Create and manage volunteer shifts with ease. Schedule recurring shifts, track hours, send reminders, and build accountability.
Creating Shifts
Shifts are specific time slots for roles. They're where volunteers actually sign up and work.
To create a shift:
Navigate to Volunteers > Shifts
Click Create Shift
Enter shift details:
Opportunity: Select which opportunity this shift belongs to
Role: Which role(s) need to be filled
Date: When the shift happens
Start time: When work begins
End time: When work ends
Location: Where the shift takes place (optional, if not in opportunity)
Define slot allocation:
Slots needed: How many volunteers for this shift
Role breakdown (optional): Specify how many for each role (e.g., 3 Gallery Hosts, 1 Shift Lead)
Click Create
Your shift is live and volunteers can sign up.
Tip: Shift duration is key. 4-hour shifts balance volunteer commitment and your operational needs.
Recurring Shifts
For ongoing opportunities like weekly gallery sitting, create recurring shifts once.
To create recurring shifts:
Click Create Shift
Choose Recurring shift
Enter:
Opportunity & Role: Which opportunity
Days: Which days of the week (e.g., Saturday & Sunday)
Time: Shift hours (e.g., 12pm–4pm)
Duration: How long to repeat (e.g., "Every week until Dec 31, 2026")
Click Create Series
Crafted Call automatically generates all individual shifts.
Example: Weekly Gallery Sitting
Days: Saturday, Sunday
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Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Slots: 2 per day
Duration: Ongoing (Jan–Dec 2026)
Result: 104 individual shifts created automatically
You can still edit individual shifts if needed (e.g., cancel one Saturday for a holiday).
Role-Based Slot Assignment
Different roles may be needed in the same shift.
To assign role-based slots:
Create a shift
Under Slot Allocation, choose By Role
For each role needed:
Select the role
Specify number of slots (e.g., 3 Gallery Hosts + 1 Shift Lead)
Create shift
Volunteers see the role they're signing up for and know their responsibilities.
Example: Art Opening Event
Setup Crew: 5 slots
Registration Desk: 2 slots
Event Host: 3 slots
Cleanup Crew: 4 slots
Total: 14 volunteers for one event
Volunteer Sign-Ups
Volunteers browse open shifts and sign up for ones that fit their availability.
Volunteer experience:
View Open Shifts in their volunteer portal
Filter by:
Opportunity type
Date range
Time of day
Location
Click a shift to see full details
Click Sign Up
Confirmation email sent
You can also manually assign volunteers to shifts if needed (e.g., for critical roles).
Managing Sign-Ups
To view shift sign-ups:
Go to Volunteers > Shifts
Click a shift to see who's signed up
View:
Confirmed volunteers
Waitlisted (if shift is full)
No-shows (if shift already passed)
Actions:
Confirm: Approve a volunteer's signup
Remove: Unassign a volunteer
Promote from waitlist: If someone cancels, promote the next person
Contact: Email or message a volunteer
Tip: Set a limit of volunteers per shift. Extra volunteers go on a waitlist; promote them if someone cancels.
Day-of Roster (Mark Present)
On the day of an event, open the opportunity's roster for a fast, mobile-friendly way to check volunteers in. Mark each person present as they arrive so you have an accurate record of who actually showed — which feeds attendance, hours, and your no-show follow-up.
Hours Tracking
Automatically or manually track volunteer hours for service awards, reports, and recognition.
Automatic tracking:
Enable Auto-Record Hours in volunteer settings
When shift time passes, hours are recorded automatically
Based on shift end time minus start time
Manual tracking:
If a volunteer worked different hours than scheduled:
Open the shift
Click the volunteer's name
Click Record Hours
Enter actual hours worked
Add note (e.g., "Left early at 3pm due to emergency")
Save
Volunteer view:
Volunteers can see their accumulated hours in their dashboard:
Total hours this month
Total hours all-time
Hours by opportunity type
Service milestones (25, 50, 100 hours)
Volunteers can also self-report the hours they worked from their profile. Submitted time is reviewed and approved by an organizer before it counts toward their totals, so your records stay accurate.
Shift Status Tracking
Every shift has a status. Track it from creation through completion.
Status
Meaning
Action
Open
Accepting sign-ups
Volunteers can join
Full
All slots filled
Waitlist only (if enabled)
Upcoming
Less than 48 hours
Send reminders
In Progress
Currently happening
Track attendance
Completed
Shift has ended
Record hours; gather feedback
Cancelled
Shift removed
Notify volunteers
Shift status updates automatically based on date/time and sign-ups.
Shift Reminders
Keep volunteers on track with automatic reminders.
Configure reminders:
Go to Volunteers > Settings > Reminders
Set reminder timing:
7 days before shift
48 hours before shift
24 hours before shift (recommended)
2 hours before shift
Choose what to include in reminder:
Shift time and location
Role responsibilities
What to bring/wear
Parking/access info
Contact person if questions
Save
Volunteers receive email reminders automatically. This reduces no-shows significantly.
Best Practice: 24-hour reminders are the sweet spot — not too early, not too late.
No-Show Management
Track no-shows and follow up appropriately.
To record a no-show:
Open the shift (after it completes)
Click the volunteer's name
Mark as No-Show
Add note (optional)
After 2 consecutive no-shows:
System sends a check-in email: "We missed you at X shifts. Is everything okay?"
If volunteer responds: Discuss and reschedule
If no response after 7 days: Consider removing from active volunteers or offering break
Most no-shows are mistakes; some volunteers just lose interest. Friendly follow-up helps both.
Volunteer Recognition
Celebrate volunteer contributions to boost morale and retention.
In Crafted Call:
Hours milestones: Alert when volunteer hits 25, 50, 100 hours
Attendance streaks: Recognize volunteers with perfect attendance
Role leaders: Recognize who mentored other volunteers
Impact reports: Show volunteers how many hours they contributed