A Smarter Way to Manage Service Hours with Affordable School Volunteer Software

Written by Jordan Galerkin

Managing student service hours or parent volunteer hours shouldn’t require extra manual work. If you're still using spreadsheets, Google Forms, or pen and paper to track and verify hours, it might be time to upgrade. That’s where Track it Forward comes in: an affordable, easy-to-use volunteer tracking software for schools.

Many schools require students to complete community service hours in order to graduate or require parents to complete annual volunteer hours to receive a tuition discount. In these cases, accuracy and accessibility are non-negotiable. Tallying up hours by hand can be time-consuming and may result in errors.

Tracking volunteer hours should support your school's mission, not steal time away from mentorship, planning, or community engagement.

A Solution Built for Budget-Conscious Schools

Schools that use pen and paper or Google Forms are often looking for a cost-effective solution for service hours tracking. These processes can work for a very small number of parents or students, or if service hours are not a requirement. However, for any school that is looking to promote student volunteerism and increase parent engagement, a transparent and easy-to-use software solution can be worth the investment

Track it Forward offers powerful features at a fraction of the cost of most school software platforms. With different plan tiers, schools can choose their features. Track it Forward offers everything you need in a school volunteer management platform and nothing you don't.

Key Features Include:

Mobile App: Students or parents log hours on-the-go
Event Calendar: Create events and collect RSVPs
Custom Hour Goals: Set requirements by grade level or program
Hours Verification: Via email, photo, signature, or GPS
Mass Communication: Send mass emails or texts to volunteers
Progress Dashboards: Ealy see who is on track to complete requirements
Custom Reports: Run reports on volunteer activity and progress
Secure Integrations: Incorporate single sign-on and secure rostering

Use Cases for Student Service Hours or Parent Involvement Programs

Track it Forward is completely customizable and works for both student service hour requirements and parent volunteer programs.

For student service programs, the focus is often on graduation requirements or honors society qualifications. Schools can set hour milestones, require supervisor verification, and set up a custom community service directory to ensure hours are verified. With mobile logging, students can submit hours directly after completing them, even submitting a GPS location or digital signature on-site. Dashboards make it easy for staff to see who is on track and who may need reminders before the end of the term.

Administrators can customize hour requirements by household type (e.g., single vs. two-parent households), grade level, or financial aid status. A software platform like Track it Forward can improve accountability, communication, and reporting for schools.

Saving Time and Improving Accuracy

Track it Forward eliminates the need to manually enter data or answer volunteer questions like "how many hours do I have?" It's a simple, affordable solution that's straightforward and easy to set up. Get started in minutes with a self-serve free trial or set up an onboarding call with our highly rated customer success team.

Streamline school service hours tracking by setting up approval workflows, delegating event creation, and automating event reminders and notifications. Parents, students, and staff will thank you for implementing an easy-to-use solution.

"I absolutely love how convenient it is to sign up for upcoming events at my children’s school. The tracker for hours is perfect because it lets me know how far along I am in completing my volunteer hours. The website is very user friendly." —Parent Volunteer at St. Anthony of Padua School

Photo of parent helping child with homework

Get started with a smarter system!

You don’t need a huge budget or an IT team to implement effective volunteer tracking. You just need the right tool. Track it Forward is the affordable volunteer tracking software for schools that want to simplify service hour management and get back to what matters most.

FAQ: Affordable Volunteer Tracking for Schools

What makes Track it Forward an affordable volunteer platform for schools?

Track it Forward offers multiple plan options with different features so schools can choose the plan that works best for them. View all our plans and pricing here.

Is this software suitable for both student and parent volunteer tracking?

Yes! Track it Forward works for both use cases. It supports student service hour verification workflows, as well as required hours for parent involvement programs.

Can multiple family members track hours together?

Yes. Families can have multiple members log hours toward the same requirement, and administrators can customize rules based on household type, number of children, or financial aid status.

What hours verification options are available?

Track it Forward offers several ways for volunteers to verify their hours. The hours can be submitted onsite with a supervisor signature, a GPS location, or a photo. In addition, hours submissions can be sent to a supervisor via email for approval.

What reporting tools are available?

Admins can run custom reports by date range, user, group, event, or milestone. Reports are downloadable and ready for board meetings, audits, or parent updates.

Is Track it Forward FERPA compliant?

Yes. Data is securely hosted in the U.S. and the platform includes role-based permissions to protect student and family information.

Does Track it Forward offer a free trial?

Yes. Schools can start with a free trial to explore features before purchasing, with no commitment or credit card required to sign up. Start your free trial today!