Club event: create a shift schedule for volunteers
How many volunteers do you need per stand, how long can a shift be, and how does everyone get their spot? Five steps with a worked example and a ready template.
How to go about it
Set tasks and times
Write down where someone is needed at the event, and from when to when. Don’t forget what happens before and after: setting up and clearing away often takes more hands than selling.
- Stands: grill, drinks, cake counter, cash desk
- Around the event: setting up, clearing away, parking, dishes
- Start and end of the event, plus setup and teardown time
Work out volunteers per stand
For each task, count how many people work at the same time, and split the event into shifts. Multiplied out, that gives the spots you create. Short shifts of two to three hours are easier to fill than a whole afternoon – and volunteers can enjoy the event afterwards.
- Example grill at an event from 12 to 6 pm: 3 people at a time × 3 shifts of two hours = 9 spots
- Example cash desk: 2 people × 2 shifts of three hours = 4 spots
- Example cake counter: 4 people × 3 shifts = 12 spots
- The numbers are only an example – use the ones for your event and add one or two spots as a reserve
Create the shifts as a volunteer list
Open the template and enter the tasks with their spots. Give a task a time and split it into shifts with one tap – spots and description carry over to every shift.
- Turn on the waiting list: when a spot opens up, the next person moves up automatically
- Briefly describe what the task involves, such as what happens at the grill or where the cash desk is
- Ask an extra question when people sign up, such as their T-shirt size
Share the link
Send the link to the club group, by email or in the newsletter. People who are in no group can be reached with the poster: in the manage view you print a sheet with a QR code for the clubhouse.
- Say in your call when everyone should have signed up by
- Name the tasks where most help is missing
- Anyone with the link can sign up – including parents and friends who aren’t members
Call for the club group and newsletter
Dear members, on [date] we’re holding our club event – and we need your help: at the grill, at the cash desk, at the cake counter and for setting up and clearing away. At [link] you can see all shifts and sign up yourselves. You don’t need an account, a first name is enough. If something comes up, you can remove yourself again on the same device. Please sign up by [date]. If you’d rather ask in person, you can reach me at [contact]. Thanks for joining in! [name]Close the gaps
After a week, check the manage view: it shows for each task how many spots are still open. Polls doesn’t send reminders – so you send the link to the group once more and approach the tasks with gaps directly.
- If someone drops out at short notice, they remove themselves – the spot is free again right away
- Anyone who signs up for a shift with a time can add it to their own calendar
- The results can be copied and printed – on the day, the list hangs at the stand
Frequently asked questions
More questions are answered in the Help.
How many volunteers do I need for a club event?
That depends on what you offer, not just on the number of guests. For each stand, multiply the people working at the same time by the number of shifts, and add a small reserve. The worked example is in step 2.
How long should a shift be?
Two to three hours are usually easier to fill than half a day. A long task such as grill 12–6 pm you split into shifts in Polls with one tap.
What if too few people sign up?
Send the link once more and approach the tasks with gaps directly. It helps to shorten the shifts, describe the task briefly and say thank you in your call. Polls doesn’t send reminders itself.
Can parents and friends who aren’t in the club help too?
Yes. Anyone with the link signs up – nobody needs an account. So share it only where names may be visible: in the volunteer list, everyone with the link sees all names.
Goes well with
The template with tasks and spots, to open and adjust.
One booking page per teacher and the letter to parents to copy.
More polls for your club: general meeting, club dinner, outing.
The shift schedule is ready in two minutes
Open the template, add the times, send the link to your members.