Technology for non-profits is my mission. Complex activities require powerful tools. It's time to move beyond the spreadsheet!

Do you run programs and have volunteers who come in regularly? Are you wondering whether you should invest in some scheduling tools to streamline your volunteer management process? If you answered yes to either of these questions, read on!

Digital scheduling tools are getting more and more accessible and the simple reality is that you shouldn't settle for spreadsheets. No matter how small your organization and budget.

Volunteer coordinators and non-profit managers who are eager to make their organization more effective, who aren't afraid of learning something new, and who believe whole-heartedly in their organization's cause, are the people who Purposely was made for.

You, my do-gooding friend, deserve the peace of mind that purpose-built technology can deliver.

What's the problem?

A lot of volunteer coordinators reach out to me with one of the following problems: They say,  "I'm using a scheduling tool that wasn't made for volunteers," or "A lot of my time is spent on simple tasks like tallying up volunteer hours or sending reminder emails, and I have to say no to work that would feel more impactful."

If you have problems like this, you're in luck. Solutions exist! At Purposely, we've rolled out the beta  version (that means free!!) of our scheduling tools and we're really excited about the prospect of automating tasks and delivering that smooth-sailing feeling.

And I'm not even trying to sell Purposely right now - what really matters most to me is that nonprofits are maximizing their impact. That volunteers are having a great, seamless experience. That staff at nonprofits aren't worrying about details that they shouldn't need to worry about.

There are a handful of great options out there including, I believe, Purposely. Do your homework and choose the best one for your needs, or just dive right in and give some free trials a whirl.

If you're still skeptical about trying out an app for volunteer management, because perhaps your spreadsheet and emailing routine 'works just fine,' give the following objections a scan:

"My organization is too small"

What's the problem here? You don't think you deserve peace of mind? Don't be so hard on yourself.

Alright, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. What you're saying is that you don't have a ton of volunteers so you don't think you need 'high powered tech'.

Yet, if you're spending time every day or a few times a week sending out simple reminder emails, you can save time.

If you're building schedules, tracking volunteer availability and requests, and double-checking details with volunteers, whoa-boy you can save time!

If you're tracking volunteer hours and running numbers on shift-counts:

You. can. save. time!

"My spreadsheet or paper system is good enough"

Alright I'll admit it: there may be a situation where your spreadsheet or paper system is good enough, and tech like Purposely isn't right for you.

If you have 1-4 volunteers that come in once a week or less, this isn't right for you. If you don't send reminder emails, track hours, or build weekly schedules, a digital volunteer management tool isn't a good fit.

Trust me, the last thing I want to do is waste the time of nonprofits who do amazing work, and the hardworking people who make that happen. If Purposely isn't a good fit for you, I'll tell you.

We made this for people who need this, and nobody else.

"I wouldn't know where to start"

Hey that's fair! It's often a whole new world - new tech options.

Some of us (me, tbh) love exploring tech. When I worked in a handful of nonprofits, I always looked for new tech options that would help us track stakeholders, plan events, and give volunteers a great experience. I loved it, and that's why I work at Purposely!

But not everyone's like me and I frankly appreciate that. A world of Alex's would be confusing and scary. I've had that dream and it was unsettling.

So, you're feeling a little overwhelmed and intimidated by the prospect, and you're worried that you'll waste your organization's resources, your volunteer's time, and your own energy.

Play around on our demo: Reach out to me and I can get you set up on our specially-designed Demo website - it's a playground with bot volunteers where you can try everything out.

Start with one program: It's called a pilot test! Try Purposely out with a handful of your most compassionate, tech-friendly, or eager volunteers.

Just create an account and start poking around: Most options have a free account or trial period so you can see how it looks and feels before you make a decision.

"The options are too expensive" or "We're a non-profit, we can't afford the fancy employee management software"

Fair! Most options are too expensive. When I was a volunteer coordinator, that's why I used spreadsheets, too.

That's why Purposely is free, and in future, we'll have a full free version for smaller organizations, and we'll be totally affordable for those who need more complex tools. We are, and aim to continue to be, the most affordable option available to non-profits.

That said, lots of options are increasingly focused on providing what you need at a price point you can afford. If it's been a while since you last looked at options, you might be pleasantly surprised!

"My volunteers won't use it"

Don't underestimate your volunteers!

I ran a major political campaign, and I made the mistake of thinking that my older, retired, & baby-boomer volunteers wouldn't be able to use the technology that our campaign was running on, and that they'd need to take on other tasks, or be offered a simplified format.

I was SO wrong. They were all totally happy to learn the tools of the trade. They wanted to make an impact, they were motivated by their support of the cause, and they were simply more tech savvy than I expected. Keep an eye out for a future blog post that I'm writing on this subject!

Suffice it to say, your volunteers are motivated to help you and the mission of your organization. More often than not, they'll gladly take a little extra time to sign up to a service, create a profile, keep their information up-to-date, and select their shifts from the app.

And this is may be my most important point: oldschool tech was hard to use. New technology, like Purposely, is designed for everyone. It's actually super easy for older or non-tech savvy volunteers to use tech!

So, I think you should give it a try.

I know that scheduling management tools might not be for you. If that's the case, I don't want you to waste your time exploring options! But if you might benefit from tools like Purposely offers, I really believe that we can help you do more good in the world.

Feel free to reach out to me at amcgowan@purposely.ca, and check out what Purposely offers at https://purposely.ca.

Alex McGowan is the Director of Community and Partnerships at Purposely, and a seasoned volunteer coordinator by trade. He's always excited to talk about volunteer coordination and would love to hear your ideas about this blog or any other volunteer-related topic. You can connect with him by email at amcgowan@purposely.ca or on LinkedIn.