Learn how to plan, organise and carry out volunteer work (dugnad) in your sports club. A practical guide with tips and tools.
Volunteer work (dugnad) is the backbone of Norwegian sport. Without volunteers who turn up for kiosk shifts, parking duty and pitch set-up, activities grind to a halt. Yet many clubs find that it's the same five people who always show up — and that the rest of the parent group quietly disappears.
The problem is rarely that people don't want to help. The problem is that volunteer work is often organised with text messages, spreadsheets and notes on the changing room wall. The result? Chaos, gaps in the shift schedules and frustrated parents.
In this guide, we show you how to organise volunteer work in your sports club — from planning to execution — so that more people turn up and the work actually gets done. More than 500 clubs, associations and event organisers already use Rubic to make everyday work easier.
Why is volunteer work so important for the sports club?
Volunteer work isn't just about making money selling waffles. For most sports clubs, volunteer work is a prerequisite for running the club. Income from cups, tournaments and events often makes up a significant part of the budget — and it is volunteer work that makes these events possible.
Norway Cup, one of the world's largest football tournaments for children and young people, organised more than 1,700 volunteers across more than 4,000 shifts in 2024. It's a good example of what's possible with the right system and structure. But the principles apply just as well to a local football cup with 50 volunteers.
How to plan volunteer work step by step
1. Map out the need
Start by answering these questions:
- Which events and tasks require volunteer work this half-year?
- How many volunteers do you need for each event?
- Which roles and shifts need to be covered (kiosk, parking, referee, set-up)?
- When in the year is the need greatest?
Make a simple overview — an annual volunteer work calendar — so that parents and guardians can plan early.
2. Assign responsibility clearly
One of the most common problems with volunteer work is that “everyone” is responsible, which means no one takes responsibility. Make sure there is one clear volunteer lead per team or age group. This person is responsible for recruiting, following up and reporting.
If the club has many teams, it can pay to have an overall volunteer coordinator on the board who sees the bigger picture — who has contributed and who hasn't.
3. Create a fair shift allocation
Fairness is the key to volunteer work succeeding over time. When some families always get out of it, those who do turn up lose their motivation.
How to create a fair system:
- Set a minimum requirement per family per season (e.g. 3 shifts)
- Keep track of who has taken shifts — and who hasn't
- Offer different types of shifts (evenings, weekends, set-up) so that more people can fit them in
- Consider the option of “buying out” with a fixed amount paid into the team fund
4. Communicate early and clearly
Good communication is half the job. Send out information about volunteer work in good time — at least 3–4 weeks in advance. Use one channel; don't spread the information across text messages, email, Facebook and notes in the changing room.
Tips for effective communication:
- Use the app the club already uses for activity responses
- Include practical information: time, place, what to wear, what the task involves
- Send a reminder 3 days before and 1 day before
- Remember to say thank you afterwards — recognition is free, but worth a lot
5. Make it easy to sign up
The easier it is to say yes, the more people do. No one wants to fill in a Google form and wait two weeks for a confirmation email. The volunteer work tool should be as simple as answering “yes” to an invitation.
With a digital volunteer tool, participants can:
- See which shifts are available
- Sign up directly from their phone
- Get an automatic reminder before the shift
- Swap shifts with someone else without causing chaos for the organiser
Common mistakes that kill people's appetite for volunteer work
1. Information goes out too late. If parents are told on Monday that there is volunteer work on Saturday, they have already planned their weekend. Start early.
2. No overview of who has contributed. Without a clear system, no one knows who has done their share. That makes it impossible to follow up — and easy to “hide”.
3. Unclear roles. “Just turn up and we'll find something for you to do” is a recipe for frustration. Define roles and shifts in advance.
4. No recognition. People who turn up time after time without being noticed stop coming. A simple thank you — via the app, email or from the stage — makes a big difference.
5. Everything is done manually. Spreadsheets, paper lists and text message threads don't scale. As the club grows, you need a system that keeps track for you.
Digital tools for volunteer work — what should you look for?
When assessing a tool for volunteer work and volunteer management, look for these features:
- Shift allocation with a real-time overview of who has signed up
- The option for volunteers to sign up and cancel via mobile
- Automatic reminders
- Reporting — who has contributed and how much
- Integrated with the club's other systems (member register, communication, accounting)
Rubic Organizer can be added as an add-on module for clubs that use Rubic Sport. See how Norway Cup uses Rubic Organizer to coordinate its volunteers.
Example: Volunteer work for a local football cup
Let's say your club is hosting a local football cup with 40 teams. You need volunteers for:
- Kiosk (6 shifts of 4 hours)
- Parking (4 shifts of 3 hours)
- Refereeing (coordination)
- Set-up and take-down (2 sessions)
- Secretariat (ongoing)
In total, we're probably talking about 30–40 volunteers. Without a system, that means 30–40 individual messages, manual reminders and a volunteer lead who spends the evening phoning around.
With a digital tool, you publish the shifts, parents sign up themselves, and the system sends automatic reminders. You spend your time on the event — not on admin.
How to get started with better organisation of volunteer work
You don't have to change everything at once. Start with this:
- Make an overview of this year's volunteer work needs
- Appoint a volunteer lead for each team
- Choose one system for communication and registration — and stick to it
- Set expectations for contributions early in the season
- Evaluate after each season: what worked, and what needs adjusting?
Want to see how Rubic can simplify volunteer work in your club? Book a free demo → rubic.no/demo