Is Your Volunteer Management Software Too Complex? | Track It Forward

Is Your Volunteer Management Software Too Complex?

Written by Kasey Murphy

Volunteer Management Software Systems are designed to be big, robust, and do it all. From volunteer recruitment to volunteer time tracking and even onboarding and training. Volunteer management software systems aim to help volunteer coordinators with every aspect of their job. 

But, is this too much? 

In some cases, the answer is very obvious - yes. Volunteer Management Software is not ideal for all organizations, because not all organizations can fit into one mold of using the same software system. And, beyond that - having one software system to EVERY single aspect is a lot to ask, especially if you are wanting the volunteer management software to be easy to use. 

This brings us to the question - is your volunteer management software system too complex to be beneficial? If you answer yes to any of the following questions, we think you better stick around for the rest of the article. 

  • Do you find you’ve put more effort into learning your software setup than actually analyzing how well the software works with your organization? 

  • Does your volunteer management software system have long webinars or multi-part classes to try to teach you how to use the software, or about updates? 

  • Have you been using volunteer management software for a few months, and are still confused about using it? 

  • Does your volunteer software system feel like it is forcing you to work a certain way, or set up does not correlate with your organization’s workflow? 

  • Have you struggled to see how your volunteer management system is providing value to your organization that is done better or more efficiently than yourself? 

These questions are a great starting point to tell if your volunteer management software is not the best fit for you or your organization, especially if it is too complex. 

Features of Complexity From A Volunteer Management Software

Is your volunteer management software too complex? Do you find you’ve put more effort into learning your software setup than actually analyzing how well the software works with your organization? Software set-up is too specific and taking up more time than it should be. Does your volunteer management software system have long webinars or multi-part classes to try to teach you how to use the software or about updates? If volunteer management systems need a lot of explanation, including webinars and additional resources beyond support help - it will probably be quite difficult to figure out. Have you been using volunteer management software for a few months, and are still confused about using it? After set-up, volunteer management software should be able to work smoothly. If not, it might be too clunky & time-consuming. Does your volunteer software system feel like it is forcing you to work a certain way, or set up does not correlate with your organization’s workflow? Volunteer Management Systems should help your organization the way it is, not claim to help your organization, all while trying to change the way you work and manage your organization. Have you struggled to see how your volunteer management system is providing value to your organization that is done better or more efficiently than yourself? Volunteer Management Software should provide value: either automate a task, help prevent error, save time, or enhance volunteerism value. If it doesn't, it's not worth it.

Volunteer Management software systems are robust, but this does not mean that they have to be complex. The difference between robust and complex, all depends on how the volunteer management software system is working for your organization and for you, as an administrator of both the volunteer management software and the volunteer program. 

If your volunteer management software is too complex, and you feel you aren’t getting the value of your volunteer management software - it is important to evaluate why! Volunteer management software should provide value in at least one way. As mentioned above, the value might be in the form of: 

  • Automating tasks 

  • Preventing error 

  • Save time 

  • Enhancing volunteerism value 

Volunteer management software systems are meant to help improve the tasks of volunteer managers, in any way they can. If the software is not doing that in any effective way or is making you jump through hoops and reorganize your organization just to do this, it’s too complex and you can find a better solution! 

While volunteer management software systems are going to take time to learn, there is a big difference between taking time to learn, and not being able to understand unless devoting a majority of your time to the software. 

It is so important to keep this in mind when looking at onboarding and starting to evaluate volunteer management software. You want to be able to see exactly how the software works if it seems easy to use and if it looks like it will look like a good fit for your organization, and your needs as a volunteer manager. 

A great way to do this is to book video calls, see the software, and even start a trial to try to set up the volunteer management software yourself! 

If you are interested in learning more about what to find when looking for volunteer management software, check out these articles.

Any software system that tries to complete too many tasks within the same program might be a bit too complex - you should not ever feel like you are putting more work into the software than what it is delivering! 

If you are looking for a tool that is going to help you as a volunteer manager, but not be too complex- consider not looking for robust volunteer management software, but instead looking at specific software like volunteer tracking software!