Questions and answers
The things coordinators usually ask before they start.
The basics
- What is VolunteerSlot?
- A simple way to schedule volunteers. You list the jobs, how many people each needs and the dates; you share one link; volunteers pick their own shifts. It handles one-day events, the same days every week, jobs the volunteer can do any day that week, and things to bring, like potluck dishes or bake sale treats. See how it works.
- Does it cost anything?
- Not for one-day events. The Free plan covers a food drive, a bake sale or a potluck, with shifts and things to bring on one link. Programs that run every week use Plus, which is $10 a month or $100 a year.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in your web browser on any computer, tablet or phone. There's no app to download, for you or your volunteers.
- How long does it take to set up?
- Creating your organization takes about two minutes, and a first schedule about five. The getting started guide walks through each step with pictures.
Your volunteers
- Do volunteers need to make an account?
- No. They open your link, tick the shifts they want, and type their name and email. Only the coordinator has an account.
- What if a volunteer isn't comfortable with technology?
- If they can open a link in an email or a text, they can sign up. The page explains itself in four short steps, and the buttons are large enough for a phone.
- Someone phoned me instead of using the link. Can I add them?
- Yes. On your schedule's page, press the “+ needed” box under the job and date, type their name and email, and press Add. People who've signed up before are suggested as you type.
- Can volunteers sign up for more than one shift?
- Yes, as many as they like in one go. They can only take one shift on any single day, so nobody is booked in two places at once.
- Can people sign up to bring food or supplies?
- Yes. When you make a schedule, choose “Things to bring” and list the items: a dish for the potluck, two dozen brownies, paper plates. People can sign up to bring as many items as they like, and the one-a-day limit doesn't apply. Choose “Shifts to work” too and both go on the same link, so a bake sale needs one link for bakers and table helpers, not two.
- Do volunteers get reminders?
- Everyone gets a confirmation right away with a calendar invite attached, and the invite sets its own reminder the evening before. On Plus, VolunteerSlot also sends a reminder email the day before each shift. Reminders are by email; there are no text messages.
- What happens when someone can't make it?
- Every confirmation has a Cancel link that opens the spot back up, and you get an email when it’s used. On Plus, there’s also a “Need a sub?” link: everyone else on the schedule is asked to cover, the first to say yes takes the shift, and you’re told who did.
Plans and payment
- What's the difference between Free and Plus?
- Free is for one-day events: one date per schedule, with up to 2 open at a time. Plus is for programs that run every week: schedules over many dates, reminder emails the day before, “Need a sub?” requests, saved roles, and no limit on schedules. Compare the plans.
- What does “open” mean?
- A schedule is open until the day after its event. Once your bake sale is over, it stops counting, so you never need to delete anything to make room for the next one.
- Do my volunteers ever pay?
- No. Volunteers never pay and never make an account, on either plan.
- How do I pay, and can I cancel?
- From the Plan page in your account, by card, monthly or yearly. Payments go through Stripe, so your card number never reaches VolunteerSlot. Cancel any time and Plus stays on until the end of the period you've paid for.
- What happens to my schedules if I stop paying?
- They stay, along with every sign-up. Volunteers can still sign up on them. Reminder emails and sub requests stop, and new schedules go back to one date each.
- I was using VolunteerSlot before there were plans. Do I have to pay?
- No. Organizations that joined before plans started keep everything in Plus at no charge.
Privacy
- Who can see a schedule?
- Only people you send the link to. Schedules aren't listed anywhere on VolunteerSlot, and sign-up pages ask search engines not to show them, even if you post the link on your own website.
- Can volunteers see each other's email addresses or phone numbers?
- No. Volunteers can see who else is signed up by name, but emails and phone numbers are only visible to you. When a sub request goes out, each person gets their own email, so addresses are never shared.
- Who do volunteers' replies go to?
- To you. Emails come from VolunteerSlot, but when a volunteer presses Reply, it goes to the coordinator who made the schedule.
Running your schedules
- Can I change a schedule after I've shared it?
- Yes. Add or remove jobs and dates, change how many people a job needs, or add the time it runs. The link stays the same, so there's nothing to resend.
- My schedule runs all year. Do I rebuild it every month?
- No. On Plus, a weekly schedule covers one month, and Duplicate copies it to the next month in one step: same jobs, same weekdays, fresh sign-ups.
- Can I print the list or put it in a spreadsheet?
- Yes. Every schedule has a Print button for a clean sign-in sheet, and Export CSV to download everyone's name, email and shift for Excel or Google Sheets.
- Can more than one person manage our schedules?
- Not yet. Each organization has one coordinator login today.
- Can I delete a schedule?
- Yes, at the bottom of the schedule's page. You'll be asked to confirm first, because the sign-ups go with it.