Requiring all new users to create a Timecounts account helps ensure a smooth, consistent experience for both volunteers and organizations. Here’s how a login benefits everyone:

Simplifies verification
Volunteers only need to go through verification once. After that, they can quickly log in to access opportunities without extra steps.

Keeps the volunteer database organized
Form responses link directly to volunteer profiles, preventing accidental overwrites of contact details and keeping records accurate.

Provides a clear onboarding experience
With everyone signing in, organizers and volunteers avoid confusion. Volunteers no longer mistakenly think they have an account, which helps reduce misunderstandings and saves time. This is especially useful for roles with specific permission settings.

Eliminates redundant questions
Timecounts’ smart forms remember previously answered questions, so volunteers don’t waste time on information the organization already has.

This approach makes volunteering simpler for everyone, from the first sign-up onward.

A user account on Timecounts is created and managed solely by the individual—whether a volunteer or an organizer. Organizations cannot create user accounts. To set up an account, a user only needs to provide their full name and email, which will be verified. This account can then connect to one or more organizations on Timecounts.

A volunteer profile, by contrast, is what an organization sees in its Directory and uses in its admin tools. The profile is part of the organization’s database, and when linked to a user account with the same email, it helps keep information updated and automate communication. You can have a user account without a connection to an organization and a profile without a user account. While they work independently, a user account on its own has limited functionality.

If a volunteer does not have an email or cannot create an account for another reason, you can still add them manually and assign them to opportunities. They cannot sign up for opportunities without a user account, but organizations can manually assign events and shifts to volunteers.

Timecounts does not contact volunteers directly, share their information, or advertise. We’re committed to a secure, private experience for organizations and their volunteers. The only times we might email a volunteer are for essential reasons: to verify their account, reset a password, or respond to a support request.

All other communication comes solely from the organizations volunteers connect with on Timecounts, based on each organization's privacy settings.