Configuring the Volunteer Profile

The next step in setting up your console is ensuring you are collecting the necessary information from your volunteers when they create a profile with you. Below is a short video tutorial introducing the rest of the content in this article.

It should be noted that there are 2 types of the application: a full version, and QuickReg which is essentially a truncated version – collecting less information. By default the full application is in use for every opportunity, and a volunteer will fill this out as a part of the registration process for an event. There is also access to a standalone version of this application, if, for example, you as an organization require that a volunteer be approved before registering for opportunities, or you would simply like to collect volunteer applications as a form of indicating interest.

There are four required fields in CERVIS: Last Name, First Name, Primary Phone Number and Email Address. 

In addition, there are three different types of fields that you can add to the application.

Default Standard Fields

There are several commonly used information fields that are already defined within CERVIS, including Volunteer Address, Birth Date, and Gender. These can be enabled or disabled by administrators in the Information Collection section of the “System Configuration.” But for the most part, these fields cannot be modified (there is an exception to this for the Gender, Age Range, and T-shirt Size fields). One quick note, in this section, the only option not visible to volunteers is the “Background Check Status'' field, which can only be viewed or edited by staff members.

You also have the option to configure your volunteer application to display and even require acceptance of your “Terms & Conditions.” This functionality allows you to post a set of terms on your application for your volunteers to accept when they are creating a profile. You can have your volunteers mark their acceptance via a checkbox or by additionally requiring their typed signature, and even a parent or guardian signature if they are under 18.

To read about each item in this section, see the article linked HERE.

Custom Information Fields

These custom fields can be established to collect information more specific to your organization. The questions which you create can be added to the volunteer application or can be made visible only to Administrators. These are configured in the Custom Volunteer Profile Fields section of the “System Configuration” by Administrators and can consist of drop-down menu type questions or open text fields. To learn more about these fields, see the article linked HERE.

Attributes

Attributes are a way to collect additional information regarding items like volunteer Groups, Skills, or Availability. Attributes allow you to create an inventory of items that you would like the volunteer to self-select or that you can assign to their profile. Each of these inventories can be created and customized so that you can collect the information that is relevant to your organization. For more details on how to edit each inventory, review the knowledge base articles linked below for each topic.

• Group Management
• Interest Category Inventory Management
• Skill Inventory Management
• Equipment Inventory Management
• Availability Inventory Management
• Checklist Item Inventory Management
• Award Inventory Management

After you have enabled your desired application fields, you can rearrange the order they are listed by going back to the Information Collection section of the “System Configuration” and clicking on the Reorder Volunteer Profile Fields / Configure QuickReg Fields button. You will use the drag and drop menu to place the items where you would like them to be listed.