❖ Heads up! This article is only intended for Advanced Program Managers.
If you have volunteers interested in group activities, you might wonder if a Team or User Group is the best fit. Let's explore the differences between these two features and when to use each.
Teams
A team is a group of volunteers who sign up together to complete an Opportunity. Teams can be formed by volunteers themselves or by a Site Manager. This is a great way for friends, family, or coworkers to volunteer together.
Teams are created in response to an Opportunity.
When to Recommend a Team
Recommend a team or create one for volunteers who wish to volunteer with friends, family, or coworkers. Teams offer several benefits:
Group Volunteering: Allows groups to volunteer together.
Volunteer Management: Teams can be self-managed by selecting a team leader.
Shared Impact: Provides a fun way for groups to collaborate and track their collective impact.
User Groups
Unlike Teams, a User Group is created by a Site Manager. If a User Group is assigned to your Program, then you can also manage that User Group. User Groups help you quickly identify users with shared interests or skill sets. You can assign a User Group leader, but you or a Site Manager still manage them. It's also a great tool for filtering and reporting on users within those groups!
User Groups can exist outside of an Opportunity response.
When to Recommend a User Group
Recommend a User Group for the following:
You need to share private or sensitive Opportunities, like court-mandated or court-ordered Opportunities
You want to quickly communicate with specific groups of volunteers.
You need to assign specific Opportunities to qualified volunteers.
You want to track and analyze the performance of specific volunteer groups.
You or a Site Manager want to oversee and manage the group.
You want group members to track their collective impact.