How to Check in Volunteers

 

Volunteer check-in is a feature within United Way's volunteer site that allows organization managers to check in volunteers when they arrive to their project OR set up a check-in kiosk for volunteers to check themselves in. You can check in volunteers via a computer, tablet or phone. This is a very helpful tool to streamline the sign in process before a volunteer opportunity if you would like to use it.

  • Volunteers can electronically "check in" when they arrive at the site of a volunteer opportunity using the new check-in kiosk feature.

  • Organization managers can electronically check volunteers in as needed.

  • When a volunteer "checks out" of the opportunity, the site automatically assigns and approves the volunteer hours to that volunteer.

  • If the volunteer forgets to "check out," the site still assigns and approves volunteer hours based on the number of hours specified in the project form by the organization manager.

 

To access the check-in feature:

  1. Log into your account and click My Organization to open your organization management area.

  2. Click the Check-in tab.

Once you have opened Volunteer Check-in, you will see all of the active opportunities posted by your organization. You can click List below the relevant opportunity to sign volunteers in yourself or click the Check-In Kiosk box to allow volunteers to sign themselves in. (If no duration has been entered for a need, you must provide one. Type the number of hours of the need and click Add. The screen will update to display the List option beneath the need.)

 

Option 1: List Check-in

Get Connected displays a list of all users who have responded to the opportunity. The list shows the users' names (in alphabetical order by last name), email addresses, associated teams (as applicable), and an indication of whether or not they have already checked in.

Note that there is a check box to the left of each volunteer who has not checked in.

To check in volunteers, mark the boxes to the left of their names and click the Check In Users button. Once the volunteers have been checked in, the check box will disappear and "No" will be changed to "Yes" under the Checked In column.

If any volunteers show up that you didn't have registered before, use the check-in kiosk to register them on the spot.  

 

Option 2: Check-in Kiosk

To check in, the volunteer will be asked whether they already have an account or need to create one. If they already have an account, they will select the information they want to use to log in, type the email address, phone number or name associated with their account and then click Submit. If the volunteer already has an account, the system lets them know that it has identified their account. They will need to click the Check in as ____ button to complete their check-in. If the volunteer does not already have an account, they will be asked to provide their first and last name before checking in. Once they've clicked to register, the system creates an account for them and sends an email welcoming them to the site and inviting them to return to the site to complete a user profile.

Through the Check-in Kiosk, volunteers registered with groups have the option to Check in alone or Check in with my group. The group check-in allows the volunteer to select the names of fellow group members who have arrived and check them in as well. It also allows groups to remove or add new members as needed. 

 

Volunteer check out:

The system automatically logs volunteer hours for volunteers who have checked in to an opportunity using the Volunteer Check-in feature.

  • When the volunteer checks out of the opportunity, the system calculates the time volunteered and applies it to their volunteer hours.

  • If the volunteer does not check out of the opportunity within 24 hours, the system credits the user with hours equal to the need duration. For example, if the duration is three hours, three volunteer hours are added to the volunteer's record.