I am hoping someone would be willing to share how to create a cross object workflow formula for a volunteer event and contact so I can send out mass emails for the volunteer events.

Just in case someone has any brilliant ideas... I am hoping to: I have set up the volunteer event (object) with a field that will allow you to select the type of volunteer needed (administration, marketing, accounting, etc). Once a new volunteer event has been created, I would love to be able to set it upso that an email will go out to the volunteers who have been labeled as that type. In that email, I would love to be able to have the volunteers sign up for the event.In the volunteer event object has a field that you input the number of volunteers needed. I would love to be able to have volunteers be able to sign up and receive a conformation email. Once the number of volunteers have been reached, it would be lovely if we could send an email to the interested volunteers that we appreciate their interest, but we currently have enough people sign up. It would be great to keep track of these volunteers just in case another voluneer cancels. 

After the volunteer event, and we update the volunteer event object, it would be awesome if we can automatically sending out an email thanking the volunteer and acknowledging their hours (important for students, etc). 

And it would be brilliant if a dashboard could be created to see the status... 

It should be doable.... 

Any suggestions, ideas, guidance, appreciated...