Working with apps

Communicating with your team

For communication within a volunteer group, there are handy alternatives to endless email chains:

• WhatsApp — the most widely used app in the Netherlands. Group chats work well for small teams. Downside: messages scroll by quickly and are hard to find later.
• Signal — similar to WhatsApp, but more privacy-friendly. Good if you are working with sensitive information.
• Slack or Teams — better suited for larger organizations. You can create separate channels for specific topics or teams, which improves clarity.
• There are other alternatives, too. Ask around to see how others handle this.

Choose one channel and communicate consistently through it. Using multiple channels simultaneously can be confusing.

Sharing documents and collaborating

Are you still sending Word files back and forth via email? There is an easier way.

• Google Drive — free storage space for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Multiple people can work on the same document simultaneously.
• Microsoft OneDrive — similar to Google Drive, but integrated with Microsoft Office.
• Dropbox — a good option if you need to share large files.
• There are plenty of other alternatives available. Ask around.

All these services require an account; you need an email address to sign up.

Tracking schedules and tasks

Who is doing what and when? Tracking this via email or just keeping it in your head doesn't work for long.

• Trello — a simple overview board using cards for each task. Good for small teams without much technical expertise.
• Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do — simple, shareable to-do lists.
• A shared calendar via Google or Outlook — handy for scheduling activities and meetings.
• Again, there are many options here. Ask around.

Forms and registrations

Do you want people to sign up for an activity or conduct a survey? 

• You can use your organization page to create forms for gathering additional information from potential volunteers or for collecting feedback after a meeting or training session.
• Google Forms — free and easy to create. Responses are automatically saved to a spreadsheet.
• Typeform — offers more visually appealing forms, but the free version has limitations.

Start with one tool

The pitfall is trying to do too much at once. Start with a single tool that solves a specific problem. If it works well, then consider adding another one.

Next step

Want to know more about online meetings or the secure use of digital tools? Read the other articles in this series.