A collection drive fails in two directions at once: some flats get asked three times by three volunteers, and some never get asked at all. Both come from the same cause — no one owns a territory, and nobody can see what has already been done.
Assign territory, not tasks
One volunteer, one wing, from start to close. Territory creates accountability in a way that a shared to-do list never does: when B-wing is at 60% and everyone knows whose wing B is, the problem solves itself without anyone being managed.
Everyone needs to see the same pending list
This is the part a paper register physically cannot do. If the record only exists in the treasurer’s book, then a volunteer at a door has no way of knowing that flat paid an hour ago to somebody else. A shared, live pending list is what eliminates duplicate asks — every volunteer sees the same state of the world.
Separate collecting from correcting
Volunteers should be able to add a collection and nothing more. Not because you distrust them — because an audit trail where ten people can edit history is not an audit trail. In Kosh the Collector role does exactly this: record collections, no access to expenses, settings or anyone else’s entries.
Cash comes back the same night
The rule that prevents the most awkward conversations of the year: no volunteer carries collection cash overnight. Hand it to the treasurer, count it against what was recorded, and both people walk away with the number agreed. It protects the volunteer far more than it protects the money.
Brief them for five minutes
Most volunteers have never done this and are quietly nervous about asking neighbours for money. Tell them the amount, what it funds, what to do about a flat that says “next week”, and who to call. Five minutes of briefing is worth two weeks of chasing.