How JFS Colorado is Managing 800+ Volunteers Across Multiple Programs with Get Connected

In this case study, Marissa Greene shares how Jewish Family Services Colorado manages a large network of volunteers by using Get Connected’s volunteer management software.



Marissa Greene is the Volunteer Services Manager at Jewish Family Services Colorado

The Challenge: Managing a Network of 800+ Volunteers and Dozens of Programs

Both Renee Newhouse, Director of Volunteer Services, and Marissa Greene, Volunteer Services Manager, work together with their team to oversee the volunteer services at JFS of Colorado—a robust program with an active base of 800-900 volunteers who contribute to supporting dozens of programs that range from food security and refugee resettlement to disability services and aging care, and many more innovative programs geared towards community care. 

To manage all of their volunteer efforts across so many diverse programs, Marissa had previously used Volgistics. But, the platform's limitations became increasingly challenging as their needs evolved. 

With Volgistics, Marissa was facing:

1. Manual Workarounds 

Marissa estimates that 75% of her 37.5-hour work week was consumed by administrative tasks that needed to be automated. The team was constantly logging in and out of the system throughout the day to manage daily volunteer coordination.

Plus, Marissa regularly found herself asking the tech support team for help maneuvering the system in a way that would alleviate her workload, but the solutions were typically complicated workarounds.

2. Fragmented Multi-Platform Operations

The organization was managing multiple systems—Volgistics, Outlook, Excel spreadsheets, Teams, and Zoom—at times creating workflows or data silos that Marissa knew could be improved upon with an updated system.

This patchwork approach meant crucial data was spread across platforms, making it challenging for her team to get a clear picture of volunteer engagement.

3. Limited Coordinator Functionality

Perhaps most frustrating was Volgistics' limited "coordinator" feature that allowed program staff to only view volunteer information versus interact with the system.

"[Program staff] couldn't communicate [with volunteers] or manage the schedule," Marissa explains. This created a bottleneck where all volunteer coordination had to flow through the two-person volunteer services team.

"The program staff would send information and changes to me, then I would have to input it into the system... it felt very triangulated," she says.   

Why Get Connected Stood Out as the Best Alternative

Because of these pain points, Marissa looked for other volunteer management platforms and found Get Connected, a software that offered:

1. Scalability 

Unlike many volunteer management platforms, Get Connected could handle JFS Colorado's scale and complexity.

"I feel like the majority of the platforms - just don't have the bandwidth for organizations like ours that have like 20,000 different [services]," Marissa explains.

2. Crucial Functionality 

When evaluating new systems, Marissa identified that Get Connected offered a few key features that JFS Colorado needed:

1. Check-in/Check-out Functionality
   
   “Because ‘Jewish’ is part of our name and displayed on our building—which means we take additional safety and security measures—I need to be able to see who is onsite at any given moment in case of an emergency,” she explains.
   
   
2. All-in-One Admin Access: The ability for program managers to actively manage volunteers, not just view them.
   
   
3. Automation
   
   "Automating things will prevent me from having to remember everything, like renewing volunteer background checks."

3. Automated Reporting and Data Collection

As someone who loves data and numbers, Marissa was also particularly excited about Get Connected's reporting features.

"I'm excited that the staff will be able to access [the data], because I am constantly asked by directors, like, ‘Hey, tomorrow, can you pull a report for me, because I need it for this grant?’” 

Likewise, Marissa was intrigued by the ability for volunteers to record their own hours, which she anticipated would help her organization gather more accurate data. 

The Expected Transformation: From Admin Tasks to Meaningful Engagement 

Though JFS Colorado has just completed the process of onboarding with Get Connected, they’re excited to improve their entire volunteer program and services with:

Streamlined Communication and Coordination 

The immediate priority is eliminating the bottleneck that forces all volunteer coordination through the two-person volunteer services team.

This shift will enable program managers to directly schedule volunteers, communicate needs, and manage relationships without the delays of triangulated communication.

A Modern Volunteer Experience

JFS Colorado's volunteer base includes many retirees who struggle with complex technology. Get Connected's streamlined approach addresses key friction points.

"The fact that they don't have to memorize [a] PIN [number] to sign in and sign out will be nice," Marissa notes. With Get Connected, volunteers can use information associated with the volunteer profile to log in, like their name or email.

Plus, she expects that extra features like digital volunteer resumes will create a more engaging experience without overwhelming users, too.

Strategic Engagement Initiatives

With the administrative burden dramatically reduced, the team can put more focus on relationship-building initiatives that have been sidelined by daily operational demands.

"The main thing we want to work on is staff education training and really being able to work on these things that will create more meaningful volunteer engagement," Marissa explains.

Specific plans include quarterly program staff meetings with mini-trainings, expanding their volunteer engagement committee, and creating leadership development opportunities for volunteers—all initiatives that require dedicated time they haven't previously had.

Looking Ahead: A Foundation for Growth

Most importantly, Marissa says that Get Connected will allow she and Renee, who co-lead the 800-900 person volunteer team, to focus on and amplify their mission.

“[Get Connected] will give us more time to really focus on being able to make a difference. It will give us more time to identify needs in the community, which are constantly changing. And that's what JFS is known for—adapting to what's going on in our community in order to best serve it."

Learn how Get Connected can save you time by scheduling a complimentary 1-on-1 consultation for your organization.

Marissa Greene is the Volunteer Services Manager at Jewish Family Services Colorado.

In this role, Marissa co-leads a dynamic volunteer program of 800–900 individuals who support a wide range of services—from food security and refugee resettlement to disability support, aging care, and more.



JFS Colorado has used Get Connected volunteer technology since June 2025.