I'm in a User Group. Now What?

Created by Brittany Crow, Modified on Thu, 28 Dec 2023 at 03:01 PM by Brittany Crow

Heads up! This article is intended for volunteers. 


You've been added to a user group—now what? Let's start by reviewing what a user group is and what you can do as a volunteer in a user group! Here we cover: 

So you know: Some sites have language overrides in place. This means you may see Needs in place of Opportunities, Agencies in place of Programs, Prerequisites in place of Qualifications, etc.


What is a user group? 

A user group is a way for site managers to create groups of volunteers that share something in common. This could be a shared skill set or scheduling availability. Another common reason for being placed in a user group might be if you and the other members of the user group work at the same company, attend the same school, or go to the same church! You might even be assigned to private volunteer Opportunities created only for you and your fellow user group members. 


How can I join a user group or be added to one? 

There are a few ways you can be added to a user group: 

  • A site manager manually adds you to a user group
  • You receive an invitation to join link 
  • You register with an email that is automatically assigned to a user group

So you know: Once you've been added to a user group, the My User Groups option appears in your profile area.  

  • You can then review assigned Opportunities for the user group you're a member of or view the user group resume! 

How do I see the assigned Opportunities for my user group? 

To get started: 

1. Click on your profile image or initials from the top menu bar. 

2. Select My User Groups

3. Click View Opportunities under the Assigned Opportunities column. 

✏️ Quick tip: You can filter, search, and sort Opportunities! You can also change the view and layout of those Opportunities. 

  • To search, type a keyword or phrase in the Search By field
  • To filter, select a filter from the Select A Filter dropdown. 
    • Want to see which Opportunities are available near you? Select Distance and then filter by Distance and Zip Code! 
    • Want to filter the list even further? You can add another filter from the Select A Filter dropdown to see Opportunities that match your needs! 
  • To sort, select how you want the Opportunities to be sorted with the Select Sorting dropdown. 
    • For example, you can alphabetize the Opportunities or see the newest Opportunities first! 
  • To change the view or layout of the available Opportunities, click either: 
    • Grid View: Available Opportunities appear as cards. 
    • List View: Available Opportunities appear in a list. 
    • Calendar View: Available Opportunities appear in a calendar. 
    • Map View: Available Opportunities are pinned on a map. 

So you know: 

  • Filtering, searching, and sorting options change depending on which view you select!
    • For example, you can search by phrase, sort order, and filter in Map View.     
  • You can also print a list of available Opportunities! 

What if I'm a user group leader? 

As a user group leader, you can: 

  • Review and export a list of volunteers in your user group
  • Add or remove members 
  • Copy and share a join link 
  • View your user group resume
  • Remove yourself from the user group
  • Filter the user group table to see the information you need!


How do I manage my user group as a user group leader? 

To get started: 

1. Click on your profile image or initials from the menu bar. 

2. Select My User Groups

3. Click the pencil icon under the Options column for the user group you want to manage. 

  • This opens up the window where you can manage the user group as needed! 


How can I view the user group resume?

To view your user group's resume: 

1. Click on your profile image or initials from the top menu bar. 

2. Select My User Groups

3. Click View Resume under the Reporting column. 

The user group resume includes: 

  • A Snapshot of the user group's impact, including: 
    • User group hours
    • Impact value—this is the dollar value of the volunteer hour 
    • How many members are in the group
    • The number of submitted Opportunity responses for the group
  • Data in graphs, including: 
    • User Group Hours By Month: Which months had the most submitted hours
    • User Group Responses By Month: Which months had the most submitted Opportunity responses
    • Opportunity Responses By Primary Skill: These are the skills assigned to those Opportunities and show what skills have made the highest impact 

✏️ Quick tip: Hover over the graphs to see the underlying data. 

  • User Group Opportunities, Programs, and Hours
    • This is where you can see: 
      • The available Opportunities for the group and the Initiatives they're assigned to
      • What Programs your group is assigned to
      • Who has submitted hours for the group and how many hours too 

✏️ Quick tips: 

  • You can specify a date range to filter the resume! 
  • Want to download and print your resume? Click Export As PDF

What if I don't see the view resume button? 

If you don't see the View Resume button under the Reporting column under My User Groups—it's possible that the site manager has not enabled resume view for group members. 


Best practice: Contact the program facilitator, advanced program manager, or site manager to see if it's possible to enable a resume view for your user group. You can usually find contact information in the Programs area of your dashboard! 


How can I add hours to the user group? 

To add an hour for the user group: 

1. Click your profile image or initials in the top menu bar. 

2. Select Track Hours

3. Fill out the Hour Type and Hour Details fields. 

  • This is where you are prompted to select User Groups for this hour entry. 
    • You can select more than one user group as necessary. 

4. Complete any other necessary or required fields and click Submit Hour Entry

  • Those hours are now added for that user group!  

How can I leave a user group?  

If you need to leave a user group: 

1. Click on your profile image or initials from the top menu bar. 

2. Select My User Groups

3. Click the (X) under the Options column. 

  • A popup appears to confirm your selection. Click Yes to confirm and be removed or No to cancel. 

So you know: If there are any private Opportunities assigned to the user group, then you'll lose access to those Opportunities when you leave it. 


What if I don't see the option to remove myself? 

If you don't see an (X) under the Options column, the site manager may have disabled the ability for user group members to remove themselves. 


  Best practice: Contact the program facilitator, advanced program manager, or site manager to see if it's possible to enable this feature or to request being removed from a user group. You can usually find contact information in the Programs area of your dashboard!