Spring and Summer are festival time and that means outdoor fun, great food and drink, games, art, and so much more! Festivals can have anywhere from hundreds to thousands of attendees and are often supported by a large volunteer effort - that's where VolunteerSpot comes into play!
With tons of large festivals across the country taking advantage of VolunteerSpot's free online sign up tool, thousands of volunteers are getting organized quicker, easier and with less stress. Interested? Take a tour today and check out just a few of the fun festivals below who have saved countless hours, emails and phone calls just by using VolunteerSpot to coordinate their big event.
We salute all the volunteers who make festivals so much fun to attend! From the parking attendants, to the food booth volunteers, to helpers at the admission tables...thanks for doing good!
At VolunteerSpot, we love to celebrate Earth Day because our volunteer community is constantly moving us with their stories of how they are doing GOOD for our world and it's future sustainability. From organizing recycling iniatives at big events, to spreading environment awareness and cleaning up rivers and communities, the purposeful drive with which volunteer groups fight for the future of our only world (all in their own time and of their own means, talents and resources) astounds and inspires us daily - kudos to our 'green' go-gooders everywhere and Happy Earth Day!
Free Online Sign Ups for Youth Swim Teams, Little League, Soccer Teams & More
Spring has arrived and as the days grow longer, family calendars fill fast with Spring sports commitments and schedules. From practices to games to dues collection and uniform orders, it's easy to get bogged down in all the coordination. We have THE solution for coaches and team parents who are looking to save TIME and stress less - free online sign up sheets and parent scheduling!
Why VolunteerSpot for your team?
1. Quick online scheduling of volunteer needs in a easy-to-navigate calendar format.
2. Send email invitations to parents to sign up or post a link on the team site/blog and via social media
5. Parents can sign up 24/7 from their computer, smartphone or tablet.
6. Automated confirmation and reminder messages help parents keep track of all their commitments.
Swim Mom, Susan B., says"Our group used [VolunteerSpot] to plan a diving meet. We used it to secure donations, find items we needed to borrow and to schedule volunteers to work the three day event. The entire set-up online was so easy and it worked PERFECTLY!!! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful service!"
The end of reply-all emails, phone chains and wondering who is bringing snack each game means more help for our teams and more fun for kids and parents!
Don't miss our free eBook with sign-up sheet examples that show how to cut the stress out of parent participation in youth sports and make it more convenient for families to get involved!
Sign up sheet examples in our free eBook include:
Soccer Tournament Sign-up Sheet
Soccer Snack Calendar Sign-up Sheet
Concessions Stand Sign-up Sheet
Hockey Tournament Sign-up Sheet
Swim Meet Sign-up Sheet
Car Wash Fundraiser Sign-up Sheet
End of Season BBQ/Picnic Sign-up Sheet
* * *
Spring sports doesn't have to mean a new season of reply-all emails and phone tag to get on the schedule, people forgetting where they're supposed to be, who's driving and whose turn it is to bring snacks and equipment. At VolunteerSpot, we know how important it is to support our kids in sports, and we’re ready to help make it easy and stress-free!
Be the Michael Phelps of swim parent coordination with free online sign up sheets and volunteer scheduling! You will be "leagues" ahead of paper sign up sheets and last-minute phone calls when you organize your swim meet volunteers online. As Erin P, Swim Parent and VolunteerSpot user says, "I love Volunteer Spot, it saves hundreds of phone calls and emails for our summer swim team season!" 24/7 access to online sign ups from a computer or mobile device make volunteering to help super convenient and automated reminders make sure everyone keeps their commitment.
Swim Meet Sign Up Template (Volunteer View): Volunteers click through the scheduled day on the calendar and can quickly view a list of all needs, fill a spot, and save! They automatically receive a confirmation message (where they can sync spots to personal calendars) and then a Reminder two days prior to their commitment.
Volunteer tracking with online sign up sheets makes totalling volunteer hours for your swim club a breeze! See hours tracking and other advanced reports available HERE.
What does your family calendar look like? I’m guessing it’s pretty full. I know mine fills up quickly. With three
kids and two adults, finding time for gymnastics or piano lessons or even
homework can be tricky.
Then there is that whole list of activities and projects we’d like to
get to someday. After the next big family gathering. After the next
winter ailment runs its course. After the basketball season winds down.
Too often volunteering, especially volunteering with your family, falls
into this someday category.
Today I urge you to take a moment, today, and add a volunteer project to your family’s
schedule. Visit our new Big-Hearted
Families resources,
where you’ll find 42 volunteer project
“recipes” suitable for kids of all ages. We strive to make it easy to find
a service opportunity that fits your family’s interests and your schedule.
The research is clear, doing good deeds as a family has many benefits beyond the immediate service
you provide. Volunteering with children
My guess is, as a fan of Volunteer Spot, you already value family volunteering.
I do too, but I’m just
as guilty of saving big-hearted projects for someday.
My family has been
talking about making contributions through Kiva since last January! Since last winter
we've talked about making care kits for the homeless, so we always have something useful to give
someone in need. I have an e-mail hiding somewhere in my inbox, waiting for a
scanned signature to begin our participation in the Family-to-Family One
Book at a Time Club.
All of these someday ideas clatter around in my head,
jostling for attention between various activities and obligations and the next
camping trip.
I found that these three simplestrategies help me to turn my someday volunteer ideas into
accomplished tasks, even on the busy weeks.
Pick one thing & add it to the calendar: Too obvious? Maybe, but it worked. One sticky-note
reminder transformed a random Wednesday night into a family volunteer
night. Our whole family enjoyed
making the care kits,
and we’ve only got two left to hand out!
Add ingredients to the grocery list: No need to make a special trip to the store for
granola bars, lip balm, cozy socks and water bottles. We rounded it all up
during the last routine errand.
Leave enough time to reflect! Discuss
the good you're doing. Discuss how good that feels. And use this
conversation to motivate one another to pick the next project.
Pick the next project... and add it to your calendar. Whether you pick a day next week, next month, or
after hockey season, knowing you have set time aside time for the next
event will calm that irritating feeling of being hung up by too
many good ideas and not enough time.
How does your family
make time to volunteer?
Inertia is a powerful thing, how do you avoid
it?
Sarah Aadland is the voice of the Big-Hearted
Families blog, Twitterand Facebook feeds, and the Pinterest boards. Her own family of five provides ample inspiration and field-testing for the
ideas, stories, and links she shares. While they may be covered in glue, glitter, and grass
clippings most of the time, she keeps her grade-schooler, preschooler, and toddler steeped
in lessons of kindness and empathy amid the dizzying pace of family life.
Spring time is a couple months away, but coordination for all our spring commitments is well under way! Whether you're organizing swim meet volunteers, the spring carnival or festival, bake sales and youth sports, we have you covered with free online sign up sheets, helpful free eBooks and tons of resources and ideas!
Make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day One of Service to Others
The dedication and determination of one man in service to others is still an inspiration decades later as communities join together to give back in his honor. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s unabounding bravery and conscience devotion to equality left a legacy that encourages volunteers to this very day. Get inspired with these five service ideas and celebrate MLK, Jr. in service this Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.
1. Host America's Sunday Supper - The Points of Light foundation encourages you to join more than 100,000 people who will host and engage in America’s Sunday Supper, bringing people together in service, dialogue and civic engagement while sharing a meal. Find resources and more information here.
2. Serve from School - Are you a teacher? Room parent? Educator? If school is in session, make a point to honor MLK, Jr.'s legacy with simple service projects in the classroom. Encourage students to bring canned goods to class for donating a local food bank. Or take one lesson plan's time to make cards to troops abroad, for local civic leaders, or for children in a nearby shelter.
3. Give Back with Your Family - Joining in service with your family instills values and creates lifelong memories which strengthen your family bonds. From something as simple as baking cookies for your local fire station or combining allowances to make a charitable donation to a cause your family chooses, there are lots of meaningful ways to give back together. Find more ideas in Volunteering Your Family Hobby
4. Connect With Your Community - Reasearch local organizations or touch base with your city government and find out what city-wide events are being held in honor of Dr. King. Attend with friends or family, or volunteer to help put them on.
5. Start a Dialogue - Immerse yourself in what MLK, Jr. stood for by reading and talking about his legacy; taken action with service and scout out new resources like those from MLKDay.gov. You can search for volunteer opportunities near you, read about the history of the man who inspired millions, and plan your own ways to give back in his honor.
How Frazzled
Volunteer Moms Can Contribute While Maintaining Their Own Sanity & Holiday
Joy
By Erin Cox, Author of One Hot Mama: The Guide to Getting Your Mind and Body Back After Baby
The fact that you’re here lets me know you’re a giver. You
are involved, and you want to make the world a better place. The world just might
stop revolving without you!
As a volunteering
soul, you are generous with your time and energy; potentially to the point of wearing
yourself out...especially with all the extra demands that
the holiday season can bring. When you get to that “wiped out, cranky,
overwhelmed” kind of place, you simply aren’t bringing your best to any of the
important activities or volunteer efforts that mean so much to you!
Prioritizing your efforts and protecting
your vitality will help you maintain your ability (and desire) to volunteer
with cheer and pleasure, while fully savoring the special holiday moments with
your family too. It’s all about balance and taking care of yourself so you can
give your best in all you do!
5 Ways to create a
peaceful, joyful, and balanced holiday season!
1)
Before you say “yes” to anything, take a minute
to see how the request makes you feel. Does it make your heart have
palpitations, or your stomach twinge? If you are already maxed out, it’s okay
to say “no,” with grace and love. Rational people will completely respect you
for setting boundaries and honoring your own time and wellness.
2)
List out the top 10 most important things in
your life, such as your children, faith, relationship with your husband,
friendships, volunteering, hobbies, exercising, etc. Put them in order of
importance, and then think about how you actually spend your time. Are you
spending your time and energy in alignment with what’s important to you? If
not, what do you need to change?
3)
Try to dump one or two time-sucking activities
that you don’t enjoy and pull you away from living a balanced life – so you’ll
have time to focus your energy on the things that really matter to you…like
volunteering at your kid’s school.
4)
Schedule your week out every Sunday evening.
Sounds a bit tedious, but if you are in control of your calendar and manage
your time, you can make sure to schedule in your workouts, date nights, time
alone, or whatever it is that makes your life better…in addition to the
volunteer efforts that feel right to you.
5)
Lighten your standards a bit. If you crave more
time with your family and doing things that make you feel like an awesome mom,
but spend two hours each day cleaning and tidying, see if you can let your
standards slide a bit.
If the joy has been sucked out for
you, then really take a few moments to evaluate how you spend your time. You
should feel happy a majority of the time. You should feel like life is good and
as though you are living on purpose. If you feel down, overwhelmed, and
dissatisfied a majority of the time, take a closer look at what is off, so you
have the liveliness and happy disposition to continue to make the world a
better place!
We are thrilled to share motivating ideas for giving back with your family this holiday season! Candace Lindemann, educational consultant and publisher of NaturallyEducational.com, has compiled a super fun and creative list - find an excerpt below and the entire list here.
I know a lot of people with very charitable hearts. Once they have kids, they want to model giving. However, they do not know how to volunteer and bring their young children along with them. Here are a few projects even very young children can do!
1. Make ornaments and bring them to a home for the elderly
2. While you are there, sing a few Holiday or winter songs
3. Decorate/write cards for someone who may need cheering up, such as children in the hospital or a deployed soldier.
4. Shop for a toy to give away. You can even shop together online if you feel your child will not be able to leave the store without a toy for himself. (There are always toy drives this time of year and I would love for you to consider giving to children on Long Island affected by Hurricane Sandy.)
5. See if your local soup kitchen is open to allowing young children to perform age-appropriate tasks like setting tables or passing out apples and bananas.
6. Get together and stuff stockings for children in need. Have each child bring 12 stocking stuffers and then stuff one of each in each stocking.
7. Donate used toys to a shelter or a police or fire department. Most places cannot accept used toys but there are a few that will. Many charities also have thrift stores they use as fundraisers.
8. Have a garage sale and donate the proceeds.
9. Bake cookies for an assisted living facility.
10. Make laminated bookmarks to thank community helpers for all they do.
Thank you to Tymm Hoffman, Points of Light Senior Designer, for this inspiring and creative artwork - plan something extraordinary with your family for Family Volunteer Day - Sat. November, 17th, 2012!
Get out and give with your family this season! There is no better way to wrap yourself in
the true spirit of the season than by giving back and committing to service
with the ones you love. From the food
bank to the piggy bank, there are plenty of places where GOOD can be done –
check out 10 simple but motivating ideas to get your family serving others this season!
1. At the
Food Bank: Find a local food bank and get hands on packing boxes and
sorting food! Don’t know where your
local food bank is? Use FeedingAmerica’s Food Bank Finder!
2. With our Furry Friends:
Kids love animals and what better way to teach compassion and responsibility
than by volunteering at a local no-kill shelter or animal rescue? Connect with your local ASPCA or use their online shelter finder to
start getting involved.
3. From Home to School: Haven’t had a chance to volunteer in your
child’s class yet? Make it a family
affair to help
out from home by making cut outs or prepping art projects
for the holiday party.
4. Around the Neighborhood:
Your entire family can lend a hand around the neighborhood – rake leaves or
shovel snow for an elderly neighbor, organize a community
clean up,
5. At
Practice: Giving back can be as simple as showing a little
appreciation – have your kids write a colorful thank you note or create a small
token of appreciation for their Scout leader, coach or extra curricular leader
and deliver at a practice/meeting. 6. In the Kitchen: Some
of the best holiday memories are made cooking, creating and eating together
with family. Make your kitchen time even
more special by baking special treats for a nearby children’s shelter or making
an entire meal for
7. Around Town: Attend local fundraisers as a family like
holiday performances, charity gift sales, pumpkin patch fundraisers, you name
it! Supporting local causes helps kids develop
a greater connection to their wider community and town.
8. Out
of the Closet: The cold winter months remind us how lucky we
are to have clothes and beds which keep us warm. Help kids understand this is not the case for
everyone and even gently used coats, jackets, scarves and blankets are much
appreciated by those in need. A winter
sweep of your home could yield an inspiring trip to a local re-store or
donation center.
9. In
the Classroom: Encourage your child’s educational success by
being a real presence in the classroom this season. Volunteer to read a fun holiday book for
story-time or help advise the much-anticipated holiday party! Tip:
Organize classroom volunteers with VolunteerSpot’s free online sign up sheets with automated reminders.
10. From the Piggy Bank:
Encourage your kids to research and find a local charity to which they can
donate their allowance, or where they can donate an item (toy or food) which
they buy with their allowance.
Holiday giving can easily get bogged down in the runaround - make your holiday giving project more about doing GOOD and less about endless phone calls and emails with free online sign up sheets and resources!
Online Sign Up Sheets let coordinators place all their needs in one place where volunteers can access, sign up, and receive confirmation and reminder emails regarding their commitments.
Interactive Comments let volunteers and organizers more readily communicate with one another in the online signup they have already created. Leave notes, updates, and requests right on the calendar!
Collect Contributions makes it easy for volunteers to give money online - fast and secure - through your VolunteerSpot activity!
Clipboard by VolunteerSpot iPad app lets you sign up volunteers on the spot for all the items you need to fill your Angel List or Giving Tree. Bring it up on your iPad at your next meeting, gathering, or practice!
VolunteerSpot Giving Tree Sign Up (Volunteer View with Contributions)
5 Tips for Organizing Your Angel List or Giving Tree Project:
1. Connect with a local school, community children's organization or shelter and work with leaders to gather lists of deserving peoples, ages, needs and sizes.
2. Inspire your community and get them excited about giving! Promote your service project in the weeks leading up to it on your site, in your eNewsletter, worship bulletins, via social media - you name it.
3. Give your givers at least two weeks after they have signed up for an item to give to turn in their merchandise and be clear whether you need it wrapped or not.
4. Emphasize that givers need to tag their gifts with recipient name, age, and title of item so there are no discrpancies and confusion.
5. THANK your givers and invite them to join in on delivery of the collected gifts to the receiving organization.
Bonus Tip: Host a wrapping party and invite volunteers to proudly wrap the donated gifts and sort them for giving!
"Fall" into service this season with these 10 creative ideas for acts of kindness, giving back, and doing good!
1. Surprise your child’s teacher, coach or scout leader with apple cider or a pumpkin spice
latte!
2. Rake a neighbor’s leaves unbeknownst to them and leave a carved pumpkin on their doorstep.
3. Planning on pumpkins for October anyways? Attend a local
organization’s pumpkin patch fundraiser and help them raise money for their
cause.
4. Volunteer at the school’s fall carnival or festival! Free online sign up sheets help coordinate parents and volunteers for game booths, concession stands, ticket sales, you name it!
5. Begin collecting gently used coats, scarves and gloves to
donate as the seasonal chill sets in.
6. Stay warm in doors and donate your talents and skills to
micro-volunteering sites like Sparked.com and Koodoonation.com.
7. Planning the weekly menu? Make extra soup or chili and deliver to a new mom, elderly neighbor, or friend in need.
8. Incorporate a few extras into your Halloween candy shopping and fix small treat bags for the local children's center or kids community program.
9. Spread awareness! October is Domestic Violence and Breast Cancer awareness month, among others. Do your part in spreading awareness and fighting for a cause.
10. Get out and do GOOD with your family! Our free eBook is full of friendly, family service ideas!
Can you hear that? It's the humming, thumping beat of our favorite summer classics that keep our heads boppin' and feet tappin'! Take that groovy inspiration and do some GOOD this summer while dancin' to these top 10 hits!
Wouldn't it be nice if we were older? Brighten the day of a resident at a local nursing home or health center with nut-free cookies (to be safe!), hand-made cards, songs and smiles!
Get in from the heat and find new ways to volunteer like ushering at a local theatre, touring at a museum, packing boxes at a foodbank, sorting books at the library, manning reception at the hospital - the ideas are endless!
Raise money for a local cause of your choosing by grabbing some pals, soap and water and gettin' your car wash on! Are you a friend to furry animals? Organize a pet wash instead and get neighbors to spread the word.
Get up, get out and get walkin'! Gather a group of friends and run a 5k or take part in a walkathon, jogathon, simwathon, or danceathon for a good cause! Stay active and make a difference!
Kids can make a difference too, and what better time than when homework and book reports are far-off memories! Whether it's collecting canned goods at the monthly pool party or donating lemonade stand proceeds to a local cause, there are lots of ways for kids to do GOOD! Check out more kid-friendly service ideas over on RoomMomSpot.
Planning a stay-cation with the family this summer? Designate one day for family service with these fun ideas that get everyone involved and teach kids the importance of giving back - get kids involved in doing good!
Wipeout dull fundraisers with creative and FUN fundraisers that grow your community and make money for your group, organization, or cause. Check out 7 FUNdraising ideas!
Sometimes it's hard to get into the groove of summer with the same ol' day in and day out. Make someone's Monday with Random Acts of Kindness that will bring a smile to not only their face, but pep up your day as well!
Soak up the sun and have some real summer fun by volunteering at a nearby summer camp! Many times, camps take volunteers for everything from hobarding, to advising craft time, playing music, lifeguarding, and leading hikes.
Ok so you may not want to do this on the dock of the bay (saltwater in your keyboard!), but you can still make a difference even when sitting in the comforts of your own home - check out "micro-volunteering" sites like Sparked.com and KoodoNation.com.
Swim Team and Swim Meets - Easy Volunteer Scheduling
Warmer than average temperatures have us all wishing we could take a quick dip in the pool! For thousands, however, taking a dip is the least of it. Swim season means swim meets - registrations, race timing, managing snack bars, and coordinating age group parents, not to mention staffing volunteers for fundraisers and socials.
Free Volunteer Management Software wins the gold medal for organizing scores of swim team parent volunteers! Quick and easy scheduling and reporting saves organizers time while online 24/7 access to sign up sheets from computers or smartphones lets more parents sign up to help at their convenience!
Find our go-to guide (free Swim Team ebook) below, as well as VolunteerSpot how-to's for organizing your own swim team needs and helpful resources to inspire a successful season!
Click ‘menu’ to view in full-screen, download or share...
Easily set up meet calendars with all jobs and number of volunteers needed.
Quick copy your base meet schedule to future days with a click copy function.
Link to your online sign up via facebook, twitter and your own club webpage, or email team parents; ask them to choose a minimum number of shifts and easily message them from the online activity throughout the season.
Track parent volunteer hours and use information to contact only those parents who are behind.
Generated document reports and spreadsheets can be printed to have hard copies on hand the day of the meet!
Thank You Notes function lets you thanks volunteers from your activity before and after the meet!
Volunteers:
Parents receive sign up link from organizer and access online calendar 24/7 from computer or smartphone.
Automatic reminders 2 days before the event help parents keep their commitments and show up to help!
Make this year's swim season 10 times easier with free volunteer management software from VolunteerSpot! Take a live demo of a swim team volunteer sign up and experience how easy it is for parents to pick their spots – click “try a live demo” on our homepage.
Today I urge you to take a moment, today, and add a volunteer project to your family’s
schedule. Visit our new 