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Maintain Volunteer Profiles

Goal: Keep volunteer records accurate so communication reaches them, eligibility checks work, and reporting reflects reality.

Volunteer status​

Every volunteer record has one of three statuses:

  • Active — currently engaged; receives communications, can register for events
  • On Hold — temporarily paused (extended absence, leave of absence, in the middle of a renewal of their requirements). Contact information is preserved; they don't appear in active recruiting lists
  • Inactive — retired from your program. Their hours and history are preserved, but they're filtered out of active operations

Status is the right tool for retiring volunteers — never delete a record. Deletion fragments your hours history and erases relationships you may need for past-year reporting.

Choosing between On Hold and Inactive​

  • A volunteer taking a year off after a long stretch of involvement → On Hold
  • A volunteer who hasn't shown up in two years and isn't returning → Inactive
  • A volunteer who clearly indicated they don't want further contact → Inactive, plus add a note

Contact information​

Keep the email address and phone number current — they're the basis of every reminder, confirmation, and emergency contact. When a bounce happens, fix it the same day; volunteers with bouncing addresses miss everything.

Skills, availability, and notes​

The profile carries:

  • Self-reported skills — what the volunteer says they can do
  • Verified skills — those a coordinator has confirmed (see Verify Skills)
  • Availability preferences — useful for matching
  • Coordinator notes — internal observations that help future coordinators staff well

Notes should be professional and useful. They're internal but become part of the record permanently.

Merging duplicates​

When you spot a duplicate (same person under two different email addresses), use the merge action. Merging consolidates hours, registrations, requirement completions, and notes. Don't leave duplicates in place — they corrupt reporting.

Privacy​

Volunteer records contain personal data. Access is governed by role; only coordinators with the right permissions see full profiles. Be deliberate about who has admin-level access in your affiliate.