Why your current roles and volunteer onboarding might be hitting a ceiling.
We are all familiar with the onboarding dance.
A volunteer signs up, then you email them for an ID.
Then you wait.
Then you realise you forgot to send the link for the induction meeting.
Then you have to manually move them into the verified column in your spreadsheet or update their status in your CRM once they finally send that photo.
It’s disconnected, manual, frustrating and prone to error and missed opportunities. Just as importantly, it’s one more time barrier to engage with your volunteers; they get bored, they change their minds, and you lose them and their potential!
It’s a lot of chasing, and frankly, a lot of friction.
We’ve been listening to our power users, and it’s clear: the way we manage the journey from “Interested” to “Active” needs to evolve. We’re working on something that turns that zig-zag process into a straight line.
No more disconnected processes, no more time-consuming checks, just straightforward, integrated actions that take your volunteer journeys from step 1 to completion in one place.
Keep an eye on this space. “Roles” as you know them are about to get a lot more… fluid.
If you’re not a TeamKinetic user but you’d like to be kept up to date with TeamKinetic updates, email alex@teamkinetic.co.uk and we’ll get you on our mailing list!
We all know that a simple “thank you” goes a long way, but in the busy world we live in, it’s easy for volunteer reward and recognition to slip to the bottom of the to-do list. However, acknowledging the time, skills, and emotional energy your volunteers give is actually the backbone of a healthy and sustainable programme.
By acknowledging the time, skills, and emotional energy volunteers give, you’re doing more than just being polite; you’re making a strategic investment in your organisation’s future.
Why recognition matters more than you might think
Most people volunteer for altruistic reasons. They want to help or feel a personal connection to a cause. However, as Ruth Leonard and Jurgen Grotz note, while people aren’t usually hunting for thanks, they certainly notice if it’s never given!
‘Most of us like to be appreciated and recognised for what we’ve done. This doesn’t mean that people are consciously looking for thanks, rather that it becomes noticed if it’s never given. Probably, the most important thing that can be done in order to continue a relationship with volunteers is to make sure they know that they and what they do are valued.’
Focusing on appreciation isn’t just a “nice” thing to do; it makes great business sense, too. It leads to:
Lower Turnover: Volunteers stay longer, which means you spend less time and money on constant recruitment and onboarding. NCVO’s Time Well Spent research found that 81% of satisfied volunteers plan to continue over the next year, compared to just 26% of dissatisfied ones.
A Supportive Community: When you recognise volunteers, they start to recognise each other, creating a friendly, reciprocal environment.
Better Results: High engagement usually leads to better outcomes for the people or communities you serve.
Attract Younger Talent: Recognition is especially important to younger volunteers. While 40% of all volunteers value it, that number jumps to 49% for those aged 18–24.
Simple Ways to Say Thanks
You don’t need a massive budget to make someone feel valued. In fact, research shows that the most popular form of recognition is just a verbal or written thank you.
Personalised Notes: A quick email or a handwritten letter can mean the world.
Validation from the Top: Having a thank-you note come from a senior leader or the head of your organisation can make a volunteer feel their work is being noticed by the whole charity, not just their immediate supervisor.
Tangible Proof: Certificates remain a classic and effective way to celebrate a job well done.
Keeping it Legal: The Tax Bit
Before you start handing out gifts, it’s important to keep HMRC in mind. To avoid accidentally creating an employment relationship, rewards should be occasional, low-value, and unexpected.
Making it Easier with TeamKinetic
If you use the TeamKinetic system, there are some built-in tools that can help you automate these “thank yous” so they don’t get forgotten. If you use other tools, you can still use these ideas as a blueprint for your own recognition strategy.
The “Ice Cream Sundae” of Feedback
We love this metaphor for giving great feedback. Rather than a “cookie-cutter” message, try layering your appreciation like a sundae:
The First Scoop: The base—a simple “thank you” for their time.
The Sprinkles: A personal detail about something they did well (e.g., “You were so helpful with the registration desk today!”).
The Cherry on Top: A warm invitation to come back again soon.
Milestone Badges (Gamification)
You can create Custom Award Badges for anything you like—from “Volunteer of the Month” to “Length of Service” milestones. Some organisations get creative, using nature-themed badges where a new volunteer starts as a “Seed” and grows into a “Veteran Tree” over time. These digital badges appear on the volunteer’s profile as a permanent record of what they’ve achieved.
HourTrades: Exchanging Time for Perks
HourTrades allow volunteers to “swap” the hours they’ve logged for small rewards.
What to offer: This could be some branded kit, like t-shirts or mugs, or even better, training opportunities like a first aid course or a coaching qualification.
How it works: You set the “price” (e.g. 10 hours for a t-shirt), and the system handles the request for you.
High-Value Perks at No Cost
Through our integrations, you can offer some pretty cool perks without spending a penny of your own budget:
Tickets for Good Gives volunteers who have logged a set amount of hours access to free/discounted tickets for live music, comedy, and sports events.
Tempo Time Credits A national scheme where volunteers earn credits in exchange for volunteering hours. They can then spend credits on various experiences.
Are you a visual learner?
In this recent TeamKinetic masterclass, Rolf went through some of the most effective way to thank you volunteers. He shows you how to use TeamKinetic to effectively reward and recognise your volunteers.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you don’t need any fancy methods of reward and recognition. You just need to be consistent and sincere. Whether you’re sending quick feedback after they’ve completed an opportunity or setting up a badge system for long-term achievements, the goal is to make sure your volunteers know that what they do truly matters.
If you’re a TeamKinetic user, why not jump into your super admin menu today and try creating your own Achievement Badges or add some HourTrade vouchers? If you aren’t using the system yet, why not contact us to see how we can help you.
What’s next?
Next up in our Masterclass series, we’re joined by Tobi Johnson. Tobi is an expert in all things volunteer management and has been sharing her wisdom via VolunteerPro since 2015. She’s joining us to discuss how to re-engage lost volunteers. Or, in her words, “How to Plan a Wildly Successful Volunteer “Win-Back” Campaign”!
TeamKinetic users can book now via their system (Help & Support → Masterclasses & Training), everyone else can use this Eventbrite page to reserve their place. We think this will be a popular one so get tickets while you can!
Our recent masterclass walked through the new features in the TeamKinetic 2.6.1 update. While this might be a smaller release in name, it’s packed with improvements that lots of you have been asking for.
We’ve pulled together a full summary of everything covered, including questions raised during the session. And you can watch the recording below:
They allow you to configure administrator access far more precisely than before. Instead of choosing between super admin and standard admin, you can now specify exactly what each admin can see and do.
What new admin roles can I create?
Examples Steve showed during the session included:
Super Admin: unchanged, full access including configuration.
View-Only Admin: can view volunteers, opportunities and reports, but cannot edit anything.
Task-Specific Admin: e.g. someone who can only process expense claims.
Can providers get extended permissions too?
This was a common question. The direction of our current roadmap is to give you the ability to downgrade administrators rather than upgrade providers. The long-term aim is to let organisations convert some provider users into limited admins, where appropriate.
Can admins be limited to only certain opportunities?
Yes. Granular permissions already allow you to restrict which opportunities an admin can access.
Is this the first version of granular permissions?
Yes. More options will be added over time based on your feedback – so make sure you give us plenty via Support Tickets!
A new feature that lets you assign additional people to receive communications about a specific opportunity, beyond the main provider email.
You can now assign:
A specific administrator
A specific additional provider user
Any email address (optional custom field)
Why is this useful?
It supports real-world workflows such as:
Job-sharing providers (e.g. one manages Mon–Wed, another Thu–Fri).
Admin-led recruitment followed by provider-led delivery.
Providers who need multiple colleagues to receive join/leave notifications.
Organisations with central oversight teams or mailing lists.
Can I assign more than one additional provider user?
Right now, one additional provider user can be selected. Multiple users may be considered in future if there is demand.
Can the “assigned email” be anything at all?
Yes, it can be any address, such as:
A mailing list
A shared inbox
A finance team member who must see expense-related emails
Do opportunities have to be linked to a provider for this to work?
Yes. Provider users only appear in the dropdown if the opportunity belongs to their provider.
What if all opportunities are created centrally (not under the provider)?
You can still use the custom email box to send notifications to additional people. If you’d like to restructure your set-up, the support team can help.
Can provider users from other providers be assigned?
No, only users attached to the same provider as the opportunity.
The “maximum hours” column has been removed after feedback that it caused confusion.
You can now filter by provider, allowing you to focus on organisations that need support logging hours.
A new checkbox lets you preserve part-logged hours on sessional opps, preventing them being overwritten by accident.
Why is this useful?
Admins can now easily mass-log hours for specific providers, especially helpful where providers don’t keep up with logging.
Questions Answered During the Session
Can providers be given the ability to update ID or criminal record checks?
Not directly. The plan is to move providers into “limited admin” roles over time so they can carry out tasks like ID and DBS updates with appropriate permissions.
Will the update affect how we currently receive notifications?
No. Your existing setup remains. You now have additional options, but nothing changes automatically.
How many admins can we have?
As many as you need. Admin accounts are one of the few paid-for elements in TeamKinetic, but there is no system limit.
How many provider users can an organisation have?
Unlimited. Provider users remain free.
Final Thoughts
We hope this TeamKinetic 2.6.1 update brings meaningful improvements. With this update, we aim to make day-to-day volunteer management more flexible, more transparent, and easier to share across teams.
From granular control of admin privileges to smarter communication and enhanced external integrations, we hope this release adds value for your organisation.
If you have any questions, feedback, or configuration challenges, our support team is always here to help. And please don’t hesitate to send us new feature requests via support ticket!
The TeamKinetic 2.6.1 Minor Release is coming soon, and we want to tell you all about what to expect when the update drops.
This is the largest update to our user features so far in our release history!
Granular Permissions
Super admins can now select granular permissions for all your administrators. Permissions are split over the four areas of volunteers, opportunities, providers and system. Each administrator can have their own bespoke permissions set. There is also a handy set of presets for low, medium, and high-level permissions.
All your current administrators will have all permissions enabled EXCEPT the system permissions, and should experience very little difference to their current mode of operation.
POD administrators will still behave as before, but their limited access to opportunities and volunteers within their pod can be overwritten by the edit all opportunities and volunteer permissions. Any existing POD admins will have those permissions disabled so that the existing POD rules are still enforced.
Of particular note are the new system permissions that allow selected administrators to edit role and reference definitions as well as process role applications and submitted references. This is the first time that Super Admins can assign some roles that were previously Super Admin-only to general administrators.
The opportunity assignment options, as detailed in the next section, can be used to define which opportunities can be accessed by administrators without the edit all opportunities permission. In these cases, any opportunity that is created by an administrator or has been assigned to an administrator is viewable and editable by the administrator.
You can refine and update all your administrators from the Super Admin Menu > Admin Accounts.
Super administrators can now assign individual administrators to particular opportunities. This has two effects.
Firstly, it enables the administrator edit access to the opportunity when they don’t have the edit all opps permission enabled.
Secondly, all enabled administrator email communications will be directed to both the assigned user and the regular central app email.
Administrators and providers can also assign a provider user to the opportunity, which affords no extra access but direct email notifications to the selected user in addition to the central provider email address.
Finally, you will notice that there is a nominal contact email box available to providers and administrators. Here, you can add any email address which will also be added to the email communications for this opportunity.
This has the advantage of not being connected to an existing user, so you could use mailing lists or group emails. Please take care not to use unauthorised emails that could enable some leaking of details to non-authorised contacts.
This nominal email feature can be optionally disabled to prevent the risk of data leakage.
This is great news as the GOVO platform is gearing up and people are starting to talk about it.
Available from your super admin menu > setup > integrations page you simply have to add your API key to start sharing your opportunities directly to your account at GOVO.
You can either choose to share when adding an opportunity or when editing an existing opportunity. GOVO supports remote/at home opportunities, flexible and sessional and any interested volunteers that find you on GOVO will be redirected back to apply on your TeamKinetic platform. Exciting times.
Tickets For Good – Another great way to reward your volunteers
We’ve teamed up with tickets for good to enable your volunteers that have logged hours to get their hands on free or heavily discounted tickets to a huge selection of top events. There is always a small booking/ticketing fee to pay and all tickets are on a first come first served basis.
We have to pre-authorise your organisation to make sure it meets the criteria Tickets for Good set out. If you are interested pop along to the super admin menu > setup > integrations to start the ball rolling.
New status options
As part of the revocation options, you can now elect to remove a volunteer’s future sessions when revoking access. This means that their names will no longer show up on opportunities for future sessions, so they should not be expected or allowed to participate.
New Font – What do you think
We have updated the admin system header and body fonts, we think the titles are more readable now. Hope you like it.
Did you know you can use the CSS editor in your super admin setup area to set your own custom fonts for your volunteer pages..? Open a ticket if you want to know how.
New search filters
It’s always difficult to filter out who is active, inactive, available etc, not least because what those words mean is not standardised and they can mean different things in different contexts.
In terms of reporting and hours the TeamKinetic definition of active is always on a session OR logged hours between the filter dates. However when referring to volunteer auto deletion active also includes a login event; a volunteer that has joined no opportunities but has logged in, will not be auto deleted as they are considered active.
To help, we have added some new filters to handle these different situations.
The filters have some extra text so you know exactly what the filter includes and we’ve added a new filter that will pull up all volunteers that were on any opportunity in the period selected where they were not marked as finished.
Changes to log all hours page
The log all hours page has had some changes after talking with out Wildlife Trust customers who had some good ideas to make it more useful.
We have added a provider filter so you can look for specific provider’s outstanding hours, adding some more details on what the rules are when bulk logging hours.
A little checkbox to filter in/out those sessions where some, but not all, the available hours have been logged by a provider/administrator. Usually if less than the maximum hours have been logged, it’s for a reason and you don’t want that to be overwritten by the maximum.
A total can now be found at the bottom of the results and we have excluded the flexible max hours number as it was confusing and doesn’t add anything as when bulk logging flexible hours it copies the volunteer log history if it has more hours than the provider/administrator log history.
New SMS sending rules
This is actually a sort of backwards development! The rules around unsolicited text messages have been tightened up and they now prevent us from using any sender ID we wish when we send text messages. We now have to provide details on the sender ID, what it will be used for and other details, plus a regular monthly cost.
So for these reasons, we have suspended the sender ID options in the account profile area and all SMS messages are sent with a TeamKinetic sender ID. Apologies for those that have got used to having the old Sender ID flexibility.
Auto-suggest timing for typing to speed up results
You may have noticed when using the universal auto suggest search (still the best place to look for individual volunteers, providers or opportunities!) that it doesn’t attempt to search until you pause your typing. So if you type the characters S I M O N in quick succession without pausing, it will search once for ‘simon’ it wont search for ‘s’ then ‘si’ then ‘sim…..’.
This same technique has now been applied to the volunteer auto suggest searches when adding volunteers to sessions, adding meetings and everywhere else you see that volunteer search dialogue.
It reduces the time it spent searching and helps prevent timing issues with the appearance and fading of the list of auto suggested names.
Achieving ISO 27001 certification is a significant undertaking. For us at TeamKinetic, it was a worthwhile investment that underscores our deep commitment to data security and governance.
This certification is not just a badge; it’s a testament to our ongoing efforts to protect our clients’ information and to set the highest standards for the volunteering and charity sectors we serve.
Why ISO 27001?
In an increasingly digital world, the security of sensitive data is paramount. We handle information for hundreds of organisations and hundreds of thousands of volunteers. Our clients trust us to manage this data responsibly and securely. Pursuing ISO 27001 was a natural step in solidifying that trust.
The certification, an internationally recognised standard, provides a robust framework for managing an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It required a comprehensive review of our policies, procedures, and controls to ensure we protect against a wide range of threats, including data breaches and cyberattacks.
The process of achieving certification was rigorous. It involved a thorough audit of our infrastructure, software, and operational processes. This wasn’t just about passing a test; it was about embedding a culture of security into everything we do. It ensures that data protection is at the forefront of our minds, from product development to daily operations.
Setting the Standard for the Sector
Our mission has always been to empower the volunteering sector through innovative technology. By achieving ISO 27001, we’re not only enhancing our own security but also aiming to elevate the entire sector. By demonstrating the highest level of governance and compliance, we can inspire others to prioritise data security.
Data is the lifeblood of modern organisations, and protecting it is a shared responsibility. We aim to lead by example, demonstrating that even in a resource-constrained environment, it is both possible and essential to invest in robust security measures. This investment demonstrates to our partners and clients that we are a reliable and trustworthy platform, dedicated to their success and security.
Our commitment doesn’t end with certification. The ISO 27001 framework emphasises the need for continuous improvement. We will regularly audit our systems and update our practices to address new threats and maintain the highest standards of data security. This is our promise to our clients and our contribution to building a more secure and resilient volunteering ecosystem.
This upcoming TeamKinetic 2.6.0 release contains a lot of under-the-bonnet stuff that you won’t really see but will help us support our new and existing customers better. But of course, we’ve added some lovely goodness for everyone as well. We will be working hard to bring these new features to the mobile app but as always they appear first on the web version.
So, let’s take a look at what to expect in this upcoming release…
ToDo Tasks for Administrators
As well as being able to add notes and files to a volunteer’s profile, you can now add ToDo tasks. These can be assigned to any administrator and given a due date.
Administrator dashboards show their assigned tasks with all the information needed to complete them.
We’re interested in your feedback on this new feature, how you envisage using it and what might improve it.
Check In/Out Volunteers
Ideal for our event-driven organisations but also for anyone that wants to know which volunteers have attended and also use the check-in facility to log hours.
Volunteers can present their opportunity QR code or their general ID QR code and admins can check them in when they arrive at a venue and then check them out when they leave.
When checking in, if there is more than one valid session for that day, admins can check them in for one or all of those sessions.
When checking out, admins can choose the sessions to check them out of and also opt to log the hours recorded between the check-in and check-out on that session or in the flexible opportunity.
Improved Bulk Volunteer Adding/Removal Tool
If you ever need to add lots of volunteers to lots of sessions, then the bulk add tool is perfect for this. If you haven’t seen it yet, check the SESSIONS section of your opportunity management page and hit the blue BULK ADD/REMOVE VOLUNTEERS button.
It has now been improved greatly by the addition of day and time filters for the session selector. Want to add a bunch of volunteers to every session on a Monday that is between 9 and 10 o’clock? We’ve got it covered!
Session No-Show Counters
In the log hours section when managing an opportunity, you can record a no-show for a volunteer.
Recording a no-show for a volunteer will now be exposed on the volunteer profile page.
You can filter/search volunteers by the number of no-shows recorded and find those volunteers who might need a little help.
Extended Session Description
Once you’ve added your opportunities, you can now edit individual sessions and add longer extended descriptions to each session to help your volunteers choose the correct session.
The volunteer will be able to see the session description on both the initial opportunity advert page and in their opportunity management area.
HTML Styles and Links in Opportunity Descriptions
This a long sought-after feature you’ll be glad to hear is now available for admins and providers. Using the familiar editor you can now spice up your opportunity descriptions with extra styles, colours and features.
Folders for Organising Resources
This has been on the wish list for a while, and now it’s here. You can organise your resources into folders to make it easier for volunteers to find what they need.
You can create folders and edit your existing resources to place them into your new folders. You can still order your resources within each folder by dragging the resource using the handle in the top right of the resource image.
Improved and Extended Managed Expenses
We’ve overhauled the managed expenses feature and added some important new functions.
Administrators can now set a per-mile rate for travel claims. When a volunteer creates a claim for travel the approximate travel distance is calculated and displayed. This same distance is shown to the administrator when managing the expense.
Additionally, we’ve added vehicle types and set expense reasons that you can use to report and organise your expense claims.
The administrator view for expenses has been updated to include the distance calculation, what the claim is for and to indicate if the claim is more than expected for the journey.
AI Assistant for Creating Opportunity Descriptions
Do you get stuck for ideas or need some inspiration when creating your opportunity descriptions? We have a new AI assistant which, with a few keywords, can create your opportunity description for you.
It’s super easy to use, and you can play with the keywords to get the right tone and content. Once you hit the use button, the description will be put in the regular opportunity description box (now with those extra styles and hyperlink functionality) for you to edit and polish.
Include Volunteer Names in Bulk Emails
Create bulk emails and insert the volunteer’s name to personalise them. Just click the *|NAME|* replacement and it will appear in your bulk email text. This will be replaced by each volunteer’s name when the email is sent.
Flexible Opportunity Availability
We know that volunteers would like some indication of when a flexible opportunity is available, so we have added a days-of-the-week matrix.
Opportunity creators can indicate which days of the week the opportunity is generally available by checking the boxes. This matrix is included in the opportunity advert for volunteers.
Session Reminder Emails
Administrators can enable an option to send volunteers a reminder email containing their sessions for the next day.
The option is in the super admin > options > email notification section. Previously, only those opportunities with custom emails were included. Now, all volunteers on all sessions will be reminded. The email goes out at 08:30 the day before their session.
Custom Field Improvements
Administrators can add ToolTips to custom fields that have extra information about the question to help it get completed correctly.
When searching/filtering on custom date fields, you will now see the familiar date interface with from, after, between, etc options. Previously, it was a simple text entry where you could only match exact dates.
We have added a new NOT ANSWERED entry for custom yes/no questions, so you can also quickly pull up volunteers or providers who have not yet completed this custom field.
Provider Email Improvements
You can now see, edit and resend your provider bulk emails in the same way you can for volunteer emails.
Ad-hoc emails that providers send now always have the provider’s name and contact details clearly in the email. We hope that this enables more direct communication between the provider and volunteer, saving you time and effort.
Improved Layout for Volunteer Profile
There were a few optional portions of a volunteer profile that were separated out, like emergency contact details. In some cases, these were also not editable. They have all been combined into the main volunteer personal details panel now, and can all be editable.
ID and background checks have now been combined into one section, whether you are using digital ID and background checks or manual, everything is in one place now.
The summary details strip has been tidied up, and the last login information is now available across both desktop and mobile.
When adding a custom award badge, you can now adjust the award date so you can retrospectively award badges.
The email delivery checking has been improved to handle more of the special characters that might appear in the subject, that was preventing us from being able to match the sent email.
Finally…
There are, of course, many smaller updates and changes, bug fixes and improvements, the most important ones I’ll list below.
All the Other Stuff
Accessibility improvements that help assistive tech users skip repetitive sections
Adjust location area on self-managed opps
Display the friendly custom email name to make it easier to find emails
Added a panel to the provider’s dashboard showing outstanding applications
Delete and filter roles
Reinstated the location details box for opportunities with no specific location
Added custom email for expiring background checks sent to volunteers
Added an option to make provider feedback on volunteers optional
Fixed bug where only the first selected opportunity badge was added when creating opportunities
Trusted provider option to use managed expenses
Prevented a batch/bulk email send from failing if a single email was bad
Added a bulk email log that can be used to recover failed bulk emails
Provider search filter for those with empty profiles
Higher contrast map pointers on all maps
News items are shown on the provider’s dashboard
Download the day schedule as a list
Improved font sizing on smaller screens
Sends an email to the volunteer when a meeting booking is altered
New filters on volunteer and opportunity search pages
We encourage you to take a look around the custom email and options area as there are often new emails and options added that you might be interested in. Please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback about this version and remember you can try all this stuff out immediately using your regular admin login at https://beta.teamkinetic.co.uk.
Thank you for supporting TeamKinetic.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
We have now completed our integration of the First Advantage suite of digital ID and background checks. You can now initiate an entirely digital ID and subsequent background check with a single button press! The results and updates are fed directly back into your TeamKinetic dashboard.
How does it work?
There is some necessary paperwork to set up your First Advantage account and create the required roles you will be using. This is where you decide if you need to check the adult or child lists and what level of checks you’ll be using. We will guide you through this process and get your account set up quickly and easily.
After that it is just a case of pre-paying for bundles of checks, switching on the option and selecting the volunteers you want to check.
Once initiated the volunteer will receive an email and a text message with the instructions and help they need.
You will be alerted as the checks progress and once complete, the background check details, dates and numbers will be recorded in the volunteer profile.
What does it cost
We sell pre-paid bundles of credits for digital ID and enhanced-level background checks. The digital ID check costs one credit and the background check a further credit. If the digital ID check fails you will only be charged a single credit, you are only charged the further credit if the check progresses to the background check stage.
Credits are available in bundles of 10 for £80.00 or 50 for £230.00 (plus VAT) and you can purchase credits directly from the app via card or bank transfer.
Where can I find out more?
We have a few videos and documents where you can discover the process and how it works.
You can also find this information in the Super Admin > Setup menu under the API and Integrations section.
Interested in taking the next steps towards fully digital and integrated ID and background checks? Open a support ticket or hit the button in the Super Admin > Setup menu under the API and Integrations section.
It’s a great way to streamline and speed up your onboarding process.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
As the year winds down, we’re taking a moment to look back at everything that’s happened at TeamKinetic in 2024. It’s been a year full of exciting launches, inspiring conversations, and new ways to support the amazing volunteering community. Here’s a TeamKinetic 2024 roundup of what we’ve been up to!
January: Easing Back Into It
January was all about getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. Sometimes you need a bit of a reset to prepare for the big things ahead – and trust us, there was a lot coming! Behind the scenes, we were working on new updates, upcoming events, and a full rebrand. That meant that January contained a lot of strategy meetings around how we could make your volunteer management smoother than ever.
February: Tempo Time Credits Integration
February was when things really got going, starting with the launch of our Tempo Time Credits integration. This was a game-changer for recognising volunteers’ contributions, making it easier than ever for you to show your appreciation. Volunteers could now earn credits for their time and trade them for amazing experiences like cinema trips or days out. A win-win for everyone!
We also gave the TeamKinetic app a much-needed refresh. With a fresh, modern interface and smoother user experience, the updated app makes volunteering on the go a breeze. It’s all about saving you time and making your life easier.
We held a launch event to celebrate the release of both of these things. You can watch the recording to find out more:
March: Partnerships That Make a Difference
March was all about building connections to expand opportunities for you.
First, we teamed up with the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) to dive into volunteering in events, an area that’s so close to our hearts. Festivals rely on passionate volunteers, and this partnership aims to make their contributions more visible and impactful.
We alsojoined forces with DoIt, laying the groundwork for our integration that would help you share volunteer opportunities widely, including during The Big Help Out. These collaborations weren’t just about us. They were about creating more ways for your opportunities to reach the right people.
April: Testing New Ideas
April was all about trying new things. We launched our first-ever white-labeled app for Manchester City Council, giving them a customised platform to engage with their volunteers in a way that reflected their unique identity. It was a proud moment for us and a glimpse into what’s possible when technology meets creativity.
In April, Chris and Imo also sat down with Ian Braid for TeamTalk S3E2. Ian, founder of DOCIASport, gave us some brilliant insights into mental health and volunteering in sports.
DOCIAsport is an award-winning business that supports ‘the people who look after the people’. DOCIA stands for ‘Duty Of Care In Action’ and it’s something that may have been overlooked in the past. Ian and his team are doing incredible work across the sport sector now, so check out the episode below:
And that’s not all! We also partnered with the Heritage Volunteering Group (HVG) to support organisations in the heritage sector, opening up new avenues for engaging volunteers in cultural and historical spaces.
May: Big Updates, Big Changes
May was all about delivering on the promises we’d been working on for months. We launched TeamKinetic 2.5, packed with features designed to make managing volunteers more intuitive. From smart searches to better email tools and the ability to merge duplicate accounts, this update was built to tackle some of the most common challenges you face.
The full list of updates was as follows:
Creating and saving personalised smart searches
New search filters
WYSIWYG emails
Self-reported volunteering
Email delivery reports
Hide inactive volunteers
Merge volunteer accounts
Share private notes
The Big Help Out DoIt integration
TheDoIt integration for The Big Help Out made it easier for you to promote your opportunities and connect with the surge of people inspired to volunteer. It was all about making sure you could make the most of this nationwide event.
June: Celebrating Volunteers Everywhere
June was another busy month for us!
To kick off June, we joined the Volunteers’ Week celebrations. Between the 3rd and 9th of June, we celebrated the amazing contributions of volunteers around the world. Not only that, but towards the end of the week we saw The Big Help Out take place. With our DoIt integration, your opportunities got the spotlight during The Big Help Out, connecting you with a massive wave of 6.5 million people ready to give volunteering a go.
And that’s still not all! Tobi Johnson hosted an inspiring event, Beyond the Big Help Out, all about improving volunteer recruitment and engagement. We were so excited to sponsor this event, hosted by AVM. During the day, Tobi challenged pre-existing ideas of what a good volunteer strategy looks like and offered some great tips and practical advice to take on.
July: Sharing New Perspectives
In July, we focused on sharing insights and connecting with the community.
Chris appeared on Tobi Johnson’s Volunteer Nation Podcast, talking about fresh ways to think about volunteer data and technology. He shared our mission to simplify volunteering and how TeamKinetic is all about creating tech that drives social good.
We also shared tips on linking TeamKinetic with Google Analytics. By linking TeamKinetic with Google Analytics, you get the inside scoop on your volunteers and can make smarter decisions about recruitment and engagement.
August: Creativity and Updates
August was all about keeping things fresh and innovative. We rolled out TeamKinetic 2.5.1, a smaller update but packed with meaningful tweaks to make the platform even better for you.
We also explored the power of creativity on TeamTalk with Katherine Perrin, who showed us how LEGO Serious Play can spark collaboration and problem-solving within volunteer teams. It was a fun and inspiring way to think about building stronger connections with your volunteers.
September: Conference Season is Here
September was all about bringing people together! The TeamKinetic 2024 Conference was a big highlight of 2024 for us. We had volunteer managers, sector leaders, and experts from across the UK all in one (virtual) room, sharing ideas and inspiring each other.
The mix of practical insights and big-picture thinking made this year’s conference extra special. We covered everything from the latest trends in volunteering to tips for making the most of tech tools (like TeamKinetic!). Our speakers delivered sessions on creative problem-solving, digital transformation, and volunteer engagement.
For us, the conference is more than just an event. It’s a way to show our commitment to supporting you. Whether you walked away with actionable tips, a new perspective, or just a sense of community, we hope it reminded you why we’re so passionate about what we do.
October was all about stepping back, looking at the bigger picture, and thinking about what’s next for volunteering. We had some incredible opportunities to connect with leaders in the sector and explore how we can continue to support you in managing and inspiring your volunteers.
On TeamTalk, we hosted Alan Stevenson, CEO of Volunteer Scotland. He shared some amazing insights into the trends shaping our sector, particularly for Scotland. From adapting to the challenges of modern volunteering to making sure we’re creating inclusive and accessible opportunities for everyone.
October was also conference month for the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM), and we were thrilled to take part. The AVM Conference is one of the best places to connect with volunteer managers across the UK, and this year was no different. We had some great conversations, exchanged ideas, and shared how TeamKinetic can help make managing volunteers simpler and more effective.
What we love about events like the AVM conference is that they’re not just about the present, they’re about preparing for the future. Whether it’s tackling the challenges of recruiting younger volunteers, embracing new technologies, or redefining what it means to support your team, these events spark the ideas and actions that shape the years ahead. Not just for you, but for us and the TeamKinetic software too!
For us, October reaffirmed the importance of staying connected to the community. We’re not just here to provide software. We’re here to understand your needs, amplify your voice, and work alongside you to make volunteering the best it can be.
November: Highlighting the Importance of Inclusion
In November, we explored equality, diversity, and inclusion in volunteering with Shruti Saujani from the FA on TeamTalk. Shruti gave us plenty to think about, from breaking down barriers to creating more welcoming spaces for volunteers from all walks of life.
It was a powerful reminder that volunteering should be accessible to everyone and that small changes can make a big impact in building inclusive teams. You can catch the full episode below:
December: Finishing the Year Strong
We wrapped up the year with the launch of the Digital in Volunteering Toolkit, an exciting project we’ve been working on for a long time. The Toolkit was created in collaboration with AVM and Gethyn Williams. This toolkit is designed to help you thrive in today’s digital-first world, packed with tips and resources to make managing volunteers easier and more effective.
It was the perfect way to end a year full of growth and innovation, and we’re so excited to see how you use it to create even more impact in 2025. Stay tuned for more on the Toolkit and Community of Practice. And if you have absolutely no idea what either of those things are, watch the launch recording below and download the toolkit now.
What’s Next? 2024 has been an incredible year for TeamKinetic, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. Our partners, users, and of course, all the amazing volunteers out there. Here’s to more growth, connections, and opportunities in 2025. Let’s see what the new year brings!
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
Welcome back to Season 3 of our TeamTalk Podcast! This season, we are talking to thought leaders, customers and stakeholders from the world of volunteer management as we dive deeper into the world of volunteering. This time around, we speak to Shruti Saujani.
Welcome back to TeamTalk with TeamKinetic, the podcast where hosts Chris Martin and Imo Greatbatch delve into the world of volunteer engagement, featuring stories and insights from those leading change.
In this episode, Chris and Imo are joined by Shruti Saujani, the FA’s Senior Lead for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, to discuss her inspiring journey and the powerful work she’s doing to drive inclusivity in sports.
Join us as we explore how sports can drive positive change and promote a sense of belonging for all. You can listen to the episode in full below:
Empowering Change Through Inclusivity in Sports
Shruti Saujani’s journey in sports is one of resilience. Growing up with a love for cricket and football, she faced the challenges of a male-dominated industry and the feeling of marginalisation that often comes with it.
Her passion for change shines through as she shares her dedication to transforming the sports landscape, particularly for women and women of colour. Her commitment to inclusivity isn’t just personal; it’s about creating a future where everyone can see themselves represented. Listen to discover how Shruti breaks down barriers and champions women in sport.
Volunteering as a Catalyst for Change
Shruti reflects on the role of volunteering, both as a means of personal growth and as a way to bring communities together. Her involvement with the Dream Big Desi Women project highlights the importance of fostering inclusive spaces. Teh project welcomes diverse participants and pushes beyond traditional barriers. In 2022, the Dream Big Desi Women campaign celebrated getting over 2,000 South Asian women involved in volunteering in cricket. You can find out more about the project here.
Driving Inclusivity Across Sports Organizations
Shruti, Chris, and Imo discussed the broader implications of diversity within sports organisations. She highlighted the need for fresh perspectives and youth engagement to keep the industry relevant and inclusive. Her experience creating safe networking spaces – particularly for South Asian women in sports – demonstrates the value of building supportive environments that go beyond sports, addressing mental health and shared experiences.
Looking to the Future
Towards the end of the episode, Shruti shares her vision for an inclusive future. She hopes sports can act as a platform for empowerment and meaningful societal change. Her insights on navigating power dynamics with vulnerability and courage provide a hopeful roadmap for a more inclusive and equitable world.
Huge thanks to Shruti for coming onto the pod. That wraps up season three. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to listen. Whether you’ve tuned in for one episode or all 17 of them!
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
Hi all and welcome to another stuffed full of goodness, TeamKinetic update.
We’ve got some big changes in the pipeline regarding customising workflows. These are going to take some time to realise properly, so we wanted to get some of the smaller things done and dusted so you don’t have to wait.
Catch the full summary of changes made in this TeamKinetic update via this video, or tuck into all the details in full below.
Data Retention Options and Rules
In this TeamKinetic update, there are two new options that work well with the auto-delete options to handle your data retention needs.
You can now select the level of data you wish to retain when any volunteer is removed, by an admin, by themselves or via the auto-deletion of inactive volunteers.
The first level only saves the volunteer’s hours, anonymously in the deleted hours total that you see in reports. This has been the only available level of data retention to this point.
The second level adds the volunteer’s essential profile information; name, email address etc. to the data that is retained.
Level three adds the volunteer’s opportunity and session history, so you can trace what sessions they were on and where.
Level four adds their email log.
All this information is searchable and viewable in your dashboard and you’ll have the option to expunge data or to extend the retention period, anytime you wish.
The second option sets a data retention period. Once any retained data is older than this it will be automatically expunged.
File Upload Custom Registration Question
A super useful new field type that you can add to the volunteer registration page. Great if there are documents you need from the volunteer as part of their registration.
The uploaded files are stored in the volunteer’s ID section of their document storage. The files are given the label short name you define when creating the custom question and locked to prevent deletion by the volunteer.
File upload questions only appear on the registration page and are not editable from the volunteer’s dashboard.
Text Only Custom Registration Question
If you want to provide more information about any step in the registration process you can now add a text-only section.
The text displayed will be the label you define when setting up the question.
Just like the registration questions these only appear on the actual registration page.
Character Limits on Single and Multiline Text Entry Custom Questions
Add a maximum number of characters that volunteers and providers can enter in these fields.
The limit will prevent users from entering any characters beyond the limit. On average an English word has 4.7 characters, so divide the character count by 5 to get a rough estimate of word count.
The limit defaults to 2500 or 500 words.
User Controllable Cookie Consent
Remember all those annoying cookie consent pop-ups; they’re back!
We were hopeful that these might disappear with our exit from the EU but they haven’t gone anywhere yet.
It is now a requirement to allow users to opt out of various sorts of cookies, like the Google Analytics cookies, as well as the required non-tracking ones for logins etc.
We’ll be adding our pop-up to all our customer sites throughout this release. Your users should only see this annoyance once and then their preferences are set on that machine.
It’s a necessary evil I’m afraid 😞
Easier to Complete Address Lookup
We’ve had persistent issues with users entering their UK postcode but not hitting the search button to select their full address. This stops them from being able to complete the registration but it was not clear to the user why.
Now the search box is triggered immediately that the postcode box is left, so even if they miss this entirely, when they come to hit the registration button it will be clear which fields need to be completed.
Weekly Email Changes
If you have opps that have longer than seven days between being added and being authorised, there is a chance that they will never appear in the weekly email as we used the creation date to choose which opps to show but they still had to be authorised.
If an opp was created on 01/01/2024 but was not authorised till 10/01/2024 it would not be valid for the weekly email till it was authorised on the 10th, but by then its created date was already more than seven days past so it wouldn’t appear.
We now ignore the creation date when selecting the opps for the weekly email which avoids this issue.
Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoy this latest TeamKinetic update.
As always, remember you can shape our future updates by submitting feature requests. Just go to Help & Support → Support Tickets → Open New Ticket → Ticket Type: New Feature Request
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
