The City and County of Broomfield Uses VolunteerHub to Manage 1,000 Volunteers Across 120 Roles

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The City and County of Broomfield, located just outside of Denver, serves a growing community of approximately 75,000 residents. Volunteers play a critical role in supporting city programs—from youth recreation and senior services to victim advocacy and community events—helping the city deliver meaningful services across departments.

Our Director of Marketing, Eric Burger, sat down with Mark W. Smith, CVA, Volunteer Coordination Specialist, to discuss how the City and County of Broomfield manages nearly 1,000 volunteers across more than 120 roles—and how VolunteerHub helps their team stay organized, efficient, and responsive across the entire organization.

Can You Share a Little Bit About the City and County of Broomfield?

Mark: We’re a small city and county outside of Denver with about 75,000 residents, and we’re kind of like a mini Mayberry. Our residents support a lot of the different programs that we have.

Some of the most impactful programs include our recreation coaches—we have over 2,000 youth who work with volunteer coaches throughout the year. We also have an incredible victim advocate program with volunteers on call 365 days a year for crises.

On top of that, we have volunteers delivering Meals on Wheels, supporting our senior center, and helping across many different programs. There are a lot of amazing things happening, and volunteers are at the center of it all.

What Does Your Role as Volunteer Coordination Specialist Look Like Day to Day?

Mark:  I’m essentially the onboarding person for anyone who wants to volunteer with the City and County of Broomfield. I’m their first point of contact. People either apply through VolunteerHub or find us through our website. From there, we process background checks, gather more information, and—one of the best parts—we’re able to see their interests and help match them with the right opportunities.

Once onboarding is complete, I connect them with the appropriate coordinator or department so they can get started.

What Challenges Did You Face Managing Volunteers Across Departments Before VolunteerHub?

Mark: One of the biggest challenges is simply the scale and complexity. We have nearly 1,000 volunteers and over 120 different position descriptions. Keeping track of all of that—especially across departments—is really difficult without a system. If you had to look up all of those details every time or manage it through paper forms, it would be incredibly inefficient. In the past, organizations relied on paper applications, waivers, and sign-ups, but that’s just a much clunkier system than it needs to be today.

How Has VolunteerHub Helped Streamline Your Processes?

Mark: I had used VolunteerHub extensively in a previous role, and it solved a lot of problems for us there. So coming into Broomfield, I already understood what the platform could do. It’s been a huge time saver and has brought accountability across departments. Instead of trying to track everything manually, we now have a centralized place where all that information lives.

For example, in our police department, onboarding used to take up to two months. Now, with VolunteerHub, we’ve streamlined the entire process and can often get volunteers fully onboarded in less than five days.

How Has VolunteerHub's Automation Changed the Way You Manage Volunteers?

Mark: Automation has been a game-changer for us. One example is workflows. When we were recruiting for boards and commissions, we set up a workflow so that anyone who visited that page in VolunteerHub was automatically grouped. That allowed me to follow up directly with the right information.

We found that about 80% of those people were actually interested in applying. Without that automation, we would have had to guess. Instead, nobody fell through the cracks. Reminder emails are another big one. They go out automatically, so staff don’t have to worry about forgetting to follow up. Volunteers can confirm or cancel with one click, which removes a lot of uncertainty.

We also automate waivers and follow-ups, which saves time for both staff and volunteers.

How Has VolunteerHub Improved the Volunteer Experience?

Mark: One of the most important things in volunteer engagement is making sure people feel valued—that they’re needed, wanted, and appreciated. VolunteerHub helps us deliver that experience. It makes it easy for volunteers to sign up, complete requirements, and get started quickly. It also gives them flexibility. They can manage their own schedules, respond to reminders, and report their hours easily. That creates a much smoother and more positive experience overall.

What Feedback Do You Hear from Staff and Volunteers About VolunteerHub?

Mark: We see really strong feedback from both staff and volunteers. Volunteers—including many seniors—have no issues using the system. They can sign up, complete waivers, and report hours without difficulty.

For staff, one of the biggest benefits is efficiency. They can copy an event from last year, make a few edits, and it’s ready to go. That saves a ton of time and effort. Everything is streamlined into one system, which makes a big difference.

What Has Your Experience Been with the VolunteerHub Team?

Mark: Exceptional. You have such an incredible team at VolunteerHub. They’re very knowledgeable, and I often joke that I get a response within about 60 seconds of submitting a ticket.

Jennifer has been incredible—she almost knows what I’m going to ask before I ask it. When we onboarded our boards and commissions this year, her recommendations made the process much easier, and everything worked without a single issue.

Matthew has also been there to support us with deeper questions, and I really appreciate that Cailyn reaches out every year to check in and make sure everything is going well.

Anytime we share feedback, your team listens—and often we see improvements down the road that make things even easier.

How Would You Describe the Return on Investment of VolunteerHub?

Mark: There’s no way we could do the job we do without VolunteerHub. From managing position descriptions and permissions to supporting dozens of events across departments, everything runs through the system.

Our Open Space and Trails team alone runs over 50 events a year. Without VolunteerHub, trying to manage that through paperwork would be incredibly difficult. It saves time, improves accuracy, and allows us to operate at a much higher level.

What Has Been the Biggest Impact Since Implementing VolunteerHub?

Mark: Automation, without a doubt. Things like connecting waivers to specific events, setting age restrictions, and sending reminders automatically have made a huge difference. Staff don’t have to chase down information or worry about missing something. Everything works together seamlessly. And honestly, that’s the goal—you shouldn’t feel bogged down by the system. It should just work.

How Can Someone Get Involved with Volunteering in Broomfield?

Mark: The best place to start is at Broomfield.org. You can browse volunteer opportunities by department and learn more about what’s available. From there, you’ll be directed to VolunteerHub to complete your application and get started. We have opportunities ranging from one-time events to ongoing roles, so there’s something for everyone.

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