Congratulations on being selected for a 1-hour call! Read below to learn how to schedule a time and get started.

Catchafire's scheduling system makes it easy to coordinate a time to speak with a nonprofit organization. Once you've matched on a call, the Organization will propose at least 5 different dates and times to speak, so all you need to do is check your calendar and see if any of them work for you! If so, feel free to select your choice on your Catchafire dashboard.

💡Tip: 1-Hour phone calls can be scheduled over the next 14 days. If you are not available until after this timeframe, return to the scheduling page when you're ready to select times.

In the event that an Organization's proposed dates and times don't work for you, no worries! Just select "Send Alternatives" on your dashboard. You'll then be prompted to choose a handful of times to speak. If you need to edit your time zone, you can do so at the top of the page!

After selecting Submit or Send Availability, your selected time slots will be sent to the Organization, and you'll receive a confirmation with the call information via email, as well as a message pop up on your dashboard.

On the day of the call, you'll join the video call via the meeting link, which can be found in your confirmation email or on your dashboard under Join the meeting.

We understand things happen! This is why you can easily reschedule or cancel a call directly from your dashboard by selecting "Reschedule" or "Cancel" from the "Call Actions" dropdown menu as illustrated below.

If you need to do so, it's always best to also update the Organization by sending them a message through your Message portal.

The most successful calls happen when Volunteers (and Organizations!) are prepared with discussion topics and specific questions. Read below for tips and tricks on how to best prepare for your 1-hour call.

Prior to your call, you can reach out to the organization via the messaging portal to suggest or ask for an agenda.

Be sure to look at the Organization’s website and review any questions they'd like to cover before your conversation. If you have any resources you’d like to send ahead of the call, or want to make sure you're accurately prepped, reach out to them via your Message portal!

Think of yourself as a consultant. Our Organizations see you as the expert and will likely ask for your opinion on what next steps to take after the call.

Some Organizations may need project help as a next step. Use the Catchafire Project Menu as a resource while advising on next steps. You can help the Organization pick their next great project!

If the Organization doesn’t need a full project, but you’d like to hold a follow up call or do some additional advising, you’re welcome to do so! If you two hit it off, we’d love to see you continue the relationship. However, our Organizations understand that you’ve volunteered for a one hour call. Taking on any additional work is entirely up to you.

Questions? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected], or via the blue chat bubble at the bottom of your screen.