Group volunteering is a great way to welcome corporate teams, community organizations, schools, and other groups into your volunteer program — without creating extra admin work for you. Below are three pathways for setting up group volunteering, depending on how much control and structure you need.
💡 Tip: Regardless of which pathway you choose, we recommend adding a "Group/Organization Name" field to your Registration Form or event sign-up form. This makes it easy to identify and report on group participation after the event. 👉 Add a Question/Field to my Application or Event/Program
Pathway 1: Group Sign-up / +1 Sign-Up
What is a Group Sign-Up?
Group Sign-up allows one individual (a lead volunteer) to register additional volunteers during shift sign-up or from their Volunteer Profile page. The lead selects a Shift, signs themselves up, and indicates how many additional people they're bringing. You can customize which fields are required to be completed by the lead volunteer.
Why Use Group Sign-Up / +1 Sign-Up?
- You don't know exactly when the group will come; no advance communication with the group is required
- Great for volunteer recruitment — one lead can bring additional volunteers without needing names or details in advance
- Minimal setup with flexible self-scheduling; volunteers choose the Shift that works for them
Example
A company emails employees: "Sign up for a volunteer Shift that works for you and bring a coworker if you'd like." The lead registers themselves and adds their +1s — then an automated email goes out prompting each +1 volunteer to finish their registration.
👉 Learn more about Group Sign-Up / +1 Sign-Up
Pathway 2: Job or Shift Passwords
What are Job/Shift Passwords?
Password-protecting a Job or Shift hides it from the general volunteer sign-up page. Volunteers who have been given the password can enter it at the top of the sign-up page to reveal and register for those protected positions — completing their own registration individually in the process.
Why Use Job/Shift Passwords?
- Protects an entire Job or Shift from the general public
- Each volunteer completes their own registration individually, including any application or event waivers/disclaimers
- Enforce age requirements on specific Jobs
- Works well for informal group arrangements
Example
You have a "VIP Crew" Shift for your core volunteer team only. Set a password "VIP" on the Job, send it to your coordinator with the Event link, and each volunteer enters it to register themselves — completing all required fields and waivers in the process.
👉 Learn more about Job and Shift Passwords
Pathway 3: Shift Reservation / Group Reservations
What are Shift Reservations?
The Group Reservations feature allows you to hold a specific number of spots across one or more Shifts for a particular group. Each reservation is protected with a password and a unique registration link. You can also assign a reservation leader who will receive all reservation-related communications directly through VolunteerLocal and can forward the reservation link to their group members to complete their own registration.
⚠️ Note: Shift Reservations can conflict with Status & Qualifications settings. If your event requires a Status or your Jobs use Qualifications, we recommend using Group Sign-up or Job/Shift Passwords instead.
Why Use Shift Reservations?
- Reserves a portion of one or more Shifts for a specific group while keeping the remaining spots open to the public
- Every group member registers individually, completing all required fields and signing any waivers/disclaimers before arrival
- Enforce age requirements on specific Jobs
- Supports accurate rosters, check-in, and post-event reporting
- Reservation-related communications can be managed within VolunteerLocal
Example
A corporate group is volunteering on a specific Friday. You reserve 20 of the 50 available spots, leaving 30 open to the public. Using VolunteerLocal's communication templates, the group organizer receives the reservation link and forwards it to their volunteers. Each person registers individually, completes their waiver, and claims their spot before arriving.
👉 Learn more about Shift Reservations (Group Reservations)
Choosing the Right Pathway (If This → Do That)
Choosing the Right Pathway
| Scenario | Best Option |
|---|---|
| You're recruiting volunteers, and flexibility matters most | Group Sign-Up |
| You don't need full registration from every volunteer before the Shift | Group Sign-Up |
| You want to protect an entire Job or Shift from the public | Job/Shift Passwords |
| Each volunteer must complete their own registration and waivers | Job/Shift Passwords or Shift Reservations |
| You need reservation-related emails sent through VolunteerLocal | Shift Reservations |
| Every volunteer must be fully registered and waiver-signed before arrival | Job/Shift Passwords or Shift Reservations |
| Your event uses Status or Qualifications settings | Group Sign-Up or Job/Shift Passwords |
| You know the exact date and time | *Shift Passwords or Shift Reservations |
| You don’t know names or dates yet | Group Sign-Up |