(Advanced Feature) How to add names and descriptions to individual occurrences

Before you can start adding names and descriptions to individual occurrences, your system administrator will need to install the functionality.  See this article for instructions on how to install this advanced functionality.

This article will then describe how to use the new functionality when you need it!

What are occurrence and descriptions used for?

Sometimes you may have a volunteer opportunity that needs volunteers broken into separate shifts and/or positions.  Rather than creating a Volunteer Event, and separate Volunteer Opportunities (each with one or more occurrences),  you could create a single volunteer opportunity, and for each 'shift' or 'position' volunteers are needed for, you can create a separate occurrence record and give each occurrence an "Occurrence Name" (Such as "Shift 1" "Registration" or "Cleanup Crew".   You can also optionally add a short description of this shift or position that will appear as part of the occurrence information

As an example, we have created a volunteer opportunity called Picnic in the Park, and put a general description of the picnic in the volunteer opportunity description.

We need volunteers for three different jobs at the picnic:

  • Check-In station. from 8:30 - 1:30
  • Lunch Distribution from 10:30 - 2:30 pm
  • Valet Parking from 11 am - 1 pm

So we'll create three occurrences for those three times the same day, and use the Occurrence Name field to identify the 'role' and the Occurrence Description to give volunteers a better idea of what they'll do in that role.

In each Occurrence Record - add an occurrence name and description

Remember.  The use of occurrence names and descriptions is strictly optional, and should only be used when it makes sense to give volunteers more detail about a volunteer opportunity.  If you leave these fields blank, occurrences will just have the usual start date/time end date/time and coordinator info.

How will this look on the public site.

When used...  Occurrence titles show up along with the date and time, and the Occurrence Description (if used) shows up in the Occurrence detail.

How to add Occurrence Names and Descriptions in the Partner Portal

When this feature is enabled. Partners are able to add Occurrence Names and Descriptions when they create new volunteer opportunities.

Because each occurrence can get its own unique name and description, the option to add these is only available when you add occurrences one at a time. (i.e.  'no regular schedule").    If you select 'regular schedule' you won't be able to give a neme and description to all the occurrences you are creating at one time.

When creating the volunteer opportunity, the partner will see these two new fields when creating a date and time specific opportunity with no regular schedule:

When this feature is enabled in your organization -- be sure to inform your partners about these two new fields, and the fact that they are strictly optional.   Make sure they understand the use case for them so they do not begin populating them in a way that is confusing to volunteers.

(You can place an announcement about it on the partner home page for example :-)

 

If you do not wish this feature to be available to your partners in the sharing portal, please open a request in the help center and we can disable it for partners, making it only available for you to use on the Salesforce back end.   By default, it WILL be enabled for your partners.

A partner can add occurrence names and descriptions AFTER they create the opportunity if desired by clicking on "Edit" for each individual occurrence.

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