We are interested in finding a way to streamline our system to communicate with and schedule volunteers. Does anyone have suggestions for software that allows:
• volunteers to see a list of shifts that need to be filled (i.e. performances that need ushers; gift shop attendants, tour guides)
• allows email reminders to be sent to volunteers signed up for shifts (i.e. easily connects to contact database)
• assembles and tabulates volunteer hours served
Has anyone used Artifax to accomplish this? With what success and/or limitations? I am also looking for info from past conferences, forums so please feel free to point me to an existing discussion if you would be so kind.
Thank you!
Hello Kristin,
We don't use Artifax for volunteer management. What we have is a custom system that allows for the creattion of schedules and sign up slots. Each of these slots have different activity types associated with them. Each volunteer can be traning in centain areas which allows them to sign up for these activities through our volunteer portal on our main website. The volunteer portal uses the their web login to give them access to the area.
We also have a custom screen that allows manager to administer the volunteer's work records. I have presented on this at the 2010 and 2011 conferences.
In the 2010 confernece materials look for the Tessitura Magic on the Web session. There I have video and screen shots of our system. We have spruced up the look and feel of the volunteer portal a little. If you want to give the portal a test run let me know and I can provide you demo user creddentials.
Jon
We had a system at Shakespeare Theatre where there were different ranks of volunteers with different permissions (opening night, special events etc). We used ranking to do a MOS shift online that allowed them to see what performances were available to them to register for. It worked well and we were able to send emails on a regular basis listing the performances that needed more volunteers. It required a bit of set up work, what with different MOS's for each rank, but it made scheduling much more streamlined.
We do this with a combination of Tessitura and Artifax, i.e. the Volunteers are all in Tess, linked to their Entities in Artifax via an Attribute, and we run various custom reports (in Tess) on hours, calculate rewards, etc. We pull e-mails (all contact info, really) from Tessitura
There's no way for Vols to see shifts that need to be filled, for now at least, though the next version of Artifax may bring that closer.
Hello Jon,
I am the Volunteer Coordinator at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. We currently use Tessitura and Artifax, and I am hoping to integrate on-line scheduling. I'm so excited to see that using Tessitura could be an option for us and would love to take a look at your volunteer portal. I am in the early stages or research and would appreciate any info/advice you're willing to share. I plan to share your slideshow with our IS Dept.
Thanks!