Already have volunteer information in a database or spreadsheet? Get started faster, and save yourself from needless data entry, with these tools and services.
If you'd like to transfer volunteer information from an existing database, we've created these online guides to help you determine which data conversion offering is right for you and to guide you through the process of completing a conversion.
If you're converting from VolunteerWorks, use the integrated Volgistics Data Conversion utility within the VolunteerWorks program (available in VolunteerWorks version 3 and later). More information
Use the free Volgistics Import Utility to convert volunteer information yourself from spread sheets and delimited text files. More information
For a nominal service fee, we can convert key volunteer data from most popular file formats directly into your Volgistics account for you. More information
These data conversion tools and services can save you a lot of time by eliminating the need to re-type existing data. However, volunteer leaders should plan on allocating some time to cleaning-up or restructuring their data as part of the process. Since a conversion moves records from your old system into Volgistics as they are, inconsistencies or omissions in the data you convert may still exist in Volgistics after the transfer. Clean-up functions you may need to perform yourself could include resolving duplicate entries, deleting or archiving un-needed records, and adding-in information missing from your current records. You may also need to add information that is not converted by the conversion tool or service you use. Of course all of these things should be easy for you to do once your data is in Volgistics.
The extent to which these tools and services can transfer your current records depends on the content and structure of your existing data files and how much you have already customized your Volgistics account.
In most cases you can convert all of your core volunteer information (such as names, addresses, and phone numbers). Once the conversion is complete, you can always add more information to the volunteer records in Volgistics. For example, you may need to manually add-in specialized information from your current database that is not automatically transferred in the data conversion.
If you're considering our Jump-Start Service, you should not start entering information into, or customizing Volgistics, until after we've transferred your key volunteer data. With the other conversion tools, you may convert existing volunteer data into Volgistics at any time. However, it's best to convert records before you begin customizing your Volgistics system. Making extensive customizations to your Volgistics account before you convert your existing data may limit the kinds of information you can transfer in automatically.