How to fill out the opportunity template for other organisations

Use the opportunity template available in your account to prepare roles for the organisations you support.

Step 1: Download your account’s template

Select Charity overview in the dashboard, then Download excel template. The template shown for this type of account includes a Source Organisation column.

Step 2: Add one opportunity per row

Enter the opportunity details and complete the required fields, see below for detailed guidance. Use the template’s dropdown options where provided.

Step 3: Complete Source Organisation

Open Organisation relationships from your dashboard and copy the relevant Organisation ID by clicking on the copy button next to the name. Paste it into Source Organisation for that opportunity. Repeat this for every row you are uploading on behalf of another organisation.

Roles for the same charity use the same Source Organisation value, with a different Charity ID reference for each role.

Leave Source Organisation blank only for opportunities belonging to your own supporting organisation. A blank value means your organisation owns the opportunity. If you enter an invalid Organisation ID, that row will not be uploaded.

Step 4: Check how volunteers will apply

Check the application method and destination with the organisation. Use the agreed application email or webpage so volunteers are directed to the right place.

Step 5: Check your spreadsheet before saving

Check that each Source Organisation value belongs to the right organisation and has been copied exactly. Make sure the role details are current and that all required fields have been completed.

Each row in your spreadsheet is one volunteering opportunity. Please ensure you complete all columns marked as "required" and look out for any greyed out columns that appear as you enter information, if it is greyed out don't enter any information in this column.

We have a short video that explains how to fill out the spreadsheet below, as well as a table with details for what goes in each column.

Key fields explained

Column	Required?	What it means	Tips
Platform ID	Do not edit this field	GoVo will assign an ID when the opportunity is uploaded.	Do not enter or edit this field.
Charity ID	✔️	A unique reference for this opportunity for your use only.	E.g. ''CharityName123"
Title	✔️	An engaging name for your opportunity (100 characters or less)	E.g. “Help support local families at our Food Bank'"
Description	✔️	What volunteers will do and why it matters	Use headings or bullet points to keep it clear following our Markdown guidance. Quick tip: use ALT+ENTER to start a new paragraph
Source Organisation		GoVo will link the opportunity to the correct organisation you are uploading for by matching this unique ID.	Copy this from the organisation relationships by clicking the copy button to ensure you enter this correctly. If blank the opportunity will be associated with your own organisation.
Impact		What difference this volunteering opportunity will make	Use headings or bullet points to keep it clear following our Markdown guidance
Skills Required		Skills needed for this opportunity	E.g. "Ability to use excel" TO insert bulletpoints, use a hyphen before a sentence, for example: - Ability to use Excel.
Public Transport Directions		How to get to the location if applicable by public transport	E.g. bus, train
Driving Directions		How to get to the location if applicable by car	E.g. directions and parking details
Commitment	✔️	How often the role happens.	Must be exactly: One-off, Ongoing, or Self-managed. If one-off must have a start date. If ongoing one shift must be added but start date is optional. If Self-managed no shift or start date is required.
Opportunity Type	✔️	Use "Remote" or "In Person"	Choose "Remote" for virtual opportunities or "In-person" for face to face opportunities
Location Type	✔️	Choose "Full Address", "UK wide", "County" or "Postcode"	Full Address needs first line of the address and the full postcode. UK wide no location fields required County requires a county selection from the county dropdown. Postcode requires only the full postcode. This will be displayed at the centre of the postcode on the map.
First Line of Address	✔️ if location type is "Full Address"	Type in the first line of the address	E.g. "12 High Street" Do not enter this unless using Full Address.
Postcode	✔️ if location type is "Full Address" or "Postcode"	Type in Postcode	E.g "BS1 2PE" Do not enter this for County or UK wide
County	✔️ if location type is "County"	Choose the county for this opportunity	Select from the drop down provided
Minimum Age	Optional	Youngest age eligible to apply	Numbers only — e.g. “18”
Is Driving Required	Optional	Whether driving is needed	Yes or No - if it is not a yes/no answer, give details in description
Is ID required	Optional	Whether this role requires an ID check	Select yes or no from the dropdown
Is Criminal record check required?	Optional	Whether this role requires a criminal record check	Select yes or no from the dropdown
Is part of TBHO? Is part of Year of Reading?	Optional	If you would like this opportunity to be tagged as part of these campaigns.	Select yes or no or alternatively leave blank.
Application Method	✔️	How you’d like volunteers to apply for this opportunity	Email – notification of applications go to the email address you enter. Webpage – volunteers apply via an external page
Application URL	✔️if application method is "Webpage"	Enter the webpage for the opportunity	E.g. https://webpage.com
Application Email	✔️if application method is "Email"	Enter the email address for the opportunity	E.g. name@name.com
Status	✔️	Whether the role is live on the site	Use “Published” or “Unpublished” only
Day of Week	Optional	Choose from Drop Down	E.g. "Monday" (if flexible you can leave blank)
Start Date	✔️ if commitment type is One-off	Enter start date unless Self Managed	Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2025-09-15)
Start Time	Optional	Only if there’s a set shift or session time	Format: 24 hour clock HH:MM (e.g. 09:30)
End Date	Optional	Only for date-specific roles and must be after start date.	Format: 24 hour clock YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2025-09-15)
End Time	Optional	Only if there’s a set shift or session time	Format: 24 hour clock HH:MM (e.g. 13:30)
Hours Required	Optional	Number of hours support is required	E.g. 2 (if hours are varied and/or flexible, please leave blank. You can add more information into the description field).
Created and Updated columns	Do not enter	GoVo will auto-populate once uploaded

We recommend using the spellcheck in excel, this can be found on the 'review' tab and then selecting spelling. You can select the whole sheet to check by clicking in the top left hand corner of your sheet. This will ensure your opportunities look their best!

Special scenarios to be aware of

Covering multiple areas

If your service spans several counties or boroughs (e.g. across London), you’ll need to add a separate row for each location. Each row represents one opportunity, even if the role description is the same and use a different charity ID for each row.
Restricting by distance

Some charities may want to limit how far volunteers travel (e.g. within 5 miles). The platform doesn’t currently allow you to set distance rules. Instead, use Full Address so postcode search can narrow results, and explain any limits in your description.
Charities with custom boundaries

If your organisation uses boundaries that don’t match counties or boroughs (e.g. NHS Trust areas), pick the closest option (usually County), and clarify the specific boundary in your description.

Example 1: One-off event, full address provided

What’s required for a one-off event with a full address

Commitment → must be set to One-off
Location Type → must be Full Address (requires First Line of Address + Postcode)
Start Date & End Date → add the date of the event (YYYY-MM-DD)
Start Time & End Time → add the timings for the event (HH:MM)
Hours Required → optional but recommended, to show volunteers how long they’ll be needed. If unable to specify here, add the information into the description instead.

Charity ID	Title	Description	Commitment	Opportunity Type	Location Type	First Line of Address	Postcode	County	Minimum Age	Status	Day of Week	Start Date	Start Time	End Date	End Time	Hours
EXT123	Event Support Bristol	Support our fundraising 10k run by helping...	One-off	In Person	Full Address	15 High Street	BS1 2BQ	Bristol	18	Published	Sunday	2025-09-15	08:30	2025-09-15	14:00	6

Example 2: Ongoing weekly role, county-based

What’s required for an ongoing opportunity with county location

Commitment → must be set to Ongoing
Location Type → must be County (requires County dropdown selection)
Day of Week → include the regular day (e.g. Wednesday)
Start date → when the opportunity starts
Time Commitment → optional but useful to give a sense of the weekly hours

Charity ID	Title	Description	Commitment	Opportunity Type	Location Type	County	Min Age	Status	Day of Week	Time Commitment
EXT456	Befriender – Kent	Visit older people at home....	Ongoing	In Person	County	Kent	16	Published	Wed	2

Example 3: Flexible remote role, UK-wide

What’s required for a self-managed remote opportunity

Commitment → must be set to Self-managed
Opportunity Type → must be Remote
Location Type → must be UK wide (no address or county needed)
Hours Required → optional but helpful to guide volunteers on expectations

Charity ID	Title	Description	Commitment	Opportunity Type	Location Type	Status	Hours
EXT789	Social Media Volunteer	Help us create and schedule posts....	Self-managed	Remote	UK wide	Published	3

Using basic formatting in your descriptions

You can use simple markdown to make your opportunity descriptions easier to read, we've made a short guide to help you with this How do I use markdown to format my volunteer opportunities?

Read the next article How to update or remove opportunities uploaded for other organisations

Not sure how to upload your opportunities? Read our guide: How do I upload my opportunities?