There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for managing volunteers. Instead of recommending a specific tool, this guide helps you ask the right questions to choose a system that fits your needs. There’s no perfect tool. The best system is one that works for your context today and can evolve over time. We recommend starting with your goals and workflows, then exploring what systems match your needs.
Key questions to ask when choosing a volunteer management system
1. What types of volunteers do you have? Are they individuals or groups? Long-term or one-time? Will they be entering data, attending events, or receiving training?
2. What information do you need to track? Consider data like contact info, participation history, training status, equipment assigned, or site assignments.
3. How do volunteers interact with you? Will they be signing up for events, logging data, filling out forms, or getting reminders? Some systems are great for scheduling and communications, others for tracking data.
4. How many people need access? Do you need multiple admins with different permissions? Will volunteers have their own logins?
5. What systems does it need to work with? Does it need to integrate with your data platform, email marketing tool, or mapping system?
6. What’s your capacity for managing it? Some tools are easy to set up but offer limited flexibility. Others are powerful but require more time or technical skills to maintain.
What others are using
CaSTCo partners are using a wide variety of systems — from simple spreadsheets to more complex software — depending on their needs and capacity.
- Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets): Used by smaller groups or in early stages. Great for flexibility and simplicity, but can become hard to manage as numbers grow.
- Better Impact: A widely-used platform among UK charities. Useful for scheduling, hour tracking, and training management. Some CaSTCo partners found it helpful for compliance needs.
- Asana / Trello: Some partners use project management tools to track volunteer activities and tasks, especially in small teams.
- Custom databases or CRMs: Larger organizations with in-house capacity may build or customize their own systems, often linking to other data systems.
- Data capture tools: Several groups rely on separate systems (like Water Rangers or Survey123) for field data, and only track volunteer details elsewhere.
Tips from partners
“Start simple. We used a spreadsheet for the first two years, then migrated to a more robust system once we knew what we needed.”
“Think about how the system helps volunteers feel connected and recognized — not just how it helps us manage them.”
“We underestimated how important it was to have good onboarding materials built into the system.”