Mobilise disaster response volunteers in hours, not weeks
Zelos is a self-signup app that that instantly scales from zero to thousands and lets volunteers claim tasks instead of being manually assigned.
No credit card · No setup time · Launch during the emergency
- Instant onboarding
- Skill, certification & equipment matching
- Live messaging
- Scales to thousands
- Completion tracking
- Free with unlimited volunteers
Emergency breaks. You share a link. Volunteers engage.
Share your invite link
Post your link on social media, local news, community boards, or messaging groups. Volunteers join in minutes: no app download required, no training needed.
Dispatch tasks by skill
Tag volunteers with custom fields as they join — certification, language, vehicle access, equipment, first-aid training. Post a task and only volunteers who match those fields can see and claim it.
Coordinate in real time
Every task has its own chat channel. Push urgent updates, share locations, and coordinate logistics. Volunteers respond from the field instantly.
Document everything
Track who did what, when, and how long. Timestamped completion records help professional emergency services see what's being handled by community response.
What disaster response teams replace with Zelos
Built for emergencies — not adapted from business tools
Speed saves lives
Launch volunteer coordination while the emergency is still developing. Most teams are dispatching tasks within an hour of creating an account.
Scales without breaking
Handle 50 volunteers or 5,000 with the same simple system. No infrastructure concerns, no performance limits, no setup consultants.
No training barrier
Volunteers focus on helping, not learning software. The interface works for all ages and stress levels. Join through a link, claim a task, start helping.
Professional documentation
Timestamped records of volunteer activities help professional emergency services coordinate with community responders and satisfy reporting requirements.
Who uses Zelos for disaster response
Community emergency response teams
Activate trained CERT members for local emergencies. Dispatch assessment, first aid, and logistics tasks by skill and certification. Document volunteer hours and activities for FEMA reporting and municipal coordination.
Refugee and displaced persons support
Coordinate reception centre staffing, translation support, supply distribution, and housing assistance. Onboard hundreds of community volunteers through a single link. Tag volunteers by language and capability for targeted dispatch.
See how Tallinn's refugee centre onboarded volunteers in days
Read our guide to choosing a volunteer platform for humanitarian aid
Natural disaster relief coordination
Dispatch sandbagging crews for floods, evacuation and shelter support for wildfires and hurricanes, and debris clearance after tornadoes or earthquakes. Scale from a neighbourhood response to a regional effort without changing your process. Export activity logs for emergency management coordination.
See how other teams choose a volunteer platform for disaster relief
Search and rescue volunteer groups
Organise search sectors, transport coordination, and base camp logistics. Target tasks to volunteers by fitness level, training, and equipment ("has 4WD," "swift water certified"). Real-time chat keeps field teams connected to coordinators.
Emergency shelter and supply distribution
Post shifts for intake, sorting, cooking, childcare, and distribution. Volunteers claim what they can do and when. Track participation to ensure shelters remain staffed across all shifts, including overnight.
Post-disaster rebuilding programmes
Transition from emergency response to long-term recovery using the same platform and volunteer base. Post rebuilding tasks — muck-outs, repair work, supply delivery — over weeks and months. Maintain volunteer engagement as urgency fades.
What ad-hoc coordinators say about Zelos
"The platform allows us to build logistics for hundreds of partners in the shortest possible time, thanks to the tools provided by Zelos."
Pavel F.
Volunteer
Social welfare
"I am very pleased with Zelos. It has helped to manage hundreds of volunteers in times of urgent need."
Hannele K.
Manager
Arts and Crafts
Free when you need it most
No credit card, no trial expiration, no setup time. Pro starts at $99/month — never per volunteer. Don't let software costs slow down your emergency response.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can I set up Zelos during an emergency?
Most teams are dispatching tasks within an hour. Create an account, share your invite link, and volunteers start joining immediately. No onboarding call, no configuration.
Can I onboard thousands of volunteers at once?
Yes. Share your invite link publicly. There is no limit to how many volunteers can join, and the system scales automatically.
How does Zelos match volunteers to disaster response tasks?
Zelos matches volunteers to tasks using custom profile fields you define — certification, language, vehicle type, equipment, and first-aid training — combined with location and skill-group targeting. Admins post a task tagged with the required attributes, and only matching volunteers see it. Volunteers self-claim from the app; nobody is auto-assigned. Every claim and completion is timestamped and exportable as CSV, giving you a deployment record for FEMA reporting or emergency management coordination without extra paperwork.
Is volunteer data secure?
Yes. Zelos is GDPR-compliant. Volunteers cannot see each other's contact information. Workspaces are invite-only. All messaging includes admin oversight.
Can professional emergency services see what volunteers are doing?
Yes. Export timestamped completion data as CSV to share with emergency coordination centres. This helps professional responders see what's being handled by community efforts.
Is Zelos free for disaster response?
Yes. Unlimited volunteers, task dispatch, messaging, and data exports on the free plan. No credit card required.
Do volunteers need to download an app?
No. Zelos works in any browser — critical when volunteers are joining from varied devices during an emergency. Native iOS and Android apps are also available.
Can I use Zelos for long-term recovery, not just immediate response?
Yes. Transition seamlessly from emergency dispatch to ongoing rebuilding coordination. The same platform, same volunteer base, same communication channels.
Be ready before the next emergency
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Used in real disaster response operations since 2018.