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Step 4 Activities/Schedules

STEP 4: Set up Activities & Schedules

What would activities/schedules look like to registrants/volunteers?

What do I need to set up activities/schedules?

On the Activity Selector Page, your volunteers will see the activities and schedules that are available for them to sign up. Before setting up your activities, gather the following components:

  • Activities' names

  • Activity Descriptions (image & important information about each activity)

  • Determine the registrant types that should have access to each activity

  • Determine the activity group that each activity belongs to

  • Optional: Time slots & location of each time slot

  • Optional: Confirmation email notes (important note about each activity—e.g: must show up 15 minutes before shift starts)

  • Optional: Custom Field questions for registrants who sign up for specific activities (e.g: drivers volunteers will be asked to provide their driver's license number and insurance company's name)

Once you have these components, follow the instructions below to set up.

Set up Activities manually

  1. Go to Activities section

  2. Click on New Activity

Screenshot highlighting the 'New Activity' button in the myTRS Activities section

Then you will see the following screen with different tabs to add your activity information:

Screenshot of the 'New Activity' setup screen in myTRS with tabs for Details, Description, Confirmation email notes, etc.

See instructions for each tab below:

Activity Details

  • Enter your activity name

  • Select the activity group that this activity belong to

  • Optional: enter max # of registrants if this activity doesn't have time slots/shifts

  • Optional: enter an access code (e.g: Volunteers2025!) if you only want certain registrants to view this activity and sign up for it.

  • Optional: check the required box if all of your registrants/volunteers must sign up for this activity.

  • Optional: check the required for activity group box if this activity must be selected when registrants sign up for the activity group that includes this activity

  • Optional: check the box hide this activity if you want to keep this activity private and visible to admin only.

  • Optional check the box priority if you want your registrants/volunteers to prioritize signing up for this activity (they can choose not to select this activity if they want though)

Description

  • Type in the description and important information for this activity (keep it concise and informative)

Confirmation email notes (optional)

Example notes that you can add for the activity:

  • Meet at [LOCATION] with luggage for tour departure. Own transport to [LOCATION].

  • During Tour: Transportation provided by [your organization].

  • Packing: smart casual, comfortable walking shoes, layers (including warm jacket), sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, water bottle.

  • Volunteers will be provided with lunch and water.

Time slots (optional)

If your activities have time slots/shifts, add them here. Each activity can have multiple time slots.

  1. Click on New Time Slot

  2. Select the start date & time (selection order: year, month, date, time)

  3. Select the end date & time (selection order: year, month, date, time)

  4. Set the maximum number of slots for this time slot (leave blank if unlimited)

  5. Type in a location for this time slot

  6. Repeat for other time slots of this activity

  7. Click Save Activity once you finish.

Set up Activities by importing (quicker option)

When should you import activities?

Importing activities is recommended once you have most of your activities/time slots grid ready. The import feature is designed to save you time by adding activities in batches and avoid the manual entry.

Watch this video OR read the instructions below about importing activities:

  • STEP 1: Download import template

Click on the this template link to download the import template.

  • STEP 2: Read instructions

See an example and instructions for filling out the template here.

  • STEP 3: Fill in the template

Open the template you downloaded in STEP 1 and replace the sample data with your information.

  • STEP 4: Save as a CSV (comma separated value) file (.csv)

  • STEP 5: Import to myTRS

  1. Go back to myTRS admin

  2. Go to Activities section

  3. Click Import activities

  4. Click on Choose File and select your import template.

  5. Click on Import Activities.

  6. Check Import Logs for any issues (if it's blank after import completed, you did great!!)

Screenshot of the 'Import Activities' interface in myTRS, showing the 'Choose File' and 'Import Activities' buttons

Understanding Import Logs

If some of your activities or time slots are not entered properly on the spreadsheet, the system will generate a list of activities skipped during the import and the reason why they were skipped under Import Logs.

If you see errors under Import Logs, we recommend that you copy and paste the log for future reference or update your spreadsheet before leaving the page. Once you leave the import page, you will no longer have access to your latest import log.

Screenshot showing an example of Import Logs after an activity import attempt in myTRS

Set up min/max rules for scheduling

If you want to require volunteers/registrants to select a minimum or maximum number of activities/time slots, watch this video to learn more about setting up rules.

Set up time conflict prevention

Recommendations for Activity Selector page settings

  • Customize buttons

  • Collapse Activity Groups and Activities

  • Show description inline

  • Hide full & expired time slots

Why should you NOT change activity details after accepting registrations?

We understand that your events may require occasional adjustments even after registrations have been accepted. However, it's important to note that changing specific activity details post-registration can lead to challenges with registrant reports. To ensure a seamless process, we strongly recommend that you and your committees confirm the following details before accepting registrations:

  • Activity Description

  • Confirmation Email content

  • Time Slots

These details are communicated via email with volunteers after they complete registrations and are integral to their registration record. Therefore, changes made in these areas post-registrations won't automatically be communicated to registrants or reflect the schedules they received in their emails.

However, if you need to make changes to the activities, see below to learn how to safely make adjustments to activities and communicate with your registrants about the changes.

How to safely make changes to the activities post-registrations?

Should you need to modify details or time slots for activities that people already signed up for, it's crucial to communicate these changes to your registered volunteers about their updated schedules. Follow the steps below:

STEP 1: Temporarily close registration

Go to Page Settings in site editor > Welcome Page tab > Scroll down and check the box "Hide Register Now button". This is to prevent people from registering while you are making the changes to activities.

STEP 2: Filter a list of registrants who signed up for the activities/shifts that need adjustments

You need to get the list of people who signed up for activities/shifts that will be updated later BEFORE making changes to those activities/shifts. There are two mini steps involved:

Step 2A: Create a new user status

Setting a user status will help you filter the registrants (whose shifts will be updated) later in registration report. This way, you will know who to communicate to about the updated schedules.

On your TRS Admin Dashboard, go to User Statuses > Create a new status called "updated-shift registrants" (or any status name to label those whose schedules will be affected by the change).

Screenshot of the 'User Statuses' interface in myTRS, showing how to create a new status

Step 2B: Set this new user status for your registrants

Watch this video to learn how to set status for the registrants whose schedules will be updated later. This step is extremely important so make sure you mark everyone who signed up for those soon-to-be-changed shifts.

STEP 3: Make changes to your activities or shifts

Go to Activities section > click on the pen icon (edit details) or clock icon (edit time slots) on the activity that you need to update > make the necessary changes.

STEP 4: Draft admin confirmation email message

This is the message that will come with registrants' updated schedules when you re-send confirmation. To turn on admin confirmation email message, go to General Settings > check the box Enable admin confirmation email.

Screenshot highlighting the 'Enable admin confirmation email' toggle in myTRS General Settings

Next, draft your admin confirmation email message.

Go to Page Settings > go to Emails tab > draft the message in Admin Confirmation Email message. Here are some important points you need to communicate in this message:

  • What changes have been made to their registered activities/time slots

  • Ask registrants to double check their new schedules (attached with this email message)

  • Ask registrants to confirm with you (by email) that they will be able to participate with the new schedules

Screenshot showing the 'Admin Confirmation Email message' editor in myTRS Page Settings > Emails tab

STEP 5: Resend confirmation with updated activities/time slots to registrants

Watch this video to learn more about resending confirmation to registrants whose schedules have been updated.

STEP 6: Reopen site for the public

Go back to Page Settings and uncheck the box "Hide REGISTER NOW button" to reopen the site. New registrations will then receive the updated details, ensuring transparency and clarity for all participants.

[Contact TRS support via email

Contact TRS support via email