In our recent monthly webinar series, Tech and Impact, we sat down with Idealist Consulting's CEO...
A good volunteer platform can make all the difference in helping you improve your management systems and recruit and keep the best candidates. With dozens of options now available, how do you know if you’re using the right system? Is your headache a simple case of tech overload or due to the fact that your platform is failing you?
The digital age has connected people in many ways. Social media and the “Internet of things” would, in theory, make it simpler to match the 75.7 million Americans who volunteer annually to causes they care about.
The reality is different, however. In 2022, nearly half of nonprofit CEOs claimed recruiting volunteers was one of their biggest problems. The volunteers they rely on for steady support are easily burnt out and difficult to retain.
Volunteer management platforms should ease the recruitment process and support retention. They should also help streamline operations for underfunded volunteer departments by automating tasks and improving the communication and recognition that lead to successful relationships. If they work well, organizations can experience greater impact with less effort.
If you’re using a volunteer management platform but are still not meeting your goals, consider switching. Here are five clear signs that it’s time to upgrade to a better solution.
A good volunteer management platform will help you organize and schedule volunteers for onboarding and training.
Sign #1: You Have More Work, Not Less
An ineffective platform leads to inefficiencies that create more work for the user. Some examples include:
- Manual data entry. Your system makes you enter data. It fails to intuit your needs based on past programs or entries into the system, or it doesn’t integrate with your contacts in a meaningful way.
- Scheduling and timekeeping. The best volunteer systems help you schedule programs seamlessly over any number of calendar functions. They also keep track of your volunteer time, with options for logging and tracking on both the volunteer end and through the administrator end. If you don’t have this flexibility with your program, you’re probably spending too much time on simple admin functions.
- Offline management. If you’re spending any time on offline processes, from background checks to onboarding processes to impact analytics, you’re doing too much work.
- Communication. Is your messaging automated? Do you send out automatic invites to past volunteers who match with new events? Do you send personalized thank yous after events?
Golden is the most awarded volunteer management software because it streamlines all of these functions to create less work for managers. Managers can set up automated recruitment from a wide pool of potential volunteers. They can connect seamlessly with their contacts and minimize data entry to new levels, all while improving communication automation with effective integrations.
Sign #2: Your Volunteer Platform is Missing Features and Integrations
More on those integrations! Golden seamlessly integrates with the best and most widely used tools in the marketplace to improve your workflow. For examples:
- Golden integrates with your CRM, including Salesforce, Blackbaud, and Microsoft programs. Moreover, the integrations are simple to manage and use, with a few clicks at the time of initial setup to ensure that data is linked across your network. Software systems without these CRM integrations make it difficult to communicate effectively with your varied and usually overlapping audiences, from donors to general outreach. It can lead to data silos and inefficient tracking and outreach systems.
- Another key integration is with donor programs like Kindful. Tracking donor and volunteer synergy across systems can improve your fundraising program and help you engage your volunteers in new ways. The platform's donor AI technology pinpoints where and how your volunteers give to other organizations.
- Golden also helps you create rewards and recognition. A unique Karats integration invites volunteers to enter prize drawings as compensation for their hard work, for example.
If your system doesn’t integrate at least some of these key functions, you probably need a switch.
Most nonprofits rely on volunteers as the backbone of their programs.
Sign #3: Your Program on the Current Volunteer Platform is Not Scalable
Some free or low-cost systems seem wonderful because of their price point, but they too often limit growth. The following problems can result.
- User limits. You may only have a few volunteers right now, but what about the future? If you plan on recruiting more volunteers for special events or new programs, you probably want room to grow.
- Data limits. Lower-cost or free programs often limit the data you can store on their platform. This can make it tricky to scale up your program to include more data sets. Less data also equates to less analysis, making it difficult to use these systems to analyze trends and impact information to help you scale up.
- Event management limitations. Platforms that can't handle complex event logistics—like registration, scheduling, organizing, and planning—require additional systems and make the operation inefficient.
The best programs, like Golden, eliminate these constraints. Users can pick a lower option today and then easily transition to an enterprise solution for a growing operation that empowers unlimited user limits, the highest data storage capacity on the market, and seamless integrations for event management.
Sign #4: Your Staff or Volunteers Report a Poor User Experience on Your Current Platform
The experience of using the system is likely the most important aspect. So if your volunteers or staff are reporting problems, you might find it’s time to make a switch. Problems include:
- Admin Overload occurs when administrators have to wait for long intervals to switch between functions to schedule events or communicate with their volunteers. It also occurs when users spend more time finding information through confusing menus and site organization.
- Volunteer Frustration. If the program is tricky to use or pages take too long to load, especially when signing up for an event, volunteers will drop off and find another opportunity. Volunteers expect a smooth, intuitive experience when signing up for events or accessing resources.
- Communication Barriers—Older or less integrated platforms make it difficult for administrators to share updates and reminders with a volunteer pool.
- Limited Mobile Access. If the platform isn’t mobile-friendly or lacks a responsive design, it can be inconvenient for volunteers to sign up, track their time, or receive updates on the go.
- Annoying Onboarding and Training. Usually, volunteers want to get through any red tape to be able to get to the good stuff of spending their time helping others. If your platform isn’t helping you streamline background checks, onboarding, and necessary training, volunteers will get frustrated. Managers will also spend too much time trying to complete these tasks.
Modern platforms like Golden have streamlined, interactive dashboard functions to ease these issues. They also enable personalization and branding to enhance the user experience.
Sign #5: Your Platform Has Limited Reporting and Analytics
The best volunteer platforms have AI-enabled, custom analytics and impact reporting. This information can help managers in a number of ways:
- Create impact statistics for board members on volunteer demographics, time spent on service, and service value.
- Identifying which programs attract the most volunteers and in what ways will improve the capacity to recruit for future programs.
- Share impact statistics in new, personalized ways with the donor pool to help managers develop stronger communication tools to re-engage volunteers.
So, Is it Time to Switch Your Volunteer Management Platform?
If you recognize any of these signs, it might be time to reconsider your platform choice. The key features to look for:
- Reducing workload. How much time can you save your volunteer manager with a better program?
- Making the most of technology. Are you integrating your CRM systems across your volunteer and donor bases? Do you have built-in reward systems and analytics?
- Scalability. Can you get to where you want to be with your volunteer program using the current system?
- User experience. Are your staff and volunteers having fun using your platform?
- Impact capacity. Can you find the data you need to monitor and report on your volunteer program?
Golden can improve on these metrics for your organization, no matter how big or small, to improve your impact capacity and streamline your administration. You can request a free demo today.
