Fill the Backpack: Volunteer Spot Streamlines Volunteering

Sometimes organizing volunteers can be like herding cats. Recruiting members, assigning everyone tasks, and ensuring communication happens so everyone is doing their share for the silent auction/bake sale/teacher appreciation week is hard but VolunteerSpot makes it easy to recruit, organize, and execute events through complimentary and premium levels of service ($4.99-$29.99/month).

I wish I had known about VolunteerSpot when I spent 2 years coordinating the preschool’s silent auction. As a member of the preschool Parent Group, I could have invited volunteers to sign up via email, including a URL to the signup through our school listserv, or by placing a button on the school’s website.

As parents sign up, VolunteerSpot capitalizes on their high interest by asking parents to select among various volunteer opportunities throughout the school year. The organizer wizard makes it easy to customize volunteer activities and schedule events. You can create one-time events or volunteer positions that span multiple days, weeks or months. It also allows you to enter job descriptions, shifts, and requests for supplies.

VolunteerSpot also keeps everyone organized. It makes it easy to print sign-in sheets and rosters so you can see, at a glance, who will be coming, what shifts are covered, and what people have offered to bring. If you find that you need more people to help or supplies, easily communicate with your group by updating your activity page.

I have to admit that my favorite part about VolunteerSpot is the automatic reminders. VolunteerSpot sends automated messages reminding your volunteers of their commitments which eliminates the need to stalk certain parents at school or waiting in hopes that they return a call or email!

This video provides a more in-depth look at VolunteerSpot or if you prefer, try the demo:

Did you know I’m giving away one of 16 backpacks overflowing with great gifts like from companies like LeapFrog, SunMaid and Carolina Pad.

Enter to win my Fill the Backpack giveaway through my Ziploc Magnificent Mom Moment post. For extra entries, FIRST enter on my Ziploc post and then come back here to:

• Leave a comment telling me about a hassle of volunteering that VolunteerSpot would help eliminate
• Comment after tweeting: Chronic volunteer @TechSavvyMama shares how easy it is to streamline volunteering on VolunteerSpot. #BTSBackpack
  
• RSVP for tonight’s #BTSBackpack Twitter party (7 pm PST/10 pm EST) where I’ll be giving away one of my 2 backpacks and come back to comment to let me know you’ll be joining the conversation.
  

Be sure to visit the other participating bloggers in the Fill the Backpack campaign and to increase your odds of winning by entering their giveaways!

This post is part of the Fill the Backpack program and is sponsored by Ziploc and 20th Century Fox. Fill the Backpack is hosted by Volunteer Spot.

*This Contest will end September 5th at 11:59 pm and is open to US Residents only.