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.
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.
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
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!
OurYouTube 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.
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!
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
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.
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.
We always try and avoid jargon but sometimes it is a little difficult when talking about the internet and software. When we talk about ‘domains’ we are really talking about the address or URL that your website will use so people can find you on the internet.
This is the address they type into their web browser to access your website.
TeamKinetic offers a variety of options with regards to the domain’s you can use, these options are somewhat dependant upon your choice of subscription.
In every subscription, there is some room for customisation and personalisation of this address.
So what are your options and what do they mean.
FREE subscription.
tryvolunteering.com/yourname
If you join us on our free version to use of TeamKinetic, you will be hosted on our FREE to access site TryVolunteering.com.
This means you will be assigned a web address that starts with “https://tryvolunteering.com” and you this will then be followed by your organisation’s name with all the spaces removed. So if your organisation name is “Harchester Utd FC” your website address will be.
Our Advanced level subscribers have their own application and as such have their own ‘subdomain’. What this means is you can add your organisation name to the start of the web address. An example would be
https://harchesterutdfc.teamkinetic.co.uk
From a user experience perspective, users feel more assured as your name is first in the address, and because the Advanced subscription offers significantly more customisation this combines for better overall user experience.
Enterprise Subscription
yourdomain.com
Enterprise subscribers have the benefit of greater customisation and personalisation. As an enterprise customer, you can select an available new and unique address for your site. Examples from our customers include
https://mcrvip.com
Or
https://Hockeymakers.co.uk
These URLs are purchased on behalf of our customers and remain the property of our customers but are managed by TeamKinetic on behalf of our customers as part of our ongoing agreement. In the event of that agreement coming to an end, we can arrange for that domain to be transferred or released depending on the needs of our customers.
A new domain is very easy to set up, requires no technical support or resource from our customer to manage, as TeamKinetic manage all this on our customer’s behalf.
Enterprise customers can also use a ‘sub-domain’ of an existing URL they already use our own. An example of this might be our customer the Youth Hostel Asociation who’s main website address is:
The volunteer team at the YHA wanted the TeamKinetic system to look and feel like it was part of the wider YHA web site. The best way to achieve this is to embed the TeamKinetic system into the YHA’s existing web brand. So the TeamKinetic system now live at
No matter what subscription you wish to use, TeamKinetic will support you in setting up your site and getting the address you want. We are available to walk you through your options and help you find the set up that you require for your volunteers.
For more information on how we can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit our website or contact us on – 0161 914 5757
Our ambition was to build the very best online volunteer management application in the world. Part of our definition of the very best means easiest to use, as well as the most useful features. Unfortunately when you build software there is a real danger of “JARGON”! We know volunteer managers want to be great at managing volunteers not specialists in information technology. So I wanted to try to explain in plain English how TeamKinetic works
Software and Application
We sometime use these words interchangeably, but they often share the same meaning, which is to describe the TeamKinetic product. Application does not necessarily refer to mobile specifically, but it can do sometimes. So now I’ve cleared that up!
Cloud-based
The TeamKinetic application uses a group of computers that are connected via the internet to enable the website and mobile apps you see to work. These computers or servers as we call them form our cloud. This cloud contains a combination of our own private servers and third part services from people like Amazon and Google.
All our computers are based in the UK.
Software as a Service
As the internet has become faster, the need to go to the shop to buy your software on disk or CD is now a distant memory. Now your Software does not even need to be on your actual computer but lives on the internet and is provided by someone who’s only responsibility is to make that software great.
Back in the day you would go to a shop and buy a physical disk or CD (depending on how old you are) with your software on there. Once you got home you would install that software onto your computer, those were such innocent times. That software would then remain on your computer until you replaced your computer or bought the next version from the shop and put that on your computer.
The someone in the case of TeamKinetic is us. That’s Steve, Rolf, me and the rest of our team. We have built and continue to improve TeamKinetic for you to use. We take your advice and feedback, mixing that with the user data we collect and we try to look at the best ways to continue to improve the TeamKinetic experience.
Being on the internet means that you can browse the web from anywhere, you can access your TeamKinetic application on the go or comfort of your home. More importantly, this approach means you can concentrate on your volunteer management, whilst we focus on keeping the website working or ‘live’ as we call it. TeamKinetic make sure your data is stored appropriately and in accordance with regulations such as GDPR. We concentrate on making TeamKinetic work on all the different devices, such as iPhones, tablets and laptops. We have even start to look at Alexa. You don’t need to worry about things like servers, security or accessibility standards as we take care of all that.
TeamKinetic’s Software as a Service approach means you can be confident that your volunteer management system will always work and will always be making the most of the latest developments in technology, social media, regulation and user behaviour trends.
Licencing
As we provide TeamKinetic as an ongoing service we have developed a business that requires an ongoing fee or subscription, we call this our licence. To keep the servers working and up to the job, to ensure the developers continue to improve TeamKinetic, our customers to continue to support our work through the licence fee. This fee ensures you continue to get the help and support, software updates and that we can keep the power lights on all those computers here a TeamKinetic.
The team believe strongly in a ‘no-surprises’ approach to pricing. Our customers can be confident that we will not hit them with hidden costs. Our licence covers everything you will ever need to set up and keep your volunteer application running day-to-day. We are transparent about the few things that fall outside the licence fee.
Volunteer Management Software (VMS)
Different companies may each have a slightly different explanation as to what is volunteer management software, but for TeamKinetic we want to offer a place where volunteers can go to manage their volunteering, where organisations can post, recruit, on-board, training, deploy and track volunteer engagements. Where a volunteer reward and recognition is built into the experience. Where data and insight are generated in real time.
This is all delivered in a website that is easy to use and super flexible for your needs and that can integrate with your other digital systems. It is not the same as Customer Relationship Management software and its also not the sames as Human Resource software or scheduling applications that are out there, but it’s a curious mix of all the above built for your volunteers. If you want to know more about the differences and similarities feel free to read more about it here.
Get in Touch
There will no doubt be more jargon to contend with as you look through the product description, so please feel free to get in touch if we have failed to explain it in plain English.
If you want to talk about the more technical aspects of TeamKinetic SaaS then please do not hesitate to email me or call the office on +44 (0)161 914 5757 or contact us via our website
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
We recently spoke with GB Taekwondo volunteer manager, James Johnson on his experience as a volunteer provider on the TeamKinetic volunteer management system.
The following case study is regarding how TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system has improved the volunteer management process for GB Taekwondo and how it is assiting with volunteer recruitment ahead of the World Taekwondo Championships 2019.
GB Taekwondo
GB Taekwondo is responsible for the preparation, management and performance of British Taekwondo Athletes. Based in Manchester, we manage the full time ‘World Class Performance’ programme and with the support of UK Sport and National Lottery funding.
With the further support of Sport England, we manage the national Talent Pathway programme, responsible for the development of cadet and junior athletes and their progression as members of the national squads. GB Taekwondo delivers an annual programme of major events which this year includes the World Taekwondo Championships 2019 at the Manchester Arena.
Tell us a little bit around your role at GB Taekwondo?
“I’m currently working as GB Taekwondo’s Volunteer Manager & Events Intern. This means that my primary role is to oversee the volunteer programme for the Manchester Taekwondo Grand Prix 2018 & World Taekwondo Championships 2019. All the recruitment and management of the volunteers for these events is my responsibility. To have a role like this during a university placement year is a fantastic opportunity and I’m really enjoying it.”
How have you found using TeamKinetic?
“We use the TeamKinetic system as an opportunity provider which means we register our volunteering opportunities on various TeamKinetic sites. The main one that we use is MCRVIP which is the main Manchester volunteer site.
Registering our opportunities on these systems is highly useful as it allows us to connect with volunteers from around Manchester. Manchester has a great volunteer network and using this system is a great way to advertise our opportunities to these volunteers.
During the Taekwondo Grand Prix, we had 107 volunteers in total across the week performing 15 different roles. The total number of hours that was completed by volunteers was 664, this was just over a course of a couple of days!”
Can you give a scope into the kind of opportunities and events created by GB Taekwondo?
“In addition to GB Taekwondo’s World Class Performance programme, GB Taekwondo delivers an annual programme of World Class Events. The next event GB Taekwondo will host is the Manchester 2019 World Taekwondo Championships. This is the first time that the World Championships will be held in the UK and provides a fantastic opportunity to get involved.”
“The Dan Clan will be an integral part of the World Championships as they will be the face of the competition. GB Taekwondo will be recruiting 250 – 280 volunteers to make up the Dan Clan. They will be seen across Manchester from the airport, to hotels to transport hubs and of course in Manchester Arena. This is your chance to get involved!”
2019 World Taekwondo Championships
What measurable benefits have you seen since recruiting through the TeamKinetic system?
“GB Taekwondo has been using TeamKinetic as a provider since 2011, the benefits provided by the TeamKinetic system is that it gives a base of volunteers that are easily connected with. Having volunteers able to see your opportunities with ease is a great promotion for any organisation that requires volunteers.
The system is easy to use, it doesn’t take long to post the opportunities and once they’re uploaded it is easy to see the volunteers and which sessions they’re signed up to.”
Thank you for time and answers James!
TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, increase 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 how we can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit our website or contact us on – 0161 914 5757
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.
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.
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.
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.
