Planning a volunteer event can feel like juggling a dozen tasks at once, recruiting volunteers, tracking signups, sending reminders, assigning roles, and following up afterward. Fortunately, there’s a growing number of tools built specifically to help nonprofit and community-based organizations simplify this process.
Here’s a look at the best tech and tools available today to help you manage volunteers like a pro:
1. Volunteer Signup & Scheduling Tools
These platforms make it easy for volunteers to see what’s needed and sign up without the back-and-forth emails. Volunteers are busy, make it easy for them to see where they’re needed and when.
TallyCal
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Best for: Small to large event-based volunteer needs where participants submit their availability or signup to help.
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Key features: Quick and simple group scheduling polls, no registration required, clean and modern mobile responsive interface.
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Why we like it: Familiar to many volunteers, easy to use, and great for recurring events.
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Common use cases: School events, fundraisers, festivals, church groups.
Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar
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Why it helps: Sync volunteer events directly with individual calendars and send automatic invites or reminders.
Calendly (for shifts or interviews)
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Use case: One-on-one scheduling for training, onboarding, or interview slots.
2. Communication Platforms
Staying in touch with volunteers is essential for keeping them engaged and informed.
Slack or Microsoft Teams
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Use case: Internal team and volunteer lead coordination.
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Bonus: Create channels for different volunteer groups, share updates instantly, and integrate with other tools like Google Calendar.
Group Messaging Apps (Remind, WhatsApp, or GroupMe)
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Use case: Quick updates or last-minute changes before or during an event.
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Best for: Events with youth or family volunteers, where parents need real-time updates.
Mailchimp or Constant Contact
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Use case: Email campaigns and post-event follow-ups.
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Tip: Segment your list into active, new, and past volunteers to personalize outreach.
Google Workspace for Nonprofits
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Best for: Nonprofits of all sizes looking for a reliable, cloud-based platform to manage email, documents, meetings, and team collaboration—all under their own domain.
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Key features: Google Workspace for Nonprofits offers a suite of powerful tools, including free professional Gmail accounts with custom domains, shared calendars and scheduling through Google Calendar, real-time collaboration in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, secure cloud storage with Google Drive, video meetings via Google Meet (with support for up to 100 participants for free), and admin tools to manage users and permissions—all designed to help nonprofit teams work smarter and stay connected.
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Why we like it: It’s a powerful, budget-friendly solution that helps nonprofits operate like professional organizations. Seamless integration between tools makes collaboration smooth, especially for remote or distributed teams. And it's free for eligible nonprofits.
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Common use cases: Nonprofits use Google Workspace to manage volunteer and staff communication with branded email, collaborate on grant proposals, reports, and marketing content, schedule and host board or committee meetings via Google Meet, organize shared folders for different programs or events, and onboard new team members with centralized access to important documents and training materials.
3. Volunteer Management Software (VMS)
If you manage hundreds of volunteers or multiple events per year, a full-service volunteer management system may be worth the investment.
Galaxy Digital (Get Connected)
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Best for: Nonprofits and volunteer centers managing long-term or community-wide engagement.
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Features: Volunteer hour tracking, impact reporting, mobile check-in, and group management.
VolunteerHub
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Best for: Hospitals, museums, or organizations with regular, repeat volunteers.
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Features: Background checks, customizable volunteer portals, integration with CRMs like Salesforce.
Bloomerang Volunteer (formerly InitLive)
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Best for: Organizations looking to pair donor and volunteer tracking.
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Standout: Connects volunteer engagement with your fundraising data for a holistic picture.
Givebutter
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Best for: Nonprofits, student organizations, and mission-driven groups looking for a free, modern fundraising platform that combines donations, events, and donor engagement in one place.
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Key features: Customizable donation pages, peer-to-peer and team fundraising, event ticketing, livestreaming, and built-in marketing tools like email and text messaging—all with support for Venmo, PayPal, and credit card payments.
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Why we like it: Givebutter makes fundraising feel social and fun, with features like supporter messages, campaign thermometers, and easy sharing tools that boost participation. Plus, there are no platform fees, which means more dollars go directly to your cause.
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Common use cases: Running Giving Tuesday or year-end donation campaigns, organizing fundraising events with ticketing and livestreaming, empowering supporters to fundraise with personal or team pages, and managing donor communication through integrated outreach tools.
4. Waivers, Forms, and Check-In
Don’t forget the paperwork—digital tools make this painless (and paperless).
Jotform or Google Forms
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Use case: Digital waivers, availability surveys, interest forms.
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Bonus: Responses are stored automatically and easy to export.
Check-In Apps (VolunteerMark, Eventbrite check-in, or SignInSafe)
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Use case: On-site digital check-ins, attendance tracking, safety compliance.
5. Tracking Hours & Reporting
Showcase the impact your volunteers are making.
Track It Forward
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Best for: Schools, court-mandated programs, or volunteer-based scholarship requirements.
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Features: Mobile logging, approval flows, and hour verification.
Excel or Google Sheets (for smaller groups)
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When to use: If your group is under 50 volunteers, a well-structured spreadsheet may be all you need.
UpMetrics
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Best for: Nonprofits, foundations, and impact-driven organizations that want to track, analyze, and communicate the social impact of their volunteer programs and initiatives.
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Key features: Data centralization from many sources and custom dashboards.
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Why we like it: It's built for organizations that need to demonstrate impact to funders, boards, and the community. Its clean dashboards and storytelling capabilities help turn data into compelling narratives that inspire action.
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Common use cases: Nonprofits reporting volunteer and program outcomes to grantmakers, foundations tracking grantee performance and community impact, social enterprises measuring and visualizing mission-driven metrics, youth programs combining survey data with participation logs.
Real-World Use Cases:
Below are different types of organizations that are using tech tools:
School PTA, Food Bank, Charity Walk/Race, Faith Group, Youth Sports, Municipal Event Team
Final Thoughts
Managing volunteers doesn’t have to be chaotic. The right combination of tools can help you recruit, organize, and engage your volunteers, while freeing up time to focus on your mission.
Start simple: choose one or two tools that solve your most urgent pain points. Then build from there. Because when your volunteers feel supported, they’re far more likely to return, and bring friends.
Also, don't forget to ask if the software company offers a discount for nonprofits!