Coordinating Volunteer Teams with Google Sheets

Introduction

• Focus: Efficient and effective volunteer team coordination using Google Sheets
• Applicable for: Special events, regular donors, phonathons, yearly schedules
• Note: Not for recruiting new volunteers, only existing ones

Setting Up Google Sheets

1. Creating a Sheet for an Event

   • Open Google Sheets and create a blank document
   • Title the sheet appropriately
   • Insert a header row and merge cells for clear table structure
   • Add dates and times for clarity

2. Formatting the Sheet

   • Example: March 3rd Dinner Event
   • Set up times for various tasks:
     • Set-Up: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
     • Shift 1: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
     • Shift 2: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
     • Teardown: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM
   • Ensure wrap text is enabled for better readability
   • Assign slots for tasks (e.g., Registration Table, Selling Cookies, 50/50 Ticket)

Utilizing Filters and Colors

• Enable filtering to sort tasks by time or other criteria
• Color-code each group of two volunteers to enhance visibility

Efficient Volunteer Coordination

1. Pre-Assignment

   • Pre-assign most crucial slots to key volunteers (e.g., Cindy and John for registration during peak times)

2. Sharing the Sheet with Volunteers

   • Ensure sheet is set to 'Can Edit'
   • Email volunteers with a shareable link and instructions
   • Set a deadline for sign-up

3. Self-Sign-Up System

   • Volunteers sign up on a first-come, first-served basis
   • Reduces back-and-forth communications
   • Allows coordinator to focus on other tasks

Benefits

• Cuts down coordination time significantly
• Volunteers can see available slots in real-time
• Less back-and-forth communication
• Increased productivity for coordinators

Conclusion

• Google Sheets offers a streamlined approach to manage and organize volunteers for various events.
• Enables better communication and reduces the workload on volunteer coordinators.