5 Tips for Engaging Nonprofit Volunteers on a Deeper Level
As a volunteer coordinator, you know that your volunteers are the foundation of your nonprofit and that engaging them is essential to keeping your programs running.
Whether they volunteer out of a personal connection to your cause or are part of a corporate volunteer program, supporters who see that your organization has taken the time to get to know them as individuals are more likely to stick around long-term.
To help your nonprofit engage with volunteers and build deeper connections, we’ll explore five tips for building volunteer relationships:
Remember, your volunteer management software is one of your greatest engagement tools. Use your volunteer database to get in touch with supporters, review their preferences, and match them with opportunities that align with their interests. This ensures that every role they have at your nonprofit feels fulfilling and deepens their connection with your cause.
1. Use your website to engage supporters.
Chances are that most prospective volunteers will first look to your website for information about how to get involved. As such, making your website engaging for volunteers should be one of your first priorities.
In particular, a well-crafted volunteer recruitment page has the power to convert website visitors into volunteers. Ensure your recruitment page provides the following information:
Job listings. Provide detailed job descriptions for every open volunteer position. Include a list of responsibilities, skills needed, expected work hours, and a link to your volunteer application.
Ways to get involved. Outside of specific volunteer roles, share other ways volunteers can make an impact. For example, you might highlight volunteer time off programs, explain what they are, and provide supporters with instructions to discover if they’re eligible.
Contact information. If prospective volunteers have any questions about your program or how to sign up, they should be able to easily get in touch. Share an email address or phone number for someone at your nonprofit who’s knowledgeable about your volunteer program.
Additionally, include compelling images and quotes from past volunteers. This enables prospective volunteers to envision themselves as part of your program, while also inspiring them by showing off your impact.
2. Reach out to audience members on social media.
Social media is a news resource, a fundraising channel, and a valuable volunteer recruitment tool. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to conduct volunteer recruitment and engagement efforts such as:
Sharing detailed role descriptions. Post your volunteer job descriptions, highlighting not just what you expect from volunteers but also what they can gain from volunteering, such as the ability to learn new skills, be part of your community, or make a difference for your cause. Don’t forget to share a link to your sign-up page in each recruitment post!
Extending personal invitations. Social media allows you to connect with supporters and start a two-way conversation. Sending a personal invitation to past volunteers goes a long way in getting them excited to volunteer again. Personalize each invitation so volunteers know their past efforts were seen and appreciated.
Posting regular updates for current projects. Recruit new volunteers and show off your nonprofit’s impact by providing project updates. Post photos and videos of volunteers in action and share details about what they’re doing and why their work matters.
Educating your audience. The first step to recruiting a new volunteer is teaching them about your cause. On your social media profiles, post details about your work and get specific about how each volunteer lends a helping hand.
Posting volunteer shout-outs and thank you messages. Celebrate your volunteers’ efforts with a little public recognition. For instance, eCardWidget’s volunteer appreciation guide shows off this example from the hypothetical nonprofit Cat Rescue Club:
Be sure to adapt your social media content to best suit each platform. For instance, leverage whatever unique tools are offered on each platform, such as Instagram Stories or Facebook Live, to give audience members a behind-the-scenes look at your organization.
3. Remind volunteers of the benefits of their involvement.
Volunteering clearly benefits your nonprofit, but it should also benefit your volunteers! Create a volunteer program that helps your supporters and emphasize its advantages like:
Opportunities for professional networking. Volunteering gives individuals the opportunity to develop meaningful connections with professionals in their field of interest. This is especially true of corporate volunteer opportunities. Plus, supporters can mention their volunteer experience on their resumes and use volunteer coordinators as professional references if needed.
Opportunities for socializing. Volunteering allows participants to meet new people from different backgrounds with unique experiences. For virtual volunteers, enable them to personalize their volunteer profiles so they can show off their personalities and connect with others.
Possible tax deductions. If volunteers donate to your mission, they can write off their contributions on their taxes. Plus, they may be able to deduct volunteer-specific expenses, such as travel or supply costs.
Ability to learn a new skill. Volunteering presents many learning opportunities. These might be hard skills-based opportunities, such as graphic design, translation, and programming, or soft skills that will help volunteers thrive in a professional setting, like public speaking, project management, and communication.
Boost in physical and mental health. Volunteering offers real physical and mental health benefits. In fact, Double the Donation’s volunteer statistics report found that, on average, volunteers experience 38% fewer nights in the hospital than individuals who don’t volunteer.
Use your communication channels to highlight specific volunteer benefits that your organization offers. For instance, you might host happy hours after your Wednesday night greenway cleanups or plan mentoring opportunities to help younger volunteers gain leadership experience. Whatever you offer, make sure volunteers know the many benefits of getting involved.
4. Ask volunteers for their feedback.
Collecting volunteer feedback is essential for empowering your volunteers, optimizing the volunteering experience, and keeping them engaged with your organization long-term. It also helps you discover areas in need of improvement.
Depending on the type of feedback you’re looking for, you might gather volunteers’ thoughts through:
Anonymous surveys. Send out a link to an online survey volunteers can complete anonymously. This can help you get honest feedback as well as opinions from volunteers who may be hesitant to speak up.
Direct feedback to managers. Ask your volunteer supervisors to ask their volunteers for feedback. Volunteers can then report their thoughts and feelings to their managers one-on-one, creating a private setting for feedback while allowing your nonprofit to respond to individual concerns.
Conference. Consider hosting a conference with volunteers after an opportunity and discuss what was successful and what needs improvement. This open forum allows volunteers to hear each other’s suggestions and build off one another’s points or even offer opposing views.
While you may not be able to enact all of your volunteers’ feedback, just the act of having an open conversation can help volunteers feel valued and heard.
5. Show volunteers the impact of their work.
Volunteers want and deserve to know how their efforts help your nonprofit work toward its mission. You can keep volunteers in the loop about your nonprofit’s current projects by:
Providing program updates. Chances are that many of your volunteers will work a few hours on a project here and there. Keep them invested in their work and persuade them to come back by providing updates. Make sure to apply this approach for volunteers who assist with fundraisers as well. For instance, after a fundraising event wraps up, let volunteers know how much you raised and how you plan to use the funding.
Creating statistic reports. Statistics provide hard data that volunteers can analyze to draw their own conclusions. Put statistics in context by providing examples and details about what your programs look like in action. For example, perhaps your volunteers put 300 hours towards cleaning up garbage on a three-mile-long trail. To add context and show impact, you would share any notable environmental changes or improvements in the area.
Sharing beneficiary stories. Stories are incredibly effective at helping nonprofits acquire and retain donors, and they also work at engaging volunteers! Interview the people your volunteers helped and share these stories with your supporters.
When volunteers know their work matters, they’re more likely to continue donating their time to your cause. Some may even take the next step and recommend your organization to their friends and family, helping you recruit even more volunteers!
Your volunteers are there to support you and your mission, and as a volunteer manager, you want to ensure you constantly inspire them and treat them as integral members of your team!
Remember to stay transparent and genuine in your volunteer communications and engagement efforts. Keep them in the loop and make them a part of key decision-making processes.