Add New Activity

About this feature: The activities feature is used to post the available volunteer positions (roles, jobs, assignments, tasks, etc.). Activities are required to track volunteer engagement, including contributed hours. Any hours that are recorded for/by a volunteer must be associated with an activity. 

Step 1: Basic Info 

1. Go to: Configuration, then click on “Manage Activities” found in the sidebar under Activities 

2. Mouse over the Options icon in the “Activities” header and click on “New Activity” (or click the [+ New Activity] button at the bottom of the page) 
   • Enterprise accounts will have a “Use a Template” option 

3. Activity: Enter name (maximum 200 characters) 

4. Select the options: 
   • Category:  From dropdown menu 
   • Activity Report Group: Enterprise Accounts only; from dropdown menu 
   • Application Form: From dropdown menu 
   • Active Status: Check to make active 
   • Hours Logging: Check to enable 
   • Group Sign up: Check to enable 
   • Auto Log Hours: Check to enable 
   • Enable Backup List: Check to enable 

5. Option: Enter Descriptions:  
   • Pre-assigned: Seen by those not yet assigned/scheduled 
   • Post-assigned: Seen by assigned/scheduled volunteers  
   •  Internal: Visible only to Administrators 

6. Click the [Next] button to choose your schedule options 

Note: If activities represent support for individual clients within your organization, please keep in mind that using the names of these clients or other client information in the name of the activity, or the description, will make this information visible to all volunteers who can see the activity. Names of activities may also be sent by email, if upcoming schedule data is requested by the volunteer. For privacy reasons, you may want to consider using a different naming convention.

Step 2: Schedule 

1. Choose from five schedule option tabs at the top: 
   • Recurring Pattern: Multiple shift times with a regular pattern 
   • Disjointed: Multiple shift times with no set pattern 
   • One Time: Single shift date and time 
   • Seasonal: Unscheduled within a finite date range 
   • No Schedule: Unscheduled (no set shift times) 

2. Enter the required information, i.e., dates, shift start times, end times, etc. 

3. Click the [Next] button 

IMPORTANT: Shifts cannot be added to an unscheduled or seasonal Activity. All shifts cannot be removed from a scheduled Activity. If you have saved the Activity but need to change the schedule type, mouse over the Options icon next the activity and select “Update Activity Type”. 

Step 3: Visibility and Automation 

1. Visible to: Select which volunteers can see your Activity (Note: if they can see it, they can sign up for it): 
   • Only volunteers who are signed up, assigned or on the backup list 
   • Visible to all volunteers who are: check the status(es) and qualifications (optional) volunteers must have  
   • Public: All of your volunteers can see the Activity (it will also appear on your Activity List signup link to potential applicants) 

2. Self-Scheduling: Automatically assign these volunteers when they sign up for the Activity/shift based on status(es) and qualifications (optional) 

3. Auto Lock: Prevents volunteers from signing up when an Activity/shift is full 

4. Minimum Volunteers: Minimum number of people needed for the Activity/shift 

5. Maximum Volunteers: Maximum number of people needed for the Activity/shift (triggers the auto-lock) 

6. Allow volunteers to remove themselves: if enabled, enter a number in the hours box (default will be set as 0) 

7. Cut off signup: If enabled, you can prevent people from signing up for a shift within a specified number of hours before it begins (must be a whole number great than 0) 

8. Click the [Next] button to move on to the Qualifications, or click the [Save] button if no additional settings are needed. 

Step 4: Qualifications 

1. Using the dropdown menus, select the relevant Qualification(s) for the activity. 
   • Volunteers must meet or exceed what you select here to be considered qualified for the Activity. Considered qualified for the Activity can define whether or not volunteers can see it (Visibility) and whether or not they can Self Schedule; as set in Step 3. 

2. Click the [Next] button to move on to the Feedback Fields, or [Save] if you are not adding any Feedback Questions or Classifications (Classifications exist for Enterprise clients only). 

Step 5: Feedback Fields 

1. Check the box next to any Feedback Field(s) to associate them with the activity. 
   • Once associated, volunteers will be able to complete the fields when they are logging hours for the activity. 
   • If the Feedback Field you need for this Activity has not yet been created, you can do so by clicking the [Add New] button 

2. Click the [Next] button to move on to Schedule Classifications (or “Classifications” for Enterprise clients), or [Save] if you are not adding any classifications. 

Step 6: Classifications 

Classifications can be used to provide more information for your General Interests, and Activities in your organizations to enable users to search for opportunities. Classifications can also appear on your organizations application form(s) enabling administrators to search for users with specific classification values.  

1. Check the box beside the Classification options to associate them with this activity. 

2. Click the [Save] button, or [Next] to move on to Notifications if your organization has a PLUS subscription. 

Step 7: Notifications (PLUS Subscriptions only) 

Plus subscription administrators are able to select for which activities they will receive notifications.  

1. Check the box “Select administrators to be notified for this activity” 

2. Check the box beside each administrator that should receive Activity Notifications for this specific activity. 

1. Note: Administrators will also need to have Activity Notifications selected in the Miscellaneous section of their profile. 

3. Click the [Save] button. 

IMPORTANT: If administrators are selected to get notifications for a specific activity, or activities, they will ONLY get notifications for those activities. If an administrator has not been selected for specific activities, they will receive notifications for ALL activities (including those that have administrators specified) based up on the selections made in the Miscellaneous section of their profile.