Create an Event

To create an event, select Volunteer, then Create. Select Get Started, then choose Create an Event.

Note: Some attributes are dependent on Community-level settings. Fields with a red asterisk beside them are required.

1. Under General Details, enter an Event Name and Event Description.

   Tip: After saving your event, you can enter custom translations for these fields. Navigate to Manage Event, Edit Event Details.

2. Under Upload Event Photo, either drag and drop a photo into the upload space or select Upload File to browse your device for images. The file types JPG, PNG, and GIF are accepted. The recommended size and shape for an image is a 300 x 300 pixel square.

3. Select which of the following options you want to enable for the event:

   • Show in Search Opportunities

   • Allow Guests to Attend - if enabled for your community

   • Allow users to add past participation

4. Add a Location, select Virtual if this is a virtual event, and (optionally) add meeting instructions.

   Note: For users in restricted regions without Google services, Location is replaced by Address, District, City, State or Province, Postal Code, and Country Code options in the user's preferred language. They can manually enter their opportunity's location, then select Validate Location. They can't save the opportunity until they validate the address.

5. Use Organization Search to select a Benefiting Organization. If you cannot find the benefiting organization through the search tool, you can select the option to enter your own outside organization, if enabled for your community.

6. Select VTO eligible if participation in this event is eligible for volunteer time off (VTO) hours.

7. Under Event Schedule, select an Event start date, Start time, Event end date, End time, and Time Zone.

8. If this is a recurring event, select Daily, Weekly, or Monthly under Repeat this event.

   Note: Recurring events have multiple discrete occurrences. Recurring events can only recur over the span of one year and occurrences cannot overlap.

   • Under Repeat every, configure your recurrence schedule. Some examples include:

     • Select Weekly and enter 2 to run an event every two weeks.

     • Select Monthly, enter 1, then select First and Friday to run a monthly event on the first Friday of each month.

   • If you want to end the series after a certain number of recurrences, select End after a number of recurrences. Enter the number of times you want to repeat this event. Under I want this to happen ___ times, enter a count for all event instances.

   • If you want to end the series on or before a certain date, select End by a specific date. Select the applicable date from Recurrence end by date.

   Tip: Ongoing events run continuously during the set date range. Select Does not repeat under Repeat this event to run an ongoing event. Ongoing events have a maximum duration of 25 years.

9. If you want to limit the time period during which participants can sign up, select Setup Registration Dates and enter your dates.

10. Under Main Shift Settings, create shifts for volunteers to sign up.

    Every event has at least one shift. The first shift created spans the full event length you set in the schedule.

    If Set default shift hours is selected:

    • Hours auto-populates for events scheduled up to 12 hours long.

    • Hours displays 0 for events that span more than 12 continuous hours. Manually enter the number of hours for this event.

    After creating the initial draft, modify the main shift or add more shifts as needed.

11. Select Set Capacity under Shift Capacity to limit the number of participants attending the event. Enter the maximum number of participants in Participants.

12. If participation in this shift is eligible for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), select CRA eligible.

13. If participation applies to a volunteer campaign, select the campaign. Otherwise, select None.

14. If enabled for your community, select any skills, types, categories, and tags that apply to this event. If your organization has a lot of events and projects, this can help employees filter their search.

    Tip: Your community may have custom names for types, categories, and tags.

    Note: Manage event types, categories, and tags for events in Event settings.

15. Enter Event Contacts to display on the event page.

16. If applicable, select Answer to respond to any required questions.

17. If applicable, select Answer to respond to the CRA Survey.

18. Select Save Draft.

Publish Your Event

Publish your draft event when you are ready to share it.

1. From Create Opportunity, select Edit on a draft event. You can also edit your draft events from Manage Opportunities, Pending, Edit Event.

2. Review and adjust details on the draft, if needed.

   • Edit details.

   • Add shifts.

   • Create sign up questions.

   • Upload documents and disclaimers.

   • Add or organize event photos.

3. Submit your event:

   • If your organization requires approval, select Submit for Approval. If your community has event start date and event end date approvals set, an alert appears requiring confirmation of accuracy. You receive an email advising that the event is under review.

   • If your organization does not require approval, select Publish Event. The Manage Event page appears.