This article explains what happens when a volunteer signs up for an activity, depending on the type of volunteering opportunity created in the Benevity Causes Portal.
Volunteering Opportunity
If you have an activity that has been approved to be featured in Benevity’s Volunteering Catalog, the email address provided during submission, will receive a message from a member of the Benevity Nonprofit Engagement team when a volunteer would like to coordinate a shift for your activity.
This email includes all the essential details, such as:
- Subject line: Request to Volunteer: [Name of your Volunteer Activity]
- Volunteer coordinator’s name
- Which volunteer activity they would like to coordinate
- Group size - estimated number of volunteers
- Preferred dates
- Any specific requirements
Right now, the volunteer is figuring out what they can do!
What you need to do
- Reply within 1–2 business days to confirm details or ask questions.
- Keep the Benevity team member cc’d so they can support coordination if needed.
- If you don’t respond:
- A Nonprofit Engagement Manager will send two follow-up emails
- If there is still no response, the opportunity will be removed from the Catalog.
Make sure the right contact receives these emails
When creating your opportunity, use a direct staff email address, not a role-based inbox (e.g., info@, admin@). This ensures timely communications and smoother volunteer placements.
After a shift is confirmed
Once you and the volunteer agree on a date, time and group size:
- The volunteer will create the final event page on their Benevity platform.
- No further action is required from your organization other than to host an impactful volunteer event!
Client-Specific Event
For current Client-Specific Events that have been published, the volunteering manager listed in your organization’s contact information will receive an email when someone signs up. This is your confirmation that a volunteer is planning to attend.
What you need to do
Respond to the volunteer who signed up and share any additional information. Other than that, prepare to host an impactful volunteer event!
Learn more about our processes, best practices and a practical checklist for creating volunteer opportunities in our eBook: A nonprofit guide to volunteering at Benevity.