Where to Start – Volunteer Impact Knowledgebase (2024)

Overview

This help article outlines the services Better Impact provides as part of your purchase and the timeframe required for those services. In addition, we’ve listed the areas of the software that require your input for content and the estimated time it will take you to accomplish that work.

Summary of Time

Services Included in Your Purchase

• Typically 12-25 business days for Better Impact to complete all services
• This timeline is dependent on timely receipt of materials required for application configurations and data imports purchased

Work done by the Organization

• Organization Account Set-Up: Approx. 5 hours

Task & Timeline Breakdown

Note: Services provided by Better Impact will begin once payment (or a Purchase Order number) is received. Once payment is confirmed, you will receive a Welcome email from the Member Success Advisor in your region with instructions based on your specific purchase.

The summary included here is provided to help you plan a realistic start date based on your purchased services.

Work done by Better Impact (when purchased)

• Setting Up of your Account – Once we receive the information for how you wish your account to be named, we ask for 1-2 business days to complete this work.
• Application Configuration (if purchased) – Once we receive your application and on-boarding materials, we ask for 7-10 business days to complete this work.
• Data Import (if purchased)- Once we receive your import data, we ask for 7-10 business days to complete this work.
• Training (if purchased) – When multiple training sessions are purchased, we recommend scheduling sessions 1-2 days apart with no more than 4 weeks between the first and last session for best retention of the material covered.

Work done by the Organization

Always maintain at least two Full admins in each account. This crossover reduces access issues for your organization during unplanned admin changes

• Branding Settings
  • Web Banner – 5 Minutes
  • Setting the Color – 5 Minutes
  • Default Rich Text Box Options– 5 Minutes
  • Social Media – 10 Minutes
  • Mission Statement Box – 5 Minutes
  • News and Messages – 10 Minutes
• Application Settings – 30 Minutes
• Create Content
  • Custom Fields – 2 Minutes per Custom Field
  • Qualifications – 2 Minutes per Qualification
  • Create General Interests – 10 Minutes per General Interest
  • Feedback Fields – 5 Minutes per Feedback Field
  • E-Learning Modules – 30 Minutes per Module
• Create Activities – 10 Minutes per Activity
• Create Templates
  • Activity Shift Templates – 10 Minutes per Activity Shift
  • Email – 5 Minutes per Email
• Upload Documents – 5 Minutes per Document
• Create Limited Admin Roles – 20 Minutes per Role

Where to Start

Below you’ll find the order we recommend you follow when creating the elements in your software.

Develop the look, feel and function of the database (Link for video series)

• Upload your Web Banner so volunteers feel connected to your organization.
• Branding: Setting the elements on the volunteer side of the software to align with your organization website
  • Setting the Color
  • Changing the Default Rich Text Box Options
• Add your Mission Statementso both volunteers and prospective volunteers understand how they can contribute to the greater good.
• Add your Social Media so your volunteers have access to everything related to your organization in one place.

Create your Application (Link for video series)

• Determine your Application Settingsso your application(s) work the way you want them to work.
• Create General Intereststhat allow volunteers to indicate how they’d like to be involved with your organization. This will allow you to screen and train them properly.
• Create Qualificationsto determine who is or is not suitable for specific volunteer roles.
• Create Custom Fieldsto capture other information you need to build a better relationship with your volunteers.

Note: Contact items such as name, address, email, and phone are already built into the application(s).

Create your Activities (Link for video series)

• Create as many Activities as you needto manage volunteer positions as well as other tasks, such as interviews, orientations/trainings, and meetings.
• Apply the Qualifications you create to specific Activities so Better Impact can help you determine a volunteer’s suitability to those activities.
• Create Feedback Fieldsso you can understand what volunteers did as they gave their time.

Adding Volunteers to your Account

Starting Out: Adding current volunteers to your account

Existing volunteers can be added to your account in one of three ways:

• Via Online Applications – Volunteers create their own profiles by completing your organization’s application form
• Added Administratively– Administrators create the profiles and provide the login information if volunteers are expected to access their profiles
• Bulk Import – This is a billable service that is included inPLUS account packages, or can be purchased as an a la carte service

For profiles added via an import or administratively, you will need to communicate with volunteers that a profile was created for them. Here is a Sample Welcome Letter to Volunteers to assist you with this:

Recruiting New Volunteers

• Via Online Applications – Volunteers create their own profiles by completing your organization’s application form as part of the onboarding process. Links to the applications can be shared on your organization’s website or through social media.
• MyImpactPage.com Public Search– Organizations can choose to make their Public Page searchable on the user login page, to help volunteers who use Better Impact find other opportunities available to them. This feature can be enabled and disabled at any time by a Full administrator on the account. Requesting this is easily done using the chat at the bottom right corner of their admin screen. Location keywords, such as relevant city, town and/or county, can be used for this search.