Administrator Training: Preparing the GC Volunteer Management for Volunteers

Maybe your initial configuration was just completed, you're a new staff member, or it's just been a while since you've been in the back end of GC Volunteer. This resource will walk you through all of the basics and best practices of the GC Volunteer Management administrator back end -- focused on getting the tool ready for your volunteers to do their work!

Prefer to watch instead of read? Watch this 30 minute training!

Step 1: Establish Roles

Roles are an essential baseline to GC Volunteer Management. Roles determine what different types of volunteers can see and do. Your parent volunteers might have access to different data and constituents than your class agents, etc.

• Role Permissions: Learn about the different permissions you can adjust for each role
• Constituent Cohorts and Role Builder: Do you have a volunteer roles where volunteers should see a list of constituents that's based on something other than class year -- such as geographic location or club? Cohorts will be your best friend! 
• Datapoints: In addition to role permissions, managing data points allows you to determine which biographical information volunteers can see

Step 2: Add Volunteer Email Templates, Resources, and Confidentiality Agreement

Once you've created volunteer roles, you can start adding the content and information into the system that will empower them to do their jobs -- unlocking email templates and other resources to support their outreach. Both email templates and volunteer resources can be tailored on a role by role basis, or by class year or affiliation.

• Creating an Email Template for your Volunteers: Remember to take your institutional hat off, and turn your volunteer voice on. These email templates can be written in a more casual tone -- give your volunteers permission to use their own voice. They shouldn't sound like a robot -- have fun with it!
• Resource Best Practices & Samples: Any information your volunteers might ask for should be housed within GC VM. This could be talking points about the Annual Fund, FAQs about reunion, your volunteer handbook, tips and tricks for using the GC VM, social media sharing graphics etc. Load those all into the 'Resources' section!
• Confidentiality Agreement: Visit the Manage Volunteers tab > Confidentiality Agreements to add your confidentiality agreement to the system. Determine the frequency at which volunteers must agree to that and you'll be ready to rock! 

Step 3: Load Volunteers & Manage Assignments

Now that you've set up your roles and added resources and email templates, you're ready to actually add volunteers to the system and get them set up with their assignments! Remember, simply adding volunteers to the system will not send them any emails or encourage them to register; that will come in Step 4! 

• Adding Volunteers to GC VM: Add volunteers individually or in bulk!
• Instructions for Volunteers: Requesting Assignments
• Adding Assignments for your Volunteers
• How to "Ghost" as a Volunteer: Want to see what the volunteer experience will look like before you invite volunteers? 'Ghost' as a volunteer to see exactly what they see!

Step 4: Activate Volunteers

Now that we've prepped GC Volunteer Management and added our volunteers, we're ready to invite them to register and start doing their work. There are two ways you can engage volunteers to register via the administrator dashboard

• Trigger Default Registration Email: Via the Manage Volunteers tab > Volunteers, you'll be able to 'email new unregistered volunteers' or resend an email to those who still haven't registered. You can also resend a registration email to individual volunteers who haven't registered yet. 
  • Pro-Tip: This default registration email comes from GiveCampus and is very transactional. We recommend sending your volunteers something ahead of time so they know this isn't spam. It could say something like 'We have a new Volunteer Portal! You'll receive an email shortly from GiveCampus to register for your account!" 
  • If you prefer to customize your own registration email, use the 'Email Volunteers' functionality below! 

• Emailing Volunteers: Create email templates for your team to send to volunteers. Use the built in filters to email volunteers based on whether they have registered or not, by role, by class year, and when they were last active in the system.
• Initial Rollout Communication Plan
• Volunteer Activation Communication Plan

Note: this article does not cover set up of GC Volunteer Management related to data and gift configurations; for more information and questions related to data management, visit the GC Volunteer Management section of GiveCampus University.