{"id":10248,"date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=10248"},"modified":"2024-05-08T21:33:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T21:33:46","slug":"volunteer-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/volunteer-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer Management: Engagement, Retention, and Maximization"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve recruited some volunteers<\/a>. Congratulations! That\u2019s awesome!<\/p>\n

Volunteers make the nonprofit world go round. At their best, they\u2019re advocates for your cause, relieve burdens from your staff, and expand your organization\u2019s reach and impact. Let\u2019s do a small dance of joy right now.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"When<\/dt>\n
WOOHOO! WE\u2019VE GOT VOLUNTEERS!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

So, how are you going to keep them?<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Retaining<\/dt>\n
“Just hope they stay?”<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

No worries, we\u2019re here at CauseVox to help you engage, retain, and empower your volunteers, giving them the best volunteer experience<\/a> they\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n

What Makes A Good Volunteer Experience?<\/h2>\n

A good volunteer experience is good all around–the volunteer helps the organization, and volunteering serves the volunteer in some way. Instead of money, nonprofits offer volunteers personal satisfaction. Volunteers can get satisfaction from making a difference, using their professional skills for good, connecting with the population you serve, meeting new people, and building new skills.<\/p>\n

Volunteer management takes a lot of attention to detail, so it\u2019s easy to lose sight of the overall experience your volunteers are having. Before you start planning meetings and writing up volunteer handbooks, take some time to think about what a good volunteer experience with your organization might be.<\/p>\n

Pay particular attention to how you want people to feel when they volunteer at your organization. Consider making that feeling your mission as you manage volunteers, as in:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mission is to make every volunteer feel confident in their role.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mission is to make every volunteer feel supported by this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mission is to make every volunteer feel excited about learning more about our cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Side note: Some volunteers will not cooperate with your personal mission. Everyone is allowed to feel however they darn well please. You should still have a goal.)<\/p>\n

It may be hard to slow down and articulate some of this squishy-feel-good stuff, especially if managing volunteers is not your full-time job. It\u2019s worth it, though. The emotional component of volunteering can\u2019t be underestimated; if people don\u2019t feel good, they won\u2019t keep volunteering.<\/p>\n

A 3-Part Strategy For Volunteer Management<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Volunteer<\/dt>\n
Go, team!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Effective volunteer management starts before you even recruit your first volunteer, and continues at every step of their engagement with your organization. Whatever your volunteer opportunities, roles, or assignments, make sure you\u2019re planning to engage, retain, and empower your volunteers.<\/p>\n

Engage<\/h2>\n

Engagement means continually capturing your volunteers\u2019 attention, inspiring them to give their time. An engaged volunteer is excited about working with your organization, ready to learn, and knows what is expected of them.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Engage<\/dt>\n
Passion leads volunteers, engagement keeps them.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Strategies for Engagement<\/h2>\n

1) Give Them Something To Do ASAP<\/h3>\n

As soon as someone becomes a volunteer at your organization, offer them something to do. Their initial excitement will dwindle if they complete an orientation and then aren\u2019t given a chance to get started for months.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have an immediate need for volunteers, invite them to meet people within the organization, shadow a staff person, or tour your offices. Anything you can do to make them feel included immediately will build their connection to your organization.<\/p>\n

2) Train And Explain<\/h3>\n

People volunteer because they want to help. If they feel like they are in the way, unprepared, or liable to mess something up, their volunteer experience won\u2019t be satisfying. Describe volunteer opportunities thoroughly and accurately, and make sure you take the time to adequately explain volunteer roles, responsibilities, and procedures. Pair them with more experienced volunteers before asking them to do something on their own.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Manage<\/dt>\n
This volunteer opportunity clearly spells out the expectations, time and skills needed, and benefits of volunteering.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

People learn differently, so it\u2019s helpful to provide information to volunteers in more than one way. A volunteer handbook may be just what one person wants, while another will benefit more from watching someone do a task. By delivering training information in different ways, you give more volunteers the chance to be successful.<\/p>\n

Situations that call for volunteers are often busy and stressful, but make sure new volunteers have a chance to ask questions about what you\u2019re asking them to do.<\/p>\n

3) Follow Up<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll learn a lot about your new volunteers, and potentially about your organization, if you follow up after the first couple times a volunteer works with you. It doesn\u2019t need to be an entire procedure, but checking in gives you the chance to see how it\u2019s going. You can reassure, encourage, and congratulate a new volunteer, as well as head off any problems or misunderstandings.<\/p>\n

Ask questions that are:<\/p>\n