Top 12 Best Nonprofit Time Tracking Software & Apps for 2027

Managing employees, volunteers, projects, programs, and administrative tasks can become difficult when working hours are recorded across spreadsheets, emails, and separate systems. Nonprofit time tracking gives organizations a clearer way to understand where working hours are spent and how teams contribute to different programs. The right time tracking software for nonprofits can simplify timesheets, improve reporting, reduce administrative work, and help managers organize both paid staff and volunteers. Some platforms focus primarily on employee hours, while others include volunteer management, project tracking, scheduling, and mobile time entry. In this guide, we compare leading platforms, important features, free options, and the factors organizations should consider when choosing a time tracking solution.

Best Nonprofit Time Tracking Software at a Glance

The best time tracking software for nonprofits should be easy for employees and volunteers to use while giving administrators enough reporting and management functionality.

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12 Best Time Tracking Software for Nonprofits in 2027

Here are 12 platforms nonprofits can consider depending on their team structure, volunteer programs, reporting requirements, budget, and workflow.

1. AYYES – Best for Affordable Team Time Tracking

AYYES provides organizations with a straightforward way to record working hours and manage team time from one platform. Employees can track their work while managers gain visibility into recorded time, projects, tasks, and team activity. This makes AYYES suitable for organizations that want straightforward nonprofit timesheet software without introducing an overly complicated workflow. It can be particularly useful for smaller and growing nonprofit teams looking for an affordable system for organizing employee or team hours, while also providing project, reporting, and workforce visibility features. Key Features:

• Automatic and manual time tracking
• Online timesheets
• Project and task tracking
• Team activity dashboard
• Scheduling and time-off management
• Timesheet approvals
• Reports and activity tracking
• Desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux
• Offline time tracking
• Project budgeting and invoicing
• Screenshot tracking
• App and website usage tracking
• Idle-time detection
• Activity logs

Best for: Nonprofits that prioritize affordability, straightforward time tracking, and clear team reporting. Pricing: AYYES offers a Free plan for up to 12 team members. Paid plans are $0.99 per seat per month, or $0.88 per seat per month billed annually, giving growing organizations a low-cost option when they need to add more users or access broader management and monitoring features. Some monitoring features, including screenshot tracking, activity information, and activity logs, may have limited access on the Free plan compared with paid plans.

2. Clockify – Best for General Time Tracking

Clockify provides timers, timesheets, projects, reports, scheduling features, and mobile access. Its free option makes it attractive to small organizations that want to begin tracking working hours without immediately purchasing a paid subscription. Clockify can also function as a volunteer time tracking app when volunteers need to record time against different activities or projects. Key Features:

• One-click time tracker
• Manual time entry
• Weekly timesheets
• Project and task tracking
• Timesheet approvals
• Time tracking reminders
• Calendar-based time management
• Billable and non-billable hours
• Reports and exports
• Web and mobile access

Best for: Nonprofits looking for flexible general-purpose time tracking.

3. Harvest – Best for Project-Based Time Tracking

Harvest combines time tracking with project management, budgets, reporting, expenses, and invoicing features. Organizations can assign working hours to different projects and review how team time is distributed. Its project-focused approach can be particularly useful for nonprofits running several programs simultaneously. Key Features:

• Timer and timesheet-based tracking
• Project and task tracking
• Timesheet approvals
• Custom time-tracking reminders
• Project budgets and cost tracking
• Team capacity reports
• Expense tracking
• Detailed time reports
• Desktop and mobile apps
• Invoicing and payment integrations

Best for: Project-based organizations that want time and budget visibility.

4. Track It Forward – Best for Volunteer Hour Tracking

Track It Forward focuses heavily on tracking volunteer participation and service hours. Organizations can record hours, organize events, establish volunteer milestones, and produce reports. For nonprofits searching specifically for a volunteer time tracking app, its volunteer-centered approach can be more relevant than a traditional employee time clock. Key Features:

• Volunteer hour logging
• Mobile volunteer time tracking
• Volunteer timesheets
• Event sign-ups
• Hour approval and rejection
• Custom activity categories
• Volunteer reports
• Excel report exports
• Custom volunteer fields
• Administrative hour management

Best for: Community organizations, schools, charities, and volunteer-heavy nonprofits.

5. ClickTime – Best for Program and Funding Tracking

ClickTime provides detailed timesheets, employee time tracking, project budgeting, reporting, and approval functionality. It can work as nonprofit timesheet software for organizations that need employees to assign hours across projects, programs, departments, grants, or funding sources. The additional reporting controls can be useful for larger organizations with more complex structures. Key Features:

• Employee timesheets
• Grant and funding-source tracking
• Program-based time allocation
• Timesheet approval workflows
• Project and budget tracking
• Labor-cost reporting
• Funding allocation reporting
• Multi-program hour tracking
• Administrative oversight
• Audit-oriented time records

Best for: Nonprofits managing grants, programs, and complex funding allocations.

6. Hubstaff – Best for Distributed Nonprofit Teams

Hubstaff provides time tracking, scheduling, reporting, payroll integrations, and workforce-management functionality. It can support organizations whose employees or contractors work from different locations. Mobile functionality also makes it useful for teams working outside a central office. Because some workforce-monitoring features may not be necessary for every nonprofit, organizations should configure the platform around their actual operational requirements. Key Features:

• Automatic and manual time tracking
• Automated timesheets
• Project and task tracking
• Employee scheduling
• Attendance and time-off management
• Time and workforce reports
• Desktop and mobile apps
• App and URL tracking
• Optional screenshot capture
• Payroll and payment integrations
• Project budgets and cost tracking

Best for: Remote and distributed nonprofit teams.

7. VolunteerHub – Best for Volunteer Management

VolunteerHub is designed around volunteer recruitment, scheduling, communication, participation, and management. Rather than functioning only as a time clock, it helps nonprofits coordinate broader volunteer programs. Organizations managing regular events, community programs, or large volunteer groups may find its dedicated volunteer-management features useful. Key Features:

• Volunteer registration
• Volunteer scheduling
• Event management
• Volunteer communication
• Volunteer database management
• Participation tracking
• Volunteer profiles
• Reporting and analytics
• Group management
• Volunteer engagement management

Best for: Organizations where volunteer coordination is the main requirement.

8. TimeCamp – Best for Automated Time Tracking

TimeCamp offers manual and automatic time tracking along with projects, attendance, reports, and integrations. Automatic tracking can reduce the need for users to remember every individual task manually, depending on how the organization configures its workflow. It can complement a broader nonprofit time management strategy when organizations want greater visibility into how team hours are distributed. Key Features:

• Automatic time tracking
• Manual timesheets
• Project and task tracking
• Website and app tracking
• Productivity categorization
• Idle-time detection
• Offline activity tracking
• Timesheet reporting
• PDF report exports
• Browser extension
• Optional screenshot functionality

Best for: Teams interested in automated and project-based tracking.

9. Jibble – Best Free Time Tracking Option

Jibble includes employee time tracking, attendance features, mobile functionality, and reporting. For organizations searching for a free app to track volunteer hours, its free offering can provide a practical starting point for basic time and attendance requirements. Nonprofits should still compare free-plan functionality with their reporting and administrative needs before implementation. Key Features:

• Web, mobile, and desktop time tracking
• Automated timesheets
• Project and activity tracking
• Timesheet approvals
• GPS clock-ins
• Geofencing
• Offline time tracking
• Kiosk mode
• Work scheduling
• Time and attendance reports
• Payroll and accounting integrations

Best for: Smaller organizations wanting a low-cost starting point.

10. Toggl Track – Best for Simple Project Tracking

Toggl Track is known for a straightforward timer interface and project-based time organization. Users can record hours against tasks or projects while managers can generate reports to understand where time is being spent. Its simplicity may appeal to nonprofit teams that need project visibility without extensive workforce-management functionality. Key Features:

• One-click time tracking
• Manual time entry
• Project-based tracking
• Team time management
• Detailed reporting
• Desktop applications
• Mobile apps
• Browser extensions
• Billable-hour tracking
• Free plan for smaller teams

Best for: Small teams wanting simple project time tracking.

11. When I Work – Best for Scheduling Nonprofit Teams

When I Work combines employee scheduling, attendance, time clocks, and team communication. It can be particularly useful for organizations with employees or volunteers working scheduled shifts, events, reception hours, community programs, or service locations. Key Features:

• Employee scheduling
• Shift management
• Time clock
• Attendance tracking
• Timesheets
• Team messaging
• Shift swapping
• Time-off requests
• Schedule notifications
• Mobile workforce management

Best for: Shift-based nonprofit teams.

12. Connecteam – Best for Mobile and Field Teams

Connecteam combines time tracking with scheduling, communication, forms, checklists, and other mobile workforce tools. It can work as a volunteer time tracking app for organizations whose volunteers work at community events, outdoor programs, multiple branches, or field locations. Key Features:

• Mobile and desktop time clock
• Employee timesheets
• Job and project tracking
• GPS clock-in records
• Geofencing
• Employee scheduling
• Forms and checklists
• Quick tasks
• Break and time-off tracking
• Payroll-ready timesheet exports

Best for: Mobile teams and organizations operating across several locations.

Why Do Nonprofits Need Time Tracking Software?

Using time tracking software for nonprofits gives organizations a centralized alternative to paper timesheets and complicated spreadsheets. It can help teams:

• Record employee and volunteer hours consistently.
• Understand how much time different programs require.
• Review and approve timesheets.
• Monitor projects and activities.
• Create reports for internal management.
• Improve resource and budget planning.
• Reduce manual data entry.
• Maintain clearer volunteer records.

Better records can also support nonprofit time management by helping managers identify activities that consume significant staff time and make more informed decisions about workloads and resources.

Essential Features of Nonprofit Timesheet Software

Choosing effective nonprofit timesheet software requires more than finding a basic timer. Important features to consider include:

1. Employee and Volunteer Time Tracking

The system should allow different types of users to record hours without unnecessary complexity. If volunteers make up a significant part of your organization, look for simple mobile or browser-based time entry.

2. Program and Project Categories

Employees should be able to allocate hours to the correct project, activity, department, or program. This gives managers a clearer understanding of where organizational resources are being used.

3. Timesheet Approvals

Managers may need to review submitted hours before they become part of final reports. An approval workflow helps identify mistakes and missing entries earlier.

4. Reports and Exports

Reports should ideally be filterable by employee, volunteer, project, program, date, or department. Export functionality also makes it easier to transfer records to other business systems.

5. Mobile Access

A mobile-friendly system is especially useful when volunteers or employees work at events or locations away from an office. For these organizations, a reliable volunteer time tracking app can significantly simplify hour collection.

6. Integrations

Depending on your workflow, integrations with payroll, accounting, project-management, calendar, or communication platforms may reduce duplicate data entry.

How Nonprofits Can Track Volunteer Hours for Free 

Organizations that want to track volunteer hours free can choose from several simple methods depending on the size of their volunteer program and reporting needs. Small nonprofits may start with spreadsheets or online forms, while larger organizations may prefer a free app to track volunteer hours that keeps records in one central system and reduces manual administrative work.

Free Methods to Consider : 

• Spreadsheets: Useful for small volunteer teams that only need basic hour records.
• Online Forms: Volunteers can submit their hours through simple digital forms that feed into a spreadsheet or database.
• Free Volunteer Tracking Apps: Dedicated apps can make hour submission easier and provide a central dashboard for administrators.
• Shared Timesheets: Teams can use shared digital timesheets to record dates, tasks, and total volunteer hours.
• Mobile Time Tracking: Some free tools allow volunteers to log hours directly from their phones.
• Project-Based Tracking: Organizations can separate hours by event, campaign, program, or activity for clearer reporting.

Before choosing a free solution, check whether it limits the number of users, reports, integrations, projects, exports, or administrative features. A free option may work well initially, but growing volunteer programs may eventually need more advanced reporting and management tools.

How to Choose the Best Time Tracking Software for Nonprofits

Choosing the best time tracking software for nonprofits starts with identifying exactly what your organization needs to measure. Ask these questions:

1. Are you tracking employees, volunteers, or both?
2. Do hours need to be assigned to specific programs?
3. Do managers need to approve timesheets?
4. Will users enter time primarily from mobile devices?
5. Do you need scheduling features?
6. What reports does management need?
7. Does the platform need to connect with other software?
8. How many users will need access?

Avoid selecting software only because it has the longest feature list. A simpler system that employees and volunteers actually use consistently can be more valuable than a complicated platform with unnecessary features.

How Nonprofits Track Time Across Projects and Programs

Nonprofit time tracking becomes especially useful when employees and volunteers divide their working hours across multiple programs, projects, campaigns, or operational activities. Instead of recording only the total number of hours worked, organizations can categorize time by specific activities. This provides a clearer view of where resources are being used and which programs require the most staff or volunteer support.

Key Areas Nonprofits Can Track

• Fundraising Activities: Track the time spent planning campaigns, contacting donors, organizing fundraising events, and completing related administrative work.
• Community Outreach: Record hours spent on outreach programs, awareness campaigns, community events, partnerships, and public engagement.
• Program Delivery: Measure how much employee or volunteer time is dedicated to specific nonprofit programs and services.
• Administrative Work: Track internal activities such as meetings, documentation, reporting, scheduling, and general office management.
• Events and Campaigns: Record the hours required to plan, organize, manage, and follow up on nonprofit events or campaigns.
• Training and Development: Monitor the time employees and volunteers spend on onboarding, training sessions, workshops, and professional development.
• Volunteer Activities: Track volunteer hours by project, event, or program to maintain clearer participation records and understand volunteer contributions.

By organizing hours across different activities, nonprofits can better understand how team resources are distributed, identify time-intensive programs, improve planning, and make more informed decisions about future staffing and resource allocation.

Common Nonprofit Time Tracking Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even good software can produce poor results when the underlying process is too complicated or inconsistent. Nonprofits can avoid many common problems by keeping time tracking simple, clear, and easy for employees and volunteers to follow.

1. Creating Too Many Activity Categories

Too many categories can confuse users and lead to inconsistent time entries. How to fix it: Keep categories limited to essential programs, projects, departments, or activities. Review them regularly and remove categories that are no longer needed.

2. Allowing Timesheets to Remain Incomplete

Missing or partially completed timesheets can reduce reporting accuracy and make it harder to understand how time is being used. How to fix it: Set clear submission deadlines and use reminders so employees and volunteers complete their timesheets on time.

3. Delaying Timesheet Approvals

Long approval delays can create reporting backlogs and make corrections more difficult. How to fix it: Create a regular approval schedule and assign specific managers to review submitted hours each week or pay period.

4. Providing Insufficient Training

Users may enter time incorrectly if they do not understand how the system or categories should be used. How to fix it: Provide simple onboarding instructions, short training sessions, and clear examples showing how to record different types of work.

5. Making Volunteer Time Entry Difficult

Complicated forms or too many required fields can discourage volunteers from recording their hours consistently. How to fix it: Use a simple volunteer time tracking app or mobile-friendly form with only the essential fields needed for reporting.

6. Collecting Information Managers Never Use

Tracking unnecessary details creates extra work without improving decision-making. How to fix it: Review the information being collected and keep only the data needed for reporting, program management, planning, or administration.

7. Choosing Software Only Because It Is Free

A free platform may not provide the reporting, approvals, integrations, or administrative controls a growing nonprofit needs. How to fix it: Compare free and paid tools based on your actual requirements, number of users, reporting needs, and expected growth before making a decision.

8. Ignoring Reporting Requirements

Selecting a system without considering reporting needs can make it difficult to generate useful summaries later. How to fix it: Identify the reports your organization needs before selecting software, including project, program, volunteer, employee, or funding-related reports. A simple and consistently followed process usually produces more reliable results than a complex system that employees and volunteers struggle to understand.

How to Implement Time Tracking Successfully

Successful time tracking starts with a simple process that employees and volunteers can understand and follow consistently. Before choosing or configuring software, nonprofits should define what information they actually need and how that data will be used.

1. Define What You Need to Track

Identify the information your organization needs, such as employee hours, volunteer hours, projects, programs, events, or administrative work.

2. Create Clear Time Tracking Categories

Build a manageable list of programs, projects, departments, or activities. Avoid creating too many categories, as this can make time entry confusing.

3. Decide Who Should Track Time

Determine which employees, volunteers, contractors, or team members need to record hours and what activities they should track.

4. Set a Regular Submission Schedule

Choose a clear schedule for submitting timesheets, such as daily, weekly, or biweekly. Consistent deadlines help reduce missing or late entries.

5. Establish an Approval Process

Assign managers or supervisors to review submitted timesheets. A clear approval workflow helps identify errors before the data is used for reporting.

6. Train Employees and Volunteers

Provide simple instructions showing users how to record time, select the correct categories, and correct mistakes. Short training can improve consistency and reduce confusion.

7. Use Reminders

Set reminders for users who forget to submit their hours. Automated reminders can reduce administrative follow-up and improve completion rates.

8. Review Reports Regularly

Use time reports to understand how staff and volunteer hours are distributed across programs, projects, and activities.

9. Improve the Process Over Time

Review the system periodically and remove categories that are no longer useful. Simplify unnecessary steps and update the process as your organization’s needs change. A simple, consistent process makes time tracking easier to adopt and helps nonprofits maintain more accurate and useful records.

Frequently Asked Questions on Nonprofit Time Tracking

AYYES offers a free plan for up to 12 team members.