How does the Volunteer Pool work for Organisations?

The volunteer pool consists of individuals who have signed up because they are open to volunteer work. Through the volunteer pool, you can view their profiles and potentially reach out to them proactively.

You can filter volunteers in multiple ways: by ‘Interests’, ‘Activities’, and ‘Postal Code Groups’. If you select a specific activity, the system automatically populates the characteristics of that activity as filters.

You can access the volunteer pool via the organisation menu, through an activity page, or directly after creating an activity. The following video explains how this works.

Below are answers to frequently asked questions:

• Does a reachout always have to be linked to an opportunity?
• Can I reach out to everyone?
• Can I call people as well?
• What should I consider when reaching out to volunteers in the pool?
• Are all users in the volunteer pool?
• What happens after I have messaged a volunteer?
• I am not receiving any responses, what now?

Does a reachout always have to be linked to an opportunity?

Yes, your reachout must always be linked to an opportunity. This is to ensure that organisations are forced to work in a targeted manner and prevents prevents users from being randomly contacted by anyone.

Can I reach out to everyone?

You can, in principle, contact anyone in the volunteer pool. However, you can only contact someone once per activity, and you can send a maximum of 5 reachouts per day, per organisation.

Conversely, a volunteer cannot have more than five open applications at a time. This is to prevent potential volunteers from being contacted too often and dropping out.

Can I call people as well?

If the volunteer has indicated that he/she would like to be reached by phone, the volunteer's telephone number will appear and you can contact him/her directly.

What should I consider when reaching out to volunteers in the pool?

You'll have the best chance of finding a volunteer if you consider their preferences. You can see their interests and the activities they enjoy in their profile. Look at that and read the text where they introduce themselves.

It's also helpful to consider their primary language and the scope of their search. You can also see if someone is a member of any organisations and if they've participated in activities before (via this platform). These are all clues that can give you an idea of ​​how likely someone is to be interested.

Are all users in the volunteer pool?

No, only users who have explicitly signed up for the volunteer pool are included.

What happens after I have messaged a volunteer?

Once you've contacted a volunteer, they'll receive an email and possibly multiple reminders (after 2 and 4 weeks). Volunteers have two options: "Respond" to the invitation or "Skip." In either case, you, the organisation, will receive an email.

Once the volunteer has indicated their interest by responding to the email, the normal application process will begin. This means you can continue the conversation and update the application status as soon as you have clarity.

I am not receiving any responses, what now?

People automatically receive reminders if they don't respond. If someone never responds to notifications, they're automatically removed. This way, the pool remains filled with only people who are genuinely looking.

Our tip is always: carefully review profiles and try to approach people as specifically as possible. Nobody likes being approached randomly. You can also try adjusting your activity (description/images) to make it as appealing as possible.

Moreover, people are also looking for a suitable activity themselves, not just on this platform. So keep sharing your activity, especially on social media; the perfect volunteer might not be familiar with our platform yet!

By effectively utilizing the volunteer pool, organisations can proactively engage volunteers who are eager to contribute, leading to more successful and fulfilling volunteer experiences. Good luck!