We know that facilitating volunteering events can be exhausting. We also know that using a new site can be tricky. And that’s why we want to help!

Below are the in’s and out’s of running a successful volunteering opportunity on our Brownie Points system.

 

1. As a nonprofit organisation, why should I create a volunteering opportunity on Brownie Points?

Our answer is quick and bullet-pointed:

• Increased visibility – Once your volunteering opportunity is created, it’s on our easy-to-use Discover page. This allows our growing community of volunteers to see exactly what you need, when and where. It also tells them that their superpowers are needed to get the job done!
• Reduced admin – While you still have the option to establish a more personal relationship with your volunteers, we take care of all the admin for you. We send you notifications every time someone applies and confirms (yes, they need to confirm again). We also send your volunteers notifications when you accept them, every time you change details in the volunteering opportunity, and when you have confirmed their attendance so they can get their well-earned Brownie Points.
• Greater awareness – Once your opportunity is created, we go the extra mile to advertise it to our growing community of do-gooders. This we not only do on our Discover page, but also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Just to make sure everyone knows about it.
• Better vetting – You can view profiles of all volunteers who apply, as well as check out their motivations for wanting to volunteer and their LinkedIn profile. This makes it easier to choose the best volunteers for the job.
• Getting the “right” volunteers – We consider ourselves a matchmaker of sorts. We market your volunteering opportunity to the right people, situated in the right location, and with the right skills.
• Rewarding your volunteers – The best comes last! You can reward your volunteers with brownie points, which they can redeem for over 60 rewards on our Rewards Hub!

 

2. How do I create a volunteering opportunity on Brownie Points?

Right! This is where we dive into some step-by-steps. I will use our own nonprofit, Brownie Points, to show you exactly what to do:

1) Log in. Don’t have an account? Sign up right here.

2) Go to your profile by clicking on the avatar (aka “little person icon”) in the top right corner, and then clicking on your nonprofit name.

 

3) Once on your profile, click on the Opportunities tab, and then on Create new opportunity.

 

4) Now comes the exciting part… Fill in all the details, including:

• Title – What do you need help with? Try to make this catchy to get your volunteers excited!
• Start date and time – When does it start? Choose the date on which you want your volunteers to start, as well as the time. We all know how busy you are, so you want to give volunteers a set time, so you can give them your undivided attention.
• End date and time – When does it end? Same as above, except what date and time the volunteering ends.
• Address – Where does it take place? This one is very important! Your volunteers want to know exactly where to go. If they think they cannot find the location, even for a second, they will not sign up. That’s why we ask you to be as specific as possible. Type in the street number, then the street and then select it from the list of suggestions. NOTE: This is also very important, since you need to select the address from the list, or else it will not be saved.
• Description – What other details do you want your volunteers to know? Try to be specific and concise. Use this space to tell them why this volunteering opportunity is worthwhile doing and how many of your beneficiaries will be impacted by the volunteers’ presence (if possible).
• Message to volunteers – What personal message do you have for your volunteers? We will include this in our first notification to them when they apply. Try to speak to their emotions, or just how giddy you are that you will be seeing them soon!
• Brownie points – How many brownie points would each volunteer be rewarded with? We would recommend about 100 brownie points for one unskilled hour, and about 200 to 300 brownie points for one skilled hour of volunteering.
• Number of volunteers needed – How many volunteers would you like to have at this event? Or what is the maximum you can handle? NOTE: Remember that this value is multiplied by the amount of brownie points and subtracted from your available brownie points, which refill with every Rand donated to your organisation.
• Application deadline – Until when can potential volunteers apply? We recommend that this date is at least one day before the volunteering opportunity starts, so that volunteers have time to confirm their attendance.
• Skills – What skills does this volunteering require? You can add skills (separated by an Enter) after you created the opportunity. Simply click Edit and start typing.

Below the form I filled out for our volunteering opportunity:

 

3. I created one! What now?

Congratulations! Your volunteering opportunity is now live on our Discover page and ready for everyone to see and apply! But what happens now? Below a quick overview and then a more detailed walkthrough of events:

• Sharing the good news – The Brownie Points team will now market your volunteering opportunity on social media, to raise awareness and attract the right volunteers.
• Applications – As soon as volunteers apply, you will get an email notification. Simply click on the link in the email or click Edit on that volunteering opportunity (under the Opportunities tab), and have a look at who’s interested in helping you out.
• Vetting – You can click on the person’s name to view their motivation, as well as their Brownie Points profile for any past volunteering experience. To take it even further (and especially if this is volunteering that requires skills), you can click on their LinkedIn link on their profile to see what they have been up to and whether they are qualified for the job. After all, volunteering is a privilege.
• Acceptance – If you’re happy with the volunteer, you can update their status to Accepted. This will fire off an email to notify the volunteer and remind them of the details. If the volunteer is not suited to volunteer for you, you can also update their status to Denied. This is a bit awkward, but we’ll send them a nice email on your behalf. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
• Confirmation – But we’re not just satisfied with the volunteer applying. We want the volunteer to confirm that they will attend even after you have accepted them. Too many a time have we seen ecstatic enthusiasm end in a quick excuse, because it was a lazy Saturday morning. You will also be notified when volunteers have confirmed. Remember that volunteers could still attend, even though they didn’t confirm.
• Reminder – We send your volunteers a reminder 24 hours before the volunteering starts, so they don’t miss out.
• Volunteering! – And now, the magic happens! The volunteers arrive to do your bidding! Feel free to take pictures and send them our way or tag us on social media, so we can share them with the world! Remember to note down who attended, so that you can give them their brownie points. 
• Brownie Points!! – After the volunteering is done, click on Edit on the volunteering opportunity, scroll down to your volunteers, write each one a personal thank you message (if you like), and update them to Attended. For the ones that did not attend, you may also write them a message to encourage them to attend the next volunteering event and mark them as Absent. We will send them a nice email, including our personal message and how many brownie points they’ve earned, thanks to you!

 

4. Wow! This is fantastic! What is Brownie Points planning for the future?

We’re glad you asked! We are planning to take volunteering to the next level by launching:

• Repetitive volunteering
• Long-term volunteering
• Corporate volunteering
• Automatic matching
• Advanced vetting
• Volunteering requests
• Circular giving

I know I am being sneaky by not elaborating on the above points, but I’d much rather tell you myself. Feel free to email us at [email protected] to find out more about our upcoming features!

It was my pleasure to give you a crash course in Brownie Points Volunteering 101! Remember, you can always email Kerry, our Online Success Queen, at [email protected] if you need some help.

Otherwise… happy volunteering! Create your first volunteering opportunity right now to try it out! It’s lots of fun!

 

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