Volunteer management software plays a vital role in helping nonprofits run their volunteer programs smoothly and efficiently. However, not all solutions offer the same level of functionality and support, and selecting a solution can become overwhelming. When evaluating volunteer management platforms, it’s crucial to consider key factors such as features, flexibility, and customer support to find the best fit for your organization’s needs. VolunteerHub and Volunteer Impact by Better Impact are two well-known options on the market.
In this post, we’ll compare VolunteerHub and Volunteer Impact by Better Impact to help you make an informed decision.
About VolunteerHub
Since 1996, VolunteerHub has been helping nonprofits better recruit, engage, and manage volunteer constituents. VolunteerHub is a comprehensive volunteer management software that offers features such as volunteer registration, scheduling, communication, kiosk, and reporting. It is highly customizable and scalable to meet the needs of organizations across all nonprofit verticals.
VolunteerHub offers a variety of features to streamline volunteer management, including:
- Volunteer management
- Event management
- Volunteer recruitment, registration, scheduling
- Volunteer communication
- Reporting
Key VolunteerHub Features
- Custom Volunteer Event Landing Pages: create unlimited, intuitive landing pages that never expire and are tailored to the volunteer groups your organization serves. Enhance the experience with custom graphics, unique color schemes, and branding that reflects their identity.
- Comprehensive Volunteer Database and Profiles: Access and manage volunteer information securely from anywhere with an internet connection. Easily store volunteer information as well as administrative notes, waivers, and files.
- CRM Integration: Seamlessly connect VolunteerHub with industry-leading CRM platforms, including all Blackbaud CRM and Salesforce, to streamline data management.
- Zapier: Connect VolunteerHub with thousands of other applications to streamline tasks, automate workflows, and save time on repetitive processes.
- Volunteer Tracking: Gain a comprehensive view of volunteer contributions by tracking and monitoring activities, hours, and donations.
- Workflows: Add automation to your VolunteerHub site by setting up customized triggers and actions to streamline workflows and save time.
- Configurable Forms: Create custom form fields tailored to specific volunteer groups, improving data collection.
- Gamification: Enhance your reward and recognition process by assigning points to volunteer opportunities and showcasing top contributors on a leaderboard, fostering motivation and engagement.
- Email / Text Notifications: Remind, notify, and thank volunteers via automated email and text notifications, ensuring consistent and timely communication.
- Multiple Volunteer Check-In Options: VolunteerHub makes the check-in process easy and engaging for volunteers while eliminating constraints for coordinators. The platform allows self-check-in, administrative check-in, or both.
- Unlimited Non-Active Volunteers: Once a twelve-month span of time has passed where a user has not signed up for an event, the system automatically designates them as an inactive user, which no longer counts toward your plan's user limit.
What VolunteerHub Customers Say
Customer reviews on Capterra (4.3/5 stars) mention the following benefits:
VolunteerHub Strengths
- Ease of use and intuitive design
- Blackbaud partner for a decade
- Unlimited non-active volunteers
- Unlimited landing pages
- Useful report functionality
- Points system for volunteer recognition
- Centralized storage for waivers and volunteer information
- Event sign-up and group communication features
- Unlimited landing page and non-active volunteers
- Available in Zapier
- 30-day money-back guarantee
VolunteerHub Limitations
- Currently, VolunteerHub does not have a volunteer app but does provide a unified web-based experience across all device types.
- Some users would prefer offline access to the database.
- There may be a learning curve for new admins who have not used a volunteer management solution before or who are not tech-savvy.
- VolunteerHub is best equipped to support large organizations, some small organizations with tight budgets may find the cost high.
Capterra Featured Testimonial Insights
- My overall experience has been phenomenal. I think the platform works very well for our organization and the support team is top-notch.
- We love how customizable it is and how we can make it match all of our other branding. We felt VolunteerHub offered us the most options of any other available software.
- VolunteerHub offers excellent customer service, and they are always open to feedback. Not only do they work directly with their clients, but they also have a fast turnaround and frequently apply client feedback to improve the site.
- We operate a pantry and homeless shelter and have approximately 450 active volunteers plus host about 75 volunteer groups a year. After a pretty exhaustive search, we settled on VolunteerHub and signed on about 9 months ago. We love this platform. It's easy to use and has all the features we need.
Published Case Studies for VolunteerHub
VolunteerHub has a large collection of customer success stories and recorded testimonials, showcasing the real-world impact and value of the software. With 44 case studies from a diverse range of organizations across various sectors, our volunteer management software has proven value in supporting volunteer programs across different industries.
Check out all VolunteerHub Case Studies
About Volunteer Impact by Better Impact
Volunteer Impact by Better Impact is a volunteer management solution that caters to nonprofits, municipalities, and other organizations seeking to engage volunteers effectively. The platform offers core features such as volunteer scheduling, hour tracking, and automated communication. Better Impact has been serving volunteer services teams with reliable volunteer management software, since 2000.
Key Volunteer Impact Features
- Volunteer Scheduling: Manage shifts with flexible scheduling options.
- Volunteer Profiles: Store detailed volunteer information, including skills, availability, and preferences.
- Automated Communications: Send email reminders and updates to volunteers.
- Hour Tracking: Log and report volunteer hours for internal and external reporting needs.
- Volunteer Portal: Allow volunteers to view opportunities, update personal information, and sign up for shifts through an online portal.
Capterra Featured Testimonial Insights
- The software has streamlined our volunteer tracking, before this we had a spreadsheet volunteers would fill in by hand and then we would spend time entering the data at the end of the month.
- As an admin, Better Impact is quite good. Pretty easy to set up and start using. It is fairly flexible and customizable, but it has some limitations in this area.
- The software is still young so some of the functionality that I sometimes would like is not yet there.
- It's a little cumbersome for volunteers to see all the opportunities. There isn't a simple calendar to view everything.
Volunteer Impact Strengths
- Flexible Volunteer Scheduling
- Customizable Volunteer Applications
- Detailed Reporting
- Automated Communication Tools
- A decent solution for small organizations, offering a range of features at a reasonable investment. (For larger organizations, managing many volunteers, the price can grow quickly)
- Integration with their other software offerings (donor impact, member impact, client impact)
Volunteer Impact Limitations
- Offers limited customization options, making it less adaptable to unique organizational needs.
- Often requires exporting data for further analysis, limiting real-time insights.
- Does not support major CRM platforms like Blackbaud or Salesforce and lacks integration with automation tools like Zapier.
- Implementation, client success, and support costs are extra.
- Annual account reviews cost extra.
- No dedicated mobile app for volunteers.
- Limits on the number of inactive volunteers in the system, requiring organizations to upgrade plans or remove archived volunteers.
- No calendar view for volunteers to see upcoming opportunities.
- Some volunteers say that the platform UI could be improved.
- Some admins say that the platform is slow and has a “clunky” design.
Published Case Studies
Better Impact has 19 case studies available on its marketing site for Volunteer Impact. With more than double the number of case studies, VolunteerHub provides a broader range of examples, demonstrating how organizations across many nonprofit verticals have achieved volunteer management success using the platform.
VolunteerHub and Volunteer Impact Price Comparison
When comparing the pricing models of VolunteerHub and Volunteer Impact by Better Impact, several key differences emerge. Volunteer Impact’s pricing is based on the number of active volunteers and administrators, which can increase costs as your program grows. Additionally, limitations such as the number of inactive volunteers and restricted administrative users may require frequent plan upgrades, adding to the overall expense.
In contrast, VolunteerHub offers a more flexible and transparent pricing structure. With VolunteerHub, your organization benefits from unlimited administrators and inactive volunteers—only counting active volunteers toward your plan’s limit. This approach helps nonprofits better manage large or seasonal volunteer databases without unexpected fees.
Here is a more in-depth comparison:
Volunteer Impact’s pricing can be somewhat confusing when using their “create a quote” tool. For organizations managing up to 2,500 volunteers, the base pricing starts at around $3,400 annually. However, optional features and services such as onboarding, annual account reviews, and training come at an additional cost. Organizations seeking to manage up to 2,500 volunteers while also benefiting from data import, implementation support, and training can expect to pay $4,800 or more annually for Volunteer Impact.
VolunteerHub offers three plans—Plus, Pro, and Enterprise—tailored to the number of volunteers an organization manages. For organizations managing up to 2,500 volunteers, the Plus plan is $288 per month (billed annually) plus a setup fee, and it includes implementation, ongoing support, and a designated client success contact.
VolunteerHub vs. Volunteer Impact by Better Impact Takeaways
Both VolunteerHub and Volunteer Impact by Better Impact are popular volunteer management solutions designed to help nonprofits streamline their operations and enhance volunteer engagement. However, selecting the right platform depends on your organization’s specific needs. VolunteerHub stands out with its easy-to-understand pricing model, unlimited administrators and inactive volunteers, advanced CRM integrations, and UI, making it a great choice for mid-sized to large nonprofits or those planning to scale.
Volunteer Impact by Better Impact offers core functionality but comes with limitations in areas like customization, workflows, and integrations. Additionally, organizations should factor in the extra fees for essential services such as onboarding, training, and annual account reviews when evaluating the total cost of ownership.
Ultimately, the solution your organization selects should align with your program goals.
