Working with apps

Communicating with your team

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

• WhatsApp — the most used app in the Netherlands. Group chats work well for small teams. Disadvantage: messages scroll by quickly and are difficult to find.
• Signal — similar to WhatsApp, but more privacy-friendly. Good if you work with sensitive information.
• Slack or Teams — more suitable for larger organizations. You can create separate channels per topic or team, which improves clarity.
• There are other alternatives as well. Ask around in your circle how they do it.

Choose one channel and communicate consistently through it. Using multiple channels side by side is 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 at the same time.
• Microsoft OneDrive — similar to Google Drive, but linked to Microsoft Office.
• Dropbox — a good option if you want to share large files.
• There are plenty of other alternatives. Also, ask around in your area.

All these services work via an account. You need an email address to sign up.

Keeping track of planning and tasks

Who does what and when? Keeping track of that via email or in your head doesn't work for long.

• Trello — a simple overview board with cards for each task. Good for small teams without much technical knowledge.
• Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do — simple task lists that you can share.
• A shared calendar via Google or Outlook — handy for planning activities and meetings.
• Here too, there are many options. Also, ask around.

Forms and registrations

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

• Via your organization page, you can create forms to request additional information from potential volunteers or to ask for feedback after a meeting or training.
• Google Forms — free and easy to create. Responses automatically appear in a spreadsheet.
• Typeform — more attractive forms, but with limitations in the free version.

Start with one tool

The pitfall is trying too much at once. Start with one tool that solves a concrete problem. Does that work well? Only then see if anything else can be added.

Next step

Do you want to know more about online meetings or the safe use of digital tools? Read the other articles in this theme.