In the nonprofit world, volunteerism is the heart of impact. But what happens when the systems supporting your volunteer program are messy, disconnected, or outdated? That was the topic of conversation in the latest episode of the Tech and Impact webinar series, hosted by Kelly Cristaldi, featuring Toby Weiss, CEO and co-founder of Rooted Software.
Together, they unpacked the unglamorous but mission-critical topic of data hygiene, revealing how clean, connected, and actionable data can unlock greater volunteer engagement, better reporting, and significant time savings for nonprofit teams.
Right out of the gate, Toby Weiss cut to the chase: “If the data is clean, then it’s truth. Then you can trust it, rely on it, and make decisions upon it.”
For volunteer organizers, that means being able to confidently pull a list of volunteers with culinary skills available on Saturday—or knowing who’s dropped off the radar and may need re-engagement. Without clean data, you’re flying blind.
Kelly added a relatable anecdote from her own nonprofit days: “We just had spreadsheets, and it was a scramble… of who’s available, who could help us with this shift.”
The result? Missed opportunities, extra manual work, and added stress.
Toby highlighted some of the most common data problems facing nonprofits:
Duplicates: Multiple records for the same person (especially when they use different emails).
Outdated contact info: “People’s availability and contact info change. If you’re not updating that, you’re working off old assumptions.”
Incomplete records: Missing skill tags or history of service makes it impossible to match volunteers with the right opportunities.
“It’s a waste of time to work from incomplete or inaccurate information,” Toby emphasized. “Even the best system in the world won’t help you if the data inside it isn’t clean.”
A critical point raised during the webinar was ownership. Toby encouraged every organization to assign a Data Quality Owner—someone who’s responsible for keeping data clean and usable.
“It doesn't always have to be a full-time DBA,” he noted, “but it does have to be someone. Otherwise, nothing will change.”
Kelly chimed in: “That’s great feedback. I had the same question—who’s managing the volunteer data side of the house?”
Ownership is the first step toward accountability and sustainable processes.
One of the most actionable takeaways was the emphasis on system integrations. Whether it’s your CRM, volunteer management system, email platform, or fundraising tool, these systems need to talk to each other.
“Data silos are one of the biggest causes of wasted time,” Toby warned. “If your systems don’t integrate, you’re updating the same info in three different places.”
Toby’s pro tip: “If you're using a platform like Golden, check the integrations page. If the system you use is listed—great! If not, consider a custom integration. That’s something Rooted Software can help with.”
Another major benefit of clean data? Stronger reporting.
“Insight means the report helps you understand what’s going on. Action means you can actually do something with it,” Toby explained.
He provided examples of how useful data can help answer key questions:
Who are our most active volunteers this quarter?
Who used to be engaged but isn’t anymore?
What skills are we lacking for this upcoming event?
“Sometimes,” Toby said, “you might even change the structure of an event based on what your data is telling you.”
Toby’s advice for those feeling overwhelmed by messy data? “Start with one improvement this month.”
Whether that’s removing duplicates, updating key records, or implementing a new integration, the important part is to begin. “You do that every month, and by the end of the year, you’ve made 12 significant improvements.”
Kelly echoed that sentiment with a personal mantra: “In our household, we say, ‘just 1% better every day.’ It really adds up.”
To bring it all together, Toby encouraged nonprofits to literally draw a map of their systems.
“Which systems are you using? Which ones are connected? Are they integrated fully, partially, or not at all?” From there, organizations can prioritize improvements and identify where they need help.
It’s this kind of proactive mapping that leads to not only better data, but better decisions.
At the heart of this conversation was a simple truth: clean, connected, and well-maintained data is the foundation for a high-functioning volunteer program.
“You want your volunteering to be successful? You want to ask donors the right questions? You need your data to be clean, trustworthy, and reliable,” said Toby.
If your nonprofit is ready to turn data from a headache into a high-impact asset, check out Rooted Software at rootedsoftware.com. Whether it’s integrating platforms, cleaning up records, or building custom solutions, Toby and his team are ready to help.
And if you’re not yet using a volunteer management system that plays nicely with your CRM, check out Golden to streamline your engagement strategy and make your data work for you.
One improvement a month. That’s how real transformation starts.