Third Sector: Featured Leader Interview with Ayden Shaw

Nonprofits frequently struggle to effectively manage and engage with volunteers in the ever-changing field of volunteer management. With Rosterfy’s efficient volunteering software, Disability Sports Australia (DSA) has transformed the way they engage with their volunteers.   

Ayden Shaw, General Manager of Disability Sports Australia, highlighted the initial struggles the nonprofit faced in managing its volunteer program. “Number one challenge was we’re a very small nonprofit, and with only five people running our program we were struggling to deliver the volunteer program that we wanted for our volunteers,” explained Shaw.    

As DSA scaled, the manual process of screening volunteers one-on-one was no longer sustainable. Add to that, a growing events calendar with 70 events annually requiring 500 volunteers made DSA realise they needed to invest in technology to help them work more effectively.    

Streamlining Volunteer Screening: A “Game-Changer” for DSA   

With multiple events, requiring unique sets of skills and dedicated training, DSA was looking for a solution to help screen their volunteers without the need to bring on additional internal resources.  

Shaw explained, “A lot of core business time is being spent by staff on trying to screen volunteers, and the problem was that because we didn’t have any processes or procedures beyond a spreadsheet, we didn’t really have the ability to know how our volunteer program was going or not going.”  

Rosterfy’s platform addressed this challenge by providing a centralised hub for volunteer management. Through a central volunteer portal, DSA volunteers can now access multiple volunteer opportunities and track their progress all from one place – a “game changer’ for maximising efficiency and engagement. 

Tailoring the Volunteer Journey: Positive Feedback from Regular Volunteers   

Shaw emphasised the positive feedback received during the implementation phase from regular volunteers. “Rosterfy has got a structure; it’s not just 10 emails that come out of the blue. It’s not just a manual call that they get the day before. They’re able to really tailor and personalise what their volunteer journey is.”   

About Rosterfy 

Rosterfy is used by non-profits, charities, sporting federations, and more to better manage their volunteer programs by improving how they can recruit, screen, train and retain their volunteers.  

About Third Sector 

Third Sector provides high-level content and services for professional development and organisational growth to leaders and senior executives from Australia’s NFP sector and its supporting industries.