By the end of this article, you will be able to:
Understand what Programs are and how they organize your Opportunities
Explore common ways to structure Programs
Identify the roles and permissions of Program Managers and Program Facilitators
What Programs Do
Before posting volunteer Opportunities, your site must have at least one Program.
A Program acts as the container that organizes Opportunities—by location, task, department, initiative, or whatever fits your workflow.
Programs are flexible and scalable, allowing you to shape them around your organization’s structure.
Location-Specific
Use this setup when Opportunities take place at multiple sites or cities.
Example:
If you run soup kitchens in three neighboring cities, you could create a Program for each city. Each location can then post and manage its own Opportunities.
Typical naming convention:
Haven Soup Kitchen – Richmond
Haven Soup Kitchen – Ashland
Haven Soup Kitchen – Chesterfield
This keeps Opportunities organized and easy for both staff and volunteers to navigate.
Task-Specific
Use this structure when separating Opportunities by theme, skill, or initiative.
Examples:
A Program for back-to-school activities (e.g., backpack stuffing events)
A Program for tutoring and academic support
This works well for organizations running multiple ongoing initiatives that require different volunteer skills or timelines.
You can create as many Programs as you need to fit your organization’s structure. Each Program can have its own Program Manager to oversee scheduling, reporting, and communication.
You may see or hear Program Managers referred to as Advanced Program Managers—it’s the same user role.
You can also assign Program Facilitators to support your managers. Facilitators can’t manage a Program directly, but they can:
Review volunteer hours, Opportunities, and schedules
Help with reporting
Serve as the point of contact for volunteers responding to Opportunities within that Program