Modernizing the Volunteer Screening Process for Richstone Family Center
Richstone Family Center depends on volunteers to support many of its programs, but their screening process involved a lot of manual work. Staff had to read through every application, figure out where someone might be a good fit, note any concerns, and then follow up to schedule interviews. It was effective, but time-consuming for Richstone staff, and it slowed down how quickly new volunteers could get involved.
Our Solution
Our goal was to make things simpler for the team without losing the thoughtful, human-centered approach they value. Before redesigning anything, we conducted a full audit of the existing volunteer workflow to understand where bottlenecks and redundancies were slowing the team down. We then redesigned the entire volunteer workflow so that the most repetitive steps happen automatically, while the parts that require judgment still stay with the Richstone staff.
Moving the Application to Jotform
We started by moving the volunteer form to Jotform. This gave us much cleaner data, better structure, and the ability to trigger additional steps immediately after someone submits their application.
Giving the Team a Clear Summary to Review
As soon as a volunteer applies, Richstone now receives an email with a short, easy-to-read summary of the person’s responses. It highlights a few key things the team would normally look for manually:
- Suggested volunteer roles
- Any possible red flags
- Helpful notes or context pulled from the application
Instead of digging through long forms, the team gets the information they need right away in one place.
A Simple “Approve” or “Reject” Decision
To keep things efficient, we set it up so staff can reply directly to the summary email.
- A “REJECT” response closes out the application with no extra steps required.
- If they send “APPROVE”: The applicant automatically receives an email with clear next steps, including a direct link to a Richstone team member’s calendar. They can book their interview right away, without any back-and-forth scheduling.
The Results
This new process has taken a significant amount of manual work off the team’s plate. What used to involve hours of reviewing, sorting, and following up now happens in the background. Staff still make all final decisions, but they no longer need to spend time on the repetitive parts.
The end result: a faster, smoother volunteer experience, and a more sustainable workflow for the team at Richstone.
AI-powered analysis
Automatically summarizes each volunteer application, highlighting suggested roles, potential concerns, and key information for quick review.
Email-based decisioning
Staff can approve or reject an applicant simply by replying to the summary email with one word in the subject line.
Automated outreach
Approved applicants instantly receive next steps, including a direct link to book their interview on a Richstone team member’s calendar.
Ready to Connect?
This project is just one example of how Doing Good Digital empowers nonprofits to work smarter, not harder. If you’re ready to explore how we can help optimize your systems and create smoother, more human-centered processes, let’s start the conversation.
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