What are the questions a non-profit may (should) have when thinking about how to manage its volunteers? The following is a list of questions, and answers, in support for the May 28 CPA Conference on Volunteer Management Systems.

Questioning, Who?

Let’s start with some context and definitions. These questions are meant to be the ‘laundry-list’ for the Systematically Herding Cats and Volunteers on May 28, 2024 conference. They may/will be asked by panelists, moderator, or audience members. The presenters (Flying-Canoe and VolunteerLocal) will answer although responses may also come from other presenters and the audience.

What is A VMS? and Other Definitions

For the May 28th conference, the following definition is being used. Note that this definition is technology agnostic. A loose leaf binder or the most advanced online system would both fall into this definition.

A Volunteer Management System (VMS) is an integrated collection of
… Organizational Governance-Methods, Policies, and Cultural Norms, that…
… Ensures the optimal operation of organizational …
… People, Processes, and Procedures via…
… Manual, automated, and implicit Systems that…
… Covers the Entire Volunteer Lifecycle …
… Resulting in the lowest possible Burden of Volunteering.

1. Questioning, Who?
2. What is A VMS? and Other Definitions
3. Where on the VMS Continuum?
4. Systematically Managing Volunteers
5. Build Versus Buy
6. Implementation and Integrations
7. Skills and Sustainability
8. Total Cost of Ownership
9. Other VMS Considerations
10. References and Further Reading
    1. Further Reading

Where on the VMS Continuum?

1. How does an organization know where they should be along the VMS Range?
2. When does an organization need to consider moving from Auto-Manual to paying for a VMS?
3. Volunteer organizations come in three general flavours: operational, a food bank; event-driven, Flying Canoe; and episodic, the Red Cross. Does one flavour need a more sophisticated system, further to the right, than another?
4. When should an organization regress back towards the left?

Systematically Managing Volunteers

1. How much does a non-profit need to adapt its process to use a SAAS; how much should it adopt the best practices of the Vendor?
2. Flying Canoe benefited from Wendy’s experience; what if you don’t have a Wendy?
3. Is there a set of Google Forms, or the like, an organization can download as templates?
4. Do most vendors offer features that are “a la carte”?
5. What are the most important SAAS features to implement as soon as possible and what features can be delayed?
6. How do different generations view using a VMS; who are ready and late adopters?
7. How much say should you current, or future, volunteers have in the selection of a VMS?
8. The Birkie relies on long-standing volunteers who are often friends of the lead volunteer; how can a SAAS cater to such a volunteer population?

Build Versus Buy

1. If an organization is looking at creating an Auto-Manual, what are other options in addition to Google Forms?
2. Should an organization implement Google Workspace or just use a GMail account before creating volunteer forms?
3. How many SAAS vendors are there in the marketplace?
4. Is there value in building a prototype VMS before implementing a SAAS?
5. How easy is it to set up and migrate to SAAS?
6. How difficult is it to switch SAAS-vendors?
7. Are there group purchase plans through associations, etc.
8. Is sharing a VMS a viable option for smaller non-profits; what are the benefits, challenges, and risks of doing this?

Implementation and Integrations

1. How long does it take to implement a SAAS?
2. Do SAAS integrate to other systems (donation, newsletter, etc.)?
3. How should the VMS support promotional activities including social media integration?
4. Some SAAS offer a smart phone application, do volunteers use it and what type of volunteers are most likely to use it?
5. What is the most common cause for a VMS Project to fail; what is the biggest source of buyer remorse from SAAS projects?

Skills and Sustainability

1. What are the skills needed for each of the points along the VMS-Range?
2. What are the sustainability risks associated with each point?
3. How has Flying-Canoe documented its VMS for the day that Wendy moves on?
4. Is there a ‘VMS’ school or do organizations need to rely primarily on the vendor or their own experiences?
5. Who should keep volunteer information up to date and how is this done along the VMS continuum?

Total Cost of Ownership

1. What are the typical pricing models for a VMS?
2. How much does a VMS cost to implement and then to run?
3. Bookkeepers and treasurers are challenging to find for a non-profit, are we creating another hard to fill role by implementing a sophisticated VMS?

Other VMS Considerations

1. Who is responsible for compliance with privacy legislation along the VMS Range?
2. What happens to the data and the system if the vendor goes bankrupt or shuts down?
3. How can a VMS (any type) support the Occupational, Health, and Safety obligations of an organization?
4. If documentation is required from volunteers (driver’s license, criminal records check, etc.) should these be stored in the VMS?
5. Do volunteers respond to gamification and if so, how can the VMS support this?
6. What Information Security Certifications should I ask for from a SAAS, what is the equivalent for an Auto-Manual?
7. Why are there so many SAAS Vendors in the marketplace?

References and Further Reading

SAAS Vendors are generous in sharing information. Of course, the ultimate focus is to buy their product, but advice can be gleaned.

Two go to sources of information are as follows.

1. Volunteer Management Software Buyers Guide – Capterra. This is a Gartner sub-division which specializes in software. As of writing, their survey is a bit stale (2019).
2. Volunteer Management Software – Get App. Acquired by Gartner in 2015, GetApp is similar to Capterra in providing software reviews.

Further Reading

• Things to Consider When Buying a Volunteer Management System. Despite coming from a vendor, a good overview of the selection process.