Offerings and Donations

NeedBridge is an email-powered need-matching platform for nonprofits -- foster care agencies, churches, disaster relief organizations, and community groups. While most of NeedBridge centers on organizations posting needs and volunteers responding, the offerings feature flips this around: community members can proactively offer items or services before a need is even posted. This guide covers how offerings work, how admins manage them, and how they connect to your need-fulfillment workflow.

What Is an Offer?

An offer is a submission from a community member who has something to give -- an item, a service, or a resource -- and wants to make it available to your organization. Unlike the standard workflow (where a case worker posts a need and a volunteer responds), an offer originates from the community.

Examples of offers:

  • "I have a gently used crib and changing table I would like to donate"
  • "I can provide 20 meals for a family in need this weekend"
  • "I have a truck and am available to help with moves on Saturdays"
  • "I have three bags of kids' clothing, sizes 2T-5T, in good condition"
  • "I would like to donate a $50 gift card to a family"

Offers are especially valuable because they let your organization know what resources are available in the community before a specific need arises. When a case worker posts a need that matches an existing offer, the connection can be made quickly.

The Offer Submission Form

Community members submit offers through your organization's public offer page. Like volunteer signup and need claiming, no login or account is required.

Accessing the Form

The offer form is available on your organization's public page. The exact location depends on your organization's configuration, but it is typically linked from the main public page alongside the volunteer signup and needs browser.

What the Form Collects

The offer submission form includes the following fields:

  • Contact information -- Name, email, and phone number. If the person is already a volunteer in your system, their information may be pre-filled.
  • Item or service description -- A free-text description of what is being offered.
  • Offer type -- Whether the offer is a physical item, a service, financial assistance, or something else.
  • Condition (for physical items) -- The condition of the item:
    • New -- Still in original packaging, never used
    • Like New -- Used but in excellent condition, no visible wear
    • Good -- Some signs of use but fully functional and presentable
    • Fair -- Noticeable wear but still usable
  • Images (optional) -- Photos of the item being offered. Photos help admins assess the condition and suitability of the item.
  • Additional notes -- Any other information, such as availability, delivery preferences, or restrictions.

The Offer Workflow

Offers move through a defined workflow from submission to fulfillment.

Offer Statuses

Pending The offer has been submitted and is waiting for an admin or coordinator to review it. Reviewing An admin or coordinator is actively evaluating the offer -- checking condition, relevance, and whether it matches any current or anticipated needs. Matched The offer has been connected to a specific need. The organization will coordinate with the donor to arrange delivery or pickup. Fulfilled The offer has been successfully delivered or used. The item or service reached the family or individual it was intended for. Declined The organization has decided not to accept the offer. This might happen if the item is not in usable condition, the organization does not have storage space, or the offer does not align with current needs.

Typical Workflow

Submitted --> Pending --> Reviewing --> Matched --> Fulfilled | --> Declined
  1. A community member submits an offer through the public form.
  2. The offer appears in the admin panel with a Pending status.
  3. An admin or coordinator reviews the offer, moving it to Reviewing.
  4. If the offer matches a current or anticipated need, the admin moves it to Matched and connects it with the relevant need and case worker.
  5. The case worker coordinates with the donor to arrange logistics (pickup, delivery, etc.).
  6. Once the item or service has been provided, the offer is marked as Fulfilled.

If the offer is not suitable, the admin moves it to Declined and can optionally notify the donor with a polite explanation.

How Admins Review and Match Offers

Viewing Offers

Offers appear in the admin panel under the Offers (or Donations) section. The list shows:

  • Donor name and contact information
  • Description of the offer
  • Offer type and condition
  • Submission date
  • Current status
  • Any attached images

Reviewing an Offer

When reviewing an offer, consider:

  • Relevance: Does this item or service match any current open needs? Will it likely match a future need?
  • Condition: For physical items, is the condition acceptable? Check photos if provided.
  • Logistics: Can your organization handle receiving, storing, and distributing this item? Do you have the infrastructure for pickup or delivery?
  • Timing: Is the offer time-sensitive? Some donors are available only on specific dates.

Matching an Offer to a Need

If an offer matches an existing open need:

  1. Open the offer in the admin panel.
  2. Change the status to Matched.
  3. Associate it with the relevant need.
  4. The case worker responsible for that need will be notified so they can coordinate with the donor.

If no current need matches but the offer is valuable, you can:

  • Keep it in Reviewing status until a matching need is posted
  • Create a new need based on the available offer and match them together
  • Reach out to the donor to discuss timing and storage options

Declining an Offer

If you need to decline an offer:

  1. Change the status to Declined.
  2. Optionally send a message to the donor explaining why. Common reasons include:
    • The item does not meet condition standards
    • The organization lacks storage or logistics capacity
    • The item type is not something the organization distributes
  3. Thank the donor for their willingness to help and encourage them to consider future offers or volunteer signup.

Auto-Volunteer Creation from Offer Submissions

When someone submits an offer and they are not already in your volunteer database, NeedBridge automatically creates a volunteer record for them using the contact information they provided. This means:

  • The donor's name, email, and phone number are saved as a new volunteer record
  • The donor will appear in your volunteer directory
  • If the donor signed up for notifications during the offer submission, they will begin receiving need notifications

This automatic creation ensures that generous community members are captured in your system and can be engaged for future needs even if they came in through the offer path rather than the volunteer signup page.

Offer Notifications

NeedBridge sends notifications at key points in the offer lifecycle:

  • Submission confirmation -- The donor receives an email confirming that their offer was received and is being reviewed.
  • Status updates -- When an offer moves to Matched or Fulfilled, the donor can be notified so they know their contribution is making an impact.
  • Admin notifications -- Admins and coordinators receive notifications when new offers are submitted so they can review them promptly.

Managing Offers in the Admin Panel

Filtering and Sorting

The offers list in the admin panel supports filtering and sorting:

  • By status -- View only Pending offers to see what needs review, or only Matched offers to track what is in progress
  • By type -- Filter by physical item, service, or financial assistance
  • By date -- Sort by submission date to process offers in order
  • By condition -- Filter by item condition to quickly find high-quality donations

Bulk Actions

For organizations that receive many offers, the admin panel supports bulk actions:

  • Review and approve multiple offers at once
  • Decline offers in bulk if a batch of items does not meet your criteria

Connecting Offers and Needs

The admin panel provides tools to search existing open needs when reviewing an offer. This helps you quickly identify whether a submitted offer can immediately fulfill a current need, reducing the time items sit in review.

Best Practices

  • Review offers promptly. Donors are more likely to follow through if they hear back quickly. Letting offers sit in Pending status for days or weeks may result in donors disposing of items or losing interest.
  • Communicate clearly. Whether you accept or decline an offer, let the donor know. A brief, appreciative message goes a long way.
  • Use photos to assess condition. Encourage donors to include photos on the submission form. This saves time and prevents mismatched expectations.
  • Track matched offers through to fulfillment. Do not lose track of an offer after it is matched to a need. Follow up to make sure the donor and case worker connected and the item was delivered.
  • Encourage repeat donors. When an offer is successfully fulfilled, thank the donor and let them know they can submit future offers anytime. Consider connecting them to the volunteer signup if they are not already subscribed.
  • Coordinate storage and logistics. If your organization accepts physical items, have a plan for where items will be stored and how they will be distributed. This prevents backlogs and ensures items reach families quickly.