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The 2025 State of Volunteer Management: What I'm Seeing in the Field

· 5 min read
Giang (Jen) Tran
Operations Manager

As we wrap up 2025, I've been reflecting on the conversations I've had with volunteer coordinators across the country. Whether I'm onboarding a new organization onto myTRS or catching up with longtime clients, one theme keeps emerging: the way we manage volunteers is fundamentally changing—and those who adapt are thriving.

The Rise of Intelligent Automation​

The biggest shift I'm seeing isn't just about having better software—it's about having smarter software. Modern volunteer management platforms can now instantly match volunteers to opportunities based on their location, availability, past involvement, and personal preferences. This isn't science fiction anymore; it's what leading organizations expect as a baseline.

What does this mean for volunteer coordinators? Less time spent manually reviewing applications and more time building relationships. When your system can automatically suggest that Maria, who excelled at last year's registration desk, might be perfect for your upcoming check-in role, you're working smarter, not harder.

At myTRS, we've seen organizations reduce their volunteer placement time by hours each week simply by leveraging intelligent matching features. That's time you can reinvest into volunteer appreciation, training, or (imagine this) leaving the office at a reasonable hour.

Mobile-First is No Longer Optional​

Here's a statistic that caught my attention: 39% of nonprofits worldwide now use mobile technology for volunteer management, and 51% plan to invest more in mobile capabilities this year. But here's what the numbers don't tell you—organizations that haven't gone mobile-first are increasingly losing volunteers to those that have.

Today's volunteers expect to:

  • Sign up for shifts from their phones during their commute
  • Check in at events without waiting in a paper sign-in line
  • Log hours instantly after completing a task
  • Receive text updates instead of digging through email

If your volunteer registration still requires volunteers to sit at a desktop computer and fill out a 15-field form, you're creating friction that modern volunteers simply won't tolerate. The organizations I work with that have embraced mobile-responsive platforms like myTRS consistently report higher registration completion rates and fewer no-shows.

Integration: Breaking Down the Silos​

One of the most exciting trends I'm tracking is the growing integration between volunteer management and donor platforms. For years, volunteer data lived in one system while donor data lived in another, and never the twain shall meet.

That's changing. Forward-thinking organizations now recognize that volunteers and donors aren't separate populations—they're often the same people at different stages of engagement. When you can track that someone started as an event volunteer, became a monthly donor, and is now ready to join your board, you've unlocked insights that transform your entire engagement strategy.

The practical implication? Look for volunteer management solutions that play well with your other systems. API integrations, data exports, and cross-platform compatibility aren't just nice-to-haves anymore—they're essential.

Gamification: Proceed with Caution (But Do Proceed)​

I'll admit I was skeptical when gamification first entered the volunteer management conversation. Badges? Points? Leaderboards? It felt gimmicky. But I've watched enough organizations implement these features thoughtfully to change my mind.

The key word is thoughtfully. Gamification works because it taps into a fundamental human desire for recognition, progress, and belonging. When a volunteer sees they've logged 100 hours and earned a "Century Club" badge, that's not trivial—that's acknowledgment of real commitment.

Where gamification goes wrong is when it feels forced or creates unhealthy competition. The goal isn't to turn volunteering into a video game; it's to make volunteers feel seen and appreciated. Attendance tracking, milestone celebrations, and recognition programs—these are gamification principles even if you never call them that.

What This Means for Your 2026 Planning​

If you're reading this and thinking, "My volunteer program is still running on spreadsheets and hope," don't panic. Transformation doesn't happen overnight, and the organizations that try to change everything at once usually end up changing nothing.

Here's what I'd suggest for the year ahead:

  1. Audit your mobile experience. Try signing up as a volunteer on your own website from your phone. Is it easy? Is it frustrating? That frustration is costing you volunteers.

  2. Identify one integration opportunity. You don't need to connect every system tomorrow. Pick one—maybe linking volunteer hours to your donor database—and start there.

  3. Ask your volunteers what they want. The best technology investments are the ones that solve real problems. Your volunteers will tell you where the friction points are if you ask.

  4. Consider platforms designed for scale. Whether you're managing 50 volunteers or 5,000, you need tools that can grow with you. This is exactly why we built myTRS to handle everything from small community events to conferences with 10,000+ volunteers.

The volunteer management landscape is evolving rapidly, and 2026 promises to be a year of significant advancement. The organizations that embrace these changes thoughtfully—without losing sight of the human connections that make volunteering meaningful—will be the ones that thrive.

What trends are you seeing in your volunteer program? I'd love to hear what's working (or not working) for you.

#volunteermanagementexpert #myTRS #volunteermanagement