Managing staff and volunteers is a constant balancing act for museums. Between juggling schedules, tracking communications, and organizing events, even the most efficient teams can hit roadblocks.
If you’re already using HubSpot—or considering how to adapt it—here’s the good news: HubSpot’s tools can be tailored to streamline staff and volunteer coordination, boost team collaboration, and even simplify event and ticketing management.
This blog dives into how museums can get more out of HubSpot to solve operational challenges, improve efficiency, and better engage their teams— all while keeping an eye on the future.
Managing staff schedules, tracking volunteer hours, sending emails, and organizing events shouldn’t require a dozen disconnected tools. For many museums, this patchwork approach leads to inefficiencies, missed details, and unnecessary headaches.
With HubSpot, you can bring everything together in one platform. From streamlining staff coordination to simplifying volunteer management and event planning, HubSpot helps museums operate more efficiently. Here’s how:
1. Centralized Communication to Keep Everyone on the Same Page
Coordinating museum staff and volunteers often means managing multiple moving parts—exhibition prep, tour schedules, event logistics, and more. HubSpot simplifies this by centralizing communication across teams, so no one’s left out of the loop.
By using HubSpot’s list segmentation, for example, museums can create tailored groups for docents, volunteers, or event staff. This allows for precise, role-specific updates instead of one-size-fits-all messages. When you need to communicate critical updates—like a schedule change for a big exhibit opening—you can ensure that only the relevant people are notified.
Clear, targeted communication minimizes confusion and ensures that staff and volunteers stay aligned with museum goals.
Coordinating staff and volunteer schedules can quickly turn into a headache, especially for museums running multiple programs and events simultaneously. HubSpot integrates with scheduling tools and provides a single platform where shifts, tasks, and deadlines are easy to view and manage.
For instance, imagine planning a new exhibition launch.
With HubSpot, you can assign roles—like exhibit setup, guest management, or social media coverage—to staff and volunteers. Volunteers can confirm availability, and you can track these confirmations in real-time. Tasks stay organized, overlaps are avoided, and managers have visibility over every aspect of the workflow.
This kind of clarity not only saves time but also helps ensure smooth operations during high-pressure events.
2. Better Onboarding and Retention for Volunteers
Volunteers are the backbone of many museum operations, but a poor onboarding experience can lead to disengagement or high turnover. HubSpot’s automation tools help museums make onboarding more seamless and engaging.
For example, when a new volunteer joins, HubSpot can automatically send a series of onboarding emails. These might include a welcome message, a training video, and a link to schedule their first shift. After their first assignment, they could receive a follow-up email asking for feedback on their experience.
Retention is also a breeze with HubSpot’s custom reporting features. You can monitor volunteer engagement over time and set up reminders to send personalized thank-you messages, milestone celebrations, or invitations to exclusive museum events. These small gestures can make a big difference in keeping volunteers engaged and appreciated.
3. Event Management and Ticketing Made Easy
Beyond internal coordination, museums often run events that require flawless execution. HubSpot’s tools can handle event management from start to finish, saving staff time and creating a more seamless experience for attendees.
Here’s what this might look like:
In a hypothetical example, let’s say a Science Museum is using HubSpot to plan a “Family STEM Day”. Staff and volunteers would be assigned to roles such as running activity stations, managing food vendors, and greeting visitors. Attendees could RSVP online, receive automated updates, and complete a post-event survey to share feedback—all through HubSpot.
Real-World Scenario: How HubSpot Transformed Operations at the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) needed a solution to unify its staff, volunteer, and ticketing management systems. Nonprofit Tech Shop stepped in to migrate MNHS from their legacy platform, Tessitura, to HubSpot, resulting in a seamless, efficient operation that supports their mission of connecting communities through history.
Here’s how HubSpot made a difference for MNHS:
By adopting HubSpot, MNHS saved $137,000 annually in tech costs, streamlined operations, and empowered staff with tools to focus on their mission. Their transformation is a powerful example of how museums can leverage HubSpot to enhance coordination, engagement, and efficiency.
Want to dive into the full case study? Click HERE.
Moving Forward: Optimizing Museum Operations in 2025
As museums navigate the challenges of modern operations, HubSpot providea a clear path forward.
With the platform’s ability to centralize staff and volunteer coordination, simplifying event management, and integrating ticketing systems, HubSpot helps museums boost efficiency while focusing on what matters most: delivering unforgettable visitor experiences.
If you’re ready to take your museum’s operations to the next level, now’s the time to explore how HubSpot can support your team.
The tools are already in your hands—let’s make the most of them.
Curious how HubSpot can transform your museum?
Let’s chat—Nonprofit Tech Shop is one conversation away!