Compare Nonprofit Tools
Onward vs. Golden for Volunteer Management
Golden is a strong free volunteer management tool with a volunteer app, kiosks and add-on background checks; Onward covers shifts, family sign-ups, reminders and hours, and adds what Golden doesn't: your events, fundraisers, donors and business sponsors on one public page your community can find.
Last updated November 1, 2026
| Onward | Golden | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, and it stays free | Free plan (unlimited volunteers, 5 admins); Professional $100/month billed yearly ($110 monthly) |
| Shifts, sign-ups and reminders | Yes. | Yes. |
| Families and groups sign up together, each named | Yes. | Yes. as +1 guests (names if the organizer asks for them) |
| Hour tracking | Yes. on your page and each volunteer's own profile | Yes. with kiosks |
| Background checks and waivers | Not yet. Not yet | Paid add-on |
| Reporting | Basic counts and a spreadsheet download | Basic on Free; full on Professional |
| Events, fundraisers, supporter wall and business sponsors | Yes. | No. volunteer-focused |
| Year-round business recognition: sponsor wall, business pages, promotion and thank-you posts | Yes. | No. |
| A community network: a feed, followers, and local businesses, professionals and neighbors connected to your cause, with one-tap sharing to Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn | Yes. | No. |
When Golden is the better pick: you run a large volunteer program that needs kiosks, credentials or background checks today.
When Onward is the better pick: you want volunteering to sit beside your events, fundraising and business sponsors, with volunteers and supporters recognized publicly.
The best part: you can use both. Keep Golden for kiosks and background checks, and use Onward to put your volunteering next to your events, fundraisers and business sponsors, where your whole community sees it.
Group sign-ups from Golden's help page on signing up a group. Golden figures checked on Golden's pricing page on Nov 1, 2026.
Give your supporters the spotlight.
Create your nonprofit's page free. Everything on Onward today is free, and it stays free.