- Serving Through Tech: Using Technology to Serve Others and Spread Faith
- How to Build Accessible Websites with WCAG Standards
- Introduction to SQL: Managing Data with Confidence
- Serving God Through Your Technical Skills
- How the Church Can Use Technology to Reach Communities
- Building a Church Website with WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Using Open Source Tools to Build a Non-Profit Website
- How to Create a Secure Volunteer Database System
Volunteers are the heartbeat of many churches and charities—from stewards and youth workers to tech teams and foodbank helpers. Keeping track of their contact details, availability, skills, and safeguarding checks is essential—but so is protecting that information.
When managing personal data, especially within a church or non-profit, we are stewards of trust. A secure, well-organised volunteer database system enables smooth coordination while ensuring compliance with data protection laws like GDPR.
Let’s walk through how to build a secure and ethical system—without needing a commercial CRM.
Step 1: Define What You Need to Store
Start by listing the data you’ll be managing. Common fields include:
- Full name
- Contact information (email, phone)
- Role or ministry area
- Availability
- Safeguarding/training status
- DBS check date
- Emergency contact
Avoid collecting more than you need. Data minimisation is both best practice and biblical stewardship.
Step 2: Choose a Platform
Depending on your tech comfort level and team size, here are a few open source or low-cost options:
- Airtable or Google Sheets – Great for small teams, especially when paired with locked-down permissions.
- WordPress + Form Plugin (e.g. WPForms Pro) – Store data directly in your church site’s dashboard with secure access control.
- A custom database – Using tools like MySQL, Laravel, or Django, you can create a web-based system tailored to your needs.
If you’re coding your own, keep the database schema clean and relational (e.g. volunteers, roles, training_records).
Step 3: Prioritise Security
- Use strong authentication – Enforce strong passwords and, ideally, two-factor authentication for admin access.
- Encrypt sensitive data – Hash passwords and encrypt fields such as DBS numbers.
- Regular backups – Store them securely (and test recovery!).
- Access controls – Only certain people should view/edit data. Use role-based permissions.
- Audit trails – Log who made changes and when, for transparency.
Step 4: GDPR and Consent
If you’re in the UK or EU:
- Have a clear data protection policy
- Gain explicit consent for storing data
- Allow volunteers to access, update, or delete their records upon request
- Don’t retain data unnecessarily—review records regularly
Step 5: Keep It Volunteer-Friendly
Make sure volunteers can:
- Easily update their information
- See what info you hold about them
- Access relevant documents like role descriptions or training materials
Consider adding a secure portal or contact form where volunteers can submit updates or queries.
Technology as Trust
A secure volunteer database isn’t just about compliance—it’s about care. It says, “We value you, and we’re looking after your information as responsibly as we would a financial gift.”
As Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Data may seem small, but it’s part of our bigger calling to love, protect, and serve.
