Get a more accurate picture of your program participation by using the automated time tracking feature. When this feature is enabled, volunteer hours will automatically be tracked and program administrators can choose to either have the time automatically approved or added to the queue for review.

In this article:

• Enable feature
• Turn it on for an individual volunteer opportunity
• FAQ

Turn automated time tracking on or off

To turn automated time tracking on or off:

1. Select Manage from the top-right corner of your program site.
2. Go to Site Settings > Volunteering Settings
3. In the Time tracking section, choose whether you want the feature on or off.
4. If you choose to turn the feature on, you can also choose:
   • whether to automatically track time for all volunteer opportunities by default by selecting Enabled – On by default for all new volunteer opportunities
   • or individually upon creation by selecting Enabled – Off by default for all new volunteer opportunities.
5. Pick a grace period for how many days volunteers have to edit or cancel shifts before their time is automatically tracked.

Turn automated time tracking on for an individual volunteer opportunity

To turn automated time tracking on for a new opportunity:

1. From the navigation bar, go to Volunteer > Create a Volunteer Opportunity.
2. Fill out the form.
3. On the Shifts tab, turn on the Automatically track volunteer time toggle.
4. Make sure that all shifts have start and end dates/times and volunteering time. Automation does not work without these details.

To turn on automated time tracking for an existing opportunity:

1. Search for or navigate to the opportunity page.
2. Select Edit.
3. Go to the Shifts tab and turn on the Automatically track volunteer time toggle.
4. Make sure that all shifts have start and end dates/times and volunteering time. Automation does not work without these details.

Volunteers will get an email letting them know that their time will be automatically tracked in the time period set in the Manage side of Spark. During this window, volunteers can edit or cancel their shift.

FAQ

Who can turn the feature on for an individual opportunity?

Anyone who has access to create a volunteer opportunity can turn it on. You can configure this depending on how you set up your time tracking settings in Manage > Site Settings > Volunteering Settings.

If someone signs up for a shift, but doesn't end up going, will their time still be tracked?

Volunteers can edit or cancel their shift within the grace period you select. You can select 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days or 14 days as your grace period. When that period ends, their time will be tracked automatically.

Can I turn on automated time tracking for ongoing or virtual volunteering with no date or time?

No. There must be dates and times for automation to work.

Will volunteers receive email notifications that their time is going to be automatically tracked?

Yes. Volunteers will receive two email reminders: one after they sign up for a shift, and one after the shift ends.

How does automated time tracking work with volunteer rewards?

After the set grace period, all volunteers for that opportunity will receive their rewards. Time is not immediately approved in case a volunteer is not able to make their shift. They can cancel their shift within the grace period to ensure accurate reward disbursement.

Will automated time tracking work if I have the Time Tracking Allowed Dates setting turned on?

Yes. Automated time tracking will bypass this setting.

Will automated time tracking work for bulk volunteer imports using a CSV file?

No.

If automated time tracking is turned on for an existing opportunity, will the shifts be automatically tracked?

The time will be automatically tracked if:

• The shift end date has not passed.
• The shift end date has passed, but the grace period is still open.

If the grace period is over, time will not be automatically tracked.

If automated time tracking is turned off site-wide, will time still be automatically tracked for opportunities that had automated time tracking turned on previously?

Yes, any volunteer shifts for an opportunity that had automated time tracking turned on will be automatically tracked, even if the feature is later turned off site-wide. You can turn off automated time tracking for these opportunities by navigating to the volunteer opportunity’s shift creation page.