Deploying a contactless check-in process can help your organization protect volunteers, streamline operations, and prepare for the future.
2020 and 2021 have changed the way many nonprofits manage volunteers, host events, and reach goals. Chances are, your organization has had to adapt its volunteer program to meet new safety protocols and change volunteer behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing organizations, like yours, to review their volunteer programs and identify ways to limit contact and prepare for the future. Implementing a contactless check-in process for volunteers is just one way you can optimize your organization’s volunteer program to reach short-term and long-term goals. Here are 4 strategic benefits of deploying a contactless volunteer check-in strategy.
Social Distancing
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), limiting close face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease. Even with vaccination being more readily available and some restrictions being reduced/eliminated, your organization needs to limit contact and have a process in place for health-related situations in the future. Implementing a contactless check-in process allows your volunteers to register and check in to events without face-to-face interaction, reducing risk.
Some volunteer management solutions, like VolunteerHub, provide features to help organizations reduce and/or eliminate contact at check-in. VolunteerHub’s Contactless Check-In feature is easy to set up and generates a day-specific QR code or numeric passcode that volunteers can use to check in to events from their mobile devices. If your organization prefers to have volunteers check in on a computer or a tablet, VolunteerHub also offers Virtual Kiosk, a flexible system that can be configured for contactless self-check-in. VolunteerHub contactless check-in features can be used interchangeably, making it an incredibly flexible solution. Implementing a contactless check-in process can help your organization protect the health of both volunteers and staff.
Reduced Administrative Workload
One of the most valuable benefits of implementing a contactless check-in process is a reduced workload for volunteer coordinators. If your organization is currently checking volunteers into events manually, imagine how much time your staff could save by automating the process. From volunteer recruitment to volunteer check-in, VolunteerHub provides the features that your volunteer program needs to reduce overhead and streamline operations. By implementing VolunteerHub and its contactless check-in feature, your volunteer coordinator can use their time to enhance other areas of your organization’s volunteer program.
Enhanced Automation
For organizations using a volunteer management solution, contactless check-in provides another valuable feature to take automation to the next level. Organizations using VolunteerHub to manage volunteers can use the platform to enhance almost every aspect of their volunteer program. These enhancements include online registration, communication, engagement such as rewards and recognition, and check-in (Onsite App, Virtual Check-In). These features are worth noting because they all work together within VolunteerHub’s volunteer management software and create a unified experience for volunteers and staff.
Better Volunteer Experience
Your organization should be investing in solutions that improve volunteer experience. Implementing a contactless volunteer check-in process can help maintain distancing, reduce risk, increase efficiency, and decrease check-in time for volunteers directly. For organizations using VolunteerHub, following up with and thanking volunteers for their service is a breeze. VolunteerHub software can be configured to automatically send out thank you emails to volunteers who have fulfilled opportunities, creating engagement and impacting retention.
Takeaways
The past year and a half have been a struggle for nonprofits trying to protect stakeholders and achieve their mission. Many organizations have deployed virtual volunteer opportunities and are investing in contactless check-in solutions. By implementing a contactless check-in process for volunteers, your organization can promote social distancing, reduce administrative workload, enhance automation, and create an overall better experience for volunteers.
