Hello everyone,

Earlier in the summer, I inquired in this list about volunteer management systems.  Since then, I researched your suggestions, as well as programs suggested by a previous post in the ThinkTank archives, and general best-of lists online.  Below, you may see my notes about some of the top systems for my organization’s needs.  Please remember that because these programs will continue to evolve, these recommendations should be reevaluated if you are revisiting this post in the archives.

STEP 1: evaluate your organization

Before we dive into the systems themselves, it’s important to think about what your organization really needs, and perhaps more importantly, if your organization has enough volunteer power to start up a system AND keep it running smoothly.  You may have enough knowledge for the setup, but unless you have buy-in from your coordinators and your volunteers, the system probably won’t work the way you intended.

STEP 2: evaluate your goals

Do you want to track exact hours worked, or just count number of events worked by your volunteers?  Do you want on-site sign-ins and sign-outs, or will your coordinator check back later to credit the volunteers for their participation?  Do you need to track special info, such as ZIP codes, training course completion, etc etc, which might not be included in a software’s standard sign-up profile?  Do you want to host the data on a single computer, or keep everything on the cloud?  How many coordinator logins do you need?  How many volunteer do you want to manage in the system?  What decisions does your organization need to make, and how will better data and/or reporting be able to improve the quality of those decisions?

STEP 3: review the top programs

My list from June/July 2017 can be found below.

STEP 4: do product demos

Contact the sales reps from several companies, and spend 30-60min speaking to them about the product.  Make sure to ask about all the qualifications you identified in Step #2; you could ask if you can send in your list of needs in advance, so they have more time to review what you’re looking for.  Don’t be shy about asking very specific and lots of questions.

STEP 5: make your selection

No single system will do everything you want perfectly -- particularly if you have a limited (or no) budget. Create a scoring sheet to weigh your options, including around items like cost (don’t assume that you’ll stay at the free or cheap option for long), various features, and potential for scalability.

STEP 6: pilot one solution

Once you’ve decided on your best option, test it out for at least a month.  (Most companies offer a free month of their premium product.)  To keep things manageable, and avoid major disruption, test the new product with just your core volunteers (who will be willing to deal with some bumps, and give you honest feedback), or just a couple of events.

STEP 7: embrace and evaluate

After you’ve confirmed the program which will work best for you, move as much data and processes as possible over to the new system.  This will take at least twice as long as you expect.  As mentioned above, entering and maintaining data requires consistent effort and buy-in across your organization.

My list of top programs (the list order is not an exact ranking)

1. Get Connected *aka* Community Connect by Galaxy Digital

1. This program is a very strong contender in this space, and seems to have a highly capable set of analytic tools.

2. We did a phone call with a sales rep, and used a sandbox site.  We were interested, but the product does not fit our miniscule budget at this time (they charge $1,000/year for organizations with an operating budget of less than $50,000).

3. https://www.galaxydigital.com/volunteer-management/

2. Timecounts

1. TimeCounts is comparable to Get Connected (above), but does not seem to include the same analytic tools.

2. We tested the free version for a few weeks and decided to pursue this option further.

3. https://timecounts.org/

3. Volgistics Volunteer Management

1. The program seems simple, but may be powerful if you can invest time into it. Be careful to note if you’ll need any of their add-ons.

2. We tested their free trial and decided not to pursue it further.

3. https://www.volgistics.com/volunteer-management.htm

4. VolunteerHub

1. This is a highly capable program, but we did not pursue the product further than their informational video, due to lack of fit with our organization.

2. http://www.volunteerhub.com/

5. Sumac

1. This program is more of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool than a volunteer management system.  For that reason, we decided not to pursue it after doing a phone call with a sales rep.

2. http://sumac.com/

6. SalesForce

1. This software is one of the market leaders for all CRM tools (nonprofit and normal business operations).  We did not consider using it because it is far too intense for our small-scale needs, but it may be a good fit for your organization, particularly if you have paid staff.  There are also good pricing options available to nonprofits: 10 free licenses, plus ample community support.

2. BikeWalkWitcheta uses this system -- thanks for your feedback.

3. https://www.salesforce.com/

7. CiviCRM

1. This program requires a fair bit of technical know-how for the setup, but it is also free and open-source, so you could mould it to your organization.

2. I’ve heard that Bikes Not Bombs in Boston uses this system.

3. https://civicrm.org/

8. PowerBase

1. If you like CiviCRM, but you don’t have the know-how to set it up, try PowerBase!  Their product is based on CiviCRM.

2. https://www.progressivetech.org/powerbase/

9. FreeHub

1. A database of members and the services to which they have access, a sign-in system for use at the front desk of the shop, and a reporting tool for looking at shop use, membership status, etc.

2. This tool was developed by the bike collective community.  Information on this and other programs can be located on the bike collectives wiki.

3. http://freehub.bikekitchen.org/

10. SignUp.com

1. We tested this system, and it is fine as a free program, but we wanted more rigorous analytical capabilities which are only included in the expensive premium package.

2. Thanks to LocalMotion in Burlington, Vermont, for the suggestion.

11. eCoordinator by Samaritan Technologies

1. We did not investigate the specifics features offered with this program because the price point was far too high for us.

2. https://samaritan.com/

12. Volunteer Impact by Better Impact

1. http://www.betterimpact.com/volunteer-software/

13. VolunteerLocal

1. www.volunteerlocal.com

14. VolunteerMark

1. https://www.volunteermark.com/

Please note that this list focuses mainly on volunteer management systems.  You may also consider looking in other categories to more closely align with your needs, including advocacy/action, fundraising, contact management (CRM), etc.  Also note that different systems exist for point-of-sale consoles and inventory processing, so you may also consider investigating those programs if you have a large shop with lots of sales.

Thank you for being such a great group. I hope this information is useful to you.

Best wishes from Ann Arbor, MI

Andrew Westphal

Common Cycle board member

commoncycle.org