Managing Volunteers in AnswersVBS

AnswersVBS includes comprehensive volunteer management tools to help you stay organized, especially for larger events with many volunteers. Keeping track of who's interested in what roles and managing all their information can be tedious—these digital tools simplify the process.

Navigate to People section at MyAnswers.com to see three distinct categories:

Students

• Registered participants in your VBS

• Covered in a separate video tutorial

Volunteers

• People who have registered to help with VBS

• Don't have access to the admin tools

• May have registered through online registration

• Focus of this guide

Coordinators

• People helping you manage the event

• Have access to the admin tools

• Can help organize information and planning

• Covered in a separate video tutorial

Two Methods to Add Volunteers:

Method 1: Online Registration

• Send volunteers the registration link

• They complete the form themselves

• Information automatically enters the system

Method 2: Manual Entry

• Click Add Volunteer in the People section

• Fill out the form fields (similar to the registration form)

• Click Add Volunteer to save

Printable Registration Forms:

• Print blank registration forms for volunteers who prefer paper

• Volunteers fill out by hand

• Designate someone to key information into the system

Why Keep Everything in the System:

• Centralizes all volunteer information

• Keeps data organized

• Helps you know who will be there at any given time

• Enables use of additional system features

Important Distinction:

Teams:

• Groups of students rotating through stations together

• Separate from age groups in the system

• Can include multiple age groups within one team

• Or multiple teams for one age group

Age Groups:

• Classification by grade or age level

• Used for organizing curriculum and activities

• Separate setting from teams

Managing Teams: Access through Settings to:

• Create new teams

• Edit existing teams

• Assign team names

• Link volunteers to teams

Access through Settings > Volunteer Roles to customize roles.

Default Setup: The system includes preset volunteer roles to get you started.

Customization Options:

• Change role names

• Set number of volunteers needed per role

• Add new roles

• Delete unnecessary roles

How Roles Work:

• Display on the volunteer registration form

• Volunteers select which roles interest them

• Helps match volunteers to needs

• Tracks capacity for each role

Click Manage All Volunteers to access the main volunteer management interface.

Top Section:

• New Volunteers: Featured at the top (highlighted)

• Quick Assignment: Assign new volunteers to teams or roles immediately

• Add Volunteer Shortcut: Quick access to the add volunteer form

Volunteer List:

• Easy-to-read display of all volunteers

• Theme-specific fun icons

• Shows assigned roles and teams

• New volunteers highlighted until assigned

Example Display:

• Volunteer name and icon

• Assigned role (with option to remove)

• Assigned team (with option to change)

• Trash button to remove assignments

When you have many volunteers, these tools become essential:

Search Function:

• Type volunteer name

• Automatically filters results

• Finds specific volunteers quickly

Filter Options:

• By role (e.g., "Team Assistants")

• By team

• By gender

• By status (e.g., "New volunteers")

• Combinations of filters

Actions for All Volunteers:

• Print Full Volunteer List: Spreadsheet-style view of all volunteers

• Print Name Tags: Covered in separate video tutorial

• Download Volunteer List (Pro Version): Export data as CSV file

Actions for Selected Volunteers:

1. Check boxes next to desired volunteers

2. Access enabled options in Actions dropdown:

   • Assign to Team

   • Assign to Role

   • Print Name Tags

   • Print Volunteer Details (one sheet per volunteer)

   • Remove volunteers

Volunteer Attendance: Track volunteer attendance similar to student attendance. See separate video tutorial for details.

Click on any volunteer to view their complete information.

Displays:

• Contact information (phone and email)

• Age group preferences

• Role preferences

• Team assignment

• All form responses

Mobile-Friendly Contact Buttons: MyAnswers.com is mobile responsive, adapting to any device size.

On Mobile Devices:

• Tap phone button to call

• Tap email button to send message

• Quick, convenient communication

Click the Edit button to modify volunteer details:

• Update contact information

• Change responses to form fields

• Assign to team

• Assign to role

• Save changes

Individual Assignment:

1. Click Assign to Team or Role button on volunteer's detail page

2. Complete assignment for that specific volunteer

Batch Assignment for New Volunteers:

1. Click Assign New to Team or Role button at top of volunteer list

2. Walk through all new volunteers in sequence

3. Efficiently process multiple new volunteers

Progress Tracking: Shows "1 of [X] new people" to track your progress through new volunteers.

Two Assignment Sections:

Section 1: Assign to Roles

Information Displayed:

• All available volunteer roles

• Number already assigned to each role

• Number still needed for each role

• Roles the volunteer requested (highlighted with colored bar and star)

Example:

• "Team Leader: 1 assigned, 5 more needed"

• Star icon indicates "Jill requested this role"

Making Decisions: The interface helps you balance:

• Volunteer preferences and requests

• Available positions still needed

• Volunteer skill sets

• Scheduling constraints

Handling Multiple Requests: Volunteers may request multiple roles. Consider:

• Which roles have greater needs

• Role compatibility (can't be team leader AND station leader simultaneously)

• Volunteer's primary interests

Section 2: Assign to Teams

Information Displayed:

• All available teams

• Teams matching volunteer's age group preference (highlighted)

• Number of volunteers already assigned to each team

• Number of team leaders assigned

Age Group Preferences: The system highlights teams matching the volunteer's stated preferences.

Example:

• Volunteer prefers 4th-6th grade

• System highlights teams in older grades

• Shows which teams already have team leaders

• Displays volunteer count per team

Making Team Assignments: Consider:

• Volunteer's age group preferences

• Teams that still need leaders

• Balance of volunteers across teams

• Specific skills or experience

1. Select role by checking the appropriate box

2. Select team by checking the appropriate box

3. Click Save

4. System confirms assignment

5. Volunteer is no longer marked as "new"

6. Volunteer list updates with role and team displayed

Result: The volunteer now appears in the main list with:

• Role badge displayed

• Team assignment shown

• No longer highlighted as new

• Ready to serve in assigned capacity

Keep Data Current:

• Enter information promptly

• Update as volunteers communicate changes

• Review assignments regularly

Communicate Effectively:

• Use mobile-friendly contact buttons

• Keep volunteers informed of assignments

• Confirm roles and teams before VBS

Balance Assignments:

• Consider volunteer preferences

• Meet organizational needs

• Distribute volunteers across teams

• Fill critical roles first

Use Filters and Search:

• Find specific volunteers quickly

• View volunteers by role or team

• Identify unassigned volunteers

• Track new registrations

The volunteer management tools in AnswersVBS help you:

• Organize Information: Centralize all volunteer data

• Track Assignments: Monitor roles and team placements

• Make Informed Decisions: See preferences, needs, and availability at a glance

• Communicate Easily: Mobile-friendly contact options

• Work Efficiently: Batch actions and quick assignment interface

• Stay Flexible: Edit and update information as needed

These comprehensive tools make volunteer coordination straightforward, even for large VBS events with many helpers. The system guides you through the assignment process while providing all the information you need to make the best decisions for your volunteers and your VBS.