Timecounts is a volunteer management platform built for several use cases. Volunteers have countless benefits, and we’re not just talking about “the sense of fulfilment.” Sure, it could increase your dopamine levels, but guess what? It could also land you a five-figure job. It could increase your chances of getting admitted to that college you’ve been vying for.
Yet, these are only a few material benefits of volunteering. The big question is – how do you prove your volunteering experience when you can’t show it? Chances are the organizations you volunteer at and the ones where your volunteering counts differ. This is where Timecounts comes in.
Timecounts help event planners, nonprofits, and more, as well as manage and evaluate volunteer onboarding and impact. This way, both organizers and volunteers have more proof of their work. To learn about Timecounts, continue reading this comprehensive review.
Timecounts is a volunteer management software built for organizations that work with volunteers. Since its launch in 2012, the platform has evolved into a modern volunteer management system.
Timecounts help these organizations onboard and schedule volunteers. Organizers usually use spreadsheets and several databases to collect and store volunteer information.
For instance, if a nonprofit is looking to work with volunteers for an upcoming event, it would have to place a call for applications. It would be easier to enter their information into the spreadsheet if they applied physically. However, that’s not always the case.
So, considering that they use a form builder like Google Forms, they’d have to transfer this information bit by bit into their spreadsheets. Saying this is a waste of time is an understatement.
Yet, it doesn’t always end there. Of course, volunteers who have just been onboarded will require certain training, access to information, and order of the program. Email communication would be the simplest medium, but it has too many limitations, such as the inability to monitor the volunteers’ progress during training. Simply put, it’s not effective enough.
Amanda Rose must have considered all these and more when she created the all-in-one volunteer management hub. However, on a call with Techwriteable, Amanda revealed that the firsthand experience she gained from mobilizing volunteers prompted her invention.
Although headquartered in Ontario, Canada, the software is used in about 39 countries. However, Amanda says they’re mostly English-speaking, and the company is looking at a broader diversification.
Whether you have a small or large volunteer base, Timecounts’ features are customizable. In the sections below, we’ll discuss these features more and how you can maximize them.
Timecounts is a modern, all-in-one volunteer management solution for events of all sizes.
We love many things about Timecounts. However, what attracted us more were simple things like the visual appeal of the volunteer hub. Aesthetics may not seem as important as other parts of any software, but when it comes to volunteering, we believe users would find a webpage that mirrors their cause more pleasing. We liked that users could select themes, colors, and blocks they wanted their hub to have.
Moreover, it is user-friendly, which means people who have never managed volunteers can easily navigate it. Still, one thing we’d have loved to see during our tour was integration. Although Timecounts integrates with the basic solutions it needs, we couldn’t find integrations with other consumer software. We believe this could contribute to the future of Timecounts as a volunteer management solution.
Other features that caught our attention were the messaging and database. It is common for SaaS tools to have a messaging hub. However, Timecounts stands out with its customized automated messaging. We found it similar to that of typical email service providers. Users can create invite, welcome, confirmatory, or reminder messages. They’ll also be able to create email templates.
Timecounts provides customer support through several means, and for that, it scores well with us. However, there’s a catch. The level of support users get depends on their subscription plan.
At first glance, Timecounts’ pricing might appear unaffordable. However, after speaking with Amanda, we realized the company had previously offered two free months of use. As it wasn’t cost-effective, they made up for it by supporting unlimited volunteers in all plans.
For us, Timecounts fits beautifully into the profile of a modern, constantly evolving volunteer management solution.
What features would you consider the most important for easy management of volunteers? It boils down to five things- CRM database, recruitment dashboard, scheduling, communication, and report. As you’ll see below, Timecounts incorporates these into its volunteer management solution.
The Volunteer Hub is the home for every volunteer organization. It’s like a mini web page that serves as the front for a business. It is highly customizable, allowing you to choose a theme and colors that match your brand.
It is similar to a no-code site builder with drag-and-drop features. You can control the amount of information viewers see on your hub. For instance, you could make a particular link or button visible only to signed-up members.
Whether they’re for community groups or medical outreaches, volunteer organizing has become more thorough. Even if you’re an online volunteer, organizers want to know your skills, education, volunteer history, and more. Timecounts recruit and onboard dashboard allows users to accept, review, and qualify applications.
However, it first gives you what you need to build your sign-up page. Interestingly, you can create different forms for different opportunities. See opportunities as volunteer openings and each form as a portal for collecting information linked to these openings. In addition, you can set requirements for volunteers and approve or reject them on the dashboard.
Timecounts volunteer database helps organizers organize volunteer information in a place. Even if you’ve never used a CRM system, the software guides you through the experience. Instead of manually importing data using spreadsheets, the database syncs data as volunteers fill them in.
You’re also in control of the information you collect, as you can add and edit custom data fields. The software has a tags option that allows you to group volunteers based on specific metrics. What makes this feature even better is the search and filter bar. With it, you can filter out what you do not need or search for it.
The scheduling board is where you manage events on Timecounts. You could assign volunteers to events yourself. Depending on the program type, volunteers can also schedule themselves into shifts. This is possible through the shift schedule, which lets you copy and paste these shifts into a new event.
The scheduling board also provides a group registration option. This comes in handy when people are registering in groups. Here, you can also control how much volunteers see when scheduling shifts.
On Timecounts, you can monitor and track the hours. After which, you can export this information into a report for downloading.
Sometimes, the event may be too complicated to measure directly with the software. In that case, you can ask volunteers to log their work hours and approve the log.
The team inbox allows for a free flow of communication without leaving the site. Organizers can now communicate with every member of the team from one point.
Recently onboarded volunteers may also have seemingly countless questions. With the team inbox, you won’t need to go back and forth through email to answer them. Other things you can do with team inbox include creating customized auto messages and segments.
“We never share data unnecessarily.”
This is a fact you’ll quickly find on the Timecounts website. Data has become a bugging issue globally, with big companies facing one data lawsuit or the other. Still, you may wonder if integrations are possible without sharing data. It isn’t, and that’s why Timecounts claims to have very few integrations.
It lists several subprocessors that help the software perform its functions. These include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cloudflare, Google Analytics, MailChimp, and Intercom. It also integrates Stripe and Xero for payment and accounting.
The volunteer management software has three pricing options: Basic, Advanced, and Pro. However, Timecounts gives users a 10-day free trial. After this, they can decide whether to continue. Below is an overview of its pricing tiers:
The Basic plan is Timecounts’ most affordable plan. It starts at $39 a month if you opt for an annual billing plan. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay $49 monthly.
Features
Pricing
The Basic plan costs $39 per month, billed annually or $49 monthly.
This option includes everything in the basic plan, with more support. The Advanced plan is Timecounts’ most popular plan and costs $99 per month if you choose an annual plan. If you pay monthly, its price becomes $129. Up to 10 organizers can use this plan. They can access unlimited forms, document storage, and volunteer resources.
Features
Pricing
The Advanced plan costs $99 per month, billed annually or $129 monthly.
In addition to everything in the previous plan, the Pro plan offers an extra security layer. Its single sign-on feature is helpful for enterprise customers. Moreover, users can add their custom email and domain. They also have API access and personalized support.
Features
Pricing
It costs $249 per month, billed annually.
Basic | Advanced | Pro | |
No of Organizers | 3 | 10 | 10+ |
Volunteer Database | |||
Customer Support | _ | ||
Workflow Automation | _ | _ | |
Custom Email and Domain | _ | _ |
Timecounts has multiple customer support options for customers and non-customers. Before signing up for any of its plans, you can visit its help center containing all the essential information you need to start using Timecounts. If you’re an enterprise customer and want to know more about the software, you can also request a demo.
Customers enjoy many support options, especially those subscribed to its Advanced and Pro plans. While everyone can chat or email, they get personalized support and other volunteer management resources.
As the world evolves, the need for technology that beats the customer’s thinking is essential. Moreover, a tool can only be called contemporary if it constantly incorporates new trends like Timecounts. You can get started with the software from here.
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