So, you’ve checked off all the basics and are ready to share your new volunteer Hub with your community! This might feel like a big step, but don’t worry—you’re joining thousands of organizations that have successfully launched or transitioned their volunteer programs to Timecounts. We’re here to help make the process easy and welcoming.
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There are two simple ways to invite volunteers to join your Hub:
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You can send email invitations directly through Timecounts.

First, set up your invite by going to Settings > Email Templates and creating a custom message. Then, attach this custom template by navigating to Hub Editor > Details, selecting your new template from the dropdown menu under Invite Message, and pressing Save at the bottom to apply your changes. This email automatically includes a button linking to your Hub, directing people to the right place.

Important: Email invites are usually sent to volunteers who must complete or update their onboarding forms. If you’ve already imported all the necessary data, skip this step and select Add to Directory. This way, volunteers won’t have to fill out the onboarding form again. Choosing this option will send out the Welcome Message you created (just double-check that it includes a link to your Hub’s opportunities) and prompt volunteers to create a Timecounts account the first time they sign up. Just a heads-up: Avoid sending invites and adding them to the directory simultaneously, as that will lead to two emails going out.

Next, make sure everyone you want to invite has been imported and opted in to receive emails from Timecounts. If you haven’t done this yet, just head over to Onboarding and import your volunteer list. Once that’s done, you’ll find your volunteers waiting in the Imported tab.

Now that your invite email is ready and everyone you want to invite is lined up in the Onboarding/Imported view, you’re all set to send out those invites! You can click the Invite button next to each volunteer or use the Select All checkbox to send a bulk invite to everyone.

When you hit Invite, a popup will appear for you to confirm and send the invites. Emails will start going out right away. If you have a large list, it might take a bit longer since they’ll be sent out gradually to avoid triggering spam filters. Once the invites are sent, everyone will be moved to the Invited tab in Onboarding.

Now, all you have to do is sit back and watch the sign-ups roll in! They’ll show up in the New section of Onboarding and on your Dashboard as tasks to review. You can click on each volunteer’s name to open their profile card and read their answers or scroll to the right to see their responses in a list view. If you need to review their qualifications, you can keep volunteers in Onboarding for now. When you’re ready to take action, you can either use the Select All checkbox to bulk Add to Directory or click the button next to each volunteer in the New view.
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If there are volunteers you don’t want to work with, you can mark Decline. Timecounts won’t automatically email those you decline; instead, it will archive them in the Declined tab and prevent them from signing up again. If you’d like to send a message, you can create a custom email template to explain your reasons for not accepting their application. Just keep in mind that anyone marked as declined won’t be able to sign up again with the same email unless you delete them or change their status.

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The easiest way to get people on board is to share your Hub’s URL directly. Here’s how to find it:

And that’s it! By following these steps, you’re well on your way to building a vibrant and engaged volunteer community through your Hub. Remember, the more you connect and communicate with your volunteers, the stronger your community will become. So, get out there and start sharing your Hub—you’ve got this!