Advanced Account Set Up¶

Volgistics includes a variety of setup and customization options you can use to adapt the system to best suit your own needs for tracking and coordinating volunteers.

Setting Up Advanced Features¶

This help topic includes a plan you can follow to initially set up the more advanced aspects of Volgistics for your organization. It lists each of the key set up tasks with links to other help topics that have instructions on how to complete each task. If you have not set up most of the basics in your account yet, this should be done first.

1. Choose Fields for Service Entries¶

If you plan on tracking the number of hours volunteers serve, you can customize which fields appear for tracking hour information when you enter hour records manually. These are set on the Service Tracking Ground Rules page.

2. Add Service Measures¶

In addition to tracking volunteer service hours, Volgistics also allows you to track things such as the number of tours a volunteer gave, the number of phone calls a volunteer made, how many miles a volunteer drove, or how many absences a volunteer has accumulated. To do this, you create custom Service Measures in your account.

The Service Measure Set Up help topic shows how to do this. If you're unsure of what Service Measures you might need, or are not ready to set these up now, you can always do this later.

3. Add Merit Hours¶

You may have assignments or schedule times for which you would like to modify your volunteers' recorded hours. For example, if you have schedule shifts where volunteers take a lunch break and you want to deduct half an hour from their recorded hours. Or if you want to give volunteers who serve on weekends or holidays time and a half instead of their regular hours. You can do this by setting up Merit Hour rules in your account.

You can set up Merit Hour rules in your account now, but if you're unsure of what rules you might need, you can always do this later.

4. Add Service Values¶

Some organizations track a monetary value for the service hours that volunteers perform. If you'd like to do this, you can setup a default value for all assignments, or select a different value for different assignments. You can even select a time frame for when the value will apply.

The Add Service Values help topic shows how to do this. If you're unsure of what Service Values you might need, or are not ready to set these up now, you can always do this later.

5. Add Mandatory Service¶

You may have programs where volunteers are required to perform a certain number of service hours. For example, students working on volunteer service required by a school, volunteers who earn an incentive such as a free museum pass, or even court required community service. In these cases, you can use Volgistics' Mandatory Service feature to track these volunteers.

6. Configure Your Account Statistics¶

Volgistics can also track statistical information about your volunteers and their service. This statistical information appears in the Statistics box at the bottom of the Core tab of your volunteer records and includes information like the date the volunteer last recorded service, how long they have been serving with your organization, their total number of hours served with your organization, the number of hours they have served in the current fiscal year, and the number of hours they have served in the current month.

You can choose which statistics appear in the Statistics box and customize how these different statistics are calculated in your account's Statistics settings. In addition to customizing which of the previously listed statistics are included in the Statistics box, these settings allow you to include service measure statistics, create your own service subtotals, and choose when your fiscal year begins.

7. Add Checklist Items¶

The Volgistics Checklist feature provides tools for keeping track of actions or requirements that new or current volunteers must complete. If your organization has requirements for volunteers, such as those listed below, you can setup a Checklist item for each requirement and then use the Checklist feature to monitor and manage compliance for each. Each account can have up to 54 different Checklist items.

You can use the Checklist to track requirements such as:

• Attending orientation
• Health screenings
• Confidentially agreements
• Parental consent forms
• Background checks
• Reference checks

If your organization has specific volunteer requirements like these that you need to track, you can add them to your account now by following the step-by-step instructions in Create a Checklist Item.

If you're not ready to add Checklist items now, or if you are not sure what all of your volunteer requirements are, you can always add (or modify) Checklist items later.

8. Add Awards¶

If your organization gives formal volunteer recognition, such as awards, for volunteer service, you can use Volgistics to manage your recognition program. For awards based on measurable volunteer service (such as hours served or years of service), Volgistics can automatically keep track of which volunteers are eligible for each award based on the information recorded on the volunteer's record. You can learn more about this feature in Award Overview.

If your organization has a formal volunteer recognition program, follow the steps in Create an Award to set up your program.

If you're not ready to add award items now, or if you are not sure what all of your volunteer awards are, you can always add (or modify) award items later.

9. Create Application Forms¶

You may want to create one or more application forms to collect information from prospective volunteers. When applicants submit a completed form, you can accept their record into your database and the information is automatically transferred so you do not need to enter it manually.

To setup your forms, you may also find the application form settings help topic useful.

You can also add a link to your application form on your organization's website.

10. Add Opportunity Directory¶

Volgistics comes with an Opportunity Directory feature that allows prospective volunteers to view Assignments they may be interested in. You can put a link to this directory right on your website.

You can also add the Opportunity Directory to your organization's website.

11. Add Email Types¶

Volgistics provides email preference features needed to ensure the integrity of automatic and mass messages. These features enable volunteers and coordinators to opt-in or opt-out of different types of automatic or mass messages your organization might routinely send.

You should also set up your account to include the different types of email and text messages you will be sending.

12. Set Up VicNet¶

The VicNet module allows your volunteers to sign in to a secure portal from any internet connected computer to perform tasks like viewing and managing their schedules, signing up for vacant openings, keeping their contact information up to date, posting their hours, receiving news and messages, and checking on service information recorded for them.

If you will be using VicNet, you can set this up now. You can also wait and get your volunteers on-board with the online portal later on.

13. Set Up VicTouch¶

The VicTouch module is used to provide interactive onsite touch screen kiosks for volunteers. Among other features, VicTouch provides a time-clock function volunteers can use to check-in and out when they arrive and depart. Service recorded this way will automatically be added to volunteer records.

If you will be using VicTouch, you can set this up now. Or, you can choose to wait and get volunteers using the time clock functions later on.

14. Set Up VicDocs¶

VicDocs is the optional module that allows you to store electronic documents on volunteer, Coordinator, and Site, Place, and Assignment records.

If you will be using VicDocs, you can set this up now.

If you're following along with the Getting Started Guide, you've reached a point where you're about ready to begin using the system. If you skipped some setup options, you can always return and set these up later. The help topics that follow in the guide explain how to perform some tasks that you might find helpful as you use Volgistics to manage and track your volunteers.