Start Your Own Nonprofit Organization by Cheryl Kimball

Author:Cheryl Kimball [Kimball, Cheryl; magazine, Entrepreneur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781613082652
Publisher: Entrepreneur Press

Volunteer Tracking Software

You might have the software or database to track volunteer time right in front of you but haven’t realized it. Many donor databases designed specifically for nonprofit donor management have built-in volunteer management software—often it is an add-on to the basic database, and requires an additional fee.

Some volunteer tracking software is online-based and allows you to set volunteers up to input their own hours, saving lots of time if you have a large and active volunteer pool.

Coyote Communications keeps a list of volunteer management software at coyotecommunications.com/tech/volmanage.html. This list is very specific to volunteer management and, although at the time of this writing was last updated in July 2012, the categories it covers for each software is a great list for any software you wish to examine. Things like what operating system is required to use the software and if more than one person can access the software at once are things you might not even have thought to find out about a volunteer management system.

A few of the software companies mentioned are CERVIS (Community Event Registration and Volunteer Management System), DonorPro, GiftWorks Volunteers, and Tapestry. Keep in mind that donor software companies are bought, sold, and absorbed all the time. Contact a few noncompeting organizations similar to yours but outside your area of influence and ask about the volunteer software they use. And ask volunteers if they have used any software at other organizations for whom they volunteer and the pros and cons they experienced using it.

The Value of Tracking Volunteer Time

In an article titled “Tracking Volunteer Time to Boost Your Bottom Line: A Complete Accounting Guide” by Denise Walsh in Blue Avocado—a nonprofit-focused magazine claiming to provide “practical, provocative, and fun food-for-thought for nonprofits”—gives the following five reasons you should take the time to track volunteer hours:

1.It recognizes that volunteer time is important, which shows volunteers you appreciate them.

2.It is essential in securing funding by showing funders and donors the resources you already have.

3.It proves to funders and donors that you have the people you need to perform your mission.

4.It can help meet requirements for matching funds.

5.A volunteer log can help protect the volunteers themselves and the nonprofit in liability cases.

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