Needs Management - Complete Feature Guide

This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of needs management in NeedBridge, from creation to completion. Whether you're a case worker, coordinator, or admin, this guide explains how needs work throughout their lifecycle.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding Needs

2. Need Creation Process

3. Need Status Management

4. Volunteer Interaction

5. Administrative Controls

6. Reporting and Analytics

7. Best Practices

8. Advanced Features

Understanding Needs

What is a Need

A Need*in NeedBridge represents a specific request for help from your

organization's clients. Needs are:

• Posted by case workers

• Viewed by volunteers

• Claimed and fulfilled through the platform

• Tracked throughout their lifecycle

• Reported on for organizational insights

Need Components

Every need contains:

Basic Information

• Title (clear, descriptive summary)

• Description (detailed explanation)

• Category (type of assistance)

• Area (geographic location)

• Urgency level (priority)

Operational Details

• Status (current state)

• Created date/time

• Deadline (if applicable)

• Case worker (creator)

• Assigned volunteers

Communication

• Contact preferences

• Instructions for volunteers

• Updates and notes

• Volunteer messages

Need Lifecycle

Created → Open → Claimed → In Progress → Fulfilled
   ↓        ↓       ↓         ↓           ↓
Cancelled ← Available ← Updates ← Communication → Success

```text

## Need Creation Process

### Step-by-Step Guide

#### 1. Access Creation Form

## For Case Workers

- Dashboard → "Create Need" button

- My Needs → "Add New Need"

- Quick action from notification

## For Admins

- Admin Dashboard → Needs → "Create Need"

- User account → "Create on behalf of"

### 2. Basic Information Entry

## Title Guidelines

```text
✅ Good Examples:

- "Grocery delivery for senior client - Westside"

- "Transportation to dialysis appointment"

- "Moving assistance for family with young children"

❌ Poor Examples:

- "Help needed"

- "Urgent assistance"

- "Client needs help"

```text

## Category Selection

- Food assistance

- Transportation

- Housing support

- Medical needs

- Educational support

- Emergency assistance

- Utilities assistance

- Clothing/household items

- Technology assistance

- Other/custom categories

### 3. Detailed Description

## Essential Elements

```text
Client Context:

- General age/situation (maintaining privacy)

- Relevant background affecting the need

- Any limitations or special considerations

Specific Need:

- Exactly what help is required

- When it needs to happen

- Where it will take place

- How long it might take

Volunteer Requirements:

- Any necessary skills or qualifications

- Physical requirements (lifting, driving, etc.)

- Background check needs

- Scheduling flexibility

```text

## Privacy Protection

- Use first names or initials only

- General area instead of specific address

- Relevant context without sensitive details

- Focus on the help needed, not personal history

### 4. Location and Timing

## Area Assignment

- Select from your organization's defined areas

- Consider volunteer travel distance

- Choose most accessible/central location

- Note specific location details in description

## Urgency Levels

| Level | Timeline | When to Use | Examples |

|-------|----------|-------------|----------|

|***Critical***| Same day | Safety/health emergency | Medical emergency

|transport, food for families with no other options |

|***High***| 2-3 days | Urgent but not emergency | Prescription pickup,

|time-sensitive appointments |

|***Medium***| Within a week | Important but manageable | Grocery delivery,

|routine transportation |

|***Low***| Within a month | Helpful but flexible | Home organization,

|non-urgent errands |

### 5. Contact and Instructions

## Contact Information

- How volunteers should reach out

- Best times for contact

- Response expectations

- Alternative contact methods

## Special Instructions

- Parking information

- Building access codes

- Safety considerations

- Client preparation needed

### 6. Review and Submit

## Pre-submission Checklist

- [ ] Title is clear and specific

- [ ] Description includes all necessary details

- [ ] Privacy guidelines followed

- [ ] Appropriate urgency level selected

- [ ] Contact information correct

- [ ] Special instructions complete

- [ ] Category and area accurate

### Advanced Creation Options

#### Templates and Quick Creation

## Common Need Templates

- Grocery delivery

- Medical appointment transport

- Prescription pickup

- Moving assistance

- Home visits

## Using Templates

1. Select template from dropdown

1. Auto-fills common fields

1. Customize for specific client

1. Add unique details

1. Submit as normal

### Recurring Needs

## For ongoing assistance

- Weekly grocery delivery

- Regular transportation

- Recurring appointments

- Ongoing support needs

## Setup Process

1. Create initial need normally

1. Mark as "Recurring"

1. Set frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)

1. Define end date or ongoing

1. System auto-creates future instances

### Bulk Creation

## For multiple similar needs

- Disaster response

- Event support

- Seasonal assistance

- Community initiatives

## Admin Feature

1. Upload CSV template

1. Map fields to need components

1. Review batch before creation

1. Submit all at once

1. Monitor creation status

## Need Status Management

### Status Types and Meanings

#### Open Status

-***Visible to volunteers***in the area

-***Awaiting claims***from interested volunteers

-***Can be edited***by case worker

-***Included in notifications***and digests

#### Claimed Status

-***Volunteer committed***to helping

-***Not visible***to other volunteers

-***Communication enabled***between case worker and volunteer

-***Progress tracking***available

#### In Progress Status

-***Work underway***by assigned volunteer

-***Regular check-ins***expected

-***Updates posted***by case worker or volunteer

-***Can return to claimed***if issues arise

#### Fulfilled Status

-***Successfully completed***by volunteer

-***Client received help***as intended

-***Success story***documentation available

-***Archived***but visible in reports

#### Cancelled Status

-***No longer needed***by client

-***Removed from volunteer view***-***Reason documented***for tracking

-***Cannot be uncancelled***(create new if needed)

#### Expired Status

-***Deadline passed***without fulfillment

-***Automatically changed***by system

-***Can be renewed***with new deadline

-***Counts in completion metrics***### Status Change Process

#### Manual Status Updates

## Case Worker Actions

1. Navigate to "My Needs"

1. Find specific need

1. Click "Update Status"

1. Select new status

1. Add notes/comments

1. Notify relevant parties

### Automatic Status Changes

## System-Generated Updates

- Open → Expired (deadline passed)

- Open → Claimed (volunteer commits)

- Claimed → Open (volunteer cancels)

- All → Cancelled (case worker action)

### Status Change Notifications

## Who Gets Notified

- Case worker (always)

- Assigned volunteer (if applicable)

- Coordinator (for their areas)

- Admin (configurable)

## Notification Methods

- In-app notifications

- Email alerts

- SMS (if enabled)

- Dashboard updates

### Editing Active Needs

#### When Editing is Allowed

## Open Needs

- Full editing capabilities

- Changes notify interested volunteers

- Can modify all fields except creation date

## Claimed Needs

- Limited editing to avoid confusion

- Major changes require volunteer consent

- Description updates possible

- Contact changes need volunteer notification

## Restricted Editing

- Fulfilled needs (read-only)

- Cancelled needs (cannot be edited)

- Expired needs (can be renewed only)

### Edit Process

1.***Access editing interface***1.***Make necessary changes***1.***Review impact

on volunteers***1.***Save with change summary***1.***System sends update

notifications***## Volunteer Interaction

### How Volunteers See Needs

#### Public Need Display

## Information Shown

- Need title

- Category and urgency

- General area

- Timeline/deadline

- Case worker organization

- Brief description

## Information Hidden

- Client personal details

- Specific addresses

- Contact information (until claimed)

- Internal notes/comments

### Need Claiming Process

## Volunteer Steps

1. Browse available needs

1. Click "I Can Help"

1. Provide commitment message

1. Case worker reviews claim

1. Case worker accepts/declines

1. Communication opens if accepted

### Managing Volunteer Interest

#### Multiple Volunteer Interest

## When Several Volunteers Apply

1.***Review each volunteer**:

- Profile and experience

- Ratings from previous work

- Availability and location

- Special skills/qualifications

1. **Selection criteria**:

- Best match for need requirements

- Geographic proximity

- Availability alignment

- Experience with similar needs

1. **Communication process**:

- Select primary volunteer

- Send acceptance message

- Thank other interested volunteers

- Keep backup options available

### Volunteer Communication

## Best Practices

- Respond within 24 hours

- Be clear about expectations

- Provide necessary details

- Confirm arrangements

- Show appreciation

## Communication Tools

- In-app messaging system

- Direct email (if enabled)

- Phone contact (when appropriate)

- Meeting scheduling tools

### Volunteer Management

#### During Active Needs

## Monitoring Progress

- Regular check-ins

- Status updates

- Issue resolution

- Additional support

## Communication Management

- Clear expectations

- Timely responses

- Professional boundaries

- Documentation

### After Completion

## Post-Completion Process

1. **Confirm completion***with client

1.***Update need status***to fulfilled

1.***Thank volunteer***appropriately

1.***Rate interaction***(if enabled)

1.***Document success***story

## Administrative Controls

### Admin Oversight Features

#### Need Review and Approval

## Pre-Publication Review

- Admin approval required (configurable)

- Quality control process

- Privacy compliance check

- Appropriate categorization

## Review Criteria

- Privacy protection adequate

- Information complete and clear

- Appropriate urgency level

- Proper categorization

- Contact details accurate

### Need Modification Rights

## Admin Capabilities

- Edit any need in organization

- Change status and assignments

- Add internal notes

- Reassign to different areas

- Override volunteer selections

### Bulk Operations

## Administrative Bulk Actions

- Update multiple need statuses

- Reassign needs to different areas

- Export need data

- Archive completed needs

- Generate batch reports

### Quality Control

#### Need Quality Standards

## Content Standards

- Clear, professional language

- Complete information provided

- Privacy guidelines followed

- Appropriate urgency levels

- Accurate categorization

## Review Process

1. Automated checks for completeness

1. Privacy scanning for sensitive data

1. Admin review for quality

1. Approval or return for revision

1. Publication to volunteer platform

### Performance Monitoring

## Tracking Metrics

- Time to claim rates

- Fulfillment success rates

- Volunteer satisfaction scores

- Case worker effectiveness

- Area performance comparisons

## Reporting and Analytics

### Individual Need Tracking

#### Need Performance Metrics

## For Each Need

- Time from creation to claim

- Time from claim to fulfillment

- Number of volunteers interested

- Success/failure status

- Volunteer feedback scores

### Historical Analysis

## Tracking Over Time

- Need volume trends

- Category popularity

- Seasonal patterns

- Success rate improvements

- Area performance variations

### Organizational Reporting

#### Summary Reports

## Available Reports

- Needs posted by time period

- Fulfillment rates by category

- Volunteer engagement metrics

- Case worker productivity

- Area comparison analysis

### Custom Analytics

## Configurable Metrics

- Filter by date ranges

- Group by case worker, area, category

- Compare time periods

- Export to Excel/PDF

- Schedule automated reports

### Performance Dashboards

#### Case Worker Dashboard

## Key Metrics Displayed

- Personal fulfillment rate

- Average time to claim

- Volunteer satisfaction score

- Monthly need volume

- Success story count

### Admin Dashboard

## Organizational Overview

- Total active needs

- Organization fulfillment rate

- Top performing areas

- Category distribution

- Monthly trends

## Best Practices

### Writing Effective Needs

#### Title Best Practices

## Effective Titles Include

- Type of help needed

- General location

- Key context (age, family size, etc.)

- Urgency indicators when appropriate

## Examples

```text
✅ "Grocery delivery for elderly client - Downtown area"

✅ "Transportation to medical appointment - Westside"

✅ "Moving help for family with disabilities - Southtown"

✅ "URGENT: Prescription pickup for homebound senior"

❌ "Need help"
❌ "Assistance required"
❌ "Client situation"
❌ "Emergency help needed" (without context)

```text

### Description Writing

## Structure Your Descriptions

1.***Client Context (1-2 sentences)***- Relevant background

- Situation explanation

- Why help is needed

1.***Specific Need (2-3 sentences)***- Exactly what help is required

- When and where

- How long it might take

1.***Volunteer Requirements (1-2 sentences)***- Special skills needed

- Physical requirements

- Scheduling needs

1.***Contact Instructions (1 sentence)***- How to get in touch

- Best times to call

- Response expectations

### Privacy and Safety

#### Privacy Protection

## Always Protect

- Full names (use first name/initial)

- Specific addresses (use general area)

- Medical details (general condition only)

- Financial information

- Family details beyond what's relevant

## Safe to Include

- General age ranges

- Relevant limitations

- Geographic areas

- Type of assistance needed

- Scheduling preferences

### Safety Considerations

## For Volunteers

- Clear meeting instructions

- Safe meeting locations

- Emergency contact information

- Boundary guidelines

- Safety protocols

## For Clients

- Volunteer verification process

- Background check requirements

- Introduction protocols

- Supervision when needed

- Emergency procedures

### Communication Excellence

#### Response Time Standards

## Recommended Response Times

- Critical needs: Within 2 hours

- High urgency: Within 4 hours

- Medium urgency: Within 12 hours

- Low urgency: Within 24 hours

### Message Quality

## Effective Communication

- Professional but warm tone

- Clear and specific information

- Appreciation for volunteer interest

- Next steps clearly outlined

- Contact information provided

## Advanced Features

### Automation and Integration

#### Automated Workflows

## Available Automations

- Need expiration handling

- Reminder notifications

- Status update triggers

- Report generation

- Volunteer matching suggestions

### API Integration

## Integration Capabilities

- External case management systems

- Volunteer management platforms

- Communication tools

- Reporting systems

- Payment processing

### Customization Options

#### Organization-Specific Features

## Customizable Elements

- Need categories

- Urgency level definitions

- Area configurations

- Approval workflows

- Notification preferences

### Branding and Interface

## Customization Options

- Organization logos and colors

- Custom email templates

- Branded volunteer-facing pages

- Customized terminology

- Localized language options

### Advanced Reporting

#### Data Export

## Export Capabilities

- Complete need datasets

- Volunteer interaction logs

- Performance metrics

- Custom report formats

- Scheduled data exports

### Analytics Integration

## Third-Party Analytics

- Google Analytics integration

- Custom tracking events

- Conversion funnel analysis

- User behavior tracking

- Performance optimization data

---

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

## Problem: Needs not getting volunteer response

- Review urgency level appropriateness

- Check description clarity and completeness

- Verify area assignment accuracy

- Consider timing and deadlines

- Consult with coordinator

## Problem: Wrong volunteers applying

- Review volunteer requirements section

- Make skill requirements clearer

- Add screening questions

- Adjust area targeting

- Improve need title specificity

## Problem: Communication breakdowns

- Set clearer expectations upfront

- Use in-app messaging consistently

- Confirm arrangements in writing

- Establish check-in schedules

- Have backup communication plans

### Getting Help

## Support Resources

- In-app help documentation

- Organization admin support

- Platform customer service

- User community forums

- Training sessions and webinars

---
**Effective needs management is the heart of NeedBridge. By following these

guidelines and continuously refining your approach, you'll create meaningful
connections between clients in need and volunteers ready to help.*