I Downloaded the App—Now What?

Created by Brittany Crow, Modified on Tue, Mar 19 at 3:10 PM by Brittany Crow

Heads up! This article is intended as a guide for volunteers


Finding and responding to volunteer Needs can be accomplished right from your phone or tablet with the Causer app! Here we cover: 

So you know: Some sites have language overrides in place. This means you may see Opportunities in place of Needs, Programs in place of Agencies, or Prerequisites in place of Qualifications. 


How do I access the app? 

First, you need to download the app from your phone or tablet's app store. Open up your app store and search Causer

  • You can also scan these QR codes for your specific device to download the app now!


I've already registered on a site—now what? 

If you've already registered on an organization's site, use the email address you used to sign up to log into the app. 

  • A list of possible sites appears for you to choose from. 

  • Once you select the site, you're asked to enter your password or you can select I've forgotten my password to reset it. 

  • After logging in, you're taken to your volunteer dashboard where you can see your volunteer impact or search for volunteer Needs! 

  So you know: You may see some popups depending on what device you're using. 

  • These can include a Background Location Request popup. This helps the app find volunteer Needs near you! 

  • Another popup you might encounter is a Push Notification Request. Turning this on allows you to receive important notifications from the app about your scheduled volunteer Needs or other updates from the organization.  

  • When you have the Background Location and Push Notification enabled, a notification pops up for you to check into a Need when you're close to its listed location. 
    • Another notification pops up for you to check out when you leave that address. 


I haven't signed up on a site yet—now what? 

If you haven't registered on an organization's site, then you can search for sites near you or search for a site by name. 

  • After you select the site you want to sign up on, click Sign Up.

  • Fill out the registration form and click Create my account. 


How do I find available Needs? 

From your dashboard, click Find something to do to start finding volunteer Needs near you! 

  • To filter your search, click Filters and select Distance, Interest, or Agency

  • You can also go to the Search area in the app by clicking the hamburger button (☰) in the top left of the app to open your menu. 


How do I respond to a Need? 

After you filter your search and find the Need you want to respond to, click Respond

  • Clicking Respond opens the Need for you to view more details—click Respond again to confirm your selection. 

So you know: You may encounter volunteer Needs that require additional steps when responding to them—it just depends on the requirements for that Need. 


How do I unregister for a Need? 

If you need to unregister for a Need, click on it and select Unregister. 

  • If the Need has shifts then click it to unregister and select Manage responses

  • Select the (X) beside the shift you want to unregister for.


How do I check my schedule? 

When you first enter the app, your dashboard shows any upcoming volunteer Needs that you're scheduled for.

  • If you want to see a calendar view of your schedule, click the hamburger button (☰) in the top left corner of the app and select Schedule from the menu. 

  • From here, you can click on a date in the calendar to review details about that specific Need. 


How do I check in or out of a Need? 

If you need to check in or out for a Need, go to the Schedule area in the app and click Check in for the Need.


How do I add hours? 

If you need to add hours for a Need you volunteered for, then:

1. Click the hamburger button (☰) from the top left corner of the app and select Add Hours from the menu. 

2. You must select the Hours type: 

  • For Needs you responded to on the site, select Yes
  • For Needs you volunteered for without responding to them on the site, select No.

3. If you selected yes for the Hours type, then you must choose a Need from the dropdown menu. 

4. If you completed the Need as a member in a User Group, select the User Group from the options. 

  • Select N/A if you weren't part of a User Group.

5. Click Continue

6. Be sure to review your Hour Details and click Submit hours at the bottom of the form to confirm.