Every year, Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) welcomes hundreds of volunteers who help bring the New York Film Festival—one of the world’s most celebrated cinematic events—to life. With nearly 250 volunteers supporting teams across programming, theaters, special events, patron services, and more, managing such a large and diverse group is a massive undertaking. This year, FLC made a pivotal shift that transformed the volunteer experience for both staff and the volunteers themselves: they switched to Helper Helper for centralized scheduling, communication, and tracking.
The result? A smoother, more intuitive volunteer season with positive feedback across the board.
Courtesy of Film at Lincoln Center / Photo by Arin Sang-urai
A Volunteer Program Built on Scale, Passion & Complexity
While FLC has a dedicated volunteer services team, the reality of managing hundreds of volunteers who support different departments—and only use the CRM once a year—has always created challenges. Last year, friction emerged between volunteers, shift managers, and the staff team as a result of scheduling tool performance issues. FLC needed a system that would reduce confusion, automate more tasks, and deliver a better experience for everyone involved.
“With a large group of people engaging with a CRM they only touch once each year, we needed a tool that would mitigate issues rather than create them.”
Why Film at Lincoln Center Chose Helper Helper
When evaluating new volunteer management tools, FLC centered their decision on one goal: improving the volunteer user experience. Helper Helper delivered on that promise immediately.
“We decided to switch to Helper Helper because we felt it would provide a smoother user experience than our previous CRM. From a volunteer’s POV, the Helper Helper app is incredibly intuitive.”
The platform’s simplicity and mobile-first design made it easy for volunteers to sign up for shifts, understand their commitments, and stay connected throughout the festival.
Automation & Customization that Saved Hours of Staff Time
Beyond ease of use, several key features made a meaningful impact on festival logistics—especially during a busy 18-day event.
Waitlist automation
One of the standout features for the FLC team was the automated waitlist. With hundreds of shifts to manage, last-minute cancellations were inevitable. Instead of manually scrambling to fill spots, the platform handled it for them.
“The waitlist function saved us a lot of time coordinating replacements when there were shift cancellations.”
In-app surveys for real-time insight
FLC also used Helper Helper’s survey function to gather live feedback from volunteers, helping the team address issues as soon as they surfaced.
“The survey function was super helpful for collecting feedback throughout the festival and identifying snags as soon as they happened.”
This immediate visibility made operations more responsive, flexible, and volunteer-centered.
How Goals Made Membership Tracking Effortless
FLC’s volunteer rewards program is a perennial favorite. Volunteers work toward three membership tiers—Innovator, Contributor, and Friend—with perks tied to their hours of service.
But in previous years, tracking hours and answering questions about membership status consumed staff time and created uncertainty for volunteers.
Helper Helper’s Goals feature changed that overnight.
“Since we set up the app to show real-time progress toward membership, volunteers can now track their own hours simply and effectively. They can make plans to reach their goals without any surprises,” the team explained. “This function has been incredibly helpful in reducing the influx of questions related to hour tracking and membership status.”
The result: empowered volunteers and a more streamlined operations team.
What Volunteers Loved Most
The volunteer response was overwhelmingly positive. Teams reported that the app made managing shifts and staying connected easier than ever.
“We received a lot of positive feedback. Volunteers appreciated how easily they could sign up for and manage opportunities, share photos via the survey, and contact their managers.”
For a program this large, intuitive tech isn’t just a convenience—it’s essential.
Setting a New Standard for Festival Volunteer Coordination
Film at Lincoln Center’s experience illustrates how the right tools can elevate a volunteer program—especially one that scales across teams and supports hundreds of passionate people in a concentrated window of time.
By embracing automation, simplifying communication, and giving volunteers more control, Helper Helper helped FLC deliver a festival experience that was efficient, organized, and enjoyable for everyone.
For festivals, large events, and arts organizations looking to streamline their volunteer operations, Film at Lincoln Center’s success is a powerful example of what’s possible with Helper Helper.