Introduction to Digital Volunteer Management Systems

This resource introducing the concept of using a digital system(s) within volunteer management has been co-produced between Voscur and Bristol City Council Volunteering colleagues.

What is a (digital) volunteer management system?

Technically a volunteer management system (VMS) is any system than an individual or organisation uses to manage, coordinate and/or organise its’ volunteers. This could be a combination of paperwork, spreadsheets, documents, emails etc or, it could be a dedicated digital system such as a website or platform, or combination of these that brings tasks and communications together.

When people refer to a VMS they are often referring to the latter, and where organisations can afford the technology many organisations do go down the route of procuring a digital VMS.

Some people and organisations use a version of a ‘customer relationship management system’ and chose to adapt this to manage relationships with volunteers, and others procure a system that has been specifically designed for volunteer management.

Most VMS use a software-as-a-service model. This means that there aren’t multiple versions of the software, and you don’t buy individual copies of the software. Instead, there is a single version of the software, usually accessed through a web browser, that receives regular updates. You instead pay for a licence to access this online software for a certain amount of time.

Using this method means that users don’t need to worry about upgrading, or about some staff having an “old” version and others having a “new” version of the software. However, it also means that if the company changes or removes a feature that a user likes or needs, there isn’t anything the user can do about that.

What are some pros and cons of using a specific, digital, VMS?

Pros:

A database-like system acts as a “single source of truth” for all users.

Role permissions can usually be used to manage who can see/edit specific types of information.

Most VMS are accessed through a browser, so there is no software to install or update.

They often have automatic backups, so if data is accidentally removed it can be restored.

Software-as-service model means users can ask for improvements and new features, and developers have an incentive to take these asks on board.

Many VMS can be made to integrate with other systems, such as existing websites or databases.

Cons:

For people who are used to using other systems, especially those that aren’t digital or are spreadsheets, word documents or folders using a VMS can be a steep learning curve.

Software-as-a-service model means that users must use what they’re given; if a change to the software removes features that users need, or makes a task harder, there’s no way to refuse that change. Developers don’t have to make any specific changes, and time to make changes can vary.

Being accessed through a browser means that performance relies heavily on each user’s internet connection and that offline access is impossible.

Most VMS have a cost and this can be prohibitive.

It can be hard to differentiate between VMS options, and make an informed choice.

What are the different options for a VMS?

There are a wide range of different VMSs on the market currently, with new companies moving into this space. Many are ‘off the shelf’, with different levels of customisability and some are completely custom built.

Voscur have produced a comparison table of some of the most popular VMSs on the market currently, taking feedback into account from current users of VMSs who are within our network of volunteer managers. A copy of this is available to VCSE organisations eligible for Voscur membership, on request.

How should an organisation approach procuring a VMS?

There are many different ways to approach procuring a VMS system but here are some steps to consider:

Establish the ‘issues’ you are hoping to at least partially solve through a VMS, along with who and what the issues affect. Discuss with colleagues and (potential/past/current) volunteers when establishing these, and do some prioritisation of them.

Have a read of the comparison chart mentioned above.

Talk to a few other volunteer involving organisations about what they use, and ask for their frank and honest opinions and reflections. Focus on approaching organisations who involve volunteers in similar ways to you – who might have been trying to resolve similar challenges.

Talk to a few platform providers to get an understanding of their offer(s) and associated costs.

Ask for a demo of any you are particularly interested in, whether from the platform provider or potentially even better from a volunteer manager who is using something currently.

Consider what your budget is, you may want to set a range or a ‘we’d like to (only) spend’ and a ‘at a maximum we are willing to spend’. Consider both upfront costs, ongoing costs and hidden costs (hopefully there won’t be any!), and how you hope to resource these.

Decide on your ‘must haves now’, ‘like to haves soon’ and the ‘nice to haves if at all possible, at some point’ and any ‘we don’t want or don’t needs’.*