Creating an Event

Ready to rally the troops? Creating a volunteer event on ActionGrid is straightforward. This guide walks you through every step, from naming your event to getting it in front of eager volunteers.

Why Create Events

Events are the heartbeat of any campaign. They're how you get volunteers off the couch and into the community. When you create an event on ActionGrid, you're doing more than scheduling a date — you're building a moment people can rally around.

• Visibility — your event shows up in the ActionGrid feed, so nearby volunteers can discover it

• Easy signup — volunteers RSVP with one tap and get automatic reminders

• Built-in tools — shift scheduling, walk lists, and check-in are all wired up and ready

• Impact tracking — every door knocked and call made gets recorded automatically

Whether it's a Saturday canvass, a phone bank from home, or a community rally, creating an event is how you turn plans into action.

The event creation form — start with a clear, catchy title

Setting Up Your Event

Head to /actiongrid/dashboard/create to get started. Here's what you'll fill in:

• Event title — keep it short and energizing. "Westside Canvass for Clean Air" beats "Event #47"

• Date and time — pick when your event starts and ends. If it's a multi-shift event, just set the overall window here; you'll add individual shifts next

• Location — type in an address and ActionGrid will place it on the map. Volunteers use this for directions, so be specific (include suite numbers, parking instructions, etc.)

• Description — tell volunteers what to expect. What's the goal? What will they be doing? What should they bring? Be honest and enthusiastic

• Event type — choose from canvass, phone bank, text bank, rally, community meeting, or general volunteer. This helps volunteers filter for activities they enjoy

Quick Tip

A great event description answers three questions: What are we doing? Why does it matter? What do I need to bring? Keep it conversational — you're inviting friends, not writing a memo.

Pin your location on the map so volunteers can find you easily

Adding Shifts

Shifts let you break your event into manageable time blocks. This is especially useful for all-day events where volunteers rotate in and out.

• In the event creation form, scroll down to the Shifts section

• Tap Add Shift

• Set the start time and end time for the shift

• Set the capacity — how many volunteers can sign up for this shift

• Optionally add a shift name (like "Morning Crew" or "Afternoon Phone Bank")

• Repeat for as many shifts as you need

Volunteers will pick the shift that fits their schedule when they RSVP. If a shift fills up, it's automatically marked as full and new volunteers are guided to open slots.

Add shifts with times and capacity limits to keep things organized

How Many Shifts?

For a typical canvass, two shifts (morning and afternoon) work well. For phone banks, you might want shorter shifts (2 hours each) since phone work is intense. There's no wrong answer — just think about what makes sense for your volunteers' energy and schedules.

Publishing Your Event

Once everything looks good, it's time to go live:

• Review all your details in the preview panel

• Double-check your date, time, and location — typos here cause real confusion

• Tap Publish Event

Your event is now live on ActionGrid! Volunteers in your area will see it in their feed. You can also share a direct link via email, text, or social media to spread the word even further.

Review everything one last time, then hit Publish

After publishing, you can still edit your event at any time. Head to your event dashboard to make changes — we'll cover that in Managing Your Event.

What's Next?

• Learn how to manage your event after publishing

• Read the Shift Lead Guide if you're running shifts

• Set up volunteer communications