List of Volunteer Management Software

10/11/13
Revised July 17, 2012
List of Volunteer Management Software

For this page, volunteer management software is defined as software that actually has "volunteer" somewhere in its official description (it does NOT have to be called "volunteer management" software, however) and allows an organization to do most of the following: track all contact information about volunteers (postal address, phone number, email, etc.) track where a volunteer applicant is in the volunteer orientation/participation process (completed application, completed orientation, current assignment or role, has a photo release form on file, inactive because of illness, permanently withdrawn, etc.) track volunteer / community / constituent participation in events, online fora, etc. track volunteer hours and/or contribution / accomplishment by week, month, quarter or year (personally, I prefer tracking accomplishments - means much more than hours in terms of volunteer value) track volunteer hours and/or contribution / accomplishment by project track volunteer impact beyond number of hours contributed (tracks their feedback about their assignments, tracks client and paid staff feedback about their work, etc.) track volunteer skills track volunteer availability and interests track volunteer performance reviews/assessments by a variety of staff allows for reports to be run/data to be exported on any combination of the above fields (a list of only those volunteers in a particular zip code who have completed the volunteer orientation and know HTML, for instance) is described on its web site (preferably the home page) by its developer as something that can be used for volunteer management or volunteer support It can be software that also tracks donors, clients, paid staff, paying customers, etc. - in fact, it can be software that is designed primarily to track these other groups. However, if it doesn't meet all of the above requirements, and doesn't talk about "volunteers" in the same place it talks about donors, customers, clients, event attendees, etc., it is NOT volunteer management software, as far as this page is concerned. How to Choose Volunteer Management Software What's probably most important in choosing volunteer management software is that it can track ALL of your volunteers - volunteers who take on defined roles for year (board members, a project leader, mentors, counselors, a volunteer web master, etc.), volunteers who help only at onsite events or one-time activities (help at a beach cleanup, usher at a performance, etc.), volunteers who engage primarily online (helping by assignment, or by project, rather than taking on a role - that includes people who take on so-called microvolunteering), etc. You don't want to have to track some volunteers in the software and others in spreadsheets. That said, some organizations that involve thousands of volunteers in large-scale, multiple onsite microvolunteering / episodic volunteering activities -- beach cleanup, trail re-building, ivy-pull, etc. -- may want software that tracks only those thousands of "one-time", episodic volunteers, and to use something else for the volunteers who help in other ways. If you have more than 50 active volunteers, then I think it's fundamental that the software you choose allows volunteers to update their information themselves, via the web. The money you spend in the short-term will save you huge amounts of staff time in the long-run. Also, make sure the description has the word volunteer somewhere in the description, and if the company offers a demo, there is substantial focus on volunteer management (if it's 95% focused on donor management, and volunteer management is talked about only for a minute or two, look for something else). A company that doesn't use the word "volunteer" in its software description doesn't not rank volunteer engagement very highly among a nonprofit's constituent management - that's a guarentee you won't be satisfied with its volunteer management functionality. Below I've listed all of the volunteer management software geared towards nonprofit organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) -- as opposed to corporate volunteering programs -- that I know about, or nonprofit-related software/community relationship management software that has substantial volunteer management functions -- that means it actually uses the word volunteer somewhere on its web site in describing the product, not just "constituents" or "supporters". If you say explicitly your software can be used to manage data about donors or clients, then it should also say volunteers. A company that doesn't use the word "volunteer" in its software description doesn't not rank volunteer engagement very highly among a nonprofit's constituent management. Again, please note that while there are volunteer recruitment web sites that have some volunteer management components, I'm not including them in the list here unless they have most of the above minimum characteristics. I am NOT endorsing any of these software packages/platforms/products. It's up to YOU to further research and evaluate the individual products yourself. If you would like your company/software listed, email me the name of the company, the name of the software, the web address, if the software is focused on a specific area (like for health care or school settings), and your answers to fill in the chart below. If you do not use the word "volunteer" somewhere in the description of your platform, I will not list it (I will check your web site to confirm that word is there). If you truly do not know which package to go with, then consider trying out a free package; see what it can do, and keep a spreadsheet on what you like and what you do not like about it. You will very quickly learn what you want in a more robust package that you might want to pay for down the road. Why the questions marks in the chart below? Because I don't have the funding to spend the many months it would take to research and test each software package myself, but I'm happy to fill in the info if a company writes me and provides me with all the details (as a few have): ?? = means the company has not submitted appropriate information ("several hundreds" is not an acceptable answer for number of users, for instance) * = feature not available with free version of the software = some organizations have blogs, Facebook or other online profiles that allow for customer comments or questions; for the purposes of this question, however, this does not qualify as a dedicated users' forum WAI = Web Accessibility Initiative, meaning people with disabilities or using assistive technology can use the software or web site = access to different fields can be restricted to different users; for instance, access to fields regarding job performance could be restricted to just one or two users, volunteers could not see each other's information, etc. NOTE: Sometimes, the answer "yes" to a question regarding what the software can do means the software could be configured to do this, but it may not already be designed for this functionality; in other words, the user would have to create this functionality himself or herself. VENDORS: if you want to update your information, sending it in spreadsheet style would be appreciated. No narratives about your software, please - just give info on the classifications below via email to me.
primary online user can access for add & exports data can track can track can track can track into v olunteer v olunteer v olunteer can track v olunteer other more than one person
Initial
Yearly
# of
cloud Users software? operating can
If web-
online
scheduling
www.coyotecommunications.com/tech/volmanage.html
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10/11/13
Software Name
cost to purchase software subscription cost orgs using this y ear sy stem launched needed

(users access based, is it access info WA I v ia offline? compliant? Internet) v olunteers to input their own data? customize users hours / fields, forum? task s by input week ? screens & reports? hours / task s by month? hours / task s by project? v olunteer av ailability ty pes sk ills? & of files interests? (e.g. MS Excel) can function / access shift product management? at once?
Andar Web-Based Volunteer Management, from Helix CERVIS (Community Event Registration and Volunteer Management System) CharityCounts.org CiviCore Volunteer Management Common Ground for Volunteer Management (Convio / Blackbaud) Count Me In (for sports league volunteers) DonorPro, by TowerCare Technologies ebase eteambuilder GiftMaker Pro Volunteer Module GiftsFriends&Time, by OneWhoServes, Inc. GiftWorks Volunteers, an optional feature of GiftWorks fundraising software, by Mission Research Global Relief Network volunteer management system, from AidMatrix Golden Futures Foundation 501(c)3 - For School Volunteer Programs Good Done Great Volunteer Management, built using QuickBase Hello Scheduling iVolunteerOnline.com Income Manager v.5.1, which has a volunteer management component MyTimeScore Enterprise My Service Log, from Tronics Software LLC OnCorps Reports, for AmeriCorps and VISTA reporting OrgAction Online Volunteer Database Rotunda Software Ministry Pro, created originally for Catholic churches but "can be used for any religious denomination." Rotunda Software
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2010
all browsers & mobile
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Starts at $225
Starts at $135/y ear
1300+
2000
MA C or Windows
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2/5
10/11/13
Volunteer Scheduler Pro, created originally for Catholic churches but "can be used for any religious denomination." ROVIR, the Retriever of Volunteer Information and Reporting Samaritan Technologies (eCoordinator) School Volunteer ShiftBoard Son of Service (SOS) Tapestry, by VisionLink Tools for Organizations /Volunteer Matrix The Registration System (TRS) Tuttidare.com V-Base, Developed by do-it and YouthNet UK (United Kingdom) Volunteer Impact by Volunteer Squared/Volunteer2 Virtual Volunteer / V.Soft from Raptor Technologies VolCentre Volgistics VolunteerMatters, by Closerware, LLC Voltrak VoluntEasy Volunteer Connect Volunteer Event Management (VEM) from Volunteer Solutions Volunteer Hub Volunteer Management System (VMS) , a MS Access database by Wright Information Technology Solutions Volunteer Organizer Pro , by PrimaSoft PC, Inc. Volunteer Rally (built on Drupal) Volunteer Spot Volunteer Reporter (formerly RSVP Reporter) Volunteer Scheduler Pro Volunteer Works, by Red Ridge Software (although it is being phased out and replaced by Volgistics)
starting at $20/mo Starts at $240/y ear MA C or Windows
200+
2008
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
less than 100 v olunteers free; more than 100 v olunteers $1000 v aries
none
100+
1996
Windows
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
v aries
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1997
Microsoft (Windows & Explorer) ?? any A ny
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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?? v aries free
?? starts at $19 a month free
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?? 2002 2003
?? Yes Yes
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any
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1999 ??
all ??
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starting at $100
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2001
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free v aries (free trial)
free v aries
?? 2,400+ 400+ ?? ?? ??
?? 2004 2003 ?? 2010 ??
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Free 30 Day Starts at $55 Trial, then monthly subscription ?? free trial ?? ?? $24.95 monthly ??
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v aries (free Starts @ $29 trial) monthly
700+
1997
any
Yes
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2010
Windows
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No No, but can be adapted
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Free
2011
any
Yes
Yes
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Yes
Yes
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Free Online free basic Volunteer pack age; fee for extra Scheduling; $35-$210 reporting subscriptions ?? ??
900
2008
all
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3/5
10/11/13
Vol-Track VolunteerTown VSys One by Bespoke When to Help YourVolunteers
?? free Varies ?? free up to 1000 v olunteers ?? free No ?? free up to 1000 v olunteers ?? ?? 180 ?? ?? ?? 2011 2006 ?? 2004 ?? ?? Windows ?? any

?? y es No ?? Yes ?? no Yes ?? No ?? no Yes ?? ?? ?? y es Yes ?? Yes ?? no Yes ?? Yes ?? no No ?? No ?? no Yes ?? Yes ?? no Yes ?? Yes ?? no Yes ?? No ?? y es Yes ?? No ?? y es Yes ?? Yes ?? no Yes ?? Yes ?? y es Yes ?? Yes more than one person can access product at once? ?? no Yes ?? Yes
Software Name
Initial cost to purchase software
Yearly subscription cost
# of orgs using this
exports primary data cloud online user can Users can track can track can track can track into software? If webaccess for add & online operating can v olunteer v olunteer v olunteer can track v olunteer other y ear (users based, is it v olunteers customize users sy stem access hours / hours / hours / v olunteer av ailability ty pes launched access WA I to input fields, forum? needed info task s by task s by task s by sk ills? & of files v ia compliant? their own input offline? week ? month? project? interests? (e.g. Internet) data? screens & MS reports? Excel)
scheduling function / shift management?
?? = means the company has not submitted appropriate information ("several hundreds" is not an acceptable answer for number of users, for instance) * = feature not available with free version of the software = some organizations have blogs, Facebook or other online profiles that allow for customer comments or questions; for the purposes of this question, however, this does not qualify as a dedicated users' forum WAI = Web Accessibility Initiative, meaning people with disabilities or using assistive technology can use the software or web site = access to different fields can be restricted to different users; for instance, access to fields regarding job performance could be restricted to just one or two users, volunteers could not see each other's information, etc. The information about each package comes from the software company or designer themselves; if you feel the information is incorrect, please contact me. VENDORS: if you want to update your information, sending it in spreadsheet style would be appreciated. No narratives or sales pitches about your software, please - just give info on the classifications below via email to me. Other things to ask a software company before purchasing: how often the software is updated, the average cost of upgrades, and whether or not the company will continue to support software that is not updated ability to track volunteer impact beyond just number of hours contributed (fields that allow user to type in qualitative data, such as observations, etc.) You will note that most volunteer management software does not have a user forum - a place where users can talk about how they are using the software, ask questions, share tips, etc. It's inexcusable for a company not to offer this. It is the simpliest thing in the world to set up -- just use GoogleGroups or YahooGroups to set up a private group that only current users can join and where all messages are screened before they are posted. If a company says they do not have time to do this, then they do not have time to provide quality customer support or to listen to your feedback.There are also software packages that can be adapted to manage volunteers (or anything else) in any way you want, such as: CiviCRM, open source, freely downloadable, and completely customizable FileMaker Pro (this link goes directly to their nonprofit client section; note that some of the volunteer software listed above is built on this platform) Lotus Approach the database function of the free office suite OpenOffice the database function of the free office suite NeoOffice (for Macintosh computers only) Microsoft Access (note that some of the volunteer software listed above is built on this platform) Salesforce.com (note that some of the volunteer software listed above is built on this platform) The above list excludes all the specialized nonprofit software out there -- to manage animal shelters, to manage museums, to manage arts organizations, etc. -- that may include a way to track some volunteering activities. There are also software programs that were developed to manage clients or donors, and were not developed to manage volunteers, but there are some organizations that use these programs to manage volunteers. It says a lot that they will say explicitly the word "donor" or "client", but not "volunteer." I'm listing some of these programs below, however, remember that the aforementioned software programs (the ones above in the chart) are specifically designed or explicitly designed to support volunteer management, where as these below are not - these companies do not consider volunteers on the same level of importance as donors or clients: Blackbaud, including "Raiser's Edge" CLS 3.0. Homeworks, by Cerner, a suite of programs focused on health-related organizations Metrix (free -- uses MS Access) NEON (Nonprofit Enterprise Online Network) I frequently get asked: why don't you provide more information or opinions about each individual package? Please note that I receive no funding to maintain this page. I have the time a few times a year to try to find new packages out there; what I provide about them is what the companies have emailed to me to share. July 11, 2012 Survey regarding volunteer management software - RESULTS In March and April 2012, myself and Rob Jackson drafted and circulated a survey regarding software used to manage volunteer information. The purpose of the survey was to gather some basic data that might help organizations that involve volunteers to make better-informed decisions when choosing software, and to help software designers to understand the needs of those organizations. We also wanted to get a sense of what organizations were thinking about volunteer management software. We published the results of the survey here (in PDF). It includes an executive summary of our findings, as well as the complete responses to questions and our analysis of such. Rob and I did not have time to analyze all of the comments made in answer to some questions; for all questions, we listed the comments made, but we did not always offer any observations about such, or group the responses into categories. We welcome the efforts of other researchers to offer their own analysis of the data provided. You can make comments about the survey results on my blog. Also see these database-related tip sheets: Overview of Databases Database Terms "Flat" and Relational Databases How Databases Are Joined Customer Database Regular Maintenance Free Help With Databases & Software Importing Information Into a Database Keeping Volunteer Information Up-to-Date (no software can input data on its own; how do you ensure volunteer information is inputted regularly and kept up-to-date?)
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Choosing Specialized Software (label-making software, volunteer management software, project management software, fund raising software, etc.)
Also see: TechSoup This comprehensive web site provides detailed information about a variety of technology-related issues specifically for mission-based organizations. This includes resources and advice regarding databases. TechSoup is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California.
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List of Volunteer Management Software

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10/11/13

Revised July 17, 2012