Heads up! This article is only intended for Center Site Managers who have opted in to sharing their Needs through Volunteer Link.
By the end of this article, you will be able to:
Identify what to review before sharing a volunteer Need on Volunteer Link
Confirm that your Need is clear, searchable, and volunteer-ready
Update privacy settings to control how a Need is shared
Review Volunteer Needs When Sharing on Volunteer Link
Before sharing volunteer Needs on Volunteer Link, take a few minutes to confirm they are accurate, complete, and easy for new volunteers to understand. Use the steps below as a quick checklist.
1. Review the Title and Description
The title and description are the first things volunteers see.
Use a clear, specific title that describes the opportunity
Add helpful details in the description that are not covered elsewhere on the Create a Need form, such as:
Special instructions
Physical requirements
Additional contact information
What a volunteer can expect on their first day
Clear and detailed descriptions help volunteers decide quickly if a Need is right for them.
2. Confirm the Duration
Verify that the Need is set up with the correct time commitment.
Scheduled Needs (custom or recurring shifts):
Have assigned time slots and shifts
Are best for shifts occurring throughout the day, over several days, or recurring shifts
Is Ongoing Needs:
Allow more flexibility
Are best for opportunities without fixed schedules
Happens On
Great for holiday events or opportunities with a fixed date
Multi-Date
Best for opportunities occurring across several days without specific shift times
Choose the option that best reflects how volunteers will actually participate.
3. Check Assigned Interests
Interests help volunteers find volunteer Needs that match their skills or passions.
Add all relevant Interests to the Need
Remember that volunteers can filter and search by Interests on your site
Including accurate Interests improves visibility and volunteer matching.
4. Privacy Setting
A volunteer Need's default privacy setting is public. However, you can change it to Private if you want to control access to the Need.
Please note that once a Need is private, it will not be shared through Volunteer Link. The private Need will have to be shared via a share link or through a User Group.
To update the privacy setting of an existing volunteer Need:
Go to Volunteerism > Needs.
Select the Need.
Under Promotions & Sharing, select Private and click Update Need to save your changes.
