For organizations that rely on volunteers, keeping track of volunteer hours is essential for reporting, recognition, and grant applications. PlanHero’s Pro Plan offers a seamless way to track volunteer hours efficiently, saving time and ensuring accuracy. Whether you’re managing a nonprofit, school, or community event, leveraging this feature can streamline operations and enhance engagement.
Why Tracking Volunteer Hours Matters
1. Grant and Funding Opportunities
- Many grants and funding applications require documented volunteer hours as part of their eligibility criteria.
2. Recognition and Appreciation
- A clear log of hours helps organizations recognize and reward dedicated volunteers. Consider monthly, quarterly, or annual celebrations of top volunteers.
3. Operational Efficiency
- Understanding volunteer contributions enables better planning and resource allocation.
4. Tax Deductions
- Some volunteers may be eligible for tax deductions based on their service, and accurate records can help you to support their claims.
5. Corporate Volunteer Incentive Programs
- Many companies offer volunteer incentive programs. These range from being paid while volunteering, to volunteer grants made to nonprofits based on the number of hours volunteered by the employee. Learn more here.
How to Use PlanHero to Track Volunteer Hours
1. Set Up Your Event or Volunteer Opportunity
- Log into your PlanHero Pro account and create an event/volunteer opportunity.
- Define the roles and shifts available for volunteers to sign up. It’s important to use our Lists with Timespots and not our Simple Signup Lists. We can only calculate hours worked/volunteered with Lists with Timespots.
- Set timespots to automatically calculate the total hours per shift.
2. Allow Volunteers to Self-Report Hours
- By signing up for a shift (shifts) volunteers are effectively logging their shifts.
- For some organizations, it’s handy to add an Event on which volunteers may self-report hours. This would be used for volunteer hours that are not included in a particular PlanHero Event. In this case, we recommend creating an Event that does not include a Date or Location. This way, the Event is never completed (because it has no date) and is therefore always present on your Group Page under the Live Events tab. We suggest including a Question Form so that the person can enter where they volunteered and on what date. Here’s an example.
- After an Event, for accuracy, Admins can review and verify that volunteers actually showed up for their shifts and edit accordingly.
3. Generate Reports for Insight and Accountability
- Use PlanHero’s reporting tools to download detailed reports on volunteer hours.
- You can download reports for an Event, or you can download reports at your Account level.
- Account level reports can be filtered by Group, Dates, and/or Volunteer/Participant to gather necessary data for reporting.
4. Recognize and Reward Volunteers
- Utilize tracked hours to acknowledge top volunteers through awards, appreciation events, or certificates.
- Provide detailed records for any organization that offers volunteer-based incentives.
Advantages of Using PlanHero’s Pro Plan
Time-Saving Automation
- Automates scheduling and tracking, reducing administrative burdens.
User-Friendly Interface
- Volunteers can easily sign up, track hours, and receive reminders.
Accurate Reporting
- Eliminates manual errors and ensures accurate data collection.
Customizable Tracking
- Tailor tracking to fit the needs of different events and volunteer roles.
Cloud-Based Accessibility
- Admins can access records anytime, anywhere.
Conclusion
Using PlanHero to track volunteer hours provides organizations with a powerful tool to manage volunteer contributions efficiently. Whether for compliance, recognition, or operational improvements, having a structured tracking system ensures volunteers feel valued and organizations remain accountable.
Start using PlanHero today and take the hassle out of volunteer hour tracking!
