What is the difference between a One-Time and Recurring commitment?

Overview

Commitment answers the question What level of commitment are you looking for? on an opportunity, and you pick one of two types:

One-time: there is no expected level of commitment.
Recurring: there is an expected level of commitment.

Commitment is descriptive only. As Vome puts it on the field itself, the selected commitment has no effect on scheduling features, because it is just part of the opportunity details. It sets an expectation in words. It does not enforce anything.

1. So what does choosing Recurring actually do?

It adds a sentence to the opportunity details that people read before they sign up. Nothing more.

It does not create shifts, it does not oblige anyone to reserve a minimum number of shifts, and it does not stop somebody attending once and never returning. If you need a rule enforced, commitment is the wrong tool.

2. What do I have to fill in for Recurring?

Four things, which Vome assembles into the sentence people see:

The number of hours.
The frequency, so hours per week, per month and so on.
The duration the commitment runs for.
The start, either a specific date or starting as soon as possible and ongoing.

It then reads as "This opportunity expects a commitment of 4 hours per week for 6 months starting on 1 October", or ending with "starting ASAP / is ongoing" if you have not fixed a date.

3. And One-time?

Nothing to fill in. The opportunity details simply say there is no specified level of commitment.

Use it for drop-in help, one-off events, and anything where you would rather have someone once than not at all.

4. Which should I pick?

Pick the one that describes the commitment honestly, and treat it as a filter on who applies rather than a control on what they do.

One-time widens your pool. Nobody is put off by an obligation.
Recurring narrows it, deliberately. Stating "4 hours per week for 6 months" up front discourages people who cannot sustain it, which is usually the point for a mentoring or client-facing role.

If you are unsure, ask what would go wrong if someone came only once. If the answer is "nothing much", choose One-time.

5. Can I change it later?

Yes. It is part of the opportunity details, so you can edit it like any other detail, and because it drives nothing behind the scenes, changing it will not disturb existing shifts or reservations.

Summary

One-time means no expected commitment; Recurring means there is one.
Commitment is descriptive and has no effect on scheduling, shifts or reservations.
Recurring needs hours, frequency, duration and a start date or ongoing.
It reads as a sentence on the opportunity details, which is its whole function.
Choose it to set expectations, and use scheduling settings for anything you need enforced.

One-time vs recurring commitment on a Vome opportunity