The Knights of Columbus have a long tradition of stepping in wherever their parishes and communities need them—frying fish on Fridays, serving at pancake breakfasts, collecting coats for kids, leading the Rosary, and supporting countless charitable works.

But behind every good council event is a challenge many leaders know well: coordinating volunteers.

For years, councils have relied on paper sign-up sheets, back-and-forth emails, and online platforms cluttered with ads. And at a time when many councils are working hard to grow membership and boost participation, leaders are looking for a simpler way to involve more Knights in service.

That’s why an increasing number of councils are turning to Unison, an ad-free volunteer signup tool created by the same team behind Ministry Scheduler Pro. 

The results have been impressive.

“The difference between Unison and SignUpGenius is night and day.” 

When Knights of Columbus Council 6828 in Williamsburg, Virginia, moved their volunteer signups to Unison, the improvement was immediate.

“Unison is cleaner, less cluttered, and more visually appealing than SignUpGenius,” says Financial Secretary Jimmy Trentham. “Our members are much more pleased. We moved completely off SignUpGenius.”

Jimmy and his fraternal Brother, Jim Carini, began using Unison for nearly every council event:

• Bingo nights
• Breakfast with Santa
• Christmas card sales
• Football concessions
• Reception desk volunteers
• Parish and community service projects

Knights could view the roles clearly, without ads getting in the way. Another benefit stood out:

“Unison gives us exactly what we needed—a simple, interactive directory page where every Knight can find a place to serve.”— Jimmy Trentham, Saint Bede Council 6828, Knights of Columbus (Williamsburg, VA)

Switching to a clean, ad-free, easy-to-share system made volunteer coordination smoother than ever.

Councils Report Saving 5-10 Hours Every Week

For councils managing frequent projects—charity drives, fundraisers, outreach, veterans’ events—saving time is a major advantage. Leaders who once spent hours rebuilding schedules, juggling spreadsheets, making calls, and chasing down volunteers can now spend that time on fraternity and service.

Knights across the country echo the same experience:

“Unison saves us 5–10 hours every week.” — Ed Reidy, Knights of Columbus Council 9332 (Spring Valley, CA)

“I saved 8–10 hours of manually maintaining, recruiting, and coordinating volunteers with the schedule.” — Dan D'Alessandro, Knights of Columbus Council 4403 (Bettendorf, IA)

Knights want to sign up and serve.

Unison simply clears the administrative hurdles that can get in the way.

“It only took me a few minutes to set up a full weekend of volunteer shifts.” 

Knights of Columbus Council 4403 in Bettendorf, Iowa needed a tool that could support everything from the Tootsie Roll Drive to their Pancake Breakfast.

Grand Knight Dan Egan and Trustee Dan D’Alessandro wanted something simple enough for any Knight to use and flexible enough to adapt to all their events.

They found exactly that in Unison.

“It only took me a few minutes to set up a full weekend of volunteer shifts,” says Dan D’Alessandro. “The interface works well, the reminders are excellent, and even our less tech-savvy members handled it fine. For those who don’t use email, I can sign them up myself.”

They even displayed the Unison signup at a council meeting and filled shifts on the spot.

The result?

More participation. More time saved. Stronger service.

Why Unison Fits the Knights of Columbus Mission

Knights serve through charity, unity, and fraternity, with a strong commitment to parish and community life. Unison supports that mission by helping councils:

1. Involve more members

Simple, clear signups encourage Knights to step forward, including newer members looking for ways to contribute.

2. Make shifts easy to understand

Fish Fry cooks, ticket sellers, greeters, dishwashers, Rosary leaders—when jobs are clearly laid out, volunteers know exactly where they’re needed.

3. Support less tech-savvy members

Many councils have men who prefer one-to-one communication or who don’t use email. With Unison, a council leader can sign these members up directly and keep the roster organized.

4. Keep all events in one place

Unison’s Directory Pages give councils a single, easy-to-share link where members can find every upcoming event and signup—one stop for all volunteer opportunities.

5. Avoid ads and clutter

Knights value professionalism. Unison keeps every signup clean, clear, and ad-free.

6. Lighten the administrative workload

Automatic reminders, repeatable events, and simple reporting save councils hours each week.

7. Track and recognize service

Councils can easily see who volunteered and how members contributed over time.

8. Stay organized across every season of service

The work of the Knights never stops. Councils host events year-round—from Advent drives and Lenten suppers to summer festivals, Pancake Breakfasts, Tootsie Roll Drives, and Christmas Card Sales. Unison helps keep all of these recurring and seasonal commitments organized behind the scenes so councils can focus on serving.

“Unison provides much-needed clarity for organizers and volunteers.” 

Many councils start with a free signup for a single event, and once they see how simple Unison is, they quickly expand it to their other service projects and fundraisers.

“On our first Pancake Breakfast, it saved several hours and provided much-needed clarity for the organizers as well as the volunteers. The visibility of schedules, shifts, and tasks is great, and the ability to copy event templates helps tremendously.”— Grand Knight Dan Egan, Knights of Columbus Council 4403 (Bettendorf, IA)

Knights are committed to serving their parish and community. Unison removes the friction so councils can focus on the good work that matters.

A Signup Tool Built for the Knights 

Councils trust Unison because it was shaped by their feedback and built by the same team behind Ministry Scheduler Pro. With more than 3,800 Catholic parishes already relying on MSP, Knights recognize the foundation is proven, familiar, and built for parish life.

Knights value Unison for its:

• Clean, ad-free experience
• Free version for simple signups
• Affordable plans for councils with larger or recurring needs
• Built-in tools designed with input from Knights councils
• Directory pages where members browse and sign up for all events
• Proven reliability from the creators of Ministry Scheduler Pro

Unison strengthens the service Knights already offer their parishes — giving councils a clearer, simpler way to bring members together.

Try Unison for Your Next Council Event

You can set up your first event — a Spaghetti Dinner, Pancake Breakfast, fundraiser, or service project — in just a few minutes.

It’s easy. And a free version is always available.