Project Idea: Waterland Summit (working title)
A volunteer hub for local organizations
Phase 1 — Core Platform
Responsive web app — works on any device, no app install required
Volunteer experience
- Create a profile with skills, location, and weekly availability
- Browse and search upcoming volunteer opportunities
- Filter by date, skill, organization, or virtual/in-person
- Sign up for one-time or recurring events — choose all dates, specific dates, or a date range
- Email confirmation listing every date signed up for
- Event reminders before each shift
- QR code check-in at the venue — no app install required
- Personal dashboard groups recurring events with expand/collapse and cancel controls
- Availability settings filter new-event notifications to shifts that fit your schedule
- Add confirmed events to Google, Apple, Outlook, or any calendar — right from your dashboard or after signing up
- Follow organizations to stay notified of new events
Organization experience
- Organization portal to create and manage events, including recurring series
- Set volunteer slots, required skills, and event details
- Public organization page with a shareable URL
- Import events and volunteers via CSV template
- Volunteer directory — manage platform users and unregistered volunteers in one place
- Add volunteers without requiring a platform login (name + phone)
- One-click manual check-in directly on the roster — no QR code required
- Generate a QR code per event for self-check-in
- Invite unregistered volunteers to create an account — their history migrates automatically
- Track check-in status in real time on the unified roster
- Send email announcements to organization followers
Phase 1 total commitment: 50 – 60 hours to build · 2 – 4 hours/month to maintain · $11 – $22/month hosting
Phase 2 — Native Apps & Expanded Features
Builds on the Phase 1 codebase — no rebuild required
What volunteers gain
- Native iOS and Android apps via Apple App Store and Google Play
- Push notifications for new events and reminders
- Post-event feedback survey (rating + optional comment)
- Public Resource Library for volunteer skill development
- Richer profiles with hours history and skill endorsements
- In-app notification bell with unread count
What organizations gain
- SMS text alerts via Twilio for time-sensitive communications
- In-app QR scanner for staff — no printed code required
- Post-event survey results visible on the event roster
- Resource Library management via built-in admin CMS
- Emergency SMS broadcast to all registered volunteers
- Volunteer groups — create named groups, sign them up for events as a unit, and message them directly
- Filtered volunteer export — filter by skills, availability, or recurring event history
- Birthday field on volunteer profiles — see month and day for recognition
Phase 2 adds ~$15 – $30/month for SMS (Twilio) · all other hosting costs remain the same
Ongoing After Launch
Maintenance time
2 – 4 hrs/month routine — dependency patches, small fixes, content updates
4 – 8 hrs per major framework update (typically 1 – 2 times per year)
Hosting & platform costs
$11 – $22/month — cloud hosting and transactional email (Phase 1)
Adds ~$15 – $30/month for SMS via Twilio (Phase 2 only)