Volunteer Database Project Management

Phoebe's Safe Haven is seeking a skilled volunteer to help us create and organize a centralized volunteer database and tracking system as we continue to grow our volunteer program.

We currently recruit volunteers for a variety of remote and project-based roles through platforms such as Idealist and Taproot. As the number of applicants and active volunteers grows, we need a structured system that allows us to efficiently track volunteers throughout their journey with our organization—from application and interview through selection, onboarding, active service, and project completion.

The volunteer will assist us with developing a practical and easy-to-maintain volunteer database using an appropriate platform, such as Google Sheets or another recommended tool that fits the needs of a startup nonprofit.

The project may include:

* Creating a centralized volunteer master database and tracking system.
* Developing standardized fields for volunteer contact information, role, recruitment source, application date, interview status, onboarding status, start date, availability, project assignment, supervisor or project lead, and current volunteer status.
* Creating a system for tracking required onboarding documents, including confidentiality agreements, code of conduct acknowledgments, and other applicable forms.
* Establishing categories or status stages for applicants, candidates, active volunteers, completed projects, inactive volunteers, and former volunteers.
* Creating a simple process for updating and maintaining volunteer records.
* Organizing existing volunteer information and helping transfer appropriate information into the new system.
* Recommending best practices for maintaining accurate, organized, and confidential volunteer records.
* Creating basic instructions or documentation so that Phoebe's Safe Haven staff and future administrative volunteers can maintain the database after the project is completed.

The goal of this project is to leave Phoebe's Safe Haven with a functional, organized, and sustainable volunteer management system that improves communication, reduces missed follow-ups, supports onboarding, and allows us to better manage our growing volunteer team.

Because Phoebe's Safe Haven serves women with disabilities who are survivors of domestic violence, we place a high priority on confidentiality, accessibility, professionalism, and responsible information management. This database will focus on volunteer and organizational records and will not include confidential survivor or client information.

Phoebe's Safe Haven's mission is to create safe, accessible housing and support services for women with disabilities who are survivors of domestic violence. As a growing nonprofit, building a strong and dependable volunteer team is essential to our ability to develop the programs, resources, partnerships, and organizational infrastructure needed to bring this mission to life.

Volunteers contribute valuable professional skills across many areas of our organization, including website development, design, communications, outreach, recruitment, administration, and other capacity-building projects. As our volunteer team grows, having an organized system to recruit, onboard, engage, and retain volunteers will become increasingly important.

This project will help us create the administrative foundation needed to manage our volunteers effectively. A centralized volunteer database will allow us to better track applicants, interviews, onboarding requirements, skills, availability, assignments, and project participation while reducing the risk of missed communications or follow-ups.

By helping Phoebe's Safe Haven build this system, the selected volunteer will have an impact that extends beyond the database itself. Their work will help us strengthen the team of people who are contributing their time and professional expertise to building our organization.

Ultimately, stronger internal systems allow us to spend more time advancing our mission. An organized and sustainable volunteer program will help Phoebe's Safe Haven build the capacity needed to develop accessible resources, strengthen community partnerships, expand awareness, and work toward our long-term goal of creating safe, ADA-accessible housing and supportive services for disabled survivors of domestic violence.

The volunteer who takes on this project will be helping us build an important piece of the foundation behind that vision. Their contribution will support not only the volunteers we engage today, but also the growth and sustainability of Phoebe's Safe Haven as we work toward serving survivors and creating a more accessible response to domestic violence.

Phoebe's Safe Haven is prepared to collaborate closely with the selected volunteer to ensure this project is successful. As a growing nonprofit, we have already begun developing the foundation of our volunteer recruitment and management processes and recognize the importance of having an organized, centralized system as our volunteer team expands.

We currently recruit volunteers through platforms including Taproot and Idealist and have established screening questions, interview processes, volunteer role descriptions, onboarding materials, and internal tracking practices. We have also developed or are developing key volunteer documents, including a Volunteer Handbook, Code of Conduct, Confidentiality Agreement, onboarding checklists, and other supporting materials. These resources will help the volunteer understand our existing processes and determine how they should be reflected in the database.

The Founder and Board Chair will serve as the primary point of contact for the project and will be available to provide information, answer questions, review recommendations, and provide timely feedback. We are open to the volunteer's professional recommendations regarding database structure, workflow, and the most practical tools for our organization's current stage and future growth.

We will provide the volunteer with information about our existing volunteer roles, recruitment sources, interview and onboarding stages, and the types of information we need to track. Any existing volunteer information shared for the project will be handled with appropriate confidentiality and access controls.

The completed database will become the central system for managing Phoebe's Safe Haven's volunteer program. It will be used to track applicants, interviews, onboarding requirements, active volunteer assignments, project participation, and volunteer status. The system will be maintained by designated organizational leadership and appropriate administrative or volunteer recruitment team members after the project is completed.

Our goal is not simply to create a database, but to establish a sustainable volunteer management process that our team can consistently use and maintain as Phoebe's Safe Haven grows. Clear documentation and instructions developed as part of the project will help ensure continuity and allow future team members to understand and maintain the system effectively.