Getting Started on GivePulse

By having a group, you will be able to list opportunities and manage impacts.

• Create Your Profile
  If you haven’t already, sign up and create your personal profile.

• Navigate to Group Creation
  From your dashboard, go to the top navigation and click on “Activity” > “Groups”.

• Start a New Organization
  Click “Create New Group” and then choose “Set Up a New Organization”.

• Enter Group Details
  Fill in your organization’s name, contact info, and other requested details. Click “Continue”.

• Choose a Plan
  When prompted to select a subscription, scroll to the bottom and click “Continue with the Basic Plan” — there’s no cost to join!

• (Optional) Customize Your Group
  Once your group is created:

  • Click “Edit Group” in the left sidebar

  • Add a cover image or logo

  • Select the causes your organization focuses on

  • Link your social media accounts

Expand Your Reach Through Affiliations

By affiliating your group with both United Way and Bowling Green State University (BGSU), your volunteer opportunities will be visible on multiple platforms, broadening your reach and increasing volunteer engagement.

Affiliate with United Way

Click here to affiliate with United Way

Under the Details section, set the following:

• Display Options: Select “List My Events” to publish your events to United Way’s platform.
• Allow Affiliate Privileges: Select “No Special Privileges.”

Note: You may choose to grant United Way admin privileges to help troubleshoot or support your events, but it is not necessary.

Affiliate with BGSU Serves

Click here to affiliate with BGSU

Once your group is set up, you can begin creating volunteer opportunities to engage the community.

Step-by-Step:

1. From your Group Page, click Dashboard, then select Events from the left sidebar.
2. Click Add Event and choose the type of opportunity that best fits your needs.

Event Types

Frequency Options

• Single/One-Time – One-day activities (e.g., kit builds, clean-ups).
• Multiple Occurrences – Repeating time slots across days or weeks.
  • Shifts – Specific tasks broken into defined times (ideal for larger events).
• Ongoing – No set time. Great for waitlists, ongoing recruitment, or interest forms.

TIP: For events with shifts, you’ll need to enter details for each shift (time, date, location).

To bulk import shifts, switch to Classic View: Click your name in the top-right corner > Switch to Classic View.

Additional Event Settings

Registration Settings

• Enable Guest Registration to allow signups without an account.
• Upload waivers if required.
• Set automated event reminders for volunteers.

Registration Form

• Add custom signup questions (e.g., t-shirt size, physical requirements).

Impact Questions

• Ask volunteers for feedback post-event (e.g., “How many kits did you pack?”).

GivePulse automatically asks volunteers for a rating and optional reflection.

Event Settings

• Set age restrictions or other requirements (e.g., “must wear closed-toe shoes”).
• Add parking instructions or arrival notes.

Causes

• Tag your event with relevant cause areas to help volunteers find opportunities that match their interests.

Final Steps

• Once complete, click Publish to make your event live.
• You can share your event link directly from the live event page or from the Event Dashboard (click Manage from the event view).

Once your event is live, you can manage it from your Event Dashboard.

To access the dashboard:

• Navigate to your event page.
• On the left side of the screen, click Manage.

Options Under “Manage”

• Dashboard – View and control all aspects of your event from one place.
• Edit – Update event details such as time, location, description, or shift structure.
• Duplicate – Create a copy of the event—great for recurring or similar events.
• Manage Users
  • Event administrators and check-in attendants
  • Registered volunteers

  This is helpful for tracking who has admin access and who has interacted with your event.

• Manage Registrations – See everyone who has signed up.
  • Important: Volunteers who cancel will still appear in this list. To avoid confusion, use the Status filter and set it to “Registered” when reviewing active signups.
• Manage Impacts – View all submitted volunteer hours and responses tied to the opportunity.
• Register Users – Manually add volunteers (ideal for bulk signups or internal groups).
• Sign Registrants In – Track attendance. Requires Check-In Attendant or Admin privileges.
  • Tip: You can do this live during the event or after it concludes.
• Invite Registrants – Email potential volunteers. You can:
  • Add emails manually
  • Import from Excel
  • Invite members of your group directly
• Message Registrants – Send emails to all or filtered volunteers (e.g., by shift or group).
  Tip: Use this to communicate weather changes, instructions, or thank-yous.

Reminder: All key event info (parking, attire, age limits, etc.) added during event setup will be automatically included in reminder emails from GivePulse.

Tracking Attendance

• To track impacts, volunteers must be marked as “Signed In.”
• You can check in volunteers manually from the dashboard or use:
  • A printed sign-in sheet
  • The GivePulse mobile app for real-time check-ins
    • Learn more about the mobile app

Viewing Impacts for Your Group

You can view all impacts tied to your group through two methods:

• Top Navigation Menu: Select “Manage” from the top menu, then click “Impacts.”
• Group Dashboard: Go to your Group Dashboard, then click “Impacts” from the left-hand menu.

Tip: To filter by date range, use the date fields at the top of the screen and click “Filter.”

Viewing Impacts for a Specific Event

To view impacts connected to a single event:

• Go to the event page, click “Manage” on the left side of the screen, then choose “Manage Impacts.”
• Or, from the Event Dashboard, navigate to: Impacts > Manage Impacts

Exporting Impact Data

1. From the Manage Impacts view, click Actions in the blue box (top right).
2. Choose Export and select Visible Columns for a cleaner export.
3. To customize which columns are included:
   • Click Configure Layout
   • Select/deselect fields to tailor your report (this is where you can include responses to custom impact questions).

Once exported, the file will download directly to your computer as an Excel spreadsheet.

Adding Manual Impacts

If someone volunteers without registering or their impact was not automatically logged, you can add it manually:

1. Navigate to the event page.
2. Click Manage > Manage Impacts.
3. In the upper right corner, click Add Impact.
4. Enter the volunteer’s:
   • Name (or email address, if they have a GivePulse account)
   • Date of service
   • Number of hours
5. Click Save.

Once your organization is familiar with the basics, take it to the next level with these best practices to engage more volunteers and streamline your workflow. We highly recommend viewing GivePulse's resource library: https://support.givepulse.com/hc/en-us

Optimize Your Group Profile

• Add a compelling description: Share your mission, what volunteers can expect, and what causes you support.
• Use tags and causes: Make your organization easier to discover by selecting all applicable causes and adding relevant tags.

Use Visuals to Increase Engagement

• Upload a banner and logo: A professional-looking profile attracts more interest.
• Add images to events: Photos of past events help convey impact and boost sign-ups.

Promote Your Opportunities

• Use the “Invite Registrants” feature: Send custom emails to people in your group or targeted volunteers.
• Share your event link: Copy and paste it on your website, social media, or newsletters.

Track Impact Over Time

• Encourage volunteers to log impacts: They can use the GivePulse app or a shared link.
• Use impact filters: View total hours, outcomes, and feedback for grant reporting or internal metrics.

Reuse Your Work

• Duplicate past events: Save time when running recurring opportunities.

Connect With Partners

• Affiliate with other organizations: Increase visibility through partnerships with United Way or community groups.
• Encourage cross-promotion: Co-host or tag shared initiatives to reach wider audiences.

Leverage the GivePulse App

• Use the app during events: Check volunteers in, collect feedback, and track participation in real-time.
• Encourage downloads: Volunteers can sign up more easily and stay engaged.