Checklist Expiration Date Calculation¶
When you setup a checklist item, you specify how often volunteers must complete it. For items that you make Periodic, Annual (same date for all volunteers) or Annual (volunteer's birthday month), Volgistics automatically calculates the item's next expiration date based on your choices.
Periodic¶
The rules for calculating expiration dates for periodic items depend on whether the item is setup to expire x days after it was last performed, or after it last expired.
After It Was Last Performed¶
When you setup a periodic item to expire x number of days after it was last performed, the item will expire x days after the date the item was most recently performed.
After It Last Expired¶
When you setup a periodic item to expire x number of days after it last expired, the expiration date is calculated by adding x days to the last date this item expired for the given volunteer, with these exceptions: If the volunteer has never completed the item before, or if the item expired more than x days ago. In these cases the expiration date is calculated as x days after it is performed.
Here are some examples. If you setup a checklist item called 'Health screening' to expire 365 days after it last expired, and a volunteer completes it for the very first time on January 10, 2002, it would expire 365 days later on January 10, 2003 (there is no earlier expiration date).
If that same volunteer completes a 'Health screening' again on January 20, 2003, it will expire next as expected on January 10, 2004 (365 days after it last expired on January 10, 2003). However, if the same volunteer does not complete another 'Health screening' until March 20, 2005 (for whatever reason), then this item would expire next on March 20, 2006 for this volunteer, and not January 10, 2004 (it would not make sense for a 'Health screening' performed on March 20, 2005 to expire on January 10, 2004 because January 2004 is earlier than March 2005).
Annual¶
The rules for calculating expiration dates for annual items - whether they are setup to expire on the same date for all volunteers or on a specific date in each individual volunteer's birthday month - depend on whether volunteers may or may not complete it early.
May Complete Early¶
When you setup an annual item so volunteers may complete it early, it will expire on the upcoming annual expiration date for a given volunteer if they have never completed the item before, or they have not completed it since it last expired.
If a volunteer has completed the item for the current year, and they complete it again before their next expiration date (i.e. you make a checklist entry manually on the History tab for this item, with a Date before the next annual expiration date), their expiration date is advanced by one year.
If a volunteer completes the item for a future year (i.e. you make a checklist entry manually on the History tab for this item, with a Date after the next annual expiration date), their expiration date is calculated as the next annual expiration date after the future completion date.
Here is an example: Suppose you setup a checklist item called Dues to expire annually on April 1st for all volunteers. If a new volunteer completes the item by paying their dues for the first time on November 1, 2002, the item will expire next on April 1, 2003 - the next annual expiration date for Dues.
If the same volunteer pays dues again before the April 1, 2003 expiration date, the volunteer's expiration date will be advanced one year to April 1, 2004 because they have paid in advance for the next year. Now suppose the same volunteer also pays an additional year's dues in advance (they want to be 'paid up' through April 1, 2005). If you make another Dues entry for this volunteer (on their History tab), with a Date later than April 1, 2004, the volunteer's next expiration date is advanced appropriately to April 1, 2005.
Likewise, consider how this would work if the Dues checklist item were setup to expire annually on the 1st of each volunteer's birthday month and volunteers are permitted to complete the item early: If a new volunteer with a January birthday pays their dues for the first time when they become a member in July 2002, the item will expire for them on January 1, 2003. If the volunteer completes the item again before the January 1, 2003 due date, their expiration date would be advanced to January 1, 2004 since they paid in advance for the next year.
May Not Complete Early¶
When you setup an annual item so volunteers may not complete it early, it will always expire on the upcoming annual expiration date for a given volunteer no matter when, or how often they last completed the item.
For example, if you setup an annual (same date for all volunteers) checklist item called Credential Check that expires on July 1 every year, the item will expire for a volunteer even if they most recently completed it on June 30th. In addition, if you make manual entries on a volunteer's History tab for the Credential Check with dates later than the next July 1st, it will still expire next on the next July 1st.
Similarly, if the Credential Check item were setup as an annual (volunteer's birthday month) checklist item that must be completed the 15th of each volunteer's birthday month, it would become due for the volunteer on the 15th of their birthday month, even if they just completed the item on the 10th of their birthday month.