Master the Vome Fundamentals: Understanding the Structure of Your Portal

To manage your volunteer programs effectively in Vome, it's essential to understand how the platform is structured. If you're using an Enterprise or Ultimate plan and want to introduce multi-site segmentation, see the dedicated Sites section below. This article breaks down the hierarchy of elements in your portal and how they relate to each other, so you can organize your data clearly and efficiently. Whether you're just getting started or optimizing a complex setup, this guide will help you make the most of your Vome subscription.

Core Structure (Recruit & Pro Plans)

If you're using the Recruit or Pro plan, your portal is structured with the following layers:

1. Organization (Umbrella)

This is your account’s highest level. It contains your organization’s general information and acts as the umbrella over all Categories, Opportunities, and Shifts.

2. Categories (Folders)

Categories act like folders within your organization. They're non-assignable and exist purely to help you organize your opportunities. You can use Categories to represent:

• Departments

• Locations

• Specific Programs or Events

• Broad groupings like “All Special Events” or “All Our Opportunities”

Note: Categories help with structure but are not directly linked to users.

Choosing a Category Structure Based on Your Organization Type

Depending on your operating model, here are examples of how to structure Categories:

Multi-Chapter / Branch / Department Organization
You operate across multiple cities, provinces, or locations.

• Each Category could represent a chapter, city, region, or department.

• Example: "Ontario", "Quebec", or "Downtown Branch"

Single-Location Program & Event-Based Organization
You manage recurring programs and one-off events within one central location.

• Categories could represent programs, departments, or an “Events” folder.

• Example: "The Warehouse", "Administrative Volunteers", or "Events"

• If each event is large, the event name could be the Category, with each Opportunity as a task.

Single-Location Program-Based Organization
You operate primarily recurring programs in a single place.

• Each Category can represent a unique program or service area.

• Example: "Education Support", "Sports & Recreation"

Event-Based Organization
You run one or many large events.

• For a single event: the Category could be the event title, or represent areas of the event.

• For multiple events: use one “Events” Category with an Opportunity per event, or a Category per event with tasks as Opportunities.

Visual diagrams are available to help you map out these structures. Contact support if you'd like assistance visualizing your hierarchy.

3. Opportunities (Volunteer Assignments / Containers)

Opportunities are where assignment and access begin. Every Opportunity:

• Must be linked to a Category

• Is assignable to users

• Acts as the gateway to a schedule (users see shifts only within the opportunities they're approved for)

Opportunities act as containers, not schedules themselves. Even if the Opportunity title includes an event date, you still need to create at least one shift to allow users to reserve their spot.

An Opportunity can represent a recurring program, an ongoing need, or a specific event (e.g., Annual Fundraiser Gala). In cases where you host multiple individual events, it’s common to use a broad Category like “Special Events” to group all these event-based Opportunities together.

This is the most important level for managing volunteer access.

4. Shifts (Scheduled Tasks)

Shifts are time-based tasks that live inside an Opportunity. When you create a shift or a batch of shifts:

• They must be linked to a specific Opportunity

• Only users approved for that Opportunity can see and reserve them

• Each shift must include:

  • A Date

  • A Start and End Time

  • A Maximum Number of Spots to control the number of reservations

You can also add optional details to a shift, such as:

• A Shift Title (especially helpful when differentiating roles within an event)

• A Shift Description

• A Shift Location (default is the Opportunity location, but you can override it per batch)

• Coordinators (point of contact and receives notifications)

• Watchers (receives notifications but is not listed as the contact person)

• Waitlist Policy (determine if users can add themselves when the shift is full, or if it's admin-managed only)

• Shift Tags (for color coding or reporting—e.g., tag shifts as "Special Events" regardless of the Opportunity they belong to)

• Notification Policy (create customized notifications that are sent before, during, or after a shift, with customizable content and timing)

You can also choose what shift information is visible to users, and when:

• Before reservation (on the shift preview)

• After reservation (in their personal schedule)

• Or never (admin-only/private)

Controllable shift details include:

• Shift Title

• Shift Description

• Shift Location

• List of other attendees (first and last name only)

• Other attendees’ reservation statuses (e.g., Reserved, Attendance Confirmed, Checked-In, Logged Hours)

This structure ensures controlled access and allows for flexible, role-specific volunteer scheduling.

Using Shift Titles & Advanced Restrictions

When an Opportunity represents a specific event (e.g., Annual Fundraiser Gala), shifts may correspond to distinct roles. In such cases:

• Use Shift Titles to label roles like Greeter, Usher, or Server

• Restrict visibility using Advanced Reservation Restrictions when needed:

  • Assign a Profile Tag to the shift (e.g., “First Aid Certified”)

  • Users will only see the shift if they:

    • Are approved for the Opportunity and

    • Have the required Profile Tag (assigned via the Database)

This lets you tailor visibility and access within shared opportunities and ensure that only the right users see the right shifts.

Creating & Using Shift Templates

If you frequently generate batches of shifts, consider using Shift Templates to save time and ensure consistency.

You can manage your templates by clicking the "Manage shift templates" button in the top-right corner of the "Create Shifts" popup.

Key points about Shift Templates:

• A shift template stores core shift details like title, description, default time, and location.

• Templates are not tied to a specific Opportunity, meaning they can be applied to any Opportunity at any time.

• When you apply a template, it loads the saved values into the shift creation form.

• You can still adjust the fields (e.g., date, time, description) before generating shifts.

• Any edits made after applying a template only affect the current batch — they do not update the saved template.

Templates are ideal for recurring roles or standard shift structures used across multiple programs or events.

Additional Flexibility on Enterprise & Ultimate Plans

If you're subscribed to Enterprise or Ultimate, you gain access to an extra structural layer: Sites.

What Are Sites?

Sites are customizable containers that sit under your Organization and can represent:

• Specific locations (e.g., a hospital or library)

• Cities or regions

• Any other geographic or administrative division that makes sense for your org

Sites are also assignable to users, allowing them to access a dedicated Sites page where they can browse and apply to featured Opportunities linked to that Site.

How you define Sites should influence how you name and group your Categories, Opportunities, and Shifts.

How Sites Interact with the Rest of the Structure

You can:

• Link a Category to a Site (automatically linking all Opportunities within)

• Or link individual Opportunities to a Site, without involving the full Category

This flexibility helps large or distributed organizations maintain clarity and separation between different areas of operation.

Tip: The way you define Sites should guide your naming and structure for Categories, Opportunities, and Shifts. Consistency here helps with reporting and user clarity.

Conclusion

Understanding the hierarchy of Organization → (optionally, Sites) Categories → Opportunities → Shifts is key to organizing your portal effectively. A well-structured setup makes it easier to:

• Assign and manage volunteers

• Restrict and control access

• Keep your schedules organized and user-friendly
  

If you're unsure how to best structure your portal, feel free to reach out to Vome Support for personalized guidance.