❖ Heads up! This article is only intended for Site Managers.
If volunteers want to participate as a group, you might be wondering whether to use a Team or create a User Group. Both features are useful but serve different purposes. Here’s a quick overview to help you decide which option is the best fit.
What are Teams?
Teams allow volunteers to create and manage their own groups when responding to Needs or Opportunities that have team signups enabled. Teams are created in direct response to a specific Need or Opportunity and can be formed either by the volunteers themselves or by someone submitting a team response on their behalf.
Team Registration Process: Teams are specifically created during the signup process for a Need or Opportunity. When registering a team, the team leader can complete waivers on behalf of the team, with individual members only needing to complete waivers if they later create their own accounts.
Users can assign a Team Leader to help manage their Team.
Recommend Teams when:
Volunteers want to participate in your Needs/Opportunities with coworkers, family, friends, etc.
Volunteers want to participate with that same Team in the future.
What are User Groups?
User Groups are created and managed by Site Managers to organize users who share common interests, skills, or affiliations. While you can assign a User Group Leader, overall management remains with the Site Manager. User Groups are useful for filtering, communication, and reporting, and they are not tied to specific Needs or Opportunities.
User Group Requirements: Members of User Groups must have their own individual accounts in the system. As a Site Manager, you can either request individuals to create their accounts or create accounts for them as needed before adding them to a User Group.
Create a User Group when you want to:
Manage court-mandated Needs or Opportunities that require discretion and privacy
Share specific or private Needs or Opportunities with selected volunteers
Assign certain Needs or Opportunities to a group of qualified users
Run reports on a specific group of volunteers
Send targeted email blasts to select volunteers
Allow users to track engagement and hours on their User Group résumé
If | Then |
You want volunteers to sign up for Needs or Opportunities with coworkers, family, or friends | Recommend responding as a Team |
You want volunteers to manage their rosters, Need or Opportunity responses, or track contributions for their group | Recommend responding as a Team |
You want volunteers to participate in Needs or Opportunities with the same group repeatedly | Recommend responding as a Team |
You want to create groups of individuals who share similar backgrounds, interests, or skills | Create a User Group |
You want to group volunteers based on location, employer, or affiliation, like church or school | Create a User Group |
You want to share private or court-mandated Needs or Opportunities with select volunteers | Create a User Group |
Setting Up and Managing Your Choice
Once you've decided which option best fits your needs, here's how to manage each effectively:
Managing Teams
Teams are managed primarily by the designated Team Leader. If a team leader registers using Additional Reserve slots, only they need to complete any required waivers initially. Individual team members will complete waivers if they later create accounts or are directly invited to the platform.
Managing User Groups
As a Site Manager, you maintain control over User Groups. To add individuals to a User Group, ensure each person has their own account in the system first. Once accounts are created, you can easily add them to the appropriate User Groups for organizing current and future opportunities.
Which is Best?
Ultimately, which feature is best depends on your particular use and need. However, you can follow the questions in the flow chart to see which one we recommend:
