Claims and Fulfillment

NeedBridge is an email-powered need-matching platform for nonprofits -- foster care agencies, churches, disaster relief organizations, and community groups. When a volunteer decides to help with a posted need, they make a "claim." This guide explains how the claim process works from the volunteer's perspective, how case workers manage claims, and how organizations track fulfillment through to completion.

The Claim Process

The claim process is designed to be as simple as possible for volunteers. No login is required, no app is needed, and the entire process can happen through email and a web form.

How It Works

  1. A volunteer sees a need. They receive a need notification by email (or browse open needs on the organization's public page).
  2. The volunteer clicks "I can help." This link appears in the email notification and on the need detail page on the website.
  3. The volunteer provides their contact information. On the claim form, the volunteer enters (or confirms) their name, email, and phone number. If the need supports partial claims, they also enter the quantity they can provide.
  4. The claim is submitted. NeedBridge records the claim, updates the need status, and sends notifications.
  5. The case worker is notified. The case worker who posted the need receives an email with the volunteer's contact information so they can coordinate logistics.
  6. The volunteer receives a confirmation. The volunteer gets an email confirming their claim with details about the need and what to expect next.

No Login Required

A key design principle of NeedBridge is that volunteers never need to create an account or remember a password. The claim form is a simple web page that anyone can access. Volunteers identify themselves by their email address. If a volunteer is already in the system, their information is pre-filled. If they are new, a volunteer record is automatically created for them when they submit a claim.

Claiming from Email vs. Website

Volunteers can claim needs through two channels:

Claiming from Email

This is the most common path. The volunteer:

  1. Opens a need notification email
  2. Reviews the need details shown in the email
  3. Clicks the "I can help" button (or equivalent -- your organization may customize this label)
  4. Is taken to the claim form in their web browser
  5. Confirms their contact information and submits

Claiming from the Website

Volunteers can also browse open needs on the organization's public page without receiving an email:

  1. The volunteer visits the organization's public needs page
  2. They browse or filter available needs
  3. They click on a need to see the full details
  4. They click "I can help" on the need detail page
  5. They fill out the claim form and submit

This path is useful for volunteers who want to browse all available needs rather than responding to a specific email notification.

Partial Claims (Multiple Volunteers per Need)

Some needs require multiple items or multiple volunteers. NeedBridge supports partial claims, where several volunteers can each claim a portion of a single need.

How Partial Claims Work

When a case worker creates a need with a quantity greater than one, the claim form shows the total quantity needed and the remaining quantity available. Volunteers can claim any amount up to the remaining quantity.

Example: A need is posted for 10 bags of groceries.

  • Volunteer A claims 4 bags. Remaining: 6.
  • Volunteer B claims 3 bags. Remaining: 3.
  • Volunteer C claims 3 bags. Remaining: 0. The need is now fully claimed.

Partial Claim Rules

  • Volunteers cannot claim more than the remaining quantity
  • Each claim is tracked separately with its own status
  • The overall need status reflects the aggregate: it stays Open until fully claimed, then moves to Claimed
  • Case workers can see all claims on a need and manage them individually

Claim Statuses

Each individual claim has its own status:

Claimed The volunteer has committed to helping. This is the initial status after a claim is submitted. Completed The case worker has confirmed that this volunteer fulfilled their portion of the need. Canceled The claim has been withdrawn. Either the volunteer indicated they can no longer help, or the case worker cancelled the claim.

These statuses are separate from the overall need status. A need with multiple claims could have some claims completed and others still in the claimed state.

The Case Worker Experience

Receiving a Claim Notification

When a volunteer claims a need, the case worker who posted that need receives an email notification that includes:

  • The name of the volunteer
  • The volunteer's email address and phone number
  • Which need was claimed
  • The quantity claimed (for partial claims)
  • A link to view the need and manage the claim in the admin panel

Managing Claims in the Admin Panel

Case workers can view and manage all claims on their needs from the admin panel:

  1. Navigate to the Needs section.
  2. Open the need in question.
  3. View the list of claims, showing each volunteer's name, contact information, claimed quantity, and claim status.

From this view, case workers can:

  • View volunteer contact information to reach out and coordinate
  • Mark a claim as completed when the volunteer has fulfilled their commitment
  • Cancel a claim if the volunteer is unable to follow through

Communicating with Volunteers

After a volunteer claims a need, the case worker coordinates directly with the volunteer using the contact information provided (email and phone). NeedBridge provides the connection; the actual logistics coordination happens outside the platform through direct communication.

Tips for effective communication:

  • Reach out to the volunteer promptly after receiving the claim notification
  • Confirm the details: what exactly is needed, when, and where
  • Provide clear instructions for delivery, pickup, or meeting
  • Follow up if the need has a due date approaching

Marking Claims Complete

When a volunteer has fulfilled their commitment, the case worker marks the claim as completed. This is an important step because it:

  • Updates the need status (if all claims are completed, the need moves to Completed)
  • Records the outcome for reporting
  • Triggers a thank-you/appreciation email to the volunteer
  • May generate a tax receipt (if tax receipts are enabled for your organization)

How to Mark a Claim Complete

  1. Open the need in the admin panel.
  2. Find the volunteer's claim in the claims list.
  3. Click to mark the claim as completed.
  4. Optionally, add notes about the outcome.

Completing a Need with Multiple Claims

For needs with multiple partial claims, each claim is completed individually. The overall need is marked as Completed when all claims have been completed (or when the case worker decides the need is fully fulfilled and manually closes it).

Capturing Outcomes and Stories

When marking a need as complete, case workers can record the outcome. This information is valuable for:

  • Organizational reporting -- Understanding what was provided and how it helped
  • Donor communications -- Sharing anonymized success stories with supporters
  • Volunteer motivation -- Letting volunteers see the impact of their help

Outcome information can include:

  • A description of what happened
  • Notes about the family's response or the impact of the help
  • Photos (with appropriate permissions)

These outcomes feed into your organization's impact reports and can be shared as success stories.

Tax Receipt Generation

If your organization has tax receipts enabled in Settings, completing a claim can trigger the generation of a tax receipt for the volunteer. Tax receipts acknowledge the volunteer's in-kind donation for potential tax deduction purposes.

How Tax Receipts Work

  1. A case worker marks a claim as completed.
  2. If tax receipts are enabled and the need qualifies (typically Physical Item or Financial Assistance need types), a tax receipt is generated.
  3. The receipt includes your organization's legal entity name, tax ID, the description of the donation, the date, and a receipt disclaimer.
  4. The volunteer receives the tax receipt (the delivery method depends on your organization's configuration).

Tax Receipt Configuration

Organization admins configure tax receipt settings in Settings, including:

  • Whether tax receipts are enabled
  • The legal entity name that appears on receipts
  • The tax identification number (EIN)
  • A disclaimer or legal notice that appears on every receipt

See the Settings article for more details on configuring tax receipts.

The Volunteer Experience During Claiming

Understanding the volunteer's experience helps your team provide better support and write better need descriptions.

What the Volunteer Sees

  1. The email notification: A clear, branded email with the need title, description, urgency indicator, category, area, and a prominent "I can help" button.
  2. The claim form: A simple web page (no login) with:
    • The need details displayed for reference
    • Fields for their name, email, and phone number (pre-filled if they are a known volunteer)
    • A quantity selector (if the need allows partial claims)
    • A submit button
  3. The confirmation page: After submitting, a thank-you page confirming their claim was received and explaining next steps.
  4. The confirmation email: An email summarizing the need they claimed, what happens next, and the case worker's contact information (if configured to share).

What the Volunteer Does NOT Need to Do

  • Create an account
  • Remember a password
  • Download an app
  • Log in to a dashboard
  • Navigate a complex interface

This low-friction design means more volunteers follow through on their intention to help, which leads to more needs being fulfilled.

Unclaiming

If a volunteer can no longer fulfill a need they claimed, they can unclaim it. The process varies:

  • The volunteer may have an unclaim link in their confirmation email
  • The volunteer can contact the organization, and a case worker can cancel the claim from the admin panel

When a claim is cancelled, the need (or that portion of it) returns to the available pool and other volunteers can claim it.

Best Practices for Claims Management

  • Respond quickly to claim notifications. The sooner a case worker reaches out to a volunteer, the more likely the need will be fulfilled successfully.
  • Keep needs updated. If a need is fulfilled through other means, cancel it promptly so volunteers do not claim something that is no longer needed.
  • Mark claims complete as soon as the need is fulfilled. This keeps your data accurate and triggers thank-you communications to volunteers.
  • Record outcomes. Even a brief note about what happened helps your organization track its impact over time.
  • Follow up on aging claims. If a claim has been in the "Claimed" state for several days without progress, reach out to the volunteer to check in.
  • Use partial claims for large needs. Instead of waiting for one volunteer to provide everything, enable quantities so multiple volunteers can each contribute a portion.