Organizing Your Volunteers

I just learned about a great tool — a free, easy-to-use online tool that takes the hassle and headache out of coordinating volunteers and encourages everyone to get involved.

Check out www.VolunteerSpot.com if you coordinate volunteers or belong to a group that could use some help getting their volunteer efforts organized. This is even great for teachers who would like to recruit parent helpers in the classroom.

With just a few simple clicks, VolunteerSpot enables anyone to organize a group, no matter the size, to sign up for any activity — from reading to the first-grade class to staffing the football concessions stand to attending parent-teacher conferences. Organizers can mobilize parent volunteers with an easy e-mail sign-up invitation, and parents can volunteer for tasks with a simple click on an online calendar. No registration required. Automated e-mails remind folks of their commitments and schedule. No more mass “reply all” e-mails, late-night phone calls, dreaded clipboard sign-up sheets or confusion over exactly who will be doing what.