Top 5 Software to Manage HR for Churches and Religious Organizations

Managing a church or religious organization will require faith, hard work, a supporting community—and, yes, human resource management. In a church, there's a lot going on behind the scenes that more or less resembles what it takes to operate a family’s small business—such as tracking payroll and coordinating a team of staff and volunteers. For churches, these tasks are part of fulfilling a mission rather than working for a profit, so the comparison to a brick-and-mortar store can seem off at first. But the reality is that, with no human resources department, managing HR can be time-consuming and complicated, especially when you’re balancing limited resources and a unique mix of clergy, staff, and volunteers. Just like with small businesses.

That’s where church HR software built for churches can be a turning point. With the right tools, churches can stay organized, compliant with regulations, and focused on serving their communities. In this guide, we’ll look into why HR and payroll software is essential for churches and what makes a great fit for faith-based organizations.

Why Churches Need HR Software

How exactly can churches benefit from HR services or HR software? In this section, we’ll answer that question for you:

Streamlining Payroll, Benefits, and Employee Records

Handling payroll and benefits for church staff often involves a mix of full-time, part-time, and volunteer roles—not to mention the clergy. This can quickly get complicated, especially if you’re juggling spreadsheets or manual systems. HR software simplifies the process by keeping everything in one place. It takes the headache out of payroll as it calculates taxes, tracks benefits, and keeps employee records up to date. With HR software, churches can process payroll and manage payroll from a single dashboard or from an integrated suite of solutions.

Guaranteeing Compliance with Labor Laws and Tax Regulations

Churches, like any other organization, have to follow certain labor laws and tax regulations. It's true—they're exempted from many taxes. But not every tax. The IRS clarifies that members of the clergy are subject to taxes on wages and self-employment income—income tax, social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes. Human resource management tools help churches stay on the right side of the law as they manage payroll taxes, time tracking, and staff classifications. Having these systems in place helps decrease the risk of compliance issues, keeps everyone in good standing, and makes sure the church is running as ethically and professionally as possible.

Managing Volunteers and Staff in One Platform

Volunteers are the heart of most churches, but coordinating them alongside paid staff can get a bit chaotic without a good system. The right HR software gives churches a single place to manage everyone. It makes it easy to organize volunteer shifts and track hours to make sure that staff and volunteers are all on the same page.

Key Features of HR Software for Churches

HR software goes beyond payroll services or employee records. This tool is designed to make managing staff and volunteers effortless so that church leaders can focus more on their ministry. It can even improve employee engagement, to use a typical HR term. Here’s a look at the key features that make HR software ideal for churches and faith-based organizations:

Employee and Volunteer Management

As we’ve said, churches often juggle a mix of paid staff and volunteers, and keeping track of everyone’s roles and schedules can get messy fast. HR software provides tools to automate scheduling, in a way that makes it easy to assign roles, and coordinate shifts. Some platforms even allow volunteers to request their time off.

Compliance and Reporting

The right HR software must make sure that churches stay compliant with these rules as they process payroll, handle benefits, and keep their employment records neat and tidy. These tools provide churches with an efficient system for documenting policies and reporting on key metrics, which can help leaders make data-driven decisions on which areas to add people to.

Customizability

Churches aren’t a one-size-fits-all institution, so having HR software that’s customizable is a huge advantage. Many platforms allow churches to tweak settings, forms, and workflows, whether that’s managing a small team or coordinating a large network of volunteers. Customizability means that churches can adjust their HR processes as their needs fluctuate, like onboarding new staff or updating volunteer policies.

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Choosing the Right HR Software for Your Church

Here are some tips and considerations to help you make an informed choice:

Tips for Evaluating HR Software Options for Churches

• Prepare your church’s HR checklist: Start by identifying the specific challenges you need the software to address. Are you looking to simplify payroll, improve volunteer management, or improve compliance tracking? Knowing your must-have features will help you avoid options that have too many—or too few—features for your church’s needs.
• Test for usability: The best software won’t do much good if it’s difficult to use. Look for platforms with user-friendly interfaces, especially if you have volunteers or staff who aren’t particularly tech-savvy. Some software providers offer free trials or free plans—like TalentHR's starter plan—which is a great way to see how easy (or complicated) it will be for your team to get the hang of it.
• Check for church-specific features, but watch out for limitations: Some HR platforms are designed with churches in mind, like FellowshipOne, Church Community Builder, and Breeze ChMS. These platforms are loaded with features that specifically address the needs of faith-based organizations, but they might lack the integrations that broader HR systems come with.

Key Considerations

• Pricing: Budgets are often tight for churches, so look for software that fits nicely into your financial plan. Many providers offer tiered pricing or nonprofit discounts. Some also provide basic versions at low or no cost, so you can start small and upgrade.
• Features: Be sure to compare the features each platform offers. Some HR software is heavily focused on payroll, while others might excel in volunteer management or compliance tracking. Take the time to see if the software aligns with the specific areas your church wants to improve. An all-around HR software is still the best deal for a church or religious organization.
• Scalability: Choosing software that can scale with you will save time and money down the road. Look for platforms that offer customizable modules, add-ons, or integrations, so you can adapt your system as your church expands.
• Ease to set up, even for non-tech people: You should always choose software that you can begin using after just a few clicks. Never subscribe to a costly-to-license software that requires an IT department to set up. Your ideal software should be just a few mouse clicks away.

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Top 5 HR Software Used by Churches and Non-Profits

1. TalentHR: Affordable, Adaptable, and Perfect for Nonprofits

TalentHR is known for its user-friendly interface and affordability—an excellent choice for churches and nonprofits that need to stay on top of their HR tasks. It offers essential features for managing both employees and volunteers, like leave tracking, hiring tools, employee management, and asset management. TalentHR is especially useful for churches operating internationally or working with diverse teams, as it offers flexibility to manage teams across multiple locations. Plus, with a 20% non-profit discount, TalentHR is a budget-friendly solution that allows you to keep your HR spending in check, so more resources go towards your mission.

Key features include:

• Customizable workflows for recruiting, onboarding, and time-off management.
• Easy tracking of church resources, like tech equipment or facility rentals.
• A mobile app that lets staff and volunteers access HR functions on the go.

2. Gusto: Streamlined Payroll and Benefits

Gusto combines payroll processing with benefits management. It offers a user-friendly solution for churches with complex payroll needs, including contractor payments and tax filings. Its integration with benefits providers, self-onboarding for new hires, and compliance guidance also make it a practical choice for churches focused on simplifying administrative work around compensation.

3. FellowshipOne: Church-Specific Management Tools

FellowshipOne is specifically designed for churches, in a way that provides a blend of HR and congregation management features. It includes volunteer scheduling, attendance tracking, and donation management, alongside tools that support community-building activities. Plus, FellowshipOne’s people management module lets churches maintain detailed member profiles.

4. Church Community Builder (CCB): Integrated Church Management

Church Community Builder offers tools for managing both church operations and a church's online presence. Since it's a website builder, it's not exactly an HR tool, but it does have some functions, like event planning, that help develop community engagement. It also has a built-in function with which churches can put together member profiles.

5. Breeze ChMS: Simple HR Management for Small and Mid-Sized Churches

Breeze ChMS (Church Management Software) is an accessible choice for smaller churches. It offers easy-to-use tools for handling attendance, donations, and volunteer coordination. Its interface is designed to be intuitive.

Churches Should Choose HR Software That's Easy to Set Up

Using HR software solutions in churches and religious organizations can dramatically improve their day-to-day activities and their community engagement. One of those solutions is TalentHR, an all-purpose HR software that churches can use with a few clicks. With its user-friendly platform, TalentHR simplifies complex tasks like creating volunteer or employee profiles, coordinating with volunteers, keeping track of compliance, in a way that allows churches to focus on their mission rather than administrative concerns. It’s an affordable, adaptable solution that helps churches and small businesses manage resources, engage teams, and keep operations organized—all while saving time and reducing costs.

If you’re ready to modernize your church’s HR processes, consider creating a free account with TalentHR and experience firsthand how it can support your ministry’s goals.