TeamKinetic

Page 9 of 56

Prioritising Volunteer Feedback

On 19th July 2023

Harnessing volunteer feedback is a cornerstone of successful volunteer management. When using TeamKinetic, it is a requirement for volunteers and providers to leave feedback before logging hours. Collecting or offering feedback needn’t be viewed as a chore or an unnecessary formality. By prioritising volunteer feedback, your organisation can improve its opportunities and reach.

The Value

Volunteer feedback is valuable for the following aspects of your volunteer engagement process:

Recruitment – Once volunteers have been onboarded, the opportunity for feedback enables your organisation to improve the recruitment experience for subsequent volunteers. In doing so, your organisation’s volunteer base will widen.
Recognition – Giving your volunteers feedback is an essential aspect of any volunteer engagement strategy. Volunteers who are freely giving their time deserve to feel valued and appreciated.
Reassurance – To avoid volunteers beginning opportunities and leaving, visible feedback before onboarding provides clarity. In being transparent, your volunteers can be reassured that they will feel comfortable and capable during an opportunity.
Retention – If they are unsatisfied with one opportunity experience, a volunteer is less likely to volunteer with your organisation under different opportunities. Addressing feedback so that opportunities can be improved upon aids volunteer retention.

Collecting Feedback

A systematic collection of feedback is essential if data is to be successfully interpreted and implemented. Some effective methods for feedback collection include:

Satisfaction scales
Suggestion boxes
Recommendation likelihood
Surveys

On the TeamKinetic system, Thumbs Up feedback works for volunteers and providers. Thumbs Up feedback makes saying thank you or reporting any issues that have occurred during volunteering quick and easy. Your organisation can also create unique digital rewards and recognition OpenBadges for your volunteers. Feedback can be sent to specific volunteers or volunteer groups via TeamKinetic’s inbuilt email function and mobile messaging.

Take Time to Survey

Volunteer surveys are a thorough method for collecting feedback. Receiving written as well as numerical data makes feedback more personal and specific. This may take more time to record and analyse, however, as a result, there is more scope for meaningful feedback implementation. Survey questions often aim to understand volunteers’ perception of your organisation, how likely volunteers are to continue volunteering with your organisation, and particular likes and dislikes. Due to the customisable nature of surveys, your organisation can ask whatever questions you feel will be beneficial for your organisation. With TeamKinetic, your organisation can link external surveys to opportunities. For example, a SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics survey.

Implementation

Feedback is only useful if it is put into practice. Equally, volunteers will be motivated to provide constructive feedback when they know their feedback will be prioritised. Implementing feedback makes your volunteers feel heard, and improves your organisation’s reputation and overall productivity.

TeamKinetic’s feedback features including Thumbs Up feedback, external surveys and integrated messaging make collecting and circulating feedback simple. Your TeamKinetic site can be regularly updated to reflect any changes that have been made in response to feedback.

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.

More than Music: Eurovision 2023

By Alex Evans

On 12th July 2023

In News & Views

TeamKinetic are proud to have provided volunteer management for the Eurovision 2023 song contest! Hosted in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, Eurovision was set to be a unifying yet moving event. Thanks to all involved, Eurovision 2023 was about far more than music alone.

Who, What, Where, Why TeamKinetic?

Nicknamed the ‘Eurovols’, Eurovision 2023 created a unique community of volunteers. Comprised of people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and lifestyles, there were a staggering total of 2,558 registered volunteers on the TeamKinetic Eurovision site. Eurovision could access information regarding volunteers’ language capabilities, accessibility needs and personal skills to form a diverse, inclusive volunteer group. With the help of TeamKinetic, Eurovision achieved its ambition of blending local volunteers with volunteers who had knowledge of the Ukrainian culture and language.

Eurovision events took place across multiple Liverpool locations. Therefore, Eurovision sought a platform that could engage with and manage volunteers who were travelling from near and far for a spectacular series of events. Volunteers were posted across Liverpool’s city centre, at transport hubs, the Eurovision Village on the Pier Head, and at the Tourist Information Centre in Liverpool ONE. Duties included scanning tickets, meeting and greeting visitors and welcoming performers to backstage areas in the Eurovision Village.

Making History

There were an astounding 11,547 volunteering hours logged on Eurovision’s TeamKinetic system; that’s over 480 days worth of volunteering! 1 year of planning for more than 1 year of volunteering hours seems justified! Eurovision 2023 scored highs in many other areas too:

Eurovision 2023 reached 162M people across the 3 live shows.

Online engagement with Eurovision was record level. #Eurovision2023 received 4.8 billion views on TikTok.

The 2023 winner, Loreen of Sweden, was the first female to win Eurovision twice.

Eurovision 2023 was the most watched final in the history of Eurovision. At the final’s peak, there were 11 million TV viewers.

*The Eurovision 2023 stage. Nick Robinson, Manchester Evening News.*

Putting Meaning to the Music

As communicated by the Eurovision 2023 slogan ‘united by music’, hosting on behalf of Ukraine was a symbolic gesture of hope and alliance. With 18 languages performed, there was also a resurgence in participant entries not sung in English. ESC 2023 was a 2-week long cultural festival involving many Ukranian volunteering and collaborations between UK and Ukranian artists. Even The Beatles’ iconic yellow submarine became yellow and blue to honour the Ukranian flag!

I want to be part of Eurovision this year because it will make me feel closer to my home when I am far away.
Olena, a Ukranian who fled to Liverpool in May 2022

2023’s event lived up to Eurovision’s reputation as an embodiment of LGBTQ+ culture. Comprising 53.5% of TV viewers, 15-24-year-olds are clearly embracing the spirit of Eurovision! When questioned as to why she thinks the LGBTQ+ community love Eurovision, Mae Muller, the UK’s 2023 entry, described Eurovision as:

…very inclusive, there’s not a lot of judgement. You can feel that as a fan watching, but being in it, [you] can really see just how true that is.
Mae Muller

*‘The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade’. Andrew Teebay, Liverpool Echo.*

More than Music

As evidenced by the amazing testimonies and record-breaking statistics, Eurovision 2023 was much more than music. TeamKinetic was beneficial for presenting cohesive, organised communication and, in turn, events. Without volunteers, Eurovision would not be the amazing spectacle that we know and love!

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.

Inclusivity is a Necessity: Enabling Volunteers with Disabilities

By Alex Evans

On 5th July 2023

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

Having a learning or physical disability should not be a barrier to volunteering. However, the 2023 NCVO Time Well Spent report found that due to both practical and attitudinal challenges, volunteers with disabilities are less satisfied than volunteers without disabilities. In reality, it is often those who would receive the greatest benefit from volunteering who are least likely to be able to take part. Through increased understanding and inclusivity, this can change.

Understanding your volunteers

Make your volunteers welcome by providing opportunities that showcase their strengths. Many skills, such as befriending, do not rely on being physically capable.

Like understands like. Utilising volunteers who can empathise with those going through similar experiences is invaluable for both your organisation and your volunteers.

In a world that is often inaccessible and unpredictable for people with a disability, building the confidence and trust of volunteers with a disability is vital. Your organisation can be a safe space for those who feel excluded elsewhere.

Active opportunities

For those with a disability, leading a healthy lifestyle is still a priority. Sport England cites low confidence and a lack of appropriate opportunities as contributors to high levels of inactivity among the disabled community. However, TeamKinetic users British Blind Sport and UK Deaf Sport exemplify the growing possibilities for sportspeople with disabilities. As bid for by British Blind Sport, the upcoming International Blind Sports Federation World Games is set to be an inspiring occasion. If carried out in a way that is accessible, volunteering is a brilliant way for people with disabilities to be active both physically and within their community.

Online opportunities

For those who are less able to take part in physical activity, online volunteering is the perfect way to get involved. Since Covid, the amount of organisations offering online volunteering opportunities has risen, and it looks like online opportunities are here to stay. Alongside a low satisfaction rate amongst volunteers with disabilities, the Time Well Spent report concluded that there is no reduction in online volunteer satisfaction as opposed to in-person. This is great news for organisations with a tighter budget, reduced staff, and, importantly, volunteers with additional needs.

TeamKinetic for inclusivity

We have developed a keen understanding of the need for any solution to be inclusive and accessible. All TeamKinetic’s work adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA), and we have undertaken real-world user testing with the Glasgow Disability Partnership and British Blind Sport. There are several features on our volunteer management system that accommodate volunteers with disabilities:

TeamKinetic is compatible with Screen Reading software.

All volunteers can disclose their disability when registering and can update this at any time.

Volunteer managers can manually add volunteers to an opportunity if volunteers are unable to do so themselves.

As this post has highlighted, inclusivity must be prioritised. If you have any suggestions as to how TeamKinetic can become more inclusive, please comment below or get in touch with alex@teamkinetic.co.uk

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.

Enhancing Access to Liverpool City Region Volunteering

By Alex Evans

On 28th June 2023

In Local Authority, News & Views, Press Releases

Here at TeamKinetic, we’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Volunteer Centres across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) to revolutionise volunteering accessibility. We’re providing organisations across the LCR our volunteer management tools that can work in collaboration with one another. With each organisation using TeamKinetic, we’re able to establish a unified and dynamic platform that boosts Liverpool City Region volunteering efforts.

The Liverpool City Region Volunteering Orbit is a central place to showcase voluntary opportunities across the LCR, managed by the Volunteer Centres across Halton & St Helens, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral.

The roots of this project can be traced back to 2016 when TeamKinetic first introduced its digital volunteer management tools to Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award-winning ‘I Can Help’ community task app was developed. Building on these successes, a comprehensive report was commissioned to explore the integration of TeamKinetic’s platform with other digital volunteer services in the LCR, ultimately enhancing the sector’s response to future challenges.

The project received support from Liverpool CVS, Community Action Wirral, Halton & St Helens VCA, Sefton CVS and Volunteer Centre Sefton, One Knowsley, Voluntary Sector North West, and the VS6 Partnership.

Through TeamKinetic, organisations across the LCR can collaborate, share volunteers, and promote various volunteering opportunities, significantly amplifying the region’s community impact. Currently encompassing six volunteer boroughs and five volunteer centres, the model aims to expand by involving additional voluntary organisations and major events within the region.

Local organisations within the LCR can now sign up for free and utilise a single account to showcase their volunteering opportunities across the entire region.

On the other hand, volunteers benefit from a seamless experience by easily accessing and joining opportunities, logging their hours, and tracking their volunteering journey across the LCR from a single login.

The Liverpool City Region Volunteering Portal secured funding from the Liverpool
City Region Combined Authority after the successful deployment of a TeamKinetic approach to community-based volunteering programmes through the Covid-19 pandemic. Bringing
volunteering opportunities and a one-stop space for volunteers to find them is part of a City
Wide Solution to better partnership working and responding to events; activities and
emergencies across the patch.
Claire Redford-Kerr
Volunteering Lead, Halton & St Helens VCA

At TeamKinetic, our ambition has always been to make volunteering easier. This project is a
testament to that commitment for the people of the Liverpool City Region, made possible by
the fantastic and forward-thinking teams at each of the local infrastructure organisations.
Chris Martin
director, TeamKinetic

The partnership is live now at https://volunteeringlcr.org/ marking a significant milestone in enhancing access to volunteering opportunities throughout the Liverpool City Region.

About TeamKinetic:

TeamKinetic is a leading provider of volunteer management solutions, dedicated to streamlining and enhancing the volunteering experience for organisations and individuals. With innovative technology and a passion for community engagement, TeamKinetic aims to transform the way volunteering is managed and accessed, making it easier for people to contribute to their communities and create a positive impact.

About Volunteering LCR:

The Volunteering LCR partnership consists of Halton & St Helens VCA, Liverpool CVS, One Knowsley and Sefton CVS working with the 8,600 voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) groups operating across the Liverpool City Region.

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

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Introducing TeamKinetic: Siena – The Next Step

By Siena Elsby-Smith

On 21st June 2023

In News & Views

Hi! I’m Siena, TeamKinetic’s new Marketing and Social Media Coordinator…

Why Marketing?

I am soon to complete my Masters in Creative Advertising Strategy at Manchester Metropolitan University. Prior to this, I studied BA English Literature and History at the University of Leeds. As my studies have cemented, communication is really important! My interest in communicating ideas in an effective, informative way has been fundamental to my pursuit of a career in marketing. During my Masters course, I enjoyed creating and executing campaign ideas and conducting market research in response to a live client brief. Alongside the need for data-driven ideas, I love the creative side of campaign planning and content creation.

Having enjoyed working with a real client both during my degree and in my spare time when managing an ironmongery company’s social media, I knew I wanted to secure a marketing internship with an organisation that I’m passionate about. I’m sure that the wider purpose of a Third Sector organisation like TeamKinetic will be really motivating and rewarding for me.

Involvement with Volunteering

I have been involved with volunteering in a couple of different ways over the years; most notably with Douglas Macmillan and The Trussell Trust. I was initially drawn to volunteering in a Douglas Macmillan charity shop due to a family connection to the hospice, yet soon realised the role of Douglas Macmillan within the wider community. Originally volunteering during my Duke of Edinburgh Award, this experience opened my eyes to the power of volunteering for customers, the organisation, and volunteers themselves. Working alongside some lovely elderly volunteers was a highlight and exemplified how volunteering really has no age! More recently, I volunteered with the Trussell Trust, collecting for a Manchester Food Bank. Once again it was humbling to witness people’s generosity, especially during the cost of living crisis.

Given these experiences, I was drawn to TeamKinetic due to their volunteer-centric approach. Making it easier for volunteers to view and access opportunities is something that I’m really happy to be a part of.

Free Time

I love getting stuck into a good book, admittedly the more trashy kind since finishing my English Literature degree! I find painting and embroidery really relaxing when I have the time. Since moving to Manchester I’m also taking the opportunity to eat my way around all the independent cafes and restaurants!

Looking Ahead

I am looking forward to developing within a supportive company that values not only their team, but the communities and organisations that they are involved with. Over the next year, I hope to expand upon my existing skills and develop new areas of interest with the help and encouragement of TeamKinetic. I am excited to be a part of the team and for all that this internship may bring!

Siena Elsby-Smith

siena@teamkinetic.co.uk

Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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How You Can Measure Volunteer Impact

By Siena Elsby-Smith

On 14th June 2023

In Volunteer Management

It’s important to measure your volunteer impact so you can see the difference your volunteers are making to your organisation. You can also look for any improvements that might need to be made to your volunteer programme. Below we have shared some ways you can measure volunteer impact!

Hours Logged

One of the most straightforward metrics is tracking the number of volunteer hours. This metric provides a baseline understanding of the time invested by volunteers.

With TeamKinetic, volunteers are able to log their hours. They may also be able to use them in exchange for HourTrade vouchers, and they’ll receive a new Achievement Badge for every milestone of hours! By logging hours, volunteers are able to keep a record of their volunteer journey and volunteer coordinators can see the progress each volunteer has made.

Surveys and feedback forms

Collecting feedback from volunteers through surveys or feedback forms allows you to gain insights into the volunteer experience. By using our volunteer management system, volunteers are able to leave feedback on opportunities. This can help you understand what needs to improve within your volunteer programme and make any adjustments to your opportunities.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Share inspiring stories of how your volunteers have made a difference in communities. These stories could be shared on your website, newsletters or social media. By sharing these it provides evidence of the impact created.

Volunteer exit interviews

When volunteers decide to end their engagement with your organisation, you can conduct exit interviews to understand their reasons and gather feedback on their experience. This information can help identify areas for improvement and enhance volunteer retention. This can also help you improve your volunteer programme because you can help avoid these problems in the future.

Volunteer self-assessment

Create surveys specifically designed for volunteers to assess their personal growth, skill development, and satisfaction levels. These surveys can provide valuable feedback on how the volunteer experience contributes to their own lives.

To measure your volunteer’s impact effectively you could opt for using a volunteer management system. With TeamKinetic you can see real-time and detailed analysis of your volunteer programme with easy-to-read graphs and tables, view feedback from your volunteers to help you make improvements and use custom reporting tools to get the specific data you need!

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.

4 Reasons Why Celebrating Your Volunteers Is Important

By Siena Elsby-Smith

On 7th June 2023

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

We hope everyone had a great Volunteers Week 2023! We’d like to remind everyone that celebrating your volunteers is just as important all year round and not just during the annual week of Volunteers Week. In this post, we’ve shared 4 crucial reasons why celebrating and recognising your volunteer’s hard work and contributions is vital to do all year round.

It inspires others

When the public witness the celebration of volunteers’ hard work it can encourage, inspire and motivate them to also volunteer. Publicly acknowledging volunteers through social media platforms or newsletters, not only highlights their achievements but also acts as a powerful recruitment tool.

Acknowledging their efforts

By recognising their commitment, you validate their contributions and make your volunteers feel valued. This recognition not only boosts their self-esteem but also inspires them to continue their work with even greater enthusiasm.

Increases retainment

Celebrating volunteers’ hard work is a crucial factor in volunteer retention. When volunteers feel appreciated, they are more likely to be more engaged and continue to volunteer for your organisation. Motivated volunteers are also more likely to help achieve the organisation’s goals.

Personal development

Celebrating your volunteers can provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth. By praising your volunteer’s efforts they can gain confidence, see how their skills have developed and the contribution they’ve made to their community. These experiences can contribute to their personal growth and supply them with more experience which may be their motive for volunteering.

If you struggle to remember to recognise and celebrate your volunteer’s effort, opting for a volunteer management system may help! Within the TeamKinetic system, there are various tools to reward your volunteers such as customisable Achievement Badges or our unique HourTrade vouchers which allow volunteers to exchange logged hours for rewards. You can start a FREE trial today over on our website or book a demo today!

If you need some ideas for how to celebrate your volunteers we have some ideas here!

Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system.

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

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TeamKinetic 2.3.1 Minor Release

By Rolf Herbert

On 6th June 2023

In Application Features and Tutorials, TeamKinetic Features, Technical Updates

Following on from 2.3.0 which was a pretty large minor release we have some new updates for you which came about from support tickets and chats about the latest version

Easier Volunteer Reporting

We get asked pretty regularly what ACTIVE means and how to find out how many active volunteers there are or other criteria about active volunteers. Active volunteers are those that have joined a session OR logged hours on a flexible opp between the dates selected.

To this end, we have split the basic reporting available for volunteers into an ACTIVE and a REGISTERED tab. So any figures you are looking at in the active section will represent volunteers that have joined a session OR logged hours on a flexible opp between the dates selected. The registered section will show the data for volunteers that have registered between the dates selected.

More Volunteer Search Filters

To help with discovering your active volunteers we have also added new filters called ACTIVE/INACTIVE to the volunteer search pages so you can search for activity or lack of it between dates.

If you need to find out how many volunteers have a pending application or have been waiting for a long time for their opp application to be processed you can use the new Application Status and Date Last Applied filters.

Block Access to Volunteer Uploads

Providers were able to always view the documents and qualifications that volunteers uploaded if the volunteer was linked to the provider. There is now a new super admin option where you can switch this off so that only administrators can view these documents.

Opportunity Promotion for Providers

Providers are now able to send the opportunity promotion email straight to all their linked volunteers via a checkbox in addition to being able to add emails manually.

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

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Page 9 of 56

The Value

Collecting Feedback

Take Time to Survey

Implementation

Who, What, Where, Why TeamKinetic?

Making History

Putting Meaning to the Music

More than Music

Understanding your volunteers

Active opportunities

Online opportunities

TeamKinetic for inclusivity

About TeamKinetic:

About Volunteering LCR:

Why Marketing?

Involvement with Volunteering

Free Time

Looking Ahead

Hours Logged

Surveys and feedback forms

Case Studies and Success Stories

Volunteer exit interviews

Volunteer self-assessment

It inspires others

Acknowledging their efforts

Increases retainment

Personal development

Easier Volunteer Reporting

More Volunteer Search Filters

Block Access to Volunteer Uploads

Opportunity Promotion for Providers

Search

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