The Challenge
The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) struggled with managing a large pool of volunteers using outdated methods involving 50 different spreadsheets and paper-based processes. This approach was not only time-consuming but also resulted in unreliable information for reporting. The inability to accurately demonstrate the significant contributions of volunteers impacted BSL's success in gaining buy-in from the Board and Executives for budget requests. "Using spreadsheets and paper reduced our ability to demonstrate the significant contribution of volunteers. This impacted our success with gaining buy-in from Board and Executives with budget requests," said Tracey O’Neill, Senior Manager of Volunteer Engagement.
The Solution
BSL sought a more efficient and reliable volunteer management solution, leading them to choose Volunteer Impact from Better Impact. "Choosing Volunteer Impact (the product) and Better Impact (the company) was an easy decision!" said Tracey O’Neill. The decision was driven by the need for a system that could handle their large volunteer base, streamline processes, and provide real-time information. After implementing Volunteer Impact, BSL experienced significant improvements in their volunteer management processes. "We are shaving weeks off our onboarding for volunteers. With Volunteer Impact our process is quicker as we can see everything in real-time and follow up with those who are yet to complete training or need to be re-screened," remarked Tracey O’Neill.
The Results
The implementation of Volunteer Impact has revolutionized BSL's volunteer management. The system's customizable and adaptable features have allowed BSL to update processes as their needs change. "Volunteer Impact is an exceptional customizable and adaptable product that we can continue to update as our needs change, or we refine processes," said Tracey O’Neill. Metrics show that BSL now manages over 2,500 staff and volunteers, 54 volunteer roles, and 49 volunteer programs more efficiently. Additionally, the time saved on reporting has been significant, freeing up to a week a month for more strategic activities. The greatest benefit realized is the amount of time saved in each step of the volunteer lifecycle, allowing the team to accomplish more tasks in less time.
