7 Ways to Simplify Volunteer Management & Improve School Safety

November 9, 2023
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Volunteers are vital to the success of school programs, offering both tangible assistance as well as fostering a sense of community that serves to strengthen the school culture. Their involvement is more than just help; it’s a commitment that nurtures the educational landscape and promotes student wellbeing.

But the benefits of a robust volunteering community are often tempered by the administrative challenges of organizing volunteering programs and, crucially, clearing applicants through safety requirements such as background checks and health screenings. Tracking these documents manually results in an overwhelming influx of administrative responsibilities and lost applications and documents—complicating the volunteering process for both the school and the volunteers themselves.

These challenges impact not only the school personnel responsible for volunteer management—it also affects volunteer satisfaction and retention.

Finding a better way to organize volunteer programs

Advanced volunteer management systems can revolutionize how schools handle volunteer applications and compliance, simplifying the process while increasing school safety.

Moving volunteer management away from paper and binder organization and into a modern, fully-integrated solution means empowering school volunteer programs with the following:

A customizable online volunteer application enables schools to set precise criteria within their systems to gather essential information and allow applicants to upload critical documents directly through the system. The school can also provide access to online training videos within the application. This ensures adherence to district and state mandates and facilitates a thorough review of each applicant. Moreover, the accessibility of applications from any web-enabled device makes it easier for volunteers to connect with opportunities that match their interests, optimizing engagement and fitting the right volunteers to the right roles.
A multi-level screening process is another cornerstone of modern systems, offering instant checks against the sex offender registries of all 50 states as well as custom banned visitor databases. By tailoring background checks to specific volunteer roles, schools ensure maximum protection with minimal administrative burden. Furthermore, regular screening updates each time a volunteer logs into Raptor Visitor Management help to maintain a secure environment, promptly identifying any individual who should not access school premises.
Effective event management capabilities allow for streamlined creation and staffing of school events. From in-person activities to virtual volunteering opportunities, real-time visibility aids in efficient recruitment and management, fostering a more connected community.
With automatic notifications, schools can save significant time on communication. Automatic reminders about application expirations and event updates relieves staff from the manual tracking of these critical details.
An Online Volunteer Portal empowers volunteers with direct access to their profiles, enabling them to manage personal information, track their volunteer hours, and engage with upcoming events, thereby fostering greater community involvement.
Centralized reporting is a pivotal feature, allowing a single application submission to suffice district-wide, streamlining the process for all involved. It also ensures that individuals who have been banned or denied can be efficiently tracked and prevented from volunteering across the district.
User Accessibility (VPAT®) compliance means that these systems are designed to be inclusive, allowing staff and volunteers from all walks of life to engage fully with the tools provided, truly reflecting the diverse communities that schools serve. This level of accessibility is not just a benefit but a commitment to inclusivity within the educational ecosystem.

Raptor has streamlined the volunteer management process. The volunteer coordinator at each school can check the online queue and easily review applications. The batch printing saves a lot of time on field day. Now, field day volunteers sign in through Raptor and are checked against the sex offender database, giving us this extra layer that they’re all being vetted every single time. It’s just a phenomenal process.” John Casullo, Director of School Safety at Henrico County School District

Streamline your volunteer management with Raptor

Modernizing school volunteer management means enabling schools to streamline recruitment, coordination, and retention, transforming their volunteer management into a more effective system that benefits their schools and community.

Raptor can help. Learn more about volunteer management best practices in Raptor’s free guide.