Keywords: Scheduling; Shifts; Assignments; Signups; Volunteer scheduling; Availability; Attendance
📌 Tip for administrators: Use the Table of Contents on the right to quickly jump to the section you need.
Overview
Scheduling in Better Impact allows administrators to manage when and how volunteers participate in activities. This guide brings together the tools, workflows, and rules that govern signups, assignments, confirmations, and attendance so you can confidently manage schedules without duplicating activity setup or reporting processes, specifically on using and managing schedules once activities and shifts already exist. It explains how volunteers move through the signup and assignment process, how administrators manage conflicts and changes, and how scheduling information supports attendance tracking.
Step-by-step instructions for creating activities and shifts and for running reports and exports are intentionally covered in separate Comprehensive Guides and are referenced where relevant.
Scheduling sits at the intersection of several core areas in Better Impact. Activities and shifts define what opportunities exist, scheduling determines who is expected and when, and hours and reporting capture what actually happened.
Scheduling Fundamentals
Before managing schedules, it’s important to understand what scheduling represents in Better Impact and what it does - and does not - control.
Scheduling is the system’s way of tracking expected participation. It shows which volunteers are planned to attend which activities or shifts, based on signups, assignments, and confirmations. Scheduling does not, by itself, confirm attendance or log hours.
Key scheduling concepts
Activities and shifts
Activities define volunteer opportunities. Shifts (when used) define specific dates and times. Scheduling only exists where activities already exist, and true scheduling data is only created when shifts with dates and times are involved.
All scheduled activities are assignments, but not all assignments are scheduled.
Volunteers can be assigned to unscheduled or seasonal activities and these assignments may appear on the Schedule tab. However, only assignments tied to shifts with specific dates and times create true scheduling data. These are the assignments that can be reviewed and analysed using schedule-based reports.
Signups and confirmations
A signup indicates interest. An assignment indicates that a volunteer is officially placed on the activity or shift.
Confirmation, when enabled, is an additional step where volunteers acknowledge that they are scheduled.
Scheduling vs hours
Being scheduled does not automatically mean hours will be logged. Hours depend on your organisation’s hours and timeclock settings and, in some cases, by whether an assignment has been confirmed.
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What scheduling is used for | What scheduling is not used for |
Planning volunteer coverage | Creating activities or shifts |
Managing who is expected on specific dates and times | Blocking administrators from assigning volunteers |
Reviewing overlaps and conflicts | Automatically validating attendance |
Supporting attendance follow-up and reporting | — |
Tip
If you’re trying to answer “Did this volunteer actually attend?”, scheduling alone won’t give you the full picture. That’s where hours logging and reporting come in.
How Scheduling Works with Activities
Scheduling does not exist independently. Every scheduling action in Better Impact is driven by how activities are configured.
Understanding this relationship helps explain why certain activities appear in schedule views, why some assignments are reportable and others are not, and why scheduling behaviour can differ between activities.
Activities as the foundation of scheduling
All scheduling actions are tied to activities. Activity configuration determines:
Whether volunteers can see the opportunity
Whether they can sign up themselves
Whether signups require approval
Whether shifts appear on the schedule
Important
If an activity does not have shifts with specific dates and times, it cannot create reportable schedule data in standard schedule reports.
Assignments to unscheduled or seasonal activities can still be reviewed using raw schedule data reports, which are not dependent on shift dates.
Scheduled vs unscheduled activities
Better Impact supports both scheduled and unscheduled (including seasonal) activities. While volunteers can be assigned to both, their scheduling behaviour is not the same.
Activity type | Appears on Schedule tab | Has dates & times | Reportable in schedule reports |
Scheduled activity (with shifts) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Unscheduled / seasonal activity | Yes | No | Yes - only raw data ones |
Schedule Settings
Schedule Settings define how scheduling behaves across your entire account. These system-wide rules control how volunteers and groups interact with activity schedules, what information is visible, and how conflicts and confirmations are handled.
Although these settings are accessed from the Activities area, their impact is felt during scheduling - when volunteers sign up, when admins assign shifts, and when schedules are reviewed. Understanding these rules early makes the schedule views easier to interpret and manage.
Schedule Settings explained
Administrators can access Schedule Settings by going to:
Configuration > Activities > Schedule Settings
All settings in this area:
Apply system-wide
Affect all activities
Influence how assignments, confirmations, and overlaps behave
Tip
Changes only take effect after clicking [Save] on the right.
Setting | What it controls |
Enable Group Scheduling | Allows group profiles to sign up for activities and indicate how many members are attending. |
Show Number of Shift Openings | Displays how many spaces remain in a shift. |
Allow Volunteers to See Who’s Assigned | Lets volunteers view who else is scheduled for a shift. Names only appear if other volunteers allow name visibility in their privacy settings. |
Auto Confirm Assignments | Automatically confirms assignments without requiring volunteers to manually confirm. |
Warn Admins of Schedule Overlaps | Alerts admins when assigning volunteers to overlapping shifts. Admins can still proceed. |
Prevent Volunteers from Self-Assigning to Overlapping Shifts | Blocks volunteers from signing up for shifts that overlap with their existing assignments. |
Schedule Settings allow you to strike a balance between flexibility and protection.
Tips
Overlapping shifts? If you want to allow flexibility, keep the admin overlap warning ON and the volunteer overlap prevention ON. That way, admins stay informed and volunteers stay protected.
Anonymous names in shift rosters? Volunteers can control their name visibility under their own privacy settings in MyImpactPage.com. Admins cannot override this.
Don’t forget to Save! All changes require clicking the [Save] button at the bottom of the page to take effect.
You can still control visibility at the Activity level (e.g. whether confirmed volunteers can remove themselves, or when sign-up cut-offs apply). These are configured under each activity’s Visibility and Automation tab.
How do volunteers see their calendar?
Volunteers will see icons on the Opportunity Calendar indicating their status in a shift.
Icon | Meaning |
📅 Calendar | You are assigned to this shift. |
✔️ Check mark | You are signed up but not yet assigned. |
🚫 Do Not Enter | Sign-up is cut off (too close to the shift), OR shift is locked (auto or manual), OR you have an overlap and the organization disallows overlap. |
Identifying Anonymous Volunteers in Shift Rosters
Identifying Anonymous Volunteers in Shift Rosters
If a volunteer appears as “Anonymous” in a shift roster, it’s because their profile settings do not allow their name to be displayed to other volunteers. Admins cannot override this preference, but they can identify which volunteers have it enabled and reach out to request a change if appropriate.
How to Identify Anonymous Volunteer Profiles
You can generate a report to see which volunteers have their visibility setting disabled:
Go to:
Reports > General Reports > Personal Profile Raw DataSet Your Filters:
Choose which volunteer statuses to include (e.g., Active, Inactive, Applicant, etc.)Click [Search] to generate your list
Customize the Report:
In the "Columns to Include" section
Check the box: ShowOnWhoIsScheduledForActivityShiftList
Run the Report:
Click [View Profiles] to review results on-screen
Or [Export Profiles] to download to Excel or another format
This lets you identify who has chosen to remain anonymous.
Tip
Volunteers can set this on their profile by going to:
My Impact Page
My Profile > Contact Information > Check the appropriate box:
My Impact App / Mobile
Menu > My Profile > Update Privacy Settings > Check the appropriate box:
Make sure they don't forget to save!
Interaction with activity-level settings
While Schedule Settings apply system-wide, activity-level controls still exist. For example:
Whether volunteers can remove themselves from confirmed shifts
Sign-up cut-off timing
Visibility and automation rules
These are configured within each activity under the Visibility and Automation tab.
🔗 Reference: Activity-specific setup is covered in the Comprehensive Guide to Activities.
Key reminder
Schedule Settings define how scheduling behaves. If something in the schedule doesn’t act as expected, these settings are often the first place to check.
Signups, Assignments, and Confirmations
- Understanding the Signup Process -
Before volunteers appear as scheduled, they move through a defined process that turns interest into an official assignment.
Understanding this flow helps administrators know where a volunteer is in the process, what actions are required, and why a volunteer may or may not appear on the schedule.
This section explains the signup lifecycle, how self-scheduling and approvals work, and how confirmation settings influence what happens next.
The settings that you select within the activity settings and the account settings will determine the sign-up process for your volunteers.
In Better Impact, the scheduling process is made up of three distinct steps. Depending on your settings, some of these steps may happen automatically.
Step | What it represents | Who initiates it |
Sign Up | Volunteer expresses interest | Volunteer |
Assign | Volunteer is officially placed | Admin or system |
Confirm (optional) | Volunteer acknowledges assignment | Volunteer or system |
Tip
To track when volunteers signed up for an activity, administrators can use Schedule Detail Raw Data reports. Including the 'SignedUpDate' column in the report provides a signup date, while pending signups are viewable in the 'Pending Sign-Ups' section on the Admin Dashboard.
Step 1: Sign Up (expressing interest)
Step 1: Sign Up (expressing interest)
When a volunteer signs up, they are indicating interest in an activity or shift through MyImpactPage.
At this stage:
The volunteer is not yet officially scheduled
The shift does not appear on their confirmed schedule
Admin approval may still be required
Signups can occur when:
Self-scheduling is enabled for the activity
The activity is visible but requires approval
The activity allows broader visibility than assignment permissions
Notes
A signup alone does not place a volunteer on the schedule.
Administrators can retroactively assign volunteers to past activities if their participation wasn't initially captured.
To do this, navigate to the volunteer's profile on the Better Impact dashboard, access the 'Assign' tab, use filters to find the relevant activity, and assign the volunteer to the past shift. This helps ensure accurate reporting metrics and historical participation data.
Step 2: Assign (placing the volunteer)
Step 2: Assign (placing the volunteer)
An assignment is what officially places a volunteer onto an activity or shift.
A volunteer’s signup can move to Assigned in one of two ways:
Self-scheduling
The activity allows eligible volunteers to assign themselves automatically
Admin approval
An administrator reviews the signup and assigns the volunteer manually
Once assigned:
The volunteer is officially scheduled (if the activity has shifts)
The assignment may or may not require confirmation, depending on settings
Self-scheduling vs request-and-approve
Activity settings determine whether volunteers can move directly from signup to assignment.
Behaviour | What it means |
Self-scheduling | Volunteers assign themselves immediately |
Request and approve | Volunteers sign up, admins assign |
Tip
If volunteers say they “signed up” but don’t appear on the schedule, check whether the activity requires admin approval.
Pending approvals show up in your Admin Dashboard under Pending Signups.
Step 3: Confirm (optional)
Step 3: Confirm (optional)
This is an optional step that can be switched on or off in your account.
By default, all accounts are set up to auto-confirm assignments, whether they are automatically approved or approved by an administrator.
This setting can be managed under Configuration > Activities > Schedule Settings.
If auto-confirm is disabled:
Volunteers must click [Confirm] next to their assignment on MyImpactPage
The assignment is not treated as confirmed until this happens
Important
If you disable auto-confirm, you may also want to review your auto-log hours settings under Configuration >> Hours and Timeclock Settings.
If your account is set up to only auto-log confirmed assignments, it's possible that some hours may not be logged due to the assignment not being confirmed.
Common questions and troubleshooting
Question | Possible reason | Where to check |
“A volunteer signed up but isn’t on the schedule.” | The signup may still be pending approval. | Assign > From Pending Signup List |
| The activity may not allow self-scheduling. | Activity > Visibility and Automation tab |
“A volunteer is assigned but not confirmed.” | Auto-confirm may be disabled. | Configuration > Activities > Schedule Settings |
| The volunteer may still need to confirm manually. | Volunteer’s MyImpactPage > Schedule |
“Hours didn’t log for an assigned shift.” | The assignment may not have been confirmed. | Assignment status on the schedule |
| Auto-log hours settings may require confirmation. | Configuration > Hours and Timeclock Settings |
Schedule Volunteers and Managing Assignments
Once volunteers have signed up and assignments are in place, administrators manage schedules by assigning, reassigning, reviewing conflicts, and removing volunteers as needed. This section covers the practical admin workflows used to manage scheduled and unscheduled activities day to day.
The tools described here allow you to work with individual volunteers, specific shifts, or groups of assignments in bulk, depending on what you need to accomplish.
There are several ways that you, as an administrator, can assign volunteers, including:
through the volunteer profile > Assign tab
through the interactive schedule pages found under the Assign menu
from a pending signup
If you need to manage the Assignments of just one volunteer, we recommend navigating to their profile to do this. Here you will be able to view and manage all of their assignments as well as assign them to new ones.
If you need to view a comprehensive schedule or assign multiple volunteers to an activity or shift in bulk, then your best option is to go through the interactive schedule (From Calendar option).
Assigning from the Unscheduled List
Assigning from the Unscheduled List
Use this for unscheduled or seasonal activities.
Go to: Assign >> From Unscheduled List
Optional: For long activity lists, use the filters in the top panel and click the [Filter Activities] button. These selections can be made your default filters
Click on the name to the desired Activity; the ‘Assign Volunteers’ window will open
Clicking on the Options button and 'Assign Volunteers' will open this window as well.
Filters: Select any applicable filters to display a list of candidates for the shift
If you're having issues finding volunteers from this search, uncheck all filters or the Qualifications and/or Scheduling filters
Click the [Search] button.
You can make these your default filters to be used
Optional: Communicate with matching volunteers by checking the box beside each volunteer, scroll down and choose “send email” or “send text message”, from the “Communicate with Selected” dropdown menu
Click the [Assign] button beside each volunteer you wish to assign to the shift
Alternatively, check the box beside each volunteer you wish to assign, scroll down and click the [Assign Selected] button
Click the [Close] button when you have finished assigning volunteers to the Activity
Notes
Assignments to unscheduled activities are not tied to dates or times and do not create reportable schedule data.
Review the Status Filters to understand what each icon next to the activity name means
Assigning from the Scheduled List
Assigning from the Scheduled List
This method is best when you are filling shifts for a specific activity or date range.
Go to: Assign > From Scheduled List
Optional: For long activity lists, use the filters in the top panel and click the [Filter Activities] button
Click on the name to the desired Activity; the ‘Assign Volunteers’ window will open
Clicking on the Options button and 'Assign Volunteers' will open this window as well.
Filters: Select any applicable filters to display a list of candidates for the shift
If you're having issues finding volunteers from this search, uncheck all filters or the Qualifications and/or Scheduling filters
Click the [Search] button.
You can make these your default filters to be used
Optional: Communicate with matching volunteers by checking the box beside each volunteer, scroll down and choose “send email” or “send text message”, from the “Communicate with Selected” dropdown menu
Click the [Assign] button beside each volunteer you wish to assign to the shift
Alternatively, check the box beside each volunteer you wish to assign, scroll down and click the [Assign Selected] button
Assigning from the Calendar
Assigning from the Calendar
This method provides a date-based view of scheduled activities.
Go to: Assign > From Calendar
Optional: Click the Previous Month, or Next Month, button to display the desired two-month period
Optional: In the “Filters” section, you can choose which Activity Category or specific Activity you would like to display
Select the desired dates:
For scheduled activities on one date or in an entire month:
Mouse over, a single date square or the month header, to see a list of status values (Vacant, Signed Up, Assigned, Confirmed).
The first number represents the number of shifts with that status. The second number is the total number of shifts on that date/month
To display all shifts on that date/month, click on the link to the date/month at the top of the pop-up window
To display all shifts for a specific status, click on the desired link within the box in the pop-up window
For scheduled activities in a date range:
Click in the numbered area (grey section) of a single date square to select the first date of the range.
Click in the numbered area of another single date square to select the end date of the range.
All shifts in that date range will be displayed below
Click on the Activity name to the desired shift
Filters: Select any applicable filters to display a list of ca
ndidates for the shift
Click the [Search] button. You can make these your default filters to be used
Optional: Communicate with matching volunteers by checking the box beside each volunteer, scroll down and choose “send email” or “send text message”, from the “Communicate with Selected” dropdown menu
Click the [Assign] button beside each volunteer you wish to assign to the shift
Alternatively, check the box beside each volunteer you wish to assign, scroll down and click the [Assign Selected] button
Click the [Close] button when you have finished assigning volunteers to the shift
Note
Unscheduled activities won't show up on the Calendar view.
Assigning from the Pending Signup List
Assigning from the Pending Signup List
The Pending Signup List is a list of volunteers who have expressed an interest in an activity/shift that either does not have self-scheduling enabled, or is visible to a broader group than those that have permission to self-schedule.
Administrators can choose to assign these volunteers or decline the request.
You can also find this pending Signup list on your Admin Dashboard:
Go to Assign > From Pending Signup List
For long volunteer lists, use the filters in the top panel and click the [Filter Signups] button
Mouse over the Options icon to the left of a volunteer’s name (signup)
Click on “Assign”
Other action options in the dropdown menu include: View Signup Details, Delete Signup, View Volunteer, Edit Volunteer, or Send Email
Optional: Select multiple signups by checking the box next to their name, or “Select All” at the bottom of the list
From the “Choose Bulk Action“ dropdown menu, select:
“Assign Selected Volunteer Signups”
“Delete Selected Signups”
“Send Email”
“Send Text Message” (if enabled on your organization’s account)
Assigning from a Volunteer Profile
Assigning from a Volunteer Profile
If you are assigning a volunteer to a scheduled Activity, the activity must have shifts occurring either today or in the future.
You won't be able to assign a volunteer to a past shift from their profile. For that, please go to Assign > From Scheduled List and adjust the filters to display Activities for the desired date range.
Open the Volunteer's profile
OR
Go to: Assign >> From Volunteer Profile
Search for the desired profile
In the Search Results section, mouse over the Options icon beside the person’s name
Click on “Edit”
Click on the “Assign” tab
For long activity lists, use the filters in the top panel and click the [Filter Activities] button
Click on the name of the desired Activity
For scheduled Activities, you can use the “Filter Shifts” panel to find a specific shift(s)
Click the [Filter Shifts] button to apply the filters you have chosen
Assign the volunteer:
For scheduled activities:
Check the box in the “As” column for each applicable shift
You can also click the “As” box at the top of the list to assign the volunteer to all shifts
For unscheduled activities
Check the “Assigned” box
Click the [Save] button to assign the volunteer
Click the [Close] button when you are done.
Tip
If you can't find the activity you want to assign the volunteer to, try removing any filters.
Assigning volunteers to past shifts
Assigning volunteers to past shifts
Assigning a volunteer to a shift that has occurred in the past can only be done from the Scheduled List.
If the Activity has already been made Inactive, you will need to set it to active before it will show on your schedule.
You can edit this in the activity by going to Configuration, then clicking on “Manage Activities” found in the sidebar under Activities.
Go to Assign > From Scheduled List
Select the Activity Category and Activity you wish to assign the volunteer to
Adjust the Start Date and End Date
Click the [Filter Activities] button
Click on the desired shift name
In the “Assign Volunteer” window, you can use a variety of filters to find the volunteer you wish to assign (you might want to consider unchecking all current boxes and filtering by the desired volunteer’s Last Name).
Check the box beside each volunteer you wish to assign
Scroll down and click the [Assign Selected] button.
Assigning volunteers in bulk
Assigning volunteers in bulk
Across Scheduled, Unscheduled, Calendar, and Pending Signup views, administrators can:
Select multiple volunteers using checkboxes
Use bulk actions such as Assign Selected, Remove Selected, Send Email, or Send Text Message
Tip
Use filters first to narrow results before applying bulk actions, especially for large volunteer lists.
Volunteer experience: signing up for activities
Volunteer experience: signing up for activities
While administrators have tools to assign and manage volunteers, the scheduling process is designed so that volunteers can complete most steps themselves, depending on your activity and schedule settings.
Scheduling Process – The Volunteer Experience Overview
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Managing overlapping shifts and double bookings
If you have enabled alerts for double bookings and are assigning multiple volunteers to a shift (from the Scheduled List), you will be warned of the overlap, but you’ll still be able to assign the volunteers.
Administrators will see a checkmark if a shift overlaps with something the volunteer is already scheduled for. You can click on the “Overlap” checkmark to see the details of the overlap, or the “Today” checkmark to see the volunteer’s assignments for that day.
Assigning one volunteer with an overlap
Assigning one volunteer with an overlap
Overlapping shifts are indicated by a checkmark
Admins can view overlap details
Admins can still proceed with the assignment
Assigning multiple volunteers with overlaps
Assigning multiple volunteers with overlaps
Volunteers with overlaps are highlighted
A Double Booking Detected window appears
Admins can choose to:
Assign all selected volunteers
Assign only volunteers without overlaps
Volunteer view
Volunteer view
If a volunteer clicks on a scheduled activity in their “OPPORTUNITIES” tab, an [Overlap] button will be displayed beside any shifts that overlap with their current assignments.
The volunteer can click on the [Overlap] button to see the details of the overlap.
If the “Prevent volunteers from signing up for shifts that overlap with their existing assignments” option has been selected, by an admin in the organization’s Schedule Settings, the volunteer will be prevented from signing up for overlapping shifts.
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Remove Volunteers from the Schedule
Removing a volunteer from the schedule permanently removes any record of that assignment.
Remove an Individual Volunteer
Remove an Individual Volunteer
Open the volunteer's profile
Click on the “Schedule” tab
Mouse over the Options icon to the left of the assignment
To remove a volunteer from multiple assignments, check the boxes to the left of the assignments and choose “Remove Selected” from the dropdown menu at the bottom.
Select “Remove”
Click the [Remove] button
Remove Multiple Volunteers
Remove Multiple Volunteers
Go to: Assign > From Scheduled List (or From Unscheduled List)
Select the desired filters to apply
Click the [+] in the header or to the left of an Activity to show all assigned volunteers
Check the boxes to the left of the volunteers you would like to remove from the schedule
Choose “Remove Selected Assignments” from the “Choose Bulk Action” dropdown list.
Check the box to confirm
Click the [Remove] button
Important
It's not possible to recover removed assignments.
Viewing and Navigating the Schedule
Once volunteers have been signed up and assigned, the schedule becomes the primary place to review coverage, monitor upcoming shifts, and understand what’s happening at a glance.
This section focuses on how to read and navigate schedule views, what each view is best used for, and how to interpret what you see. It does not repeat assignment steps, which are covered in the previous section.
Where administrators view schedules
Schedule views are accessed from the Assign menu. The view you choose depends on whether you need date-based visibility, activity-based review, or ongoing assignment oversight.
The main schedule views are:
Assign > From Scheduled List
Assign > From Unscheduled List
Assign > From Calendar
Each view presents the same underlying data in a different way.
Scheduled List vs Unscheduled List
Scheduled List vs Unscheduled List
Scheduled List
The Scheduled List shows activities that have shifts with specific dates and times. This is the most commonly used schedule view for reviewing coverage.
From this view, administrators can:
Review upcoming and past shifts
Expand activities to see assigned volunteers
Identify vacant, signed-up, assigned, and confirmed shifts
Spot overlaps and gaps in coverage
Because these activities include dates and times, they represent true scheduled data.
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Unscheduled List
The Unscheduled List displays activities that do not use shifts, such as unscheduled or seasonal activities.
From this view, administrators can:
See which volunteers are assigned to ongoing activities
Review standing assignments
These assignments:
Do appear on the Schedule tab
Are not tied to dates or times
Do not create reportable schedule data
Note
All scheduled activities are assignments, but not all assignments are scheduled.
Calendar view (Visual Schedule)
Calendar view (Visual Schedule)
The Calendar view provides a visual, date-based summary of scheduled activities.
Go to: Assign > From Calendar
Key characteristics:
Displays two months at a time
Shows only activities with shifts
Excludes unscheduled and seasonal activities
From the calendar, administrators can:
See counts of shifts by status (Vacant, Signed Up, Assigned, Confirmed)
Click a date or month to view all associated shifts
Click a specific status to view only shifts with that status
Select a date range to display all shifts in that period
This view is especially useful for:
Identifying understaffed days
Reviewing busy periods
Planning ahead for upcoming coverage needs
Expanding activities and reviewing assignments
In both the Scheduled and Unscheduled List views, activities can be expanded to show assigned volunteers.
Click the [+] icon beside an activity (or [+ Show All Volunteers] in the header)
Assigned volunteers appear beneath the activity
Assignment status and indicators are visible at a glance
This allows administrators to quickly assess:
Who is assigned
Whether shifts are fully covered
Whether follow-up may be needed
Using filters and date ranges
Using filters and date ranges
All schedule views include filters to help narrow what’s displayed, such as:
Activity category
Activity name
Date range
Filters affect only the current view and do not change assignments or activity configuration.
Tip
If a shift or activity you expect to see is missing, review filters and date ranges first before assuming it does not exist.
What administrators see vs what volunteers see
What administrators see vs what volunteers see
Administrators
Can view all activities and shifts (subject to filters)
Always see volunteer names
See overlap indicators and assignment status
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Volunteers
Only see activities they are permitted to view
May see other volunteers listed as Anonymous, depending on privacy settings
See icons on their opportunity calendar indicating their status
Volunteer-facing icons and privacy behaviour are controlled by Schedule Settings and were covered earlier in this guide.
Common questions when reviewing schedules
Common questions when reviewing schedules
What you’re seeing | Why this happens |
“I can see assignments, but there are no dates.” | The activity is unscheduled or seasonal and does not use shifts. |
“The activity doesn’t appear in the calendar.” | Only activities with shifts appear in the calendar view. |
“I can see assignments, but can’t report on them later.” | Only scheduled activities (with shifts) create reportable schedule data. |
Note
Schedule views are designed for visibility and review.
Assignments and changes should be made using the scheduling tools covered in the previous section.
Troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions
This section addresses common questions and issues administrators encounter when scheduling volunteers. In most cases, the behaviour you’re seeing is expected and controlled by activity setup or Schedule Settings.
Q: A volunteer signed up, but they don’t appear on the schedule.
A: This usually means the signup has not yet moved to an assignment.
Check the following:
Whether the signup is still pending approval
Whether the activity allows self-scheduling or requires admin assignment
Pending signups can be reviewed from:
The Admin Dashboard
Assign > From Pending Signup List
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Q: Volunteers say they are scheduled, but the shift is not confirmed.
A: Confirmation may be required.
Check:
Whether Auto Confirm Assignments is disabled
Whether the volunteer still needs to confirm the shift on MyImpactPage
If confirmation is required and not completed, the assignment will not be treated as confirmed.
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Q: Hours didn’t log for a scheduled shift.
A: Scheduling and hours are related but separate.
Common causes include:
The assignment was not confirmed
Auto-log hours is not enabled for the activity
Auto-log hours settings require confirmed assignments
Review:
The assignment status on the schedule
Activity Hours and Timeclock settings
Your organisation’s Hours and Timeclock Settings
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Q: I can see assignments, but there are no dates.
A: The activity is likely unscheduled or seasonal and does not use shifts.
Unscheduled activities:
Support assignments
Do not create date-based schedule data
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Q: The activity doesn’t appear in the calendar.
A: Only activities with shifts appear in calendar-based views.
Check:
Whether the activity uses shifts
Whether the shift dates fall within the selected date range
Wether there are future shifts
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Q: I can see assignments, but I can’t report on them later.
A: Only scheduled activities (with shifts and dates) create reportable schedule data.
Assignments to unscheduled or seasonal activities can be reviewed using raw schedule data reports, but they will not appear in standard schedule-based reports.
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Q: Volunteers are showing as ‘Anonymous’ in shift rosters.
A: This is controlled by the volunteer’s privacy settings.
Admins:
Can always see volunteer names
Cannot override volunteer privacy preferences
Volunteers can update this setting in their profile on MyImpactPage or the mobile app.
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Q: I keep having to assign volunteers manually.
A: This is often a configuration issue rather than a scheduling problem.
Review:
Activity visibility and automation settings
Schedule Settings (self-scheduling, confirmation, overlap rules)
Tip
In many cases, improving configuration reduces the need for manual scheduling.
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When to check settings first
If scheduling feels more manual than expected, start by reviewing:
Schedule Settings
Activity Visibility and Automation rules
These controls are designed to support volunteer-led scheduling and reduce admin workload.
Wrapping up
Scheduling in Better Impact works best when it’s designed to be volunteer-led, supported by clear configuration, and reviewed regularly rather than managed manually.
Throughout this guide, you’ve seen that scheduling is not a single action, but a combination of:
Activity design
System-wide schedule settings
Volunteer signups and confirmations
Admin oversight and exception handling
Keeping these pieces aligned reduces confusion for volunteers and workload for administrators.
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Key principles to remember
All scheduled activities are assignments, but not all assignments are scheduled.
Only activities with shifts and dates create true, reportable schedule data.Configuration comes before correction.
If scheduling feels manual or error-prone, review activity setup and Schedule Settings before assigning or fixing shifts by hand.Signups show interest; assignments place volunteers; confirmation (when enabled) finalises the commitment.
Understanding where a volunteer is in this process makes troubleshooting faster and more predictable.Unscheduled activities serve a purpose.
They support ongoing or seasonal involvement but are not suitable for date-based coverage or schedule reporting.The schedule is a review tool, not just an action tool.
Use it to monitor coverage, identify gaps, and spot issues early, not only to make changes.______________________
Good habits for long-term success
Design activities with reporting and coverage needs in mind
Enable self-scheduling where appropriate to reduce admin effort
Use bulk actions and filters instead of individual edits
Review schedules regularly rather than reacting at the last minute
Treat troubleshooting as a signal to improve setup, not add more manual steps
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When to look elsewhere
This guide focuses on using and managing schedules. For related topics:
Activity and shift creation → Comprehensive Guide to Activities
Hours logging and approvals → Comprehensive Guide to Hours
Exports and analysis → Comprehensive Guide to Reporting