# Bloomerang Volunteer Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Bloomerang Volunteer the right Volunteer Management solution for you? Explore 78 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/144845/InitLive/reviews --- Bloomerang Volunteer 4.6 (78) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/144845/InitLive/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Bloomerang Volunteer Ease of use 4.4 Customer Service 4.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews SC Shoaib C Digital analystPharmaceuticals, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It is simply the best volunteer management software, when compared to competitors "Better impact or Rosterfy" this works out the best for its customer support, pricing and attention they give to their users.“ December 4, 2022 JO John O Tournament DirectorEducation Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “One of the unique aspects of InitLive was its mobile device capability, which we hope will improve how we manage our tournaments. And hands-down, it has the most attractive user interface. “ November 18, 2021 WA Waqas A Campaign Marketing ManagerPharmaceuticals, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “We have been trying many different VMS for ages till we found Initlive, which has been very easy to use, with great UX and the best pricing product.“ December 28, 2022 JO John O Tournament DirectorEducation Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Choosing InitLive was our first step into a serious volunteer management system for our regional science tournament.“ November 18, 2021 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 78 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Tyler M. Manager of HSSE Transportation/Trucking/Railroad Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Live Concert Festival Planning and Organization" December 14, 2017 4.0 Pros All your tracking of the Event in one Place Easily organize Volunteers and event details Mobile App is a life-saver for day of event use Being able to track problems is a huge benefit of the software Makes the recruitment of volunteers a breeze Cons If you are a large production company pricing can get a little bit high People Looking to view the software before committing are forced to request demos and pricing. Review Source Response from Bloomerang December 15, 2017 Hi Tyler, thanks for your review of InitLive - happy that we could help with your live concerts! :) HW Heather W. Program Director Museums and Institutions Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My experience using InitLive" November 18, 2021 5.0 I am still trying to understand several of the features on the application. Pros InitLive is a robust volunteer management application, but it is not without bugs at the moment. Cons Email logs. I'd like to have a listing of who I sent emails to, their content, and when they were sent. Switched from [SignUpGenius](https://www.capterra.com/p/135392/SignUpGenius/) Company Board and \[SENSITIVE CONTENT\] decided to switch for the reporting capabilities. Review Source Response from Bloomerang November 30, 2021 Hello Heather, thank you for your review. I am happy to share that we have released email logs. One of our team members will be in contact with you to chat about this new feature. AP Andrew P. Director, Special Events Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "The Ride 2016 - The Ottawa Hospital Foundation" August 21, 2016 3.0 Hard to tell given that we cant really test it until its live in the field. So far I believe it is OK but team reports some features are limiting such as the import (only certain fields) and a really limiting feature that everyone needs a unique e-mail (response/solution was weak) Pros Increased of in-the-field communications with volunteers. Volunteers have quicker access to schedules and info pre-event and on site Cons Requirement of unique e-mails instead of a login name Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 22, 2016 Hi Andrew. Thanks for sharing your experience so far. We're really excited to be working with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and input like yours helps us continue to improve. We offer custom data imports for our customers. While the current import option is only for select fields, your designated Customer Success Representative has the ability to import any information you'd like them to. We're sorry to hear that you've been limited by the requirement of individual email addresses. This certainly isn't our intention; we simply want to ensure that communications at your event are directed to the correct person as quickly as possible. Because of this, an accurate and unique email address is crucial. Thank you and best of luck for event day! You and your team have done very well getting set up so we're sure things will run smoothly for you! :) WL Wolfram L. Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "InitLive at EMC 2016" August 26, 2016 4.0 InitLive was used to manage 60 volunteers at a 5 day conference in the Ottawa Shaw Centre. Over 100 initially signed up but many did not remain to participate, a common problem. In the past volunteer recruiting and management was performed with spreadsheets, email and telephone, an onerous process for more than 20 people. InitLive automated this process considerably making the size of the volunteer team almost irrelevant. It also shifted responsibility for shift and role selection entirely to the volunteers, previously it was with the event manager. This took a big load off. Communication was also simplified with the integrated communication features, and I could instantly tell who was where with a simple touch on my tablet. Compared to other volunteer management software I've seen, InitLive has the best interface by far. Pros The end to end management of people and the program within the Web interface. You can see at a glance, in the web interface, where there are openings in the program staffing. Signup to roles and shifts is easy, though some of the older volunteers found it challenging. Visually it looks good, especially for the administrator. So I like the interface. In the device app it is nice that it informs the administrator instantly of staffing problems in the current shift. The various reports were useful, especially after the event when compiling the conference reports. The volunteer app seemed almost trivial to operate. The young people, especially, took to it very well. Volunteer communications pop up as notifications, so the admin can address them immediately. It works well as a central communications hub for all volunteer communication before, during and after. Cons When constructing the schedule, the lack of cut and paste or duplication of program elements across multiple days made that process very laborious. The volunteers see the shift selection schedule as one long list. It would be good to delineate it, perhaps with tabs, into days. There are some fundamental controls missing such as enforcing minimum and maximum shift selection, and cutting off when changes may be made by the volunteers. In the mobile app, there wasn't a clear way to tell at a glance if there are upcoming staffing problems - not attendance, but staff bookings. This is possible in the web app. For the administrator the mobile app filter features make it very powerful, but it also makes for a shallow learning curve. I.e., some features are not obvious to find. The mobile app is optimized for smartphones but not tablets. It will work on tablets, my preferred device, but emulating a phone. It notifies you when people cancel from the event, but not when they join. This should be selectable. Many volunteers select multiple roles up front which can quickly saturate the overall maximum role signup setting. Beware of this. It can block additional signup for a role despite shifts still being available. Email broadcasts from the web app don't have customizable subject wording. That risks them being ignored or channeled to spam. Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 29, 2016 Hi Wolfram. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us. Copying shifts and improving the staff scheduling interface are 2 of our priorities this Fall. We'll definitely be in touch as these features are developed. Cheers! JO John O. Tournament Director Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful, professional voluteer platform" November 18, 2021 5.0 Choosing InitLive was our first step into a serious volunteer management system for our regional science tournament. We reviewed many competing platforms, and even though it was a bit pricey for our limited budget, we have been pleased with our choice. Every year the features get better. Pros One of the unique aspects of InitLive was its mobile device capability, which we hope will improve how we manage our tournaments. And hands-down, it has the most attractive user interface. It helps us put forward a professional image to our audience. Cons Every platform has it's limitations. Quite honestly, I don't think about this anymore. We have integrated InitLive into how we manage volunteers, and it is part of our normal processes. Alternatives considered [Volgistics](https://www.capterra.com/p/80509/Volgistics-Volunteer-Management/)[Higher Logic Thrive](https://www.capterra.com/p/86198/Higher-Logic-Online-Community/)[VolunteerHub](https://www.capterra.com/p/79209/VolunteerHub/)[Volunteer Impact](https://www.capterra.com/p/79197/Volunteer-Impact/)[Get Connected](https://www.capterra.com/p/145964/Get-Connected/) Reason for choosing Bloomerang Volunteer Professional appearance, mobile capability Review Source Response from Bloomerang November 30, 2021 Hi John, Thank you so much for your kind words. We are excited to continue to work with you and your team. WA Waqas A. Campaign Marketing Manager Pharmaceuticals Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "One of the best Volunteer management software" December 28, 2022 5.0 We always wanted a VMS to recruit, screen, train and manage all our volunteers and Initlive has saved us hours of work. Best VMS so far. Pros We have been trying many different VMS for ages till we found Initlive, which has been very easy to use, with great UX and the best pricing product. It is the best one for scheduling and recruiting volunteers. Cons I have never encountered any flaws within the software except for sometimes we get some bugs within the mobile app. Alternatives considered [Volunteer Impact](https://www.capterra.com/p/79197/Volunteer-Impact/) Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Development and Marketing Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent event management software " December 13, 2018 5.0 We have used this for about five years within my current company for our annual Gala event. Pros Very user friendly, intuitive and a great tool to schedule and communicate with staff, volunteers. They offer live webinars, in person training and support is always available. Signing up and registering for roles , shifts is easy. The reports are helpful and the interface is attractive and modern. Some of the volunteer management features include group, event, membership, attendance, scheduling, training. They offer a variety of event management and employee scheduling tools. Cons Some features are not so easy to find in the mobile app version. Doesn't notify you when someone joins an event. Unable to test before going live. Review Source Response from Bloomerang December 18, 2018 Thank you for taking time to review InitLive. We actually do have a way to test things out before going Live now, be sure to reach out to your Customer Success rep for an update on new features before your next event. :) MW Mike W. Volunteer Coordinator Events Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great for creating schedules where users can select their own schedules." May 29, 2019 5.0 Working with InitLive has been a great experience, the customer service is unparalleled and the software meets our requirements extremely well. I can highly recommend InitLive to anyone looked for a reliable scheduling software capable of large-scale self-scheduling (I've used it to create a schedule for up to 3000 people) where the schedule does not require significant alterations post-import. Pros The self-scheduling feature has drastically lowered the amount of time we spend on tedious and repetitive scheduling tasks. Cons The software is not well-suited for scheduling tasks that require numerous detailed changes. Review Source Response from Bloomerang May 30, 2019 Hi Mike, we are so glad to hear that you and the Web Summit team have had such a great experience using InitLive. It's especially wonderful to hear how much time the self-scheduling tool has saved you. As for your concerns about more detailed manual scheduling, our next release is focused on improving that. I know you had expressed interest in participating in the BETA trial for this, so we'll be reaching out shortly. We're eager to continue working with you and the team for all of the upcoming Web Summit events! Cheers! Kasandra D. Talent Coordinator Used the software for: ### "Really helps keep me on track" April 18, 2016 5.0 Initlive is great because it provides you with one place to store all your volunteer information. Previously I had just been using my email and it was hard organize volunteer information efficiently with so many other emails coming in and out. Now I can go into InitLive and see all the volunteers names in a nice list, gather their T-Shirt size requirements, their contact information, and anything else that I need-- without having to search my inbox. Review Source Response from Bloomerang July 29, 2016 We're glad that we can help keep you on track! Thanks for the kind words, Kasandra! VR Verified Reviewer Warehouse Manager Wholesale Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Live scheduling" February 13, 2019 4.0 We use it to see where our employees are at and if they are where they need to be Pros I like that I can see who is scheduled to work and who isn’t Cons I wish that the messaging was a little easier and instant. Review Source Response from Bloomerang September 19, 2019 Hi, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I'm so sorry to hear that using InitLive was not as easy as you had hoped. We did have recently some drastic changes to improve our services and are continuously working on improving it more and more - Wally- EE Emma E. Owner Used the software for: ### "Finally a tool made for events!" March 31, 2016 5.0 For the past couple of years I've been using software tools to help with my staff and volunteer management but it was pretty clear that these tools were not designed with event planners in mind. I had no idea what I was missing until I heard about InitLive at a conference I attended. No matter what staff management tool I was using, I always needed to have backup excel spreadsheets, a separate app to use for staff and volunteer check-ins, and a way to communicate with my volunteers on my event day. I didn't even know that a system existed that had scheduling, reporting, and day-of communication all in one place. I'm so happy I found this tool. It has made planning my events much easier and has saved me money on all the other software I was using before. Other highlights include the training and support from their team. I don't know if the support team would want me advertising this, but my account manager often responded quickly even during evenings and weekends with detailed answers to any questions I had. Great software all around. I definitely recommend it. Review Source Response from Bloomerang July 28, 2016 Emma, thank you very much for sharing this with us! We're excited to continue working with ESquared. LA Lauren A. Used the software for: ### "A Great First Experience" October 17, 2016 4.0 This was our first time using an app for any kind of volunteer management. We used it to help streamline communication with our volunteers for Homecoming. I found that it was advantageous to me as an admin in that it was quick and easy to contact individuals as needed. We got great feedback from our volunteers about how it was easy and convenient to reference their job descriptions. The shift reminders also came in handy. One thing that wasn't so important for us to have was the check-in and check-out features. On the day of the event, both the volunteers and the staff were just too busy to keep track of check-ins or outs. Our main concern was being able to quickly get a hold of someone if there was a major problem. If there had been any emergencies, we would have been able to do so. I believe we will use the app for future events. Review Source Response from Bloomerang October 17, 2016 It was so great working with you, Lauren. We're glad you had a great first experience and look forward to working with you again! JR Jacquelyn R. Used the software for: ### "Looking forward to where InitLive is going" October 12, 2016 4.0 This was our organization's first experience with InitLive and I can say I am fairly pleased with how it went. Although we had some push back from some of our less tech-savvy volunteers and those using unsupported browsers, many of our volunteers rated it as an easy to use program. I am most particularly satisfied with the support I received from our contact Avery, as well as other members of the InitLive team. All of our questions/issues were addressed in a timely manner and our suggestions for improvements to the program were taken seriously and professionally. Overall satisfied and looking forward to seeing the updates to the program in action. Review Source Response from Bloomerang October 12, 2016 Hi Jacquelyn, thanks for sharing your review. You and the team at Saint Louis Art Fair have been wonderful. We're excited to work with you again next year! KW Kristin W. Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Game Changer" August 11, 2016 4.0 The tool is really user friendly and keeps everything organized. I'm impressed that there is a volunteer management software out there that combines so many aspects of managing an event team. It's really innovative. A refreshing addition to the event technology space. Pros User-friendly, colorful, great support. Really love the live chat support on their website. Cons Lots of prep work but it's all worth it come time to use the smartphone app at the event Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 22, 2016 Thanks so much, Kristin. Always a pleasure! KA Khalil A. Investor Real Estate Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Very great for communication " April 3, 2020 5.0 great experience, really like it and encourage all to join Pros This is one of the best ideas that has been by InitLive, it allows organizations to easily communicate with staff for upcoming jobs Cons the only thing that doesn't make me use it more often is that the organizations themselves aren't using it that often Review Source Response from Bloomerang April 7, 2020 Hi Khalil, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! If you're ever interested in using the product, please don't hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to show you how you can leverage the system and make it work for your organization. Looking forward to hearing from you! ER Evan R. Project Manager Used the software for: ### "Great software leading to great events!" April 11, 2016 5.0 I have been to a few events now that have used InitLive as their event management software and they have all been well organized and as a result great fun! From talking to event staff and volunteers it was made very clear that InitLive was a valuable tool for them. Almost every organizer/volunteer I talked to said the program was easy to use, quick to learn, and very efficient, and that the customer service the InitLive team offered was professional and knowledgeable. I'm looking forward to watching them grow! Review Source Response from Bloomerang July 28, 2016 Hi Evan, we're so happy to hear that you've had great experiences at events that use InitLive. Thanks for taking the time to share! SL ShunLi L. Used the software for: ### "Great support!" April 4, 2016 5.0 I'm not that tech-savvy, but the tool in general, was easy to use. My volunteer team picked up the app right away with few questions asked. I was mostly impressed with the great support that InitLive provided. I was assigned my own 'Customer Success' agent that walked me through the product step by step and resolved all of my issues within the hour (big shout out and thank you to Avery Reid!). Review Source Response from Bloomerang July 28, 2016 Hi ShunLi, I saw the shout out and wanted to reach out personally. You are a pleasure to work with and I'm glad to hear the tournament was such a success! -Avery JS James S. Event Planner Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Happy with product and price" June 28, 2016 5.0 Everything was great from start to finish. I highly recommend you give these guys a try. Customer service was there to help me with all of my questions and custom needs. Pros eaay to use. cheap. great customer support / service Review Source Response from Bloomerang July 29, 2016 Thanks, James. We're excited to continue working with you! MBS Mary Beth S. Director of Human Resources Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "InItLive saved time, improved communication and presented a professional image to volunteers." October 27, 2017 5.0 Pros Very easy to learn and set-up, easy for volunteers to use, great reporting features and mass communication features. Excellent customer service and support. Review Source Response from Bloomerang December 4, 2017 Hi Mary Beth! We're so glad that you enjoyed your first experience with InitLive. Thank you for sharing your review. :) MV Mackenzie V. Used the software for: ### "Rose-Hulman Homecoming " October 17, 2016 4.0 I was less involved on the back end/set-up than Lauren was, but I thought the features were great and heard good feedback from the volunteers (that fully utilized it) The only thing was in the moment (of the event) it seemed like it wasn't as helpful. I think that is because I wear too many hats during the events.... Review Source Response from Bloomerang October 17, 2016 Hi Mackenzie, thanks for sharing your review. We're excited to hear from Lauren and to work with you both again! SH Samantha H. Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Such a big help" August 12, 2016 5.0 I work for an organization with lots of moving parts. Our staff and volunteers are often spread out so it has been a big headache managing schedules and communication with them once they're on the ground. We've definitely found a new method to manage our madness with InitLive. Pros Really keeps us organized. All staff and volunteers are kept up-to-date in terms of scheduling and communications. I'm really glad we gave this a try. Cons Not much to say... It's been a huge improvement over our old ways. Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 22, 2016 Thank you, Samantha. Always great to work with you! PM Patrick M. Used the software for: ### "HoP init live review" September 8, 2016 4.0 I honestly did not have much hands on experience with the app. So I would suggest David can provide a more thorough bunch of feedback. Review Source Response from Bloomerang September 9, 2016 Hi Patrick! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and congrats on a great event. We look forward to hearing from David as well :) AM Amanda M. Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Organizational candy!" August 11, 2016 5.0 This was an amazing app to use for a recent church fundraiser. Loved the ability to plan the event and schedule our volunteers on one application. Having all the volunteer's contact information in one folder made it easier to contact them for last minute details. Overall, this is a great organizational tool I would recommend to anyone planning an event. Pros User friendly - colour co-ordinated Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 22, 2016 Happy to keep you organized, Amanda! PC Peter C. Sports Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "World Junior Girls Championship" August 19, 2016 5.0 I was part of a group that used the software to schedule the activities of a significant number of volunteers and the product was of great use to us. Additionally, the on site support of an initlive staff person was extremely valuable to us. Pros Ease of use and staff support. Cons none Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 22, 2016 Thanks for taking the time to write your review, Peter! Such a pleasure to work with you at the World Junior Girls Championship. DN Danielle N. mommy Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### " Powerful and Pretty" August 16, 2016 4.0 I really admire the overall layout of the system; it's super easy to use and is very flexible with its functionality. The user interface goes above and beyond any other volunteer management tool I have used. Pros It's been designed for complex, events with multiple days and locations, but can easily be used for smaller events as well. Cons It takes a while to set everything up but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad. Review Source Response from Bloomerang August 22, 2016 Hi Danielle, thanks for sharing this review. We think the system is pretty too! :) Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.