Discover the best volunteer management software for scheduling, assignments, and tracking, making church volunteer coordination a breeze.
Managing volunteers in a church is tricky, to say the least. You have to deal with signing people up, assigning people to the right areas, and keeping track of what progress has been made. It can be a logistical and administrative nightmare, especially if you're doing everything manually in spreadsheets.
That's why using volunteer church management software is crucial. If you want to manage and organize your volunteers effectively, you need a tool to help you do it.
In this guide, we'll look at the best volunteer management software out there.
There are a number of specific challenges that come with volunteer management. If you've ever organized an event that utilized volunteers, you've undoubtedly experienced these things.
Everyone has a different schedule, and trying to coordinate volunteers for an event can be a tricky task. You have to take into account people's work schedules, family commitments, and other obligations.
When it comes to organizing volunteers, communication is key. This is especially true for churches where volunteers may not always be in the same physical location or have access to the same information.
If you don't manage volunteers effectively, they're not going to want to volunteer again. If they experience chaos and confusion during their volunteer experience, the likelihood of them serving in that capacity again is low.
How do you track who has signed up to volunteer, who has completed their assigned tasks, and who still needs to be contacted? Manually managing this information can lead to errors and oversights.
Volunteer church management software won't totally remove all the challenges listed above, but it certainly can make things a lot easier. Key benefits of the software include:
Organizing volunteers takes time. A lot of time. Time that could better be spent actually doing ministry. By managing volunteers using church management software, you can automate many of the processes and free up time for more important tasks.
With volunteer church management software, all communication can be centralized in one place. Everyone has access to the same information and updates can be easily shared with volunteers. It also allows for easier collaboration among team members.
Volunteer church management software usually comes with scheduling tools that make it easier to find availability among volunteers and assign tasks accordingly. This majorly saves time and reduces potential conflicts.
When volunteers have a smooth, positive experience volunteering, it makes all the difference. Volunteer church management software can streamline the entire process, making it easier for volunteers to sign up and stay engaged. This can lead to a more fulfilling experience for both the volunteer.
Okay, so you're convinced you need to invest in church volunteer management software. What should you look for in that type of software?
As we've said, managing volunteers is difficult enough. The software you use to help shouldn't add another layer of difficulty. There should be a simple onboarding process and training for volunteers and staff alike.
Scheduling is one of, if not the biggest, challenges with managing volunteers. Look for software that makes scheduling a breeze and can handle any last-minute updates.
What good is volunteer church management software if you can't effectively communicate with your volunteers? Look for software with built-in communication tools like email, chat, SMS, and push notifications.
One of the biggest advantages of using church volunteer management software is the ability to track volunteer hours and run reports. Make sure the software you choose has this capability.
If you're already using Church Management Software (ChMS), you want your volunteer software to integrate smoothly with it. This will save you time and effort in managing both systems separately.
Most of the people involved in events are going to be using their phones to communicate, check-in, etc. Staff, leaders, and volunteers should all be able to access the church volunteer management platform from their mobile phones.
Now that you know what to look for in a volunteer management tool, here are some of the best to check out.
We might be a tad bit biased, but we think that Breeze by Tithely is the best overall church volunteer management tool. Our church management system is trusted by over 11,000 churches around the world and has everything you need to manage your volunteers.
Key features include:
Price: Starts at $72/month
ChurchCREW is a platform dedicated solely to volunteer management. They use AI to help in the scheduling process, removing the burden from administrators. Key features include:
Price: Starts at $6/month
Volunteer Hub is another dedicated volunteer management platform that has a robust feature set. It is designed to streamline managing volunteers, from recruitment to scheduling. If you are dealing with a large number of volunteers (1,000+) and only want scheduling features, Volunteer Hub might be the ticket.
Key features include:
Price: Starts at $143/month
ChMeetings is an all-in-one church management system that has volunteer management features. It is designed for churches of all sizes, making it an option for organizations with both paid staff and volunteers.
Key features include:
Price: Starts at $12/month
Churchteams is another comprehensive church management platform that includes volunteer management features. It is designed to help churches of all sizes and denominations streamline their volunteer processes.
Key features include:
Price: Starts at $37/month for up to 200 people
Planning Center is a popular church management system that integrates volunteer management into its various products, like Groups and Services. It's designed for churches of all sizes and has customizable options to fit the specific needs of each organization. Some key features include:
Price: Starts at $0/month for up to 5 volunteers
iVolunteer is another software platform specifically designed to help with volunteer management. If you're only looking for a robust set of volunteer management features, iVolunteer might be the perfect fit for your church. Some key features include:
Price: Starts at $0/month for up to 15 volunteers
Realm is a comprehensive church management software that offers volunteer management as one of its many features. With Realm, you can manage all aspects of your church, including volunteers, finances, events, and more.
Key features include:
Price: Contact Realm for pricing information
With all these church volunteer software available, how can you choose the right one? Here are a few things to do:
Consider the size of your church and the number of volunteers you have before deciding on software. Consider a scalable option if you’re planning to grow or a solution, like Breeze by Tithely, that grows with you without increasing cost.
What are the key issues you're trying to solve with the software? Are you struggling with communication, scheduling, or tracking volunteer hours? Make a list of your pain points and prioritize which ones are most important to address.
As we've noted, it's really important that your church volunteer management software integrate with the other church management tools you use. If you use Breeze by Tithely, this won't be an issue. Everything will sync together perfectly.
Before committing to volunteer management software, make sure you understand the pricing model and what it includes. Some software may charge per user or have additional fees for certain features. It's also important to consider scalability—will the software grow with your church as it expands?
Do your research and read reviews from other churches who have used the software. You can also ask for recommendations from other church leaders or attend conferences where these types of software are often showcased.
Once you select a church volunteer management platform, you want to get as much out of it as you can. Here are some strategies for maximizing your software:
Ensure that all staff and volunteers are properly trained on how to use the software. If you skip over this step, you're bound to get confused on how different aspects of the platform work. This, in turn, can impact events where you need volunteers.
One of the best features of church volunteer management software is the communication features. Make sure you're utilizing them to their fullest potential. Set up automated reminders to go out before events to minimize the number of no-shows.
One of the best ways to get volunteers to come back is to recognize all their hard work. Many church volunteer management software will have a feature to track the hours volunteers put in. Use this information to recognize and thank volunteers for their dedication.
Keep an eye on how your church is using the software and make adjustments as needed. Don't be afraid to try new features or change up processes if something isn't working well. The key is to constantly review and improve upon your volunteer management system.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of your church. They keep your church running, help it fulfill its mission, and make a difference in the community. By using church volunteer management software, you can streamline and improve your volunteer management processes, making it easier for volunteers to serve and for your church to thrive.
With effective church volunteer management tools, your church can maximize its impact. So take the time to research and invest in a reliable church volunteer management software.
At Tithely, our mission is to create tools that help churches and ministries succeed. If you're interested in putting our church management software to the test, start your free trial today!
We'd love to show you what we built!