Information For Agencies

Information For Agencies

Welcome to the Volunteer Connection online volunteer recruiting and referral site! We are so pleased that you are interested in using our program to help engage volunteers in service to your agency. Our site is designed to enhance your ability to recruit volunteers. This page will give you information on who can register, why you should register, along with answers to some frequently asked questions. For any questions not answered below, feel free to call Elaine Stein at (585) 242-6499 or email us at volunteer@uwrochester.org.

Who Can Register?

Any nonprofit 501(c)(3), proprietary health care or governmental agency may use United Way’s Volunteer Connection online system for free to recruit volunteers.  You will need to register your agency on our website, before you are able to post your volunteer opportunities. Helpful features of our online matching system include:

  • Set up your own password, making it easier for you to remember.
  • Manage emails you get from volunteers and log hours for these volunteers.
  • Use the special Board recruitment section to interest new Board members in your agency.
  • Automatic suggestions from the system as you are entering your volunteer opportunities to improve your chances of recruiting the RIGHT volunteers.
  • Directions to your agency and a map are automatically connected to your Agency Profile and Volunteer Opportunities.
  • Volunteers can add a Reflection to your agency about their experiences at your agency.
  • Agencies have a statistical page that includes: # of Volunteers who have viewed your information on a month by month breakdown.
  • When your listings were created and when they will expire if not updated.
  • Volunteers who create Volunteer Profiles can sign up for automatic emails from our system that will notify them of your new opportunities at their request – weekly, monthly or quarterly.

Agency Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions we hear from agencies. They include some general questions about Volunteer Connection as well as questions on how to use the Volunteer Connection website.

Who can post volunteer opportunities on this website? Is it free or not?
Nonprofits that qualify as a 501(c) 3 organization under the IRS tax code can post their volunteer needs on this database. Governmental agencies and proprietary health agencies may also post their volunteer needs. Each organization must REGISTER on the website before they can post their volunteer opportunities. The use of this website is FREE and information is entered and maintained by each individual agency. Volunteer Connection makes the volunteer opportunities easily available to the community. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact Volunteer Connection at 242-6474 or 242-6499.

What if I have trouble logging in?
Make sure you have “cookies” enabled on your browser. Go to Agency Login. Click on “need help logging in?” Scroll down to the cookies area and click on “test your browser.” This will let you know if you have cookies enabled or not. If you do not have cookies, you need to follow the instructions to have them set up on your browser. “Cookies” are used to match your agency to your password so that you can get back into your agency listing.

What if I forget the question I use to login and/or forget my password?
You can use the help feature under Agency Login. Click on “I forgot my password” to have your password automatically emailed to you or you may call Elaine Stein at 242-6499 or email volunteer@uwrochester.org to have your password reset.

How do I add a new opportunity?
Login to the Volunteer Connection website. Click on “Add a new opportunity.” Fill in the information requested as completely as possible. The opportunity will go to Volunteer Connection to be approved before it is active on the website.

What if I want to change my opportunity from one-time to ongoing or vice versa?
Login to the Volunteer Connection website. You can go into the opportunity and edit it from one-time to ongoing. Make sure if you change the opportunity from on-going to one-time opportunity that you also put dates and times in for that opportunity, so that it will get put onto the “Volunteer Calendar.”

How do I make my volunteer opportunity sound more appealing?
Suggestions are automatically given to you as you create a new opportunity or update a current opportunity, so you can follow the suggestions. Volunteers want to know as many specific details as they can before they consider making a volunteer commitment. Make it easy for people to screen themselves out of your opportunity, if they are not appropriate for it. This will save you time and get you to the RIGHT volunteer quicker! For example, if you need a volunteer with knowledge of a certain software program, be sure to state that in your volunteer opportunity so that people know of this requirement up front. Also, if volunteers are needed at certain times state that up front too. On the flip side, if you are flexible on when a volunteer opportunity can be completed or if it can be done from home, there are many volunteers looking for flexible opportunities!

What if we have a volunteer who does not fit our volunteer needs?
Suggest they call Volunteer Connection and do another “Opportunity Search” to find something more appropriate for them. There are usually over 300 volunteer opportunities posted on the website and they will thank you for directing them to a resource where they can find a volunteer opportunity that fits what they are looking to do.