Managing Phone Bank Volunteers

Successful phone banking requires organized volunteer management. Assign lists, track progress, and keep your callers motivated throughout the session.

Schedule phone bank sessions with all the details your volunteers need

What you'll learn

• Scheduling phone bank sessions

• Assigning call lists

• Monitoring volunteer progress

Scheduling Phone Banks

Create a Session

Go to Phone Bank → Sessions and click Schedule Session.

Set Details

• Date and Time - When callers should start

• Duration - Expected length (usually 2-3 hours)

• Location - In-person or virtual

• Target - How many calls you want completed

Select Script

Choose which call script volunteers will use.

Set Call Pool

Define which voters volunteers will call (existing list or new targeting).

Assigning Volunteers

Add Volunteers to Session

Invite volunteers by email or share a signup link.

Automatic List Distribution

Pulsar can automatically distribute calls evenly among volunteers, or you can manually assign specific contacts.

Set Call Limits

Optionally limit how many calls each volunteer can make (prevents burnout, ensures fair distribution).

New Volunteer Limits

Start new volunteers with smaller lists (20-30 calls). Increase as they gain experience.

Assign call lists and track each volunteer's progress

During the Session

Real-Time Dashboard

Monitor progress as calls happen:

• Calls completed by each volunteer

• Contact rate and ID rate

• Overall session progress vs. goal

Support Volunteers

• Answer questions via chat or in person

• Help with difficult calls

• Provide encouragement

Reassign Lists

If a volunteer leaves early, reassign their remaining calls to others.

After the Session

Review Results

Check overall performance:

• Total calls made

• Contact and ID rates

• Support breakdown

Recognize Top Callers

Acknowledge volunteers who made the most calls or had the best contact rates.

Schedule Follow-Up

Plan the next session to maintain momentum.

Volunteer Burnout

Phone banking can be draining. Keep sessions to 2-3 hours max and provide breaks.

Review session results and recognize your top volunteers

Next Steps

• How to Create Call Scripts

• Viewing Phone Bank Analytics

• How to Invite Team Members