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Emailing Volunteers

Updated

Necessary fields and content:

  • Template Name
  • Template Description
  • Audience – select either Volunteers (for admin-to-volunteer outreach) or Constituents (donors) (for volunteer outreach to assignments). This choice controls which merge tokens are available and which volunteers can access the template.
  • Subject Line
  • Email body content

Available merge tokens:

  • Volunteer Name
  • Volunteer First Name
  • Volunteer Class Year
  • Volunteer Role

  • of Assignments

  • of Assignments who have given

  • Last activity date

Once your content is complete, click Create template to save it and make it available for volunteer communications. When editing an existing template, the button reads Save changes.

An essential part of a strong volunteer program is regular communication to volunteers. To facilitate this outreach, Administrators in GC Volunteer Management are able to use the "Email Volunteers" tab do do outreach to volunteers - both registered and unregistered.

This will allow you to create templates, filter volunteers based on things like registration status, role, class year, last activity, and then email volunteers right within GiveCampus -- making it easier than ever for you to motivate and activate your volunteers.

Step 1: Creating Templates

Under the "Email Volunteers" tab in your GC Volunteer Management Administrator Dashboard there is an option for "Email Templates". These email templates are intended for administrator use and are not shared with volunteers. However, they are visible and able to be used by other Volunteer Management administrators at your school. 

To get started, click the "New Email Template" button.

Merge Tokens: 
Just as with email templates created for volunteers, you'll be able to include imagery, links, and merge tokens. There are some new merge tokens available to use when communicating with volunteers: 

 

Step 2: Emailing Volunteers

From the "Email Volunteers" tab you'll see all volunteers for your school, pre-filtered to those that you manage. The page is automatically split into two sections  - those volunteers who are registered and those who are unregistered.

 

Use Filters: 
If you'd like to filter the list further , you can select the "Filters" button and refine the list to see only volunteers which meet those filter criteria, which include:

  • Class Year
  • Role
  • Assignment Giving
  • Volunteer Activity


Emailing Selected Volunteers: 

  • Filter Your List
  • Select all volunteers in that list or you can select only certain volunteers from that list. 
  • Press "Email Selected Volunteers.
  • Choose a template and make any adjustments to the email subject or body. 
  • You can send yourself a test of the email or just send the email to your volunteers! 
  • Celebrate and monitor email statistics in aggregate and for individual volunteers! 🎉

 

Email Replies and Notifications

Volunteer email functionality and limitations

Volunteers using the GC Volunteer Management email tool cannot add arbitrary CC recipients. The only available option is the “Send me a copy” checkbox, which appears only if their role permits it.

There is no field for additional CC addresses, ensuring compliance with your institution’s communication policies.

Recipient list ordering and CC options

When sending emails through Volunteer Management, volunteers cannot add CC recipients manually. They can only request a copy of the email by selecting the Send me a copy checkbox—an option that appears only if their role is configured to allow it.

Additionally, the recipient list is displayed in alphabetical order by last name, ensuring a consistent and predictable order.

Troubleshooting: Test copy ("Send Test to Me") never arrives

If a volunteer selects Send me a copy and does not receive the email, a common cause is a school-level notification setting that disables system notifications for volunteers.

What this is and where it lives

  • The test-copy email is delivered as a system notification. When your school checks the Disable VMS System Notification Emails to Volunteers option, it blocks these notifications, preventing volunteers from receiving test copies.
  • You can find this setting in the VMS administrator dashboard under Settings in the General section.

How to restore test-copy functionality

  1. Open the VMS admin dashboard and navigate to Settings, then expand the General section.
  2. Uncheck Disable VMS System Notification Emails to Volunteers.
  3. Click Save Settings. Once saved, volunteers will be able to send and receive test-copy emails again.

Additional Effects of the Toggle

This option controls all system-generated notifications for volunteers. When enabled, it also suppresses other automatic emails such as notifications for pairing/unpairing and role changes.

What this setting does not affect

Volunteers can still compose and send emails directly to their assigned constituents. This setting only affects system-generated notifications, including the test-copy feature.

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