“Since implementing VolunteerHub, we’ve experienced fantastic results. Our volunteers love the tool, and it makes it so much easier to serve our community.”
~Julia Wallis, Volunteer Coordinator at Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative
Broad Street Ministry is very serious about its commitment to providing “radical hospitality” to vulnerable individuals in Philadelphia. The organization serves approximately 65,000 meals a year. Broad Street doesn’t stop there; the team also delivers services to approximately 5,000 guests per year including 83,500 pieces of mail to 2,805 mail participants and distributes over 7,800 personal care bags each year.
With big initiatives like these, it’s no surprise that volunteers are an integral part of operations. Over 7,000 new volunteers lend their time annually, and the list continues to grow. Activities range from plating and serving meals to hosting the dining room, to distributing clothing and personal care items. Needless to say, there is plenty of work to be done.
Expansion Leads to Change
In late 2014, the organization’s volunteer list had grown so large that spreadsheets could no longer keep everything organized.
“We knew there had to be a better way to organize volunteers and events,” recalled Julia Wallis. “After speaking to a few other nonprofits and doing a lot of research, it was overwhelmingly obvious that VolunteerHub was the most popular volunteer management software available.”
Broad Street was looking for more than just a simple database to record volunteer information. It needed a powerful, cloud-based solution that also integrated with its CRM (eTapestry).
“Integration with eTapestry was extremely important to us. Before VolunteerHub, we had to manually enter everything into our CRM. Now, VolunteerHub does all the work for us,” said Wallis. “We also love the fact that VolunteerHub uses a self-registration model, which alleviates the administrative burden traditionally placed on the volunteer coordinator’s shoulders.”
Smooth Implementation & Happy Volunteers
“Volunteers started using the new system in January 2015,” commented Julia. “Since then, we’ve heard nothing but positive remarks about VolunteerHub. Volunteers especially appreciate the automatic email reminders, which help them to stay organized.”
An important part of this smooth transition can be attributed to VolunteerHub’s flexible user group feature.
“VolunteerHub allows us to reserve a certain number of slots for our groups that regularly send volunteers. This allows us to plan for a headcount but still be welcoming to new faces,” said Julia.
And, after the “new faces” are done helping, Broad Street hands out informational cards, encouraging supporters to visit the organization’s site and register for future events. This simple, yet effective process has resulted in an increased level of engagement and a reduction in volunteer churn.
A Perfect Fit with Radical Hospitality
Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative’s focus is on offering fulfilling experiences for individuals. Now, thanks to VolunteerHub, the volunteer experience is even more fulfilling than ever before.
“VolunteerHub is worth the investment,” said Julia Wallis. “Not only has it freed up more of our staff’s time, it has also, more importantly, allowed our volunteers to contribute even more to our cause. This all adds up to a better community.”
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