Free Volunteer Software Buyer's Guide
Navigating the landscape of volunteer management software can be overwhelming—whether you’re a nonprofit veteran or just starting your own organization.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what volunteer management software is and list the top 15+ volunteer management solutions to consider and why.
What Are Volunteer Management Systems?
Volunteer management software is a digital tool that streamlines the entire volunteer management process: recruiting, scheduling, tracking, and communicating with volunteers.
Typically, these systems include features like volunteer registration, opportunity posting, volunteer hour tracking, and reporting capabilities. Each tool within the system helps to improve both the volunteer program and the volunteers’ experiences.
Download the NEW Volunteer Management Software Buyer's Guide & Workbook!
Top 17 Volunteer Management Software Solutions Get Connected: Best all-in-one volunteer management software
Get Connected is made for every type of volunteer program.
With its comprehensive suite of tools, any nonprofit organization can take control of its volunteer management processes, build long-lasting relationships with supporters, track involvement, and so much more.
Get Connected, the all-in-one volunteer management software system, offers every feature you need to manage volunteers, including:
- Volunteer Mobile App: Get Connected offers a free mobile app for volunteers that shows a personalized dashboard with common service activities, impact, and more. Plus, volunteers can use the app to automatically track volunteer hours, too.
- Interactive Volunteer Profiles: Nonprofits can track and house individual volunteer hours, impact value, and opportunity responses. Plus, they can save information about individual skills and interests, as well as signed waivers or pictures, for future use.
- Volunteer Scheduling and Calendar Management: Set the number of volunteers needed for shifts and leverage skills, prerequisites, and availability-based scheduling. Plus, schedule remote, offsite, or multi-location volunteer opportunities.
- Volunteer Reminders: Send automated emails and push notifications so volunteers never forget about a commitment.
- Volunteer Reporting: Get a glimpse into all of your volunteer data—including the impact made—with prebuilt and custom reporting and volunteer resumes.
- Volunteer Appreciation: Show gratitude to volunteers for their commitment to your cause with automatic rewards and badges.
Book a free demo of the best all-in-one volunteer management software →
SignUp Genius
A form builder and event organizer platform, SignUpGenius is a great tool for recruiting volunteers and assigning them to specific opportunities. SignUpGenius, in particular, is known for its custom online signup forms, which can come in handy when recruiting volunteers for multiple events.
Best features:
- Reporting tools
- Simple sign-up form creation
- Group messaging
- Volunteer reminders
Cervis
Cervis is a simple online scheduling tool with email and texting capabilities. Nonprofits often use this platform to coordinate volunteer shifts and streamline the sign-up process for volunteers themselves.
Best features:
- Volunteer hour tracking & reporting
- Simple online volunteer sign-ups
- Automated email & text communication
- Group volunteer scheduling
Volgistics
Voligstics is primarily a volunteer portal for submitting applications, viewing opportunities, checking schedules, and tracking hours. Plus, they offer reporting capabilities and shift sign-in, too.
Best features:
- Self-serve volunteer portal
- Easy to use online volunteer application forms
- Simple scheduling
- Automated reminder emails and notifications
Samaritan Technologies
Samaritan Technologies is another volunteer management software. That platform offers customizable volunteer registration forms, including a volunteer dashboard where volunteers can access their schedules or track their hours.
Best features:
- Integrated background checks
- Mobile-friendly web forms
- Automatic reminder and opportunity-matching emails
Volunteer Mark
With Volunteer Mark, nonprofits can easily schedule volunteer opportunities and access a management dashboard that displays event attendees and volunteers. Volunteers, too, can create their own profiles, find opportunities, and record their service hours.
Best features:
- Simple communication with volunteers
- Robust reporting
- Volunteer scheduling tools
Volunteer Local
Volunteer Local is another great volunteer management tool. That platform offers custom registration forms, email and texting tools, background screening features, and a few other standout features.
Best features:
- CRM integrations
- Email + SMS/text reminders
- Group volunteering capabilities
- Hours tracking
- Standard reporting
VolunteerHub
VolunteerHub offers a few pretty essential tools for successful volunteer management, including volunteer scheduling and management. Trusted by hundreds of nonprofits, the platform helps organizations organize volunteers and save lots of time and effort.
Best features:
- Branded event pages
- Volunteer self-service forms
- Access to a volunteer database
- Volunteer hour tracking and scheduling
Track it Forward
With Track it Forward, nonprofits can schedule events, record volunteer hours, and manage their organization’s mileage, gifts, and donations.
Best features:
- Approval and verifications of volunteer hours
- Self-service hour logging
- Volunteer hour reporting
- Customized reminders and notifications
VSys One
A volunteer management platform that features volunteer profiles and built-in reports, nonprofits often use VSys One for straightforward and simplified volunteer management.
Best features:
- Web-based searching and registration
- Customizable forms, logic, and workflow
- Tracking and outcome measurement
- Automated outreach and scheduling
Golden
Golden is an all-in-one, comprehensive management and engagement software. With user-friendly interfaces, that platform offers tools like volunteer registration, scheduling, hour tracking, and more.
Best features:
- Background checks & waivers
- Automated hour tracking
- Volunteer notifications
Bloomerang
With Bloomerang, nonprofits can create volunteer programs, register volunteers, and track program data. Plus, organizations can also take advantage of some of their other built-in tools, like their CRM and membership management functionality.
Best features:
- Custom recruitment workflows
- Easy volunteer scheduling tool
- End-to-end reporting
- Automatic recognition emails
Better Impact
Better Impact is another user-friendly volunteer management software. That platform allows nonprofits to recruit volunteers, coordinate events, and send targeted communication, all from one place.
Best features:
- Volunteer profiles with contact details, interests, availability, and more
- Custom volunteer application forms
- Customizable emails
- Facilitates volunteer training content
VolunteerMatters
VolunteerMatters is a dedicated volunteer portal where volunteers can track hours and give feedback. A personalized project catalog allows volunteers to find opportunities on their own, too.
Best features:
- Self-check-in
- Easy-to-use timesheets
- Auto-credit hours
Optimy
A social impact platform designed for corporate programs, Optimy allows organizations to gather and report on employee volunteer impact.
Best features:
- Scheduling and tracking volunteer hours
- Highly configurable
- Secure and compliant
GivePulse
GivePulse is a volunteer-facing portal for exploring local events and opportunities. That platform also acts as a relationship management database for donor data, too.
Features:
- Custom emails and automated reminders
- Custom applications that can track custom metrics
- Reporting on data, hours, donations, reviews, ratings and feedback
Mobilize
An event management and volunteer recruitment platform, Mobilize allows nonprofits to easily share event postings and send automated messages to registered volunteers.
Best features:
- Automated email and text messages
- Post-event feedback surveys
- Optimized event search and discovery
Why Do You Need a Volunteer Management System?
Nonprofits can manage volunteers manually through check-in sheets and Excel docs. But, the benefits of volunteer management software go far beyond what you can do by hand.
Free Resource: the NEW Volunteer Software Buyer's Guide & Workbook
The top volunteer management platforms can help you:
- Save Time: A volunteer management system automates many time-consuming tasks such as scheduling, hour tracking, and communication. This allows staff to focus on more strategic aspects of volunteer engagement and program development.
- Improve the Volunteer Experience: These systems provide volunteers with easy access to opportunities, self-service scheduling, and clear communication channels, leading to higher satisfaction and retention rates.
- Make Data-Driven Decisions: By centralizing volunteer information and activities, these systems enable organizations to make informed decisions about their volunteer programs, demonstrate impact to stakeholders, and optimize resource allocation.
Download the FREE Volunteer Management Software Buyer's Guide!
Key Features of Volunteer Management Software
It’s important to note that not all volunteer management systems are the same. When choosing the right platform for your organization, look for features like:
- Simple Volunteer Hour Tracking: Smart volunteer management software allows volunteers to log their hours instantly from anywhere, on any device.
- Volunteer Management Software Mobile App: Volunteers can download a mobile app on their smartphones to track their hours, check-in to activities on the go, and view their schedules.
- Volunteer Coordination: Manage multiple programs and onboarding, easily schedule shifts, and consolidate all of your volunteer data.
- Unique Volunteer Profiles: Create and update individual volunteer profiles and give volunteer leaders access to information for every volunteer, including interests, skills, qualifications, schedules, impact, and more.
- Volunteer Recruitment and Program Promotion: Volunteers can search for activities based on their interests, skills, and schedules, so nonprofits know they’re getting the best volunteer for the job.
The Best Volunteer Management Software
The best volunteer management tools will help your nonprofit save time and energy, and allow you to focus on what matters most.
With Get Connected your nonprofit can streamline every step of the volunteer management process—from recruitment all the way to retention—so you can create a volunteer program that creates as much impact as possible.
The NEW Volunteer Management Software Buyer's Guide & Workbook will help you choose the right software for your program.
The Guide & Workbook includes:
✔️ Checklists
✔️ How to Advocate for Volunteerism Software
✔️ Research on Top Software Solutions
...and more!