers?• On which issue(s) would the volunteer(s) work?• What skill(s) or interest(s) should your volunteer have?

Answering these questions is extremely important, because this is how the search capability narrows down opportunities for the volunteer.

Creating a Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteer Connection User Guide

After clicking "save and continue" you will have a chance to review your listing. After review you can add additional locations if available. This is important for volunteers searching by zip code or city name.

Select a nearby city from an auto-generated list

Add a zip code

Select a neighboring county

Congratulations!

Volunteer Connection User Guide

You've added your first volunteer opportunity! You can go back at any time to add another opportunity or edit the existing ones.

Next we will do a quick overview of the other functions available in the agency dashboard.

Agency Dashboard

Volunteer Connection User Guide

Other tabs include:

1. Events*2. Disaster*

3. Board Connection*

4. Contacts

5. Locations

6. Referrals

7. Hours*

8. Help

In addition to updating your agency profile and posting volunteer opportunities, the agency dashboard contains other tabs as well.

* These tabs will be covered in the advanced training.

Contacts

Volunteer Connection User Guide

The contact tab allows you to add or edit contacts and set which contacts should be connected to a specific volunteer opportunity.

Xs indicate if a person is the primary contact.

Other names would be listed on this page if there were multiple contacts.

You can add a new contact or edit existing information from this tab.

Locations

Volunteer Connection User Guide

The locations tab allows you to add or edit additional locations where a volunteer opportunity can be performed.

Add a new location here.

Edit location information here.

Referrals

Volunteer Connection User Guide

When a volunteer is interested in one of your volunteer opportunities he or she will get in touch with you to learn more about it. This initial contact is known as an inquiry to the sender and as a referral to your agency.

When you have a referral, you will see "Follow up on 1 referral" listed in your task list".

To view, either click on it in the task list or click the referral tab.

Referrals

Volunteer Connection User Guide

In the referrals tab you will see a list of interested volunteers.

Inquiry Status: You can sort volunteer referrals based on the following statuses - inquired, active, complete, expired or not interested.

Starting Date: Sort your referrals by a specific time period - weekly, monthly, yearly, or any date range.

Click details to manage your referrals!

Referrals

Volunteer Connection User Guide

• In addition to a new referral showing up in your task list (or referral tab), you will also receive an automated email alerting you that someone is interested in your opportunity.

• At this time, please contact your referral to further discuss the opportunity and see if they are still interested, set up an interview, etc. We ask that you contact a referral within 3 days of receiving the email alert. This is true even in cases where you no longer need volunteers for an opportunity or are not interested in a particular volunteer. A prompt response to a volunteer inquiry builds goodwill and encourages the volunteer to return to you when other opportunities become available and/or recommend you to other volunteers.

• Once you have followed up with a volunteer, you can change their inquiry status. This can help you keep track of your referrals.

Referrals

Volunteer Connection User Guide

Check the box next to the volunteer's name and then select inquired, active, complete or not interested based on your next steps.

Click "Go" to finalize status.

Volunteer Connection User Guide

Congratulations!

You now know all of the basics of posting opportunities and managing your agency dashboard including contact, locations and referrals.

With this information you can begin recruiting volunteers today!

For more advanced functions including the events, disaster, board connection and hours tabs, please check out the Advanced Functions

presentation coming soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Bloom, Volunteer Connection Coordinator at

melanie@volunteerwisconsin.org or (262) 338-8256.