This is an optional feature that can allow the system to reach out and collect references for volunteer applicants automatically.

Use the below links to jump to the section you wish to learn about.

Step 1: Create a reference process

Step 2: Build a reference form

Step 3: Add the automated reference feature to your form

If you are a visual learner you can view the video tutorial here.

In short, the Volunteero reference feature works by automatically emailing the reference provider with a link to a reference form. The reference features is added to an application, it is linked to the reference form you will have built and when a new volunteer application is received, this will kick off the whole process. The references will be tracked and approved on the platform.

Under the Referrals and registrations section, open up the Processes section.

The form type will be "Referee Form"

You then give it a relevant name and then create stages. In most instances we have come across, this is likely just to be one stage called "Approve" or something similar.

This will be the form that a reference will be submitted. This form should ask for all the information you require in a reference. You can edit this at a future date.

Under the Referrals and registrations section, open up the Forms section.

Press the new form button on the top right of the page.

Add a name for the form and then select the process you created in step 2.

Notifications section - As you will notice, notifications for the references can be configured on the settings of the form that the reference field appears on. So if this reference is making up part of your volunteer application form, you need to configure the notifications on that form.

Support section - Here you can add an email contact for the reference provider to contact. This will be shown at the end of the form.

Rather than covering this in detail, we will direct you to the below article which covers building a form in detail.

https://intercom.help/volunteero/en/articles/5676499-how-to-create-your-online-volunteer-registration-form

Firstly, I would recommend adding your logo which is a rich text and media field. You can then use the options to add an image. Note that when adding an image, you must find the image on google, right click and copy the image address.

We would also recommend adding some test to provide more detail on how to answer the form.

Add a short answer question and link with the Volunteero field, Referee Given Name. Repeat this process and link with Referee Family Name. These two stages ensure that the reference will link to the volunteer application.

Then we would recommend adding the below fields to create the reference form.

Your first name - Short answer question

Your last name - Short answer question

Reference detail - Long answer question

Your relationship to the applicant - Short answer or drop-down list

Here is an example reference form.

Now that you have built a reference form and reference process, your final step in the setup is to add the email reference field to the volunteer application form.

Find the form that you would like to add the automated reference feature to, and open the form.

In the fields section on the left, you will see one labelled email reference field. Drag this field into the form to the location you wish for it to appear.

Add a label and description. Remember that this form is viewed by the volunteer applicant so the label and description need to make sense for that person.

In the Referee form field, use the drop-down to find the form that you set up in step 2.

Once complete you can repeat this step as many times as you like. 2 references are what we commonly see as being required.

A screenshot of an example setup can be found below.

Automatically send emails or manually trigger?

Volunteero can support either. The default setup is that emails will be automatically sent to reference providers once a volunteer submits the application however here is how to switch to the manual option.

Open the form where the automated email reference field exists. Click the settings icon on the top right. Open the References tab. Toggle the option off.

Your forms are now ready. From this point forward, when a volunteer submits an application, the reference request emails will either be automatically sent or you can manually trigger them (depending on your setup).

If you would like to learn more about managing references, check out our article:

Managing email references

If you would like any help setting up the email reference feature or have any questions, please reach out to our support team. We would be very happy to help 😊