How to choose the right volunteer management software
The complete guide to finding the right volunteer management software platform for your cause or event.
What is Volunteer Management Software?
A volunteer management software (VMS) is a solution that can automate every aspect of a volunteer management program.
From recruitment to rostering to reward and recognition, effective volunteer management software can ease the burden on nonprofit organisations by offering an all-in-one solution for the smooth-running of volunteer management processes.
It's a modern day solution to giving large numbers of volunteers an engaging and positive experience, while easing the pressure on your team to deliver results.
In this guide we will highlight the considerations you need to make now so you can find the right vendor, plan for a smooth implementation and grow your volunteer program to meet your goals.
Reasons to adopt a volunteer management software platform
Volunteer management software helps volunteer managers streamline their entire volunteer management workflow by replacing time-consuming manual processes with automation. Our research has found that replacing manual processes with automation results in a 40% reduction in the workload of volunteer managers. This frees up their time to concentrate on more productive work outcomes such as growing their volunteer database.
Implementing the right volunteer management software offers the following benefits to an organisation:
- Have a centralised, single source of truth for your volunteer program that integrates with other applications used across your organisation.
- Offer a modern volunteer experience that's more engaging resulting in improved awareness of your cause or event.
- A more secure and compliant approach to managing personal data of volunteers, protecting them and your reputation.
- The ability to automate up to 75% of volunteer management tasks, resulting in fewer hours wasted and a greater focus on promoting your cause, increased fundraising or event management.
- Greater operational visibility, enabling more robust reporting to stakeholders, trustees and for marketing your cause or event.
Increase Engagement
Improve Communication
Be More Effective
Four signs you need to introduce a volunteer management platform
Types of volunteer management software
Volunteers play a vital role in nonprofit organisations, sporting events and local government programs.
They commit their time and talents to missions they deeply care about, making it essential to invest in the infrastructure that backs these endeavors, especially when considering that the average value of a volunteer hour exceeds £30.
The types of volunteer management software spans from simple scheduling applications to advanced, highly adaptable systems that seamlessly blend with an organisation's current technology infrastructure such as Rosterfy.
There is a lot of choice out there for organisations when choosing a platform so it's important to understand your current needs and where you want to take your volunteer program to help you narrow down your search.
What to consider when choosing your volunteer management software?
Budget
Needs
Features
Users
Scalability
Integrations
Implementation
Support
How will your volunteer program benefit from a VMS?
Volunteer management software is a centralised system used to recruit, screen, schedule, train and retain volunteers. It is an all-in-one system that helps organisations administer events, programs and initiatives. Volunteer management software removes the need to use separate tools and applications for the different aspects involved with volunteer recruitment, management and engagement.
This software allows for the automation of rostering, shift allocation and confirmations, notification of any last-minute changes to an event’s venue or timing, training, and check-ins and check-outs. Another aspect of volunteer management software is that it allows volunteers to take control of their own volunteering experience by enabling them to choose shifts that suit them, track their volunteered hours, view certificates, complete training online at a time convenient to them, and select their preferred rewards.
Volunteer management software can also be used to evaluate the performance and success of a volunteer program. It provides a reporting capability to present data that can be used to inform donor reports, grant applications, and meet government reporting requirements.
An effective volunteer management solution is designed to result in a demonstrable improvement to a non-profit, organisation or event business processes, saving the organisation time and money.
How much should you budget for a volunteer management software solution?
The amount you spend on a volunteer management software program should be relative to the impact volunteers have on your organisation.
Incorporating a Volunteer Management Software (VMS) is an investment in enhancing the volunteer experience. Whether your organisation aims to boost its fundraising efforts or a City Council aspires to deepen its community engagement, the benefits of this investment, or return on investment (ROI), manifest in various ways.
Every year, the British Heart Foundation savings over £200,000 thanks to the efficiencies gained with Rosterfy. Their ROI calculations are based on the reduction in hours required, the accelerated process for integrating volunteers into their programs, and the heightened success in converting potential volunteers into active contributors.
"We're able to say exactly how many volunteers we have in our Charity Stores, as well as those supporting our events as part of BHF's Action Team. That's because of Rosterfy"
Sue George
Volunteer Development and Systems Manager at British Heart Foundation
How to choose the right volunteer management software provider
Finding those must have features
You may have a few features that consider to be must have - these are features that your volunteer program couldn't operate without. Before speaking to vendors make sure you know the core needs of your program so you can make sure they have you covered.
Many Volunteer Management Software providers offer the basic set of features such as scheduling and email communication but not all providers can automate all of this and offer role or skill specific role scheduling.
Branded Portal
Email and SMS
Scheduling Tools
Reporting
Check in & Out
Reward Volunteers
Local Data Hosting
Workflows and Automations
Successful Volunteer Recruitment: The Definitive Guide
Want to better understand how to future proof your volunteer recruitment?
Go beyond simply filling opportunities and build a robust volunteer program by engaging with the next generation of volunteers and ensuring diversity throughout your program.
Choosing a Vendor
Once you understand the needs of your program you can start shortlisting vendors to speak to and customer reviews are a good place to begin.
It's important to find a vendor that not only fills your feature requirements but has a reputation of delivering a quality implementation and continues to innovate.
Rosterfy is recognised on many of the commonly used software review websites as a high performance leader and one that continues to improve the platform.
Continue to assess your needs
Understand the needs of your program may change over time as it grows. What you needed when you first started using VMS might not be enough today as you increase the number volunteers or the amount of data you collect.
You can future proof your volunteer program by choosing a platform you know you can grow into, that has features that will add value today and even more so tomorrow such as reporting, automations or the ability to schedule across multiple locations.
Your team will change over time too so it's important to choose a volunteer management software provider with an intuitive and easy to learn system.
Volunteers expect an app
The modern day volunteer expects a seamless experience from signing up to volunteer with you to the communication they get on their mobile.
Rosterfy helps you provide a world class volunteer experience by instantly syncing your volunteer opportunities to a profile they can access on their Rosterfy mobile app.
Get all the benefits of delivering a modern volunteer experience without needing to develop an app.
Why more people pick Rosterfy
Rosterfy has built a excellent reputation as a global leader of volunteer management software by offering a platform that will 'Future Proof' your volunteer program.
Many of the world's most recognised non profits and global sporting events manage their volunteer programs and we continue to innovate and improve the platform.
Request a demo today and see for yourself how Rosterfy can bring volunteer management to life.
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Over 100 million volunteer hours of volunteering have been powered by Rosterfy
