Scheduling
Volunteer scheduling that fills its own gaps
Nehemiah schedules volunteers around real availability, like “every 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 1”. When a shift has open spots, it invites the best-fit people with a one-tap Claim this spot link.
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Recurring shifts
How do I schedule volunteers with odd recurring availability?
Describe the pattern once. Nehemiah turns “every 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 1” into a recurring schedule, creates the shifts weeks ahead, and matches people by the availability they gave you.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Every week, on the days you pick | Front desk, Monday to Friday, 9 to 1 |
| Every other week | Pantry distribution every other Saturday, 9 to 1 |
| A weekday of the month | Evening clinic every 2nd Tuesday; facilities on the last Friday |
| A date each month | Mailing day on the 15th |
| Every day | Phone coverage, 9 to 5 |
| Once | A health fair on Saturday, October 24 |
- Standing commitments. “Grace serves every 2nd Tuesday.” Nehemiah puts her on each matching shift as it’s created, confirmed or waiting for her yes.
- Availability in their own words. A volunteer writes “Thursday afternoons, and the 2nd Saturday most months”, on your form or in their portal, and Nehemiah’s AI turns it into availability it can match.
- Dates away. Volunteers add blackout dates, and an optional monthly email asks which dates they can’t serve next month.
- Weeks ahead. Shifts are created 8 weeks out by default. Editing a schedule updates future shifts, never past ones or ones you changed by hand.
Coverage
How do I see which shifts still need people?
Home shows coverage for the next 14 days at a glance, and the gaps list shows every open spot by date for the next week, 2 weeks or 30 days.
Each shift is marked open, partly filled or full. Switch between week, month and list views, or open a shift to see who’s confirmed, who’s invited and who’s on the waitlist.
Calendars
Can volunteers add shifts to their own calendar?
Yes. Each volunteer gets a personal calendar feed for Google or Apple Calendar, and every shift confirmation includes an Add to calendar link.
The feed follows their schedule: only shifts they’ve confirmed, and a canceled shift drops off the next time their calendar app refreshes.
Auto-fill
How does auto-fill choose who to invite?
Starting 10 days before a shift with open spots, Nehemiah invites up to 4 people per open spot by default, chosen from volunteers who are free, approved for the role and up to date on paperwork. The first to claim gets the spot.
Who can be invited
All three must be true.
- Free at that time, from the availability they gave you
- Approved for the role
- Paperwork for the role complete (on by default)
Who’s asked first
Among those, Nehemiah favors:
- Fewer shifts this month, so the same few people aren’t asked every time
- Longer since they last served
- Reliability: recent no-shows count against
- A standing commitment to that program
Change how many days ahead it starts and how many people it invites per spot in Settings. Claims beyond capacity go on a waitlist with a kind note.
For volunteers
Can volunteers claim a shift without logging in?
Yes. Invitations and reminders carry big one-tap buttons: Claim this spot, Yes, I’ll be there, and Can’t make it. No app, no password.
Volunteers can also sign in to their portal with a link by email to see open spots that fit their roles and availability, and claim one there.
Changes
What happens when someone can’t make it?
They tap Can’t make it. Nehemiah frees the spot, gives it to the next person on the waitlist or invites other good fits, and keeps the shift’s count current for your team.
-
They tap
Can’t make it
From the reminder email or their portal. Canceling within 24 hours asks for a reason, so your team knows.
-
Right away
The spot opens up
If someone is on the waitlist, the spot goes to them. If not, Nehemiah invites other good fits with a Claim this spot link.
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If they missed it
A kind check-in
After a no-show, Autopilot can send a friendly “we missed you” note, and the no-show counts toward reliability.
On site
How does on-site check-in work?
Put the kiosk on a front-desk tablet. Volunteers find their name, tap Check in when they arrive and Check out when they leave, and their hours are recorded.
- Open the kiosk on a front-desk tablet and lock it with a 4-digit PIN.
- Volunteers type at least 3 letters of their name, tap it, and press Check in, then Check out when they leave.
- Hours are recorded from check-in to check-out, and a forgotten check-out never inflates them.
- Someone missing a required item sees “please see the coordinator”. A coordinator can override with the PIN, and Nehemiah adds a to-do and emails the volunteer what’s still needed.
Opportunities
What else can I schedule besides shifts?
Ongoing positions, projects, one-off events and sign-up sheets. Each can appear on your public page for new people to find.
| Kind | Example |
|---|---|
| Ongoing position | Front desk: 3 volunteers, 6 hours a week each |
| Project | A community garden build, with needs over several weeks |
| Event | A health fair or a neighborhood cleanup |
| Sign-up sheet | Meals for a family, or supplies for a drive: needs without set times |
Serve-team scheduling for churches Shift scheduling for food banks Paperwork that holds scheduling Reminders and shift emails Nehemiah vs SignUpGenius
FAQ
Questions people ask
Do volunteers need an account or password?
No. Volunteers sign up on your form, answer shift emails with one-tap buttons, and open their portal with a sign-in link sent by email. There’s no app to install and no password to remember.
Does it work for one-off events?
Yes. Create an event, such as a health fair or a cleanup day, with the roles and spots you need. Volunteers claim spots from the invitation email or your public needs page, and the usual reminders and thank-yous follow.
Can a group leader sign up a whole team?
Not yet. Group sign-ups, where one leader registers a whole team, aren’t built. Today each person claims their own spot, or a coordinator adds them.
Does it replace SignUpGenius?
For ongoing volunteer programs, yes: Nehemiah adds onboarding, paperwork by role, recurring schedules and follow-up to sign-ups. For a one-off sign-up sheet or collecting payments, SignUpGenius is still a good fit; Nehemiah doesn’t take payments.
Nehemiah vs SignUpGenius Do you send text messages?
Not yet. Text messages are coming soon. Volunteers will opt in on your sign-up form, and STOP and HELP will work. Email works today.
Volunteer communicationTell us about your volunteer program.
We’ll show you Nehemiah running with your own roles, schedule and paperwork.