Referral Tracking Software vs Email: Why Charities Are Switching
A side-by-side comparison of email-based referral management and dedicated referral tracking software, with data on time savings, accuracy, and outcomes.
Email was never designed to manage referrals. Yet for most UK charities, it remains the default tool — referral forms attached to emails, outcomes tracked (or not) in separate spreadsheets, and follow-up dependent on individual memory. Dedicated referral tracking software replaces this fragile process with structured, trackable, reportable workflows.
TL;DR: Email-based referrals lack tracking, accountability, and reporting. Dedicated platforms like Plinth provide real-time status updates, automated notifications, consent management, and outcome dashboards. Charities that switch typically see response times improve by 40-60%, lost referrals drop to near zero, and reporting time fall by over 70%.
What you'll learn: A detailed comparison of email and software for every aspect of referral management, the real costs of email-based processes, and when to make the switch.
Who this is for: Charity administrators and service managers currently tracking referrals by email or spreadsheet.
The Full Comparison
| Aspect | Email-Based Referrals | Referral Tracking Software |
|---|---|---|
| Creating a referral | Attach a Word/PDF form to an email; inconsistent formatting | Fill in a structured, validated form; required fields ensure completeness |
| Sending | Email to a contact (hope the address is current) | Submit through the platform; partner is notified automatically |
| Acknowledgement | Depends on the recipient replying | Automatic acknowledgement on receipt |
| Status tracking | None — must email or phone to check | Real-time status: sent, received, accepted, in progress, completed |
| Follow-up | Manual — relies on diary reminders | Automated reminders for overdue referrals |
| Outcome recording | Separate spreadsheet or not recorded at all | Recorded within the referral record |
| Consent management | Buried in email attachments | Structured consent capture with audit trail |
| Reporting | Manual collation from emails and spreadsheets | Built-in dashboards; one-click reports |
| Audit trail | Incomplete — deleted emails, missing threads | Complete, timestamped record of every action |
| Data security | Attachments with personal data in inboxes | Encrypted, access-controlled, UK GDPR compliant |
| Scalability | Breaks above 30–50 referrals/month | Handles thousands |
| Cost | "Free" (but significant hidden costs) | Subscription fee (but much lower total cost) |
The Hidden Costs of Email Referrals
Email appears free, but the true cost is measured in staff time, lost referrals, and missed outcomes.
Staff Time
Every email-based referral involves multiple manual steps: locating the right form, filling it in, finding the right email address, sending it, following up to check it was received, chasing an update, and manually recording the outcome. Research from the Charity Finance Group estimated that managing a single referral by email costs £12–18 in staff time when all steps are accounted for. A charity making 100 referrals per month spends £1,200–1,800 on administration alone.
With software: Structured forms pre-populate where possible, the platform routes the referral automatically, status updates arrive without chasing, and outcomes are recorded in the same system. The same referral costs £3–5 in staff time — a saving of 60–75%.
Lost Referrals
Email referrals disappear. Staff leave the organisation, inboxes overflow, emails are filtered to spam, or the attachment is never opened. Estimates from voluntary sector partnership studies suggest that 10–20% of email-based referrals receive no response within a reasonable timeframe. For a charity making 100 referrals per month, that is 10–20 people who may not receive the support they need.
With software: Every referral is tracked. If a receiving organisation has not acknowledged a referral within the agreed timeframe, the system flags it automatically. Lost referrals drop to near zero. Plinth provides overdue referral alerts to both the sender and receiver.
Reporting Burden
Funders and commissioners increasingly require referral data: how many referrals were made, to which services, with what outcomes. Compiling this from email records is painful and error-prone.
Manual reporting time: Organisations using email-based referrals report spending 4–8 hours per month compiling referral reports. Those using dedicated software spend under 1 hour, typically by running a pre-built report. That is a 75–85% reduction in reporting time.
Data quality: Email-based reports are estimates. Important referrals are missed because emails cannot be found, or outcomes are not recorded because there was no prompt to do so. Software-generated reports are based on complete, structured data.
Compliance Risk
Email is not designed for sharing sensitive personal data. Referrals often contain information about a person's health, housing situation, financial circumstances, and family composition.
Email risks: Attachments sent to the wrong address, personal data sitting in unsecured inboxes, no audit trail of who accessed what information, and no systematic consent management.
Software protections: Encrypted storage, role-based access controls, consent capture and tracking, and a complete audit trail. A 2024 ICO enforcement review noted that email-based data sharing between organisations was a recurring factor in charity data breaches.
The "free" option is the most expensive one when you account for the full picture.
When Email Still Works
Email-based referrals are not always wrong. They can be adequate in specific circumstances.
Very low volume: Fewer than 10 referrals per month, where manual tracking is manageable.
Single partnership: A bilateral arrangement between two organisations with strong personal relationships and informal follow-up.
No reporting requirements: When funders do not require referral data and outcomes tracking is not needed.
Temporary arrangements: Short-term projects where investing in a platform is not justified.
Even in these cases, using a shared template and a simple tracking spreadsheet is better than unstructured email. But once any of these conditions change — volume increases, partnerships expand, funders ask for data — the case for software becomes overwhelming.
What the Switch Looks Like
Moving from email to referral tracking software is not as disruptive as many organisations fear.
Week 1–2: Setup
Configure your platform: Set up your referral forms, partner directory, and notification rules. Plinth provides templates for common referral types that can be customised to your needs.
Add partners: Invite your referral partners to the platform. Each partner needs an account and brief training on how to receive and manage referrals.
Import existing data: If you have historical referral records in spreadsheets, most platforms can import them so you have baseline data for comparison.
Week 2–3: Pilot
Run parallel: For the first week, make referrals through both email and the platform. This builds confidence and identifies any issues with the new workflow.
Gather feedback: Ask staff and partners what is working and what needs adjustment. Small changes to form fields or notification settings can make a big difference to adoption.
Week 3–4: Go Live
Switch over: Stop sending email referrals and use the platform exclusively. The parallel period should have resolved any teething problems.
Monitor adoption: Check that all referrals are being made through the platform and that partners are responding within it. Early reminders help establish the habit.
Month 2+: Optimise
Review reports: Use the platform's reporting to identify patterns — which partners respond quickly, where referrals are being declined, which services are most in demand.
Expand: Add new partners and referral pathways. Each addition is faster than the last because the infrastructure is already in place.
Demonstrate value: Share referral data with funders and commissioners. The quality and completeness of software-generated reports is typically a significant step up from manual reporting.
Real-World Impact
Charities that have made the switch consistently report improvements across key metrics.
Response times: Average time from referral to first response drops from 5–7 working days (email) to 1–2 working days (software). Automated notifications mean the receiving organisation sees the referral immediately, rather than discovering it when they next check that inbox.
Referral completion rates: The proportion of referrals that result in the person receiving support increases from approximately 55–65% (email) to 75–85% (software). The improvement comes from better information in the referral, faster response, and systematic follow-up.
Partner satisfaction: In surveys conducted by voluntary sector networks, 82% of partner organisations preferred receiving referrals through a structured platform compared with email. The main reasons cited were clearer information, reduced back-and-forth, and easier caseload management.
Commissioner confidence: Commissioners funding referral services report higher confidence in services that can provide structured referral data. Several local authorities have made digital referral tracking a condition of contract renewal since 2024.
| Metric | Software | Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average response time | 5–7 days | 1–2 days | 60–70% faster |
| Referral completion rate | 55–65% | 75–85% | 15–25 percentage points |
| Lost referrals | 10–20% | Near zero | Effectively eliminated |
| Monthly reporting time | 4–8 hours | Under 1 hour | 75–85% reduction |
| Cost per referral (staff time) | £12–18 | £3–5 | 60–75% saving |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is referral software difficult to learn?
Purpose-built platforms like Plinth are designed for charity staff, not IT specialists. Most users are comfortable with the core workflow — creating, tracking, and completing referrals — within a few hours. The interface is simpler than most email clients because each action has a clear, structured path.
What if some of our partners refuse to use the platform?
This is a common concern but rarely a lasting problem. Start with willing partners and let the results speak for themselves. For holdouts, some platforms allow you to create a referral that generates an email notification to the partner while still tracking it internally. Over time, most partners adopt the platform once they see the benefits.
How much does referral tracking software cost?
Costs vary by platform and scale. Plinth uses per-organisation pricing rather than per-user fees, making it affordable for organisations of all sizes. When compared with the staff time cost of manual referral management (£12–18 per referral), most organisations find the software pays for itself within the first few months.
Can we still use email for urgent referrals?
Yes, but you probably will not want to. Software-based referrals are typically faster than email because the receiving organisation gets an instant notification. For genuinely urgent situations (e.g. safeguarding), most platforms support priority flagging that triggers immediate alerts.
What happens to our historical referral data?
Most platforms can import historical data from spreadsheets, giving you a complete picture from day one. Even if you cannot import past records, the value of structured data going forward quickly outweighs the gap in historical records.
Does switching disrupt our relationships with partners?
No — it strengthens them. Partners report that structured referrals are easier to manage, contain better information, and reduce the administrative burden on their end. The platform becomes a shared workspace that enhances the partnership rather than adding friction.
Recommended Next Pages
Best Referral Management Software for Charities in 2026 – Compare the leading platforms in detail.
The Complete Guide to Referral Networks for Charities – Understand the networks that referral software supports.
How AI Service Directories Help People Find the Right Support – See how AI enhances referral accuracy.
How to Build a Local Service Directory for Your Community – Create the foundation for better referrals.
Last updated: February 2026
For more information about switching to Plinth's referral tracking, contact our team or schedule a demo.