Yes, you can create a need and make it Inactive until you are ready to activate it so it can be seen in search results. Access inactive needs by selecting Inactive on the Visibility drop down on your Open/Partially Filled, Filled or Expired Needs reports. Click Edit next to that need and set Display Status to Active.

You can post your volunteer needs as Open Ended on the need posting form and indicate in the description of the need that you are flexible as to when the need is met.

In order to keep the database clear of expired needs, we do require an end date for each need posted. Otherwise, organizations could post needs for an indefinite period. Many times needs change and administrators may forget to update those needs, so all needs must have an expiration dates, at which time it will stop appearing in search results.

Because needs with nearer-term shifts and expiration dates appear first in search results, we suggest posting needs more frequently (or adjusting expiration dates on a regular basis) rather than giving them expiration dates in the distant future.

For volunteer needs, you may post them as One-Time, which has only one shift, or as Open-Ended which has no set date (i.e. needed anytime), or as Recurring which has multiple regular occurrences on either a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Selecting the Recurring option automatically creates those individual occurrences (over the date range you specified) toward the bottom of the table. Each of those occurrences may be edited (e.g. if a particular day falls on a holiday).

MTN does not permit deletion of needs that have been posted.  Deleting a partially filled or filled need posted would cause errors in the reports on Organizational and Personal Dashboard reports because commitments made to meet those needs would no longer have a need with which to associate. However, you may deactivate needs at any time. Our reports default to only show Active needs so Inactive needs stay out of view unless you need them (by selecting Inactive from View Status drop down above the Open, Filled and Expired Needs reports).

When posting a need the Per User Limit limits the number of items or volunteers any one user may register to bring. For example, a Per User Limit of 1 means that each and every person must register to adopt the need. Use a Per User Limit of 1 when you want to make sure you have the contact information of each person serving. If left unchecked a group leader can bring as many people as they would like, up to the number needed. Although MTN’s group signup functionality permits group leaders to invite or enter in each individual, we do not require group leaders to provide the names and contact information of each person in the group.

You can attach waivers, surveys or any other information within your postings. Just add a link (to that document) in your post and Meet The Need will automatically convert that link into the words “Click Here”, which will be a hyperlink taking users to your document. For example, “Before volunteering, please print and sign the attached waiver – Click Here.”