Lacking functionality in the Volunteer; Schedules, profiles, and reporting.
The volunteer scheduling and avaliability processes in ALTRU are seriously lacking the functionality needed to produce clean effective schedules. I've had several issues trying to create volunteer schedules and have almost given up completely.
1. To begin with, what's up with requiring an end date in the availability? In addition to that, why is the end date formated "month/day"? This makes no sense to me, it should be "month/ year" or "month/day/year". Also, the end date in the availability should be optional, and not a required field.
2. Any scheduling system should have override capibilities to save the managers time. For example, if a volunteer wants to work outside their avaiability, or if they will be supporting more than one event, or role, during the same time slot, ALTRU makes it to difficult to setup and report on. An override option is a must for a volunteer scheduling program to work, there are so many variables to consider, and not all of which should be put into database.
3. We have many events that may last for an entire day, and several shifts/ occurances have to be created. I can't seem to allow 1 volunteer to sign up for multiple shifts within this one event without getting an error message. For example, if you set up 2 hour time-slot and you have a volunteer who wants to work for 4 hours the system will say that this volunteer is already scheduled.
4. Why is there a date search option drop down menu under job opening. Wouldn't a scheduler want to look at all openings so they can communicate with volunteers effectively? If there needs to be a search option for dates why didn't ALTRU make the date search options similar to other reports where you can see; a specific day, a range, this month, last month, all dates, etc.?
5. Scheduling managers should also be allowed to rope-in individuals with the constituency of "staff" into the schedule. Staff should not need to have a constituency of "volunteer" to be reported in the volunteer schedule.
6. In setting up an occurance that has specific times a manager needs more flexiblity from the database. For example, an option should exist for "multiple times" where the manager could individually select start/end dates and start/end times for each time slot.
7. On the back end, reporting volunteer time would be 1000 times easier if ALTRU could incorporate a feature like the "Preregistered program check in" for volunteers assigned to shifts. This would allow for guest services to mark volunteers as having attended their shifts.
8. In communication, ALTRU should be able to organize a standardized email or letter that works similarly to a web form. This letter should pull from job opennings and list; event titles, descriptions, and job needs.
9. Managers should be able to mark volunteer types as inactive. This will allow for the database to grow and change with the institution
The volunteer management tab needs serious attention, beyond what I've list. Is anyone else having similar issues? I would love the opportunity to work with Blackbaud programers to develop this process.
We also have purchased a separate volunteer program in order to enable our volunteers to enter their hours themselves. Would really love to have it all on Altru.
Our volunteers like to log in and self schedule also. Three years later and still many volunteer managers are doing double duty, managing volunteers out of robust scheduling/tracking software, then having to reenter vol schedules and hours into Altru. You wouldn't need to reinvent the wheel. Perhaps more integrations with existing software, the only integrated option was $2,000/yr vs. what we currently pay which is more like $850/year. thanks!