OzHarvest: 80% faster volunteer onboarding and nationwide growth without added headcount

Introduction

OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue charity, with a presence in every state and territory. Its 80 vans deliver around 750,000 meals each week to more than 1,500 charity partners, with 17.6 million kilograms of food rescued and 35 million meals delivered annually. Food rescue operations span around 26 cities and towns, while its train-the-trainer education programs extend into regional communities beyond its food rescue network.

Volunteers are central to delivering that impact. Around 3,500 volunteers make up 90% of OzHarvest’s workforce, supported by approximately 400 staff. Together, they rescue food, support food and sustainability education, fundraise and advocate to fight food waste and food insecurity.

The Challenge

Before Rosterfy, OzHarvest managed its volunteers through Salesforce, which remains the CRM used across the wider organisation. While Salesforce worked well for fundraising and pipeline management, it wasn’t purpose-built to manage the volunteer journey.

Two key gaps stood out.

1. The first was the volunteer experience. The system wasn’t mobile-friendly, despite most volunteers using their phones to manage their involvement.
2. The second challenge was onboarding. The process relied heavily on manual admin, while volunteers had no clear way to track their progress or see what they needed to complete next. Coordinators had to chase certificates, e-learning, and background checks by email, one volunteer at a time.

Volunteers were also tied to a single location. If they wanted to volunteer at another OzHarvest location, they had to register again for that location.

With onboarding spread across disconnected steps, OzHarvest also lacked clear visibility of the volunteer journey and where people were dropping out.

The Solution

OzHarvest moved volunteer onboarding, scheduling, and communications into Rosterfy, while keeping Salesforce as its system of record for fundraising and donor relationships. A two-way Salesforce integration was essential, keeping volunteer and donor data connected across both platforms, particularly as many OzHarvest volunteers also support OzHarvest in other ways.

Onboarding is now largely automated. Since implementing Rosterfy, OzHarvest has seen a 80% reduction in the time required to onboard new volunteers, with the process now taking on average one week, as opposed to up to six weeks previously. 

Previously manual onboarding steps, including e-learning, certificate uploads and national police checks, are now automated through the volunteer hub. Volunteers can track their own progress, reducing the need for coordinators to manage each step through email. With less admin, coordinators can now focus on one-to-one onboarding conversations rather than group inductions, creating a more personal and meaningful experience for new volunteers.

The Rosterfy Volunteer App

Adoption of the Rosterfy Volunteer App has been overwhelmingly positive. OzHarvest’s volunteers range from 18 to 101 years old, with an almost even split either side of retirement age. The team has found that age is not a strong indicator of digital confidence, with most volunteers, including older volunteers, managing their involvement from their phones.

One system for volunteering, one for fundraising, kept in sync

Rosterfy’s two-way Salesforce integration allows OzHarvest to keep Salesforce as its central source of truth, while giving volunteers a purpose-built platform for their volunteer experience. Data stays connected across both systems, helping OzHarvest manage volunteer engagement alongside its wider fundraising and donor relationships.

The Impact

Onboarding time cut by around 80%

OzHarvest’s onboarding process now averages around one week from application to first shift, down from a process that previously stretched across several weeks of manual back-and-forth.

Higher conversion from application to first shift

From a public opportunities page that makes available roles easy to find, to trackable onboarding, and the Rosterfy Volunteer Shift Calendar, OzHarvest has made the volunteer journey simpler from application to first shift. As a result, the team has seen a significant increase in volunteers progressing through onboarding and into their first shift.

25% less admin, with volunteer hours growing 10%

Volunteer Coordinators have reduced the admin-related portion of their roles by 25%, saving around 30 hours each week across five FTE. At the same time, volunteer hours have grown 10% year on year for two consecutive years, without increasing Volunteer Coordinator headcount. The team is using the time saved to create more meaningful volunteer experiences while supporting continued growth across Australia.

A more flexible volunteer experience

With a national volunteer base, Rosterfy makes it easier for OzHarvest volunteers to get involved wherever they are. Volunteers no longer need to re-register when they move or want to volunteer in a different location. They can simply update their location preferences and discover available opportunities nearby.

Rosterfy has also helped OzHarvest offer more flexible ways to volunteer. Volunteers in certain roles can contribute when it suits them and log their hours directly in the platform, making it easier to fit volunteering around their availability.

Recruiting at speed when demand spikes

When new funding doubled the capacity of one of OzHarvest’s education programs, the team needed to recruit hundreds of new volunteers quickly. Using targeted role offers and recruitment channels including SEEK, OzHarvest was able to respond to the increase in demand and fill gaps faster.

Better segmentation has also changed how the team communicates with volunteers. OzHarvest can identify volunteers who are compliant and eligible for specific roles, then target them with relevant opportunities. Instead of sending bulk emails to everyone, coordinators can focus communications on the volunteers most likely to engage.

Role offers make scheduling simple

OzHarvest has also reduced scheduling admin through automated role offers. Volunteers can be automatically matched with relevant roles based on their profile, helping the team fill shifts faster while reducing the need for manual scheduling.

Conclusion

OzHarvest uses Rosterfy to manage its national volunteer program across food rescue, nutrition education, fundraising and advocacy, while keeping Salesforce as its central source of truth for donor and fundraising relationships.