Sign-ups, waitlist and check-in, ready before the day

Capacity and the waitlist

Grantkeeper compares sign-ups with your capacity and the number of people working that day. Sign-ups beyond capacity go on a waitlist in the order they came in. If the volunteers on hand look thin for a time slot, it says so and suggests spreading people across slots.

It drafts the confirmation, the waitlist note and the day-before reminder, in English and Spanish if you need both, with the time zone written out. Send them from your sign-up tool or email. Some sign-up tools send confirmations as soon as an event is created, so set those messages before you open sign-ups.

Fictional example: a food drive with 40 places and 52 sign-ups confirms the first 40 and puts 12 on a waitlist. When three confirmed people cancel, Grantkeeper drafts notes to the next three on the waitlist and updates the check-in list.

The check-in list

The check-in list holds only what the door needs: name, party size, language and any access need the person shared. Details nobody at the door uses stay out. Print it, or keep it on a phone.

If people pay for a ticket that includes a meal or another benefit, the IRS describes a disclosure for payments over $75 that are partly for goods or services: only the amount above the benefit's value counts as the charitable part. Grantkeeper adds that line to confirmations once you give it the benefit's value, and your treasurer checks it.

Keep the check-in list off shared screens, and recycle printed copies after the event.

After the event, compare the check-in count with sign-ups. The difference helps you size next year's capacity and staffing.