How to Choose Volunteer Management Software: Buyer’s Guide

Effective management is essential to a successful volunteer program, which is why volunteer coordinators need access to the best tools to streamline administrative tasks and boost engagement. But with so many available options on the market today, how do you find the right volunteer management software for your organization?

If navigating the world of volunteer technology feels daunting to you, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, you’ll learn how to choose the volunteer management solution that works best for your organization’s needs and goals. We’ll cover:

• Volunteer Management Software FAQ
• How to Choose a Volunteer Management Platform in 7 Easy Steps
• The Best Volunteer Management Software: Better Impact

Backed by the foundational elements and actionable strategies covered in this article, your volunteer program will be well positioned to find the right management platform and leverage it effectively to achieve your goals. Let’s get started!

Volunteer Management Software: Frequently Asked Questions

What is volunteer management software?

Volunteer management software is specialized technology that’s designed to help volunteer-reliant organizations allocate time, effort, and resources within their programs more effectively. These solutions are typically web-based and include features that cover every step of the volunteer lifecycle, from recruitment to retention.

The core purpose of volunteer management software is to simplify day-to-day administrative tasks so volunteer coordinators have more bandwidth to interact with volunteers and impact their communities.

What benefits do volunteer management platforms provide?

In addition to increasing efficiency, volunteer management software can benefit your program in various ways, including:

• Centralizing multiple volunteer management tools in one easy-to-use platform
• Enhancing the volunteer experience with professional-looking forms, centralized training resources, communication hubs, and increased personalization
• Providing opportunities to build community and grow your program’s network
• Collecting, analyzing, and reporting information accurately so you can demonstrate your program’s effectiveness to organizational leaders and stakeholders
• Improving data protection by consolidating information in a secure system
• Expanding organizational capacity and improving your return on investment (ROI) in volunteering

Naturally, your organization will realize more of these benefits if you choose a solution that meets your specific needs. But in general, leveraging dedicated, unified software will set your program up for success more effectively than disparate tools and spreadsheets would.

How much does volunteer management software cost?

In your search for volunteer management software, you’ll likely encounter a range of pricing options, including both free and paid tools. Free volunteer software typically provides basic functionality, making it a good starting point for smaller volunteer programs with limited resources. However, these tools are often disparate (e.g., one solution might only have scheduling functionality, while another just builds forms), and free options usually cap the number of volunteers and administrators who can access an account without ads.

Even though there is an upfront cost that varies from platform to platform, paid volunteer solutions are typically worth it in the long run. More comprehensive systems are better for program ROI since they consolidate many functionalities into one platform (eliminating the need for multiple tools), thereby boosting efficiency and effectiveness. Plus, many solutions offer tiered pricing based on the number of users, features, and/or active volunteer spots you need, so you can save up front and scale as your program grows.

How do I choose the right volunteer management solution for my organization?

There is a lot to consider when investing in a new system. Here are a few guiding questions you can ask throughout the selection process:

• Is this software scalable—i.e., will its functionalities grow with my program?
• Is customer service included, and if so, what kind (phone, email, independent resources, etc.)?
• How will my program’s existing data be moved to the new system?
• Does this software integrate with other solutions my organization uses, like our CRM or website builder?
• What security measures can I enable to protect volunteer and organizational data (e.g., database encryption, two-factor authentication, or varied user permissions)?
• How customizable is this solution, and how easy is it to modify the interface?
• Does this software comply with the relevant laws and regulations my program follows, such as HIPAA if we’re part of a healthcare organization or ADA for accessibility?

In addition to using these questions to guide your team, revisit them during the demo stage of your selection process so you can ask any that aren’t answered in each vendor’s initial presentation.

How to Choose Volunteer Management Software in 7 Easy Steps

Each organization has its own volunteer management needs and pain points. So, your solution needs to solve for the issues that are specific to your program while opening up future opportunities and saving time and resources in the long run. Let’s walk through the basic steps of choosing a volunteer management solution to help you get started.

1. Define Your Goals for Your Platform

Like any other project your team might take on, a successful volunteer software buying process begins with clear objectives. To set goals regarding what you want your new solution to accomplish, make sure to:

• Review the mission and vision of your volunteer program and organization as a whole so you can choose a solution that supports those overarching statements.
• Consider the main issues impacting your program, along with their consequences, and prioritize them (e.g., fixing data vulnerabilities is likely a higher priority than improving your email cadence since the former impacts safety, not just engagement).
• Survey staff and volunteers to determine what improvements or new functionalities they’d like to see on both the front and back end of your technology.
• Assess program metrics for a deeper understanding of what strengths you can capitalize on and what benchmarks you’d like your software to help you reach.

From there, formulate a few SMART goals (i.e., goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) for your software. This type of objective provides more guidance for your team than a generic goal would. If, instead of saying you want to “increase volunteer retention,” you say you want to “leverage our new software to re-engage 30 lapsed or at-risk volunteers using data-driven strategies by December 31 of next year,” you’ll have a better direction for what you want your new solution to be able to do for your organization.

2. Set a Volunteer Software Budget

Since paid software tends to be more effective than free solutions, you’ll likely need to outline a budget for your new solution and get it approved by your organization’s leadership. When you present your plan for implementation and ongoing subscription costs, you should address:

• Budget cycles, since you might need to wait until the beginning of a new quarter or year to make a large purchase.
• Funding options to avoid dipping into revenue that’s designated for other initiatives while being aware of any technology grants and discounts you can take advantage of.
• Personnel requirements for implementation, ongoing updates and training, and software users, which all affect the cost in different ways.

Remember that your budget for the solution itself should account for any hidden fees or optional add-ons that you may need to pay on top of your subscription cost. Also, ensure your team understands that your budget may change as you upgrade your tools over time.

3. Create a Project Timeline

Along with your budget, you should also estimate how long it will take to get your solution up and running. Your timeline should include blocks for:

• Feature assessments and research
• Vendor review and shortlisting
• Demos, free trials, and decision-making
• Onboarding and team training

Each of these stages will likely take at least a few weeks to complete. Make sure to also consider other events or deadlines that might overlap with your timeline and the aforementioned budget cycles when you present your proposal.

4. Brainstorm Must-Have Software Features

Once leadership approves your plan, it’s time to get specific about the types of features and functionality you’re looking for. Compile a list of features that are most important to your organization: your must-haves. Then determine the capabilities that you’d like to have but may not be a deal-breaker if they aren’t included in your chosen platform or subscription tier.

To help you start your list of priority features, you can use our interactive checklist below, which will also be helpful when you get to the vendor evaluation phase!

Don’t forget to confer with team members, community partners, and volunteers on the features they’d like to see, and refer back to your SMART goals to help you choose the software that best matches your organization’s needs.

5. Research Potential Volunteer Platform Providers

With the wide variety of volunteer management systems on the market, how do you find the best fit for your organization? A simple internet search is a good place to start! Browse the websites of various volunteer software providers, and organize your findings based on each solution’s:

• Overall vendor profile
• Technological requirements
• Customer support
• Pricing structure
• Functionalities
• Usability
• Scalability

Additionally, read online reviews of each solution (both on the provider’s website and on third-party sites like G2 and Capterra) and ask peer organizations about their experiences with any volunteer management systems they’ve used to gauge how they truly perform. All of these factors should help you start narrowing down the list of possible solutions.

6. Demo Your Top Software Picks

After you’ve narrowed your list down to your top three to five solutions, dig deeper into how those platforms actually work and compare their granularities. There are a few options for doing this:

• Pre-recorded demos. These videos are the least time-consuming and are usually pretty thorough, but if you have questions about them, you’ll have to reach out to the vendor separately.
• Live demos. This kind of experience allows you to discuss your questions and concerns one-on-one with a platform expert, although it typically takes longer than a recording and may be tricky to schedule depending on how in-demand a tool is.
• Sandbox environments. While this demo type isn’t very common, it lets you get hands-on experience with a platform to assess its user-friendliness and functionality directly.

These demonstrations are an invaluable component of your research and will help you narrow down your choices to the absolute best option.

7. Make Your Final Decision

By the end of this project, you’ll have found the best volunteer management solution for your organization that will elevate your operations and engagement to a new level. Now, it’s time to:

• Confirm your final decision with your organization’s leadership
• Finalize your contract or agreement with the vendor
• Complete the initial setup and onboarding process for the tool
• Train your team and volunteers to use the features they need to understand in their roles

Some solutions offer a free trial or probationary period during which you can get out of your agreement without consequences, and it’s best to take advantage of these options if you have them. On the off chance that you’ve picked the wrong platform (it still happens occasionally, even if you’ve put in the work), you’ll be grateful if you aren’t locked into using that tool when you realize you should’ve chosen differently.

The Best Volunteer Management Software: Better Impact

If you’re starting the process of purchasing a highly-rated, powerful end-to-end volunteer management solution, Better Impact should be at the top of your list! Volunteer-reliant organizations worldwide and across every vertical—from traditional nonprofits and faith-based organizations to healthcare systems and community parks—trust Better Impact to strengthen volunteer connections while relieving administrative stress in their programs.

Better Impact’s suite of solutions includes:

• Volunteer Impact: Our flagship volunteer management solution that includes robust features for volunteer recruitment, training, tracking, communication, digital engagement, and data management.
• Client Impact: An integrated module of the Volunteer Impact system that helps service-based nonprofits and healthcare organizations track client interactions and data in a way that both staff and volunteers can utilize.
• Member Impact: Another integrated module of the Volunteer Impact system designed for membership organizations (associations, museums, etc.) to engage, recruit, and store member data.

Better Impact has everything your organization needs to succeed with volunteer management. But don’t just take our word for it—see what real clients have had to say about working with our tools!

Wrapping Up: Additional Resources on Volunteer Management Software

By following the steps above and taking time to choose the best volunteer management software for your organization, you’ll set your program up for success for many years to come. Keep in mind that you’ll need to adapt the process to your organization’s needs and goals, and that if you aren’t sure where to start your search for a platform, Better Impact is a great jumping-off point!

For more information on volunteer management tools, check out these resources:

• 19 Best Volunteer Management Software Tools for Your Program. Explore all of our top picks for volunteer management solutions that your organization could consider.
• Church Volunteer Management Strategies to Fuel Your Ministry. Discover the unique considerations of managing volunteers at churches, along with how those factors impact volunteer software needs.
• 12+ Best Volunteer Appreciation Ideas to Empower Your Team. Dive deeper into the best ways to recognize your organization’s volunteers and the ways software can help.