If you are running a volunteer program for your nonprofit organization, you will find the best volunteer management software indispensable. These are programs designed to help organizations efficiently keep track of their volunteers while providing them with information about where to go and what they can expect.
Volunteer management software is especially helpful if your organization has large numbers of volunteers who need constant direction. This software makes it easy to communicate with many people at once yet still be able to provide personalized attention when needed.
Additionally, these programs often come equipped with scheduling tools so that it’s not necessary to play phone or email tag when trying to coordinate schedules. There are several criteria involved in evaluating volunteer management software applications, including cost-effectiveness, range of features included, customizability, and amount of customer support.
What Is Volunteer Management?
Volunteer management comprises all aspects of coordinating volunteers for a non-profit organization. It is the process that ensures that volunteers are working on projects they want to work on and that they are adequately trained to complete those tasks. Volunteer managers answer questions from both prospective volunteers and existing ones regarding available opportunities as well as what kind of training is required. They also help organize new volunteer orientations, teaching people how to use a nonprofit’s equipment, its websites, and other resources.
When choosing a software product, think about how many volunteers your organization has at any given time. Does it have more than ten regular volunteers with whom you need to communicate regularly? Does your group have hundreds or even thousands of volunteers on its mailing lists? If you are needing to keep track of hundreds or thousands, you will need a database with lots of room to store information.
Management and Recruitment of Volunteers
Here is a list of software you can use to make your volunteer management work even easier and more efficient.
Bloomerang Overview
Bloomerang is a customer support program that allows businesses to send out automated welcome emails to customers who sign up for their newsletter. It also sends out post-purchase follow-up emails, notes when people unsubscribe from the mailing list, and manages other tasks related to email marketing.
While Bloomerang can be used as an independent platform for various purposes, it’s primary strength is in its ability to help with volunteer management. The program notifies managers every time someone signs up or leaves the organization so that they are always aware of what’s going on. There are also reminder features designed to keep volunteers engaged with your nonprofit by sending them relevant content around the times of year when they’ve volunteered in the past.
SignUpGenius Overview
Although SignUpGenius is not as comprehensive as Bloomerang, it does have a lot of useful features. The platform allows you to track your volunteers’ time and expenses, create custom signup forms for different projects or events, take attendance at meetings and training sessions automatically by using a signature pad or QR scanner, schedule people into shifts automatically based on email replies, etc.
SignUpGenius can be used for various purposes other than managing volunteers including collecting RSVPs for birthday parties, weddings, barbecues, etc., event planning tasks such as reserving space and purchasing tickets to an event, business tasks such as organizing groups of coworkers toward specific goals like fundraising drives or volunteer projects.
EveryAction Overview
EveryAction is an online platform that allows nonprofits to gain more support for their causes by building email lists, crowdsourcing donations, promoting events through social media, and measuring the impact of outreach efforts.
It comes with a database of customizable campaign templates that can be used to send out mass emails or text messages. It also makes it easy for users to see where traffic to the site is coming from so that they know what channels are most effective when reaching new audiences. Nonprofits who use EveryAction can track how people are engaging with specific content on their website so that they always know what topics interest visitors the most.
Breeze Overview
Breeze is a software platform for nonprofits that’s meant to help you manage your donor database, organize volunteers, and keep track of inventory. It offers features such as email marketing through which you can send out personalized messages to everyone on your list while keeping an eye on who opens, clicks, or bounces from the message so that you know what kind of content resonates the most with different groups.
Managers using this program will be able to create custom workflows so that tasks are divided up between teams efficiently. They’ll also have automated weekly reports about their activities ready for them in the dashboard. Breeze also integrates with other apps including PayPal, Salesforce CRM, Eventbrite ticketing service, Google Drive storage system , WordPress, Mail Chimp, Survey Monkey, etc.
Galaxy Digital Overview
Galaxy Digital is a suite of web apps that comes with source code that can be used to build custom websites or webpages. It’s built by the same people who created CustomInk, The National Museum for Women in the Arts, and Kiva.
This software was originally developed as a fundraising platform for nonprofits but now it’s being offered as a service to any business owner looking for an easy way to collect payment from clients online. Galaxy Digital also offers tools for creating online platforms where customers can interact with each other through reviews and social sharing buttons. This program allows you to track how much money different referrals have brought into your business, see which key accounts are spending the most on your services, and keep a list of important contacts sorted by the frequency and type of communication you’ve had with them.
Volunteer Management Software FAQs
How do nonprofits manage volunteers?
Nonprofit organizations work with volunteers in different ways. Some rely on them to support the team by managing databases, traveling long distances to remote locations where people need help, and distributing promotional materials among donors. Other non-profits may choose to organize events involving hundreds of volunteers who help out at set times when they’re needed most, such as during fundraisers or community service days.
How do I choose a volunteer management system?
Different volunteer management programs offer different features. It’s good to take a look at the free versions of the software to see what they have to offer before you sign up for a paid account. If you’ve been using an Excel spreadsheet or Google Docs, now is also a good time to migrate over and start taking advantage of all the new capabilities that come with using more advanced software.
What is a volunteer management strategy?
A volunteer management strategy is a plan that outlines the goals you’re hoping to accomplish through your volunteers, where they’re expected to be at different times during an event or campaign, and what kinds of skills will be most useful. The goal is for all parties involved with the project to get on the same page about how people can help out in the most efficient manner.
Some volunteer management programs allow you to set up events that specify how many people are needed, the specific dates and times when they’re required, what tasks need to be accomplished at each event, and if there’s anything special about the project requiring them to show up in person or complete certain actions. There are also programs that can help you keep track of this data over time to see how it changes based on external factors like where the event takes place, the season, or what kind of mood people are in.
How do I create a volunteer management plan?
You can create a volunteer management plan by specifying the number of volunteers you need, what tasks they’ll be responsible for, and how long it will take them to complete each task. Create as many schedules as you need based on the person’s official role within your organization such as “volunteer coordinator” or “logistics manager.”
Next, you’ll want to think about if the person is new to your organization. If this is their first event or they’ve never worked with your team before, you may want to provide them with training ahead of time so that everyone feels comfortable working together at the event itself.
How do nonprofit organizations organize their volunteers?
Depending on how busy you are and what kind of volunteers you need, there are many ways to organize them so that they can perform their respective tasks. You may want to break them into smaller groups for easier management or organize everyone at the same time in one location depending on your preferences and available resources.
