VolunteerBuddy - How to setup this module as an admin.

1. Getting Started: The Two Key Decisions

Before anything else, you must decide on two things for your client's VolunteerBuddy module:

• Who is the Administrator? The admin has full control to create locations, qualifications, roles, and rosters. They must be an active Shelter Buddy user.
• Will you allow volunteers to self-roster? This decision is crucial.
  • If Yes: You must let ShelterBuddy know to enable this feature. Volunteers will manage their own shifts.
  • If No: The administrator will manually handle all rostering.

2. Setting Up the Foundation: Locations and Qualifications

This is the initial setup that makes all other rostering and management possible.

A. Adding Volunteer Locations

Volunteer Locations are the places where people can work. You must add these before you can create any roles or shifts.

• Step 1: Access the Location Page
  • From the VolunteerBuddy portal, click the down arrow next to More and select Location.
  • Click the +Add Location button to begin.
• Step 2: Choose Your Location Type
  • If the location is a physical shelter already in ShelterBuddy:
    • Leave the "Create From Shelter Buddy" button set to Yes.
    • Select the location from the dropdown menu. This will automatically pull the location's information.
  • If the location is NOT in ShelterBuddy (e.g., a special event or an "Op Shop"):
    • Change the "Create From Shelter Buddy" button to No.
    • Manually enter the Location Name and Address.
• Step 3: Set Time Zone and Coordinator Details
  • For either location type, you must enter a Time Zone. This helps with rostering and is a required field. You can type in the name of a city to find the correct time zone.
  • After adding the location, click the Edit button to enter the Location Coordinator's name, phone number, and email address.

B. Adding Qualifications

Qualifications ensure that only volunteers with the correct training or certifications can be assigned to certain roles.

• Step 1: Access the Qualifications Page
  • From the VolunteerBuddy portal, click the down arrow next to More and select Qualifications.
  • This page shows all existing qualifications.
• Step 2: Decide on an Expiry Date
  • Qualifications can either expire or be indefinite.
  • If the qualification expires (e.g., a first-aid certification or license):
    • Enter the number of months it is valid for as a whole number (e.g., 12 for one year) in the "Valid For (Default)" box. The system will automatically mark it as expired after this time.
  • If the qualification is indefinite (e.g., "Completed Orientation" or "Expert Dog Walker"):
    • Leave the "Valid For (Default)" box blank.
• Step 3: Add the New Qualification
  • Click the Add New Qualification button.
  • You can then add a Name and a Description for the qualification.
• Step 4: Managing Qualifications
  • Once created, you can always go back and Edit the qualification to change its name, description, or validity period.
  • You can also Delete a qualification entirely if it is no longer needed.

3. Setting Up Roles & Shifts

This is where you define volunteer work.

• Create a Role: Give the role a descriptive name (e.g., "Dog Walking"), assign a location, and add required qualifications and tags.
• Create a Shift for that Role:
  • If you allow self-rostering: Make sure the Private Shift option is set to No. The shift will then be visible to volunteers. Enter the Suggested Number of Volunteers you need. Once that number is met, the shift will no longer be offered for self-rostering, but an admin can still manually add volunteers.
  • If you do NOT allow self-rostering: Leave the Private Shift option set to Yes. The shift will be hidden from volunteers and can only be managed by an administrator.

4. Managing Volunteers

• Create a Volunteer Profile:
  • Then: Find the person's record in Shelter Buddy and click the Volunteer category to create a login.
  • If you get a prompt to enter an email even though one is there: The email is already in use. You must search for the email in Advanced Person Search.
    • If it's a duplicate record for the same person: Merge the files to fix the issue.
    • If it's a different person (e.g., a family member): The volunteer needs a unique email address.
• Roster Volunteers:
  • If you allow self-rostering: Volunteers will log into their portal, go to My Roster, and click Add a Shift to assign themselves.
  • If you don't allow self-rostering: As an administrator, go to the role's View Roster, select a shift, and click +Add Volunteer to manually assign a qualified volunteer.
• Add Hours Manually (as Admin):
  • If a volunteer can't clock in (e.g., power outage): Find their shift on the roster, click Set Time Worked, adjust the start/end times to reflect their hours, and click Save.
• Helping Non-Tech-Savvy Volunteers:
  • If the volunteer doesn't have an email: Create a free one with them and use a simple password.
  • Then: Use the same password for their VolunteerBuddy account.
  • And then: Practice logging in and out, and show them how to Clock on for a shift by clicking View and then the clock-on button.

5. Key Reports to Use

• Active Volunteer's Information Report (576): See a list of all active volunteers.
• Volunteer Hours by Person (28): See a total of hours worked by each volunteer.
• Volunteer Hours by Role Report (436): See the number of hours worked for each volunteer role.
• Volunteers Rostered (30): See who is scheduled for a specific week.
• Trained Volunteers not Yet Logged In (326): Find volunteers who have been trained but haven't worked a shift yet.

1. Creating a Volunteer Role

A Role is a task or job volunteers can be assigned to.

• Find Roles: Go to VolunteerBuddy from the main menu, then click Roles.
• Add a Role: Click +Add Role, enter a name and location, then click Add New Role.
• Add Details: Find the new role, click View > Edit to add a description, tags, and required qualifications.
• Add Alerts: At the bottom, click +Add Alert to add messages (Danger, Warning, or Information) for volunteers working this role.

2. Adding a Shift to a Role

A Shift is a specific date and time for a role.

• Find Shifts: From the Roles page, click View Roster next to the role.
• Add a Shift: Scroll down to the Shifts section and click +Add Shift.
• Set Details: Give the shift a name, start and end times, and select the days of the week it's available.
• Set Volunteer Capacity: Enter the number of volunteers needed. The system will stop offering the shift for self-rostering once this number is met.
• Choose Visibility: Set Private Shift to No to allow volunteers to self-roster, or Yes to make it visible only to administrators for manual rostering.

3. Creating a Volunteer Profile and Login

A Profile gives a volunteer access to the system.

• Find Person: Go to Person Search and find the volunteer's record. An email address is required.
• Create Login: On their Person Details Page, scroll to Person Categories and click the Volunteer link.
• Select Email: A pop-up will appear. Select the email address for the login. The system will then email the volunteer a link to set their password.
• Add Details: On the new profile page, click Edit to add locations, tags, notes, and qualifications. You can also give them direct access to the ShelterBuddy site.

4. Rostering a Volunteer as an Administrator

Sometimes you need to manually assign a volunteer to a shift.

• Find Roster: Go to the Roles page and click View Roster next to the role.
• Add a Volunteer: Click on a specific shift, then click Edit > +Add Volunteer.
• Select Volunteer: Choose the volunteer from the dropdown. Only qualified volunteers will appear.
• Confirm: Click Save to confirm the new roster.

5. Adding Hours as an Administrator

This is for when a volunteer cannot log their own hours.

• Find Roster: Go to the Roles page, find the role, then click the View Roster button.
• Find Volunteer: Find the volunteer's name on the roster and click it.
• Set Time Worked: Click the Set Time Worked button.
• Adjust and Save: Adjust the start and end times to reflect their actual hours, then click Set Time Worked again to save.

6. Troubleshooting Login Issues

If a volunteer's email won't work for a login:

• The Cause: The email is already in use for another VolunteerBuddy login, usually due to a duplicate record.
• The Fix: Use the Advanced Person Search and enter the email address.
  • If multiple records for the same person appear, merge the files.
  • If multiple records for different people appear, you need to find a new, unique email address for the volunteer.