You can use a volunteer hours log template to keep track and report the impact of your volunteer work. Making use of a volunteer hours log is the best way to monitor managing and tracking such impact.
What is a volunteer hours log?
You will never know what benefits you can experience as a volunteer now or in the future without keeping tracking records of volunteer work. For example, you can list your service experience in your resume while applying for a job, as well as, you include the hours you rendered as a volunteer relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Furthermore, when applying for a college scholarship program, you can use this valuable information. By using a volunteer hours log, it is important to keep records of all your volunteer experiences. This document should include the following;
- The number of hours you served
- The dates
- An explanation of the tasks you did successfully
- The contact information of the organizations
- The supervisors you volunteered for
Why is it essential to log volunteer hours?
You can keep a record of the hours you have contributed to a certain cause by using a volunteer hours log. The essential information such as your name, email address, volunteer activities, time-in and time-out, and how many hours you worked are included in this log.
The volunteer hours form provides information that assist you in managing your volunteer work as it keep your data organized. You can place a value on the services you provide if you can track how many hours you have rendered.
The volunteer hours logging also assists organizations in measuring and reporting the significance and value of volunteer services to the community. Tracking the volunteer hours is essential for the following reasons whether you do this manually using a volunteer log sheet or you use a digital system;
To explain accountability
On behalf of an organization, many community partners make it a requirement for volunteer hours to get recorded. A log is a common tool authorized by the supervisor or organization.
For the improvement of the ROI of volunteer programs
By how many hours you and the other volunteers contribute, the return of investment of a volunteer program can be partly measured. In your volunteer hours, logging can help the organization understand the volunteer program’s ROI. From this, you can take the necessary steps to improve it.
Share the program impact
With the help of this log, volunteers, stakeholders, donors, and community members is indicated and shared by the organization how they make a difference in the community. The organization can indicate the community that they’re having an impact and delivering on a certain mission in tracking and recording the hours volunteers contribute.
To assist organizations win grants
Various non-profit organizations rely on grants and other outside funding to keep going. It is a requirement of many granting-giving entities that these non-profits keep track and report their volunteer contributions. When they show evidence that they are volunteer hours, then they have better opportunities of securing the funding they require.
How to create a volunteer hours log?
You should have an effective volunteer hours log in order to show your organization the precise number of hours that you and the other volunteers spend in carrying out your duties. In addition to this, the volunteer hours log is the best tool to keep track of the work done by all of the volunteers. Also, use it to keep track of the time duration needed for the completion of your organization’s goals. It is suggested to use a pre-formatted volunteer hours log template. It helps you in making this essential document in a time-efficient manner.
Here are the steps to follow for making your volunteer log sheet;
Make a new Word file
MS Word is the best software that you should use to make this log. For this purpose, you will find it easy to use this application. You can make a file that you can edit many times. When you feel satisfied with the log you have made, you can save it in different formats as per your convenience.
Think of your objectives
You, as a volunteer, can understand exactly what the organization expects of you in case there are velar objectives. This gives you with a certain direction to the overall process depending on all of the formulated plans. It also secures you from getting involved in unproductive activities.
Include your basic details
In this section, you have to include the following basic details;
- The name of the event or organization
- As a volunteer, your name
- Your contact details
- The duration of the program
- The volunteer institution’s name and more
When keeping a record of your volunteer work, all of this information is essential. The similar information is also considered as the basis of the certificate of completion that you will get at the end of the event.
Segmentation and structure
By providing a structure to the document, you can have an organized placement of all of the important information. This will make it easier to follow and identify. You will receive an overview of the whole process in case you can make separate segments that place the tasks in a more detailed way.
Monitoring
You make it a point to monitor your log regularly. This way, you can keep track of the progress of your volunteer work. This also secures you and the other volunteers from slacking off. It also assists in determining those who are reward-worthy in the program. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to quickly adapt corrective measures if the need arise.
How to track your volunteer hours?
Use the volunteer hours form to track your volunteer hours after volunteer events. It is important to keep track of your participation hours as a volunteer. You can make your volunteer hour sheet easily by using Google Sheets or Google Forms.
Firstly, to come up with an accurate tracking form, spreadsheet, and reporting system, you have to properly set up Google Sheets or Google Forms. You can also share this with others in case you work in an organization. Consider the following steps to do it;
Create the form
You might find it a daunting task to make a Google Form from scratch to record your volunteer hours. But, you can quickly transform a blank form into a log if you set it up correctly. It is pretty straightforward process to make a Google form but it is a bit more complex to make one for volunteer tracking purposes.
Select the rich questions to track your volunteer hours
You have to keep in mind that you and the other volunteers have to answer the questions on the form. After that, record those answers into the document to analyze for you or your company. You should ensure that you ask the right questions to make sure efficiency.
Build up rights and permissions
You have a couple of options to select from for this step. Here are the ways to do this;
- Use email to send the form to everyone directly from Google
- If your company has a designated resource page or volunteer page then share a link on your company’s website.
- Insert the form on your company’s website.
You just have to perform this step one time and then there is no need to worry about sharing your form.
Make the Google Sheets Download to make sure accuracy
In the creation of a volunteer timesheet or a time-tracking spreadsheet, this is the most important part of using Google Forms. You have to come up with a Google Sheet that have all of the information from the form.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, you should use a volunteer hours log template to record your volunteer hours after volunteer events. When you have record of your volunteer work, you can mention it in your portfolio. This can be act as a driving force that contributes to your success.
