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Volunteer Can't Log In: Why SSO Password Resets Don't Apply to VolunteerBuddy

If a volunteer is trying to log in to ShelterBuddy and isn't receiving a password reset email from your organization's SSO provider (Entra, OneLogin, Azure, or Google), this article explains why — and what to do instead.

Any of the following usually indicate this issue:

  • A volunteer reports "I can't log in — it accepts my email but says my password is wrong."
  • They request a password reset but no email arrives from Entra / OneLogin / Azure / Google / Microsoft.
  • They've checked their Spam and Junk folders and nothing is there.
  • The login page appears to accept their email address, then rejects their password.
  • They land on a Microsoft / OneLogin / Google sign-in screen when they try to reach ShelterBuddy.

Cause

VolunteerBuddy does not use your organization's Single Sign-On (SSO) system. This is by design — VolunteerBuddy has its own dedicated login, and passwords are managed entirely within ShelterBuddy.

SSO (Entra, OneLogin, Azure, Google, Microsoft) applies only to these ShelterBuddy products:

  • ShelterBuddy Pro
  • Dispatch
  • Virtual Shelter
  • Online Licensing
  • Finance Buddy

VolunteerBuddy is separate from your organization's SSO. That means:

  • Volunteers do not have SSO credentials for VolunteerBuddy.
  • A password reset for a VolunteerBuddy account comes from ShelterBuddy — not from your SSO provider.
  • Waiting for an email from Entra / OneLogin / Azure / Google will not help. It was never going to be sent.

Solution

Option 1 (most common): Use the VolunteerBuddy login URL directly

Volunteers must always log in at the VolunteerBuddy-specific URL. It ends with /volunteering/login.

Example: https://[yourshelter].shelterbuddy.com/volunteering/login

If a volunteer tries to log in at the main ShelterBuddy site URL (without /volunteering/login), they will be redirected to your organization's SSO provider — which doesn't have a record of them. This produces the symptoms above.

Tip: Ask volunteers to bookmark the full /volunteering/login URL so they never land on the wrong page.

Option 2: Use the "Forgot Password" link on the VolunteerBuddy login page

If the volunteer has forgotten their password:

  1. Have them go directly to https://[yourshelter].shelterbuddy.com/volunteering/login.
  2. Click the Forgot Password link below the login fields.
  3. Enter the email address associated with their VolunteerBuddy account.
  4. Check inbox (and Spam folder) for an email from ShelterBuddy — not from your SSO provider.

Option 3: If the reset email still doesn't arrive, check for duplicate records

If the volunteer has tried Options 1 and 2 but still receives nothing, the cause is usually a duplicate person record or a stale email on the VolBuddy account. Admin access is required for these checks:

  • Administration > Edit User Access > Find User — search by the volunteer's email. Set the dropdowns to All Physical Locations and All active/inactive settings. If the same email appears on more than one user account, it must be removed from every account except the VolBuddy login.
  • Person Record > Contact Details > Emails — confirm the email on the Volunteer Buddy Account is current and correct.
  • If the person has had records merged at any point, the VolBuddy email may have been overwritten. Go to the volunteer's Person record, update the Volunteer Buddy Account email, and click Update Details.

What About Volunteers Who Also Have ShelterBuddy Access?

Some volunteers — volunteer coordinators, for example — also have paid-staff ShelterBuddy accounts.

  • Their Pro login does go through SSO.
  • Their VolBuddy login does not.
  • If their Pro session expires while they are working in VolunteerBuddy, ShelterBuddy may redirect them to the Pro login page, which in turn redirects them to SSO (Entra, OneLogin, etc.).
  • When this happens, they should close that browser tab and return to https://[yourshelter].shelterbuddy.com/volunteering/login directly, then log in with their VolBuddy credentials.

Prevention

To reduce the volume of login tickets:

  • Bookmark the /volunteering/login URL on every volunteer-facing device.
  • Include the direct URL (not the main shelter URL) in your volunteer welcome email template.
  • When explaining login troubles to volunteers, clarify up front: VolunteerBuddy is not part of our organization's single sign-on system.

Still Having Issues?

If a volunteer has tried all of the above and still cannot log in, open a support ticket with Pet Loyalty. To save a round trip, include:

  1. The exact URL they are using to log in.
  2. A screenshot of the error message they are seeing.
  3. Confirmation that they are a volunteer (VolunteerBuddy user) and not a staff member (ShelterBuddy Pro user).

Related Articles

  • Volunteer Can't Login — full troubleshooting checklist for VolBuddy access issues
  • Coming soon: How SSO Works in ShelterBuddy — which products are covered, which are not.