Category: News & Views Page 27 of 42

What Is Volunteers Week All About?

With annual volunteers week kicking off, we thought it would be a good time to explain just exactly what volunteers week is and just how important it is. The whole week is about celebrating and thanking volunteers for the work they do all year round. This year we are very proud to be one of the 100 official partners of volunteer week 2019 for the first time thanks to @VolScotland.

Volunteer week began to be celebrated in 1984 originally being celebrated just in England. In 2013 they began A merger with the NCVO which led to volunteering week becoming a nation wide campaign. It does not matter how large or small a volunteering contribution is from an individual, everyone deserves to be thanked for their efforts which is what volunteering is all about.

How Important Is Volunteering To Society?

Many people are of the belief that volunteering is free. In ways that statement can be seen as true, volunteers do give up their time for free. However the idea that the third sector and volunteering is not worth a lot of money is incorrect.

Numbers show that volunteering is highly valuable to both organisations and the economy. Statistics show that volunteering is currently worth 22 billion. This is 1.2% of GDP in the UK. Volunteering and the third sector thriving can only be a positive thing for the economy.

The sheer amount of organisations that need volunteers shows just how necessary volunteering week is. In 2016, there were 165,000 voluntary organisations and a number of those are solely dependent on volunteers.

What Are TeamKinetic Doing For Volunteer Week?

I’m sure most of you will be absolutely bursting to know what TeamKinetic are doing for the 2019 volunteer week! So It’s a great shame that you’re going to have to wait! We have a lot of things planned for every day of the working week from the 3rd-7th.

To tide you over until we begin our full week of content we still have a host of industry blogs and YouTube Videos that you can watch on all of our features that can help you with any improvements you need with your volunteer management.

We have been improving volunteer management software for organisations for over a decade now and we have worked with some fantastic people. We are fast approaching 1 million volunteering hours which is something we are very proud of and hope that we can still be improving volunteering communities for many years to come and hopefully get to 10 million one day!

Paralympic Athlete Anna Jackson

Inspiring Volunteering Stories

Volunteering has had a presence in society for many years now meaning there are hundreds if not thousands of unique and inspiring stories that we could tell you about. Anna Jackson began her journey in sport playing hockey. After several operations on her knee it got to the point where she could no longer run meaning her love of playing and coaching came to an end. Unfortunately mental health issues followed and Anna developed depression. She says that wheelchair basketball changed her life. It allowed her to build her self confidence and identity back which just shows the power of just getting involved.

Anna went on to have a decade long career with the Great British wheelchair basketball team which even included participating in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. As well as playing, Anna also coaches the sport and this is what she has to say about that: “I always say that, as a coach – whether as a volunteer or on the books – every day is a school day. I am always looking for new things to learn and try with my players and coaching clients.  But the key thing about coaching is to help people to believe in themselves and their abilities.” This is one of the reasons volunteers week is so important. Saying Thank you and appreciating people like Anna for all the important work they do is something that should definitely be celebrated.

How Can You Celebrate Volunteer Week?

No matter if you manage volunteering, you are a volunteer or you have never been involved in anything before there are plenty of ways that you will be able to celebrate volunteers week. If you have in fact never been involved before the best way is to get involved! Both TeamKinetic and Do-it both have 1000’s of volunteering opportunities up and down the country that you can get do and maybe even to start doing it regularly.

For those who manage volunteers, it would be great for you to think of a way you can thank them throughout the week or perhaps put something special on for them to make them aware just how truly appreciated they are.

How Can You Manage Your Volunteers Better?

If you want to supercharge your volunteer management and get better only managing but recruiting and retaining your volunteers We could be just what you’re looking for. We can help your create and build volunteering communities and make your volunteer programmes way more successful going forward. If you are interested in having a volunteer management software system please do not hesitate in getting into contact with us. You can either set up a free demo via our website or give us a call on 0161 914 5757.

We are confident that we will have a system that can cater to everyone. We work with organisations that range from local to global with small and large volunteer numbers. We’re so confident that we are competitive in price will price match anyone in the market.

Elham Afzal Introduction volunteer blog

volunteer, volunteer ,management software, volunteering, events, sports
El Volunteering

My name is Elham Afzal (I go by El), and I’ll be guest blogging for TeamKinetic talking about my volunteer experience, and some of my career and professional life. As you will probably be seeing a few posts from me, I thought I would introduce myself and give you a feel of who I am and my journey.

About me

Currently, I am a 2nd Year Events Management student at Manchester Metropolitan University. Alongside my studies, I work as a: Course Rep support staff for the MMU Union; a Social Media Assistant for Research in Arts and Humanities at MMU; as well as a Venue Operations Manager (Student Staff) for the local Manchester Academy Music Venue.

So I am quite a busy bee, as you can imagine! However, I worked full time before coming to university to gain my Bachelor’s degree so having free time was quite a strange transition and why I’ve been keeping myself busy the last couple of years.

What volunteering means to me

Volunteering has always been part of my schedule, pre- and during university life! I have volunteered for Manchester Futsal (for just under 2 years now); Manchester Cares and British University Taekwondo League; as well as heaps of other sports and events related volunteering such as the GB Taekwondo championships.

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Futsal team photo

Being a volunteer has really helped build and develop my personal and professional skill set, as well as giving me great networking opportunities and the opportunity to enhance my CV. I’m not just saying that as well. My latest job opportunities have mentioned in my interviews the fact that the volunteering has built up a more well-rounded character, and helped me build on my industry knowledge.

Impact volunteering has had on me

My favourite thing about volunteering is that it a great introduction to an industry or job role that you may have never considered before. I have notoriously been rubbish with sports.

In year 9 I was kicked out of mandatory PE because my asthma was so uncontrolled, and I have always HATED any kind of exercise growing up, just because I could never do it.

Volunteering with sports at university has completely changed my perspective. I’ve not only been volunteering predominantly with sports teams (BUTL UK Taekwondo and Manchester Futsal as the main groups) but even joined the universities taekwondo team last year in September 2018, and I can proudly say I am loving being part of the team.

El x

For more information on how TeamKinetic can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit their website or contact them on – 0161 914 5757

TeamKinetic Log 1 Million Hours!

Thank You From TeamKinetic!

Recently we hit a huge milestone in volunteer management. After ten years of being in the sector we have just reached one million hours of volunteering activity logged through the TeamKinetic system. This is something that as a company we are very proud to have achieved but realised it would not have been possible without all the people that both work on and use the system.

We want to take the time to thank everyone that has had any role to play in helping us reach this achievement. All our customers and staff but especially all the volunteers that participate and log every volunteer hour they have contributed.

We’re Not Stopping There!

Although we are very happy with a million hours, there is no way that we are stopping there! We are very keen to reach our next million and we would love YOU to be a part of that! If you are looking for a volunteer management software system or are keen on improving your volunteer management do not hesitate contact us.

We are also very responsive on our social media channels which are available down below:

We have a customer service line that is available Monday-Friday 9-5. When connected to a call you will be speaking to one of our experts who will be able to answer any of the questions you may have (0161 914 5757). If you have any other general inquiries please contact sales@teamkinetic.co.uk for more information. Alternatively you can visit our website and request your FREE demo of TeamKinetic today!

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Our YouTube Channel is packed with videos summarising exactly how we can help you as well a load of videos on our many features that we feel set us apart from the rest.

Volunteer management errors – And how to avoid them!

To have a successful, functioning volunteer programme, you’ll need to avoid making simple but fatal mistakes. A detailed management strategy that puts the volunteer at the centre of it all is essential.

Volunteer management is like one big machine all the cogs need to work together in order to maintain efficiency, but sometimes this doesn’t always work out and errors are made.

Here are 3 volunteer management mistakes and how to avoid them!

1. Not taking advantage of digital

Having a digital strategy can boost your volunteer capacity and awareness of your organisation. The number of internet users in 2018 was 4.021 billion, up 7 per cent on the previous year. Charities with little to no online presence or digital strategy will quickly find themselves struggling to survive.

Issues it can cause

  • Volunteers will be less inclined to donate their time if they can’t find you online
  • Avoiding a digital strategy now will cost you more in the future
  • Your organisation will not be as connected to its supporters

How to fix them

Invest time and money in creating a digital strategy. Many organisations still carry the assumption that going digital will cost them an arm or a leg, but there are several simple, free tools you can start using today. But utilising digital as an organisation doesn’t have to happen overnight. Start off with creating social media accounts and engage with hundreds of communities with the same ambitions as your organisation.

2. Lack of communication with volunteers

Communication serves as a foundation for planning. Without it, it’s very hard to get much done. So when it comes to managing volunteers there’s nothing more important than regular, clear communication. The workload on volunteer managers makes it difficult to keep track of everything and communication is usually the first thing that flies out of the window.

Issues it can cause

  • Volunteers don’t know what is required of them on the day (arrival time, logistics, location)
  • The struggle for volunteers to find upcoming opportunities
  • Frustration from volunteer could lead to their departure from your organisation
Communication, Volunteering, Better Impact, Volunteer Impact, TeamKinetic, Volunteer management system, Volunteer software

How to fix them

Volunteer management software of course! A volunteer system makes communicating with volunteers straightforward. TeamKinetic’s volunteer software comes with several tools to help you stay informed and connected to your volunteers. Automated emails can be sent out to specific opportunities and volunteer subgroups. Feedback functions also allow for regular interactions between the volunteer and opportunity providers.

3. Poor recruitment process

Finding and working with the right volunteers is important for your organisation’s long-term survival. Every organisation needs a team of committed and skilled volunteers placed in suitable roles. Recruiting the wrong candidate can result in loss of time, energy, resources and opportunity. While the ideal candidate can transform parts of your organisation.

Issues it can cause

  • Good volunteers will be sent to bad places and vice-versa
  • Potentially allowing a convicted individual to work with a vulnerable group due to low entry standards
  • Valuable time and energy are used up

How to fix them

When recruiting you should always start by understanding what it is you want out of the volunteer and define the role that is to be undertaken. Our volunteer software allows you to create specific, detailed opportunities with key information such as the volunteer requirements, perks of the opportunity and skills required. The system makes it easy to advertise volunteer vacancies with a click of a button. Opportunities can be shared across a wide range of channels such as social media, email and are linked to do-it.org.

Find out how TeamKinetic has helped organisations simplify their management process and reduce time spent on micromanaging volunteers.

For more information on the Volunteer Management Software please reach out to us.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Accessibility Law – What You NEED To Know!

When working in the third sector keeping on top of the law is important but it doesn’t have to be scary. Accessibility legislation that effects the sector is changing and here is a summary of what you need to know.

What Is The Law On Accessibility?

Accessibility law is changing and we think this is a great thing. Websites and apps are being used by more people, and being accessed in more varied ways and on more platforms than ever. It’s important that we can give the best experience possible on all platforms.

The law on accessibility states that resources must now be usable for:

  • Impaired vision
  • Motor difficulties
  • Cognitive impairments or learning disabilities
  • Deafness or impaired hearing

In the UK 1 in 5 people have a disability. Inclusivity is integral to modern society and particularly so in the third sector. Allowing the most amount of people to get involved is great for everyone and this is something that we aspire to.

What Do You Have To Do?

Officially what you have to do is make websites and apps ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’. Which is not as daunting as it sounds!

You must also publish an accessibility statement this must include details of content that doesnt meet accessibility standards. If someone does request this document you must also provide details of why certain aspects of the website do not meet the criteria.

When Do The Changes Happen?

Don’t worry, you will not have to make changes straight away. New websites must be compliant by the 23rd September 2019 which gives us all considerable time to improve our accessibility.

Websites made before 2019 have a years grace period and do not have to be accessible till 23rd September 2020. Native applications must be made accessible by the 23rd June 2021.

Is Anyone Exempt From These Changes?

The changes do not effect everyone;

  • non-government organisations like charities (unless they provide services that are essential to the public or aimed at disabled people).
  • schools or nurseries – except for the content the public need to use their services.
  • public sector broadcasters and their subsidiaries.

Help Understanding Accessibility Law

Depending on the nature of your business/organisation there is a number avenues you can take to get advice about the upcoming changes.

The Government Digital Service is researching what guidance and support that public sector organisations need to meet accessibility standards. If you’re interested in taking part in this research, contact accessibility-research@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.

How TeamKinetic Can Help?

If you require any further information please click here for the full government regulations of what exactly the accessibility laws entail.

If you are looking for a volunteer management system that will be fully compliant with the accessibility law changes look no further than TeamKinetic. We have been working hard on our 1.3 release to improve the accessibility for our volunteers.

Visit Our website here https://teamkinetic.co.uk/ Or give us a call on 0161 914 5757 to find out more about how we can help you. You can also reach out to us on our social media channels:

Twitter: @TeamKineticUK

Facebook: @TeamKineticUK

LinkedIn: @TeamKinetic

Volunteer management software UK, Volunteering, Retention, Incentives, Volunteer system

Volunteer management software can better impact your volunteer retention rates.

The economic value of volunteering is at least worth £50 Billion to the British economy and has the scope to grow but that’s impossible if retention rates are low.

Volunteer retention rates are on a halt and that calls for strategic changes within organisations. Investment in technology is necessary if you want the same investment back from your volunteers. According to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) data shows that rates of volunteering have not changed. 38% of people reported they had formally volunteered at least once a year in 2017-18 a 1% increase from 2016-17.

The figures may seem minuscule, but how can we measure volunteer activity if things stay fixed and static across the country. However, you’ll be happy to know that technology is allowing nonprofits the ability to maximise efforts in volunteer retention solutions.

Volunteer management software UK, Volunteering, Retention, Incentives, Volunteer system
Volunteer Retention

Volunteer Management Software

Volunteer Management Software can provide the right tools for organisations to manage, recruit and retain valued volunteers. Nonprofits that devote time and money to a volunteer system are often astonished by the impact technology can have on their volunteer program.

Here are 4 ways that volunteer management software can aid organisations in volunteer retention.

Respond to Volunteers Quickly

Organisations that inform and respond volunteers quickly have a much a higher percentage of retaining them. It is key for volunteer managers to have regular communication in order to have a successful programme.

The issue volunteer managers face is the lack of time they have to give speedy responses. Having a volunteer management software means that your communication process becomes a lot more simplified by reducing the time spent on communication. We have the case studies to prove how a volunteer system can really make a better impact on your programme!

TeamKinetic make communication fast and simple through our feedback function that allows volunteers and opportunity providers to send each other feedback as well as opportunity chat rooms for that instant response! Our volunteer software also allows you to send out automated and customised notifications (Text, Email, Social) at a click of a button.

Utilise a Volunteer Database

Having a volunteer database can inform and guide you to make better organisational decisions that benefit everyone involved. The information can allow you to understand past and present volunteers making sure volunteers are placed into roles that suit them best.

Data can increase retention rates and allows you to understand the facts and figures not just what you think is right. Organisations that still manually input data into spreadsheets are at risk of losing historical data and also risk miss understanding key data due to the lack of visualisation.

A volunteer system makes interpreting data easy. It can allow you to group volunteers based on skill sets and demographics, highlights popular opportunities, and assists volunteers that need support. These are all contributing factors to understanding your volunteers better and making retention rates higher.

Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition

All humans need to be recognised in a meaningful way for their efforts. Volunteers give up their time to help organisations they are passionate and care about. So that same intention should be displayed by the volunteer manager.

A lack of incentive and appreciation for your volunteers is sure to make them lose motivation and belief in what you do. Organisations should be developing time and effort towards the happiness of their volunteers. How hard is it to say thank you? We have found that the most effective way to show appreciation towards volunteers is by incorporating a rewards and recognition system into your program.

TeamKinetic’s volunteer management software allows organisations to create a rewards and recognition scheme that will create a better impact on achieving goals and mission accomplishments. Administrators can track and edit recognition directly from TeamKinetic’s user interface.

Build Personal Relationships

Getting to know your volunteers on a personal level is a great way of making them part of your organisation’s community. Volunteers want to know who they are volunteering for. Building meaningful relationships isn’t easy when you have time constraints and project deadlines to meet, but it is one of the most important factors to consider when evaluating volunteer retention rates.

However, Volunteer Management Software can provide you with that much needed free time. A volunteer system allows administrators to communicate with registered volunteers through a number of functions such as opportunity chatroom, opportunity feedback, social media linking. Organisations we work with have saved hours by changing from manual procedures to a digital platform that allows them to carry out their daily tasks all in one place.

So if you’re having trouble with volunteer retention and feel like theres never enough time to get your long list of tasks complete, then maybe a volunteer management software is for you?

TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, make a better impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer reviews.

For more information on our Volunteer Management Software visit our website or contact one of our team members on – 01619145747

One Thing Every Volunteer Manager Needs

The Question That Has Got You All Thinking!

What’s The Secret?

Mastering volunteer management can be a colossal task but it’s not impossible! A lot of people in the third sector encounter similar problems with each other.

Organising and communicating with volunteers, logging volunteer hours and consistently producing high-quality volunteer opportunities are all issues that volunteer teams face every day. We believe that this does not have to be the case.

A volunteer management system could be the key to unlocking your true potential as a volunteer manager and taking your programme to the next level.

TeamKinetic is an online platform that helps you recruit, manage and retain your volunteers. Making it easy for individuals to find the opportunities they want. Organisations can safely and effectively use volunteers across their business.

Our system allows your volunteers freedom and flexibility, using the very latest technology to give their time to the causes and activities that they love.

Volunteer Communication

In order to have an organised volunteer programme being in constant communication with your volunteers is a must. With TeamKinetic you will be able to give your volunteers reminders of events before so that they never forget and questions they have can be answered promptly. This can be done through email or if the volunteer provides you with a phone number you can also text them so that you can get hold of them whilst they’re on the go.

The system also offers you the ability to post on the news section. This is where you can keep your volunteers up to date with and important announcements.

Spreading The Word

TeamKinetic presents your organisation with the opportunity to share your opportunities with other systems to give you the maximum amount of people for your opportunities. Our system also speaks to Do-it.org which gives you access to 1000’s of volunteers all over the country.

How To Start Using TeamKinetic

If you are at all interested in making your volunteer programme the best it can possibly be with your own volunteer management software system please do not hesitate to get into contact with TeamKinetic. We are available weekdays from 9am – 5pm for any phone support or inquiries you may have on 0161 914 5757. Alternatively, you can email us: sales@teamkinetic.co.uk

Volunteer Software – That You Can Afford!

So…What Is Volunteer Management Software?

TeamKinetic is an online platform that helps you recruit, onboard, manage, deploy, audit, recognise, reward and retain your volunteers.

Making it easy for individuals to find the opportunities they want and love. Organisations can safely and effectively use volunteers across their business.

TeamKinetic allows your volunteers freedom and flexibility, using the very latest technology to give their time to the causes and activities they love.

Why Do You Need Volunteer Management Software?

The days of using spreadsheets or that old access database to store volunteering information are well and truly numbered! Never has there been an easier more efficient way to manage your volunteers and track their progress.

Going for over 10 years, TeamKinetic has a host of clients who have left glowing testimonials about our service.

TeamKinetic software makes organising and searching for your opportunities, childs play, rich in data and insight about what exactly your volunteers are wanting to do and what they actually do!

We have made our system ‘Volunteer-centric’. What we mean by this is that we always put the volunteer at the heart of all our decisions. We never want a good volunteer to be sent to a bad opportunity or vice-versa. With built-in volunteer feedback and a range of features that offer insight to the volunteer experience we want you to be informed as volunteer managers.

We make it simple to identify your superstar volunteers and with a range of built-in reward and recognition fetaures, you can be confident those volunteers will feel appreciated.

Pricing!

We want every organisation, no matter what their size to benefit from TeamKinetic.

Start with our FREE to use TryVolunteering product. All the core features of TeamKinetic for small charities and clubs, For FREE.

TeamKinetic ADVANCED is designed for organisations that want more control of their volunteers, branding and support. Starting at £39 p/m for an advanced system.

TeamKinetic ENTERPRISE provides unparalleled levels of customisation, telephone support and access to our training and support team. Starting from £149 p/m.

If you would like to have a chat about how we can help you please call 0161 914 5757 or visit our web site https://teamkinetic.co.uk/

Who Can Benefit From Volunteer Management Software?

We work with a host of clients in numerous sectors and this is something that we are proud of. Here are examples of some of the sectors we operate in:

  • Universities/Education
  • NHS
  • National Governing Bodies and other Sporting Organisation
  • Major Events
  • Charities / Clubs
  • Parks/Museums
  • Local Authorities
  • Volunteer Centres
  • Hospice

Plus So Many More!

Request A Demo With Us

No matter what sector you are working in we would love to have a conversation with you. You can request a demo through our website or call us on the number below.

Call the office directly on 0161 914 5757

Understanding volunteer demographics to fill empty roles!

Many roles go unfilled… why is that? Do volunteer managers need to have a deeper understanding of volunteer demographics? Can we continue to assume that empty roles will fill up because they’re helping a good cause?

Unfilled volunteering roles

Having a good understanding of your volunteers and the roles you offer is key. Unfilled roles can have a negative impact on your volunteer management and make it difficult for tasks to be carried out.

Volunteers want to volunteer! Don’t make it difficult for them.

In many cases, unfilled roles occur when the role is just not appealing to the volunteer. This issue usually begins with how you describe the role and the commitment levels that come with it.

Roles need to be attractive to the volunteer; with a detailed description of what is required of them and positive outcomes of the role. Many organisations we work with do this well and provide quality volunteer experiences that lead to higher retention levels! 

Example of an opportunity within TeamKinetic

All volunteer managers need to prioritise roles that are crucial to the organisation because they involve tasks that drive long-term goals to be met. By prioritizing the most important roles it allows you to focus the energy and time on the areas that are most likely to have a greater impact on the organisation and its development.

Knowing your volunteer capacity and demographic

The one-size-fits-all is approach has long past its expiration date. Knowing who volunteers for you is crucial for developing relationships, providing opportunities and understanding who to target when recruiting volunteers. Volunteer trends are always changing and adapting, with volunteers being much more diverse. Here are some demographics to consider :

Age

The idea that only older people volunteer is diminishing. Today students in higher education regularly volunteer and are part of the most likely groups to volunteer. Different age groups will have a variety of skills they can utilise in their volunteer work.

Gender

The gender gap has become almost even with more men getting involved in volunteering than ever before. Women consistently volunteer in all areas, whereas men are typically more likely to volunteer in sport. It’s important to consider how your operations could be improved to create a more gender-inclusive environment for your volunteers.

Location

There are countless organisations offering ways to volunteer. This has created a great spread of opportunities contributing to better communities across the country. Within your organisation, you might consider mapping your volunteers to understand your key areas. Then you can ensure your opportunities are easily accessed by these areas.

Socio-Economic Background

However, those from lower socio-economic groups are more likely to say they have never been involved in volunteering. And those who have volunteered in the past are less likely to be in leadership or representative roles.

Studies show higher levels of austerity among communities in the north of England and the local authority spending has fallen nationally by half since 2010. The lack of resources and inequalities mean many people are excluded from taking part in certain opportunities

Research conducted by our good friends at Jump highlight that a lower proportion of volunteers come from lower SEG (42%) compared to the representation of that group in the national population (50%).

Some of the barriers faced by lower SEG to volunteer include health barriers (illness or disability), caring responsibilities, and age constraints.

More information on Jump’s work and their report on “Why is volunteering biased towards higher socio-economic groups?” can be downloaded on their website.

So how can we help you fix these problems?

TeamKinetic is centralised around providing volunteer managers with resources to create accessible, easy-to-find opportunities for their volunteers.

Our volunteer management software works to eliminate issues such as filling roles and allows for a greater understanding of your volunteer base.

Advanced Search Functionality

Volunteers can search for opportunities with our search functionality which includes searching by location, opportunity name, and categories. This allows volunteers to find the nearest opportunities available to them without searching the whole internet.

Map Volunteers & Opportunities

Volunteer managers can view the number of opportunities and volunteers through a map format. This is useful in decision-making and creating opportunities according to your volunteer demographics.

Reports and Analysis

You can gain insight into the success of your volunteer programme by evaluating your volunteer sign-ups (including those who are active and repeating), the number of opportunities you have created and other demographic information.

These functions can help with providing suitable roles and ensure opportunities are filled.

Data is only recorded if your volunteers agree to provide you with the information. GDPR frequently asked questions for TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system can also be found here.


For more information on the Volunteer Management Software visit our website or contact one of our team members on 0161 914 5747

You could also start a free 30-day trial of our system to take a look around. If it’s not for you, no problem.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

2018 User Survey Results

TeamKinetic 2018 User Survey Results

We achieved a very reasonable 65% response rate, so thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our satisfaction survey last November, it is very much appreciated. Without your feedback we are unable to gauge our progress in making your TeamKinetic experience even better.

The take home message for us was that we need to do better in informing and providing help and context for new features as they become available.

TeamKinetic has been growing quickly over the last 18 months and we have definitely fallen behind in our goals to write tutorial and guide content for all the new stuff that has been going on in that 18 months. We now have renewed focus on this issue and will have some news soon about how we plan to present contextual information and help within TeamKinetic. We are also ramping up our online master classes and live sessions, so join our Facebook group to get early access to those resources.

We asked five questions concerning some of the most useful functions and terminology that we suspected were being under used or misunderstood;

  1. I am aware of sharing opportunities outside of my website
  2. I am aware that you can add volunteers to existing opportunities
  3. I am aware that i can limit opportunities to groups and linked volunteers
  4. I am aware of activity tags and how they are used in search
  5. I am aware of flexible, repeating, non-repeating opportunities

I am aware of sharing opportunities outside of my website

Some 57% of respondents were not aware that there is potential to share opportunities outside of their application in order to extend the reach of their opportunities and gain more volunteer interest.

We can share your opportunities to Do-It, the largest volunteer opportunity signposting app in the UK, our own, more modest, national TryVolunteering site and via the API to SalesForce or other external systems such as Volunteer Scotland and Volunteer-wales.net.

This is a great feature that is clearly not being utilised enough. We will be dedicating one of our masterclasses and video tutorials to this topic soon.

I am aware that you can add volunteers to existing opportunities

Nearly 50% of respondents were not aware that administrators and providers can add volunteers directly to sessions, and the volunteer will receive an email notification so they can check their availability.

TeamKinetic is a self service application for volunteers, we do not demand that administrators and providers micro manage all aspects of the recruitment process. This saves valuable time for the managers and allows the volunteers to pick and choose the sessions that suit them without the sometimes long exchanges between managers and volunteers as they try to allocate volunteers to sessions.

However we fully understand that it maybe necessary to manage a particular opportunity that carefully and you want full control, or partial control over what volunteers join what sessions.

This is a useful and important set of features and we will definitely be adding some tutorials about this to the help guide and the masterclass sessions.

I am aware that I can limit opportunities to groups and linked volunteers

A third of our respondents did not know about the various restrictions you can place on opportunities, either when creating the opportunities or editing them at a later date.

Volunteer grouping is a very powerful feature that allows you to segment your volunteers. Groups are fully customisable and providers can have separate groups to administrators. Volunteers can be members of no, one or multiple groups and can be moved around at anytime.

As well as being able to restrict opportunities you can message particular groups, quickly update volunteer information and statuses for group members and create registration links so that people are automatically placed in the correct group when registering without any admin input required.

I am aware of activity tags and how they are used in search

We had a pretty even 50/50 split about this question. Its a little esoteric but important even so.

Most importantly tags are used during search as a way for volunteers to narrow down their search. Any text entered in a search is compared to tags and all opportunity tags for the matching opportunities are offered to the volunteer as filters so they can further refine their search.

Its super important to understand how they are used so you can get the best out of tag based searching so please take a look at our video tutorial on tags and super charge your opportunity tags.

I am aware of flexible, repeating, non-repeating opportunities

At TeamKinetic we discuss, alot, about what we should call these opportunity types and how they should be presented when creating opportunities. I’ll let you into a little secret, there is NO difference between repeating and non-repeating opportunities, you just get a different layout when adding your sessions.

The difference between flexible opportunities and the others is important and does have ramifications for the joining and logging process.

Fortunately we had a very positive 75% of respondents who were aware of the three types (unfortunately we didn’t think to add a follow up question asking if they were also aware of the reasons for choosing different types).

We are still discussing how we can adapt the opportunity creation page to make it clearer why you would choose one over the other and once we have that dialled in we will release a video explaining it all.

Thanks again to everyone that took time out to respond, it is invaluable. Please reach out with any questions or feedback and don’t forget, join our Facebook user group to get the latest help and to share your knowledge and expertise with other users.

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