Volunteer Blueprint: Strategies for Small Nonprofits
Volunteers share their time and expertise with countless nonprofits. Particularly for small nonprofits that do have paid staff, volunteers provide essential support and help organization’s fulfill their mission. Also, volunteer board of directors are leaders that determine the strategic direction of an organization.
Given the importance of nonprofit volunteers, it is crucial that organizations are thoughtful about what strategies they will use to recruit and retain top volunteer talent. Particularly when a long-time volunteer moves on, it can have a significant negative impact on the work of your organization. If your organization is gearing up to build your support team, here are some key strategies to effectively build your nonprofit's volunteer base.
Attract the right people. Every organization is different. For some teams, attracting people with administrative talents is important, while other groups need people with customer service, marketing, or even fundraising experience. An important aspect of attracting the right people is to clearly outline volunteer job descriptions based on your organization's needs. A good job description will specify what skills and time commitments are required. It is also a good idea to include information about the culture of your organization. For example, does your organization have a professional development budget for volunteers? Do you hold volunteer appreciation events? Volunteers that know what is expected of them are more likely to provide your organization with their best work, and stay with your nonprofit for a long time.
Budget and plan for volunteer appreciation. Even though volunteers do not expect to be paid for their contributions, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to be thanked. Volunteers are similar to donors in their support of your organization given their generous contributions of time, energy and skill. To maintain strong volunteers and attract new ones, plan for volunteer appreciation opportunities. For example, your organization can invite volunteers to networking or community events, or you can even host a volunteer appreciation event annually.
Leverage your online presence. There are many free online volunteer recruitment platforms like Volunteer Connector where your organization can promote volunteer positions. By using these platforms along with maintaining an updated social media and website presence, prospective volunteers find out more about your mission, new initiatives, and how they can become involved. Often your organization can use language from existing communications tools like your nonprofit case for support to keep your online presence up to date.
Strengthen relationships with current volunteers. Your current volunteers have the potential to be ambassadors for your organization that spread the word about the great work you do. By building strong relationships with your volunteers, they in turn can be great advocates for your cause and help connect you to other supporters and volunteers. You can forge strong relationships by maintaining open communication, showing gratitude for their contributions, requesting feedback, addressing concerns, and recognizing their achievements. Consistently finding ways to engage your current volunteers goes a long way in strengthening relationships with them and attracting other strong supporters.
Be flexible. We may all long for volunteers who have all the time in the world to contribute their gifts and talents. But, in the real world, volunteers have a lot of competing responsibilities. Many talented volunteers have children or aging parents to care for, school or work schedules, or even other volunteer jobs. In addition, volunteers have varying preferences for how they like to work. Providing flexible opportunities for involvement, such as virtual volunteer roles, one-time projects, or ad hoc committee roles helps to accommodate a diverse range of schedules and interests. In addition, your nonprofit can also attract a broader range of volunteers who can contribute in different capacities by being flexible.
Protect your reputation. One of the most valuable resources a nonprofit has is its reputation. A strong reputation can help your organization build credibility and trust with the public, those you serve and supporters. Organizations that make decisions which have a negative impact on their reputation, risk losing the support and goodwill of volunteers. For example, an organization may decide to decline a donation from a problematic figure to avoid the negative publicity this may attract. Safeguarding your organization's reputation can go a long way in maintaining solid support from current and prospective volunteers.
Building a strong and reliable team of volunteers takes effort, time, and dedication. However, organizations that put the work in, experience significant rewards. By implementing these strategies and continually investing in your volunteer program, you can attract, retain, and empower a great team of volunteers who will support the work of your mission, and ensure the community you serve has the support of your organization well into the future.
