Strengthening Your Volunteers

When it comes to volunteers, the first thing to realize is they are so excited about the organization that you both serve, they are willing to give you their time for free. It helps to consider them major donors to your non-profit mission because they are gifting you with their valuable time.

With a few simple steps, you can help your organization’s volunteers happily rise to the next level.

1. People Give To People. This is a non-profit mantra for funding, but it needs to also be applied to your volunteers. Cultivate a positive relationship and your volunteers will remain excited to keep giving. They are an excellent way to cultivate new members and volunteers, as well as goodwill for the entire organization. The opposite is also true. Volunteers who feel marginalized are like a customer who receives horrible service: they let everyone know. Remember, there are many reasons people give, but it takes on one reason to say “No.”
2. Communicate. This is the most important tool in your management tool chest. Keep your volunteers apprised of upcoming changes in a timely manner so they can adapt. Praise them for the things they do well and when you can, give them additional tasks or management opportunities to spread the skills and work load. Be clear about expectations and most importantly, be nice!
3. Anticipate Issues.  No organization is going to run smoothly all the time. Leaders are the ones who are going to be responsible when volunteers have personal or family emergencies, when plans change last minute and they cannot fulfill their commitments. (Notice I say “when”, not “if” because this happens regularly even to our most faithful volunteers.) These are opportunities to practice grace and empathy. By realizing this ahead of time, volunteer managers can prevent resentment from overwhelming. Try to avoid emotionally charged language and focus on how you can be of service if things do not go the way you had planned. 
4. Training, Training, Training. Train them thoroughly and routinely check in to update training. Ask for their input into the training process and keep training easily updatable and accessible so that everyone can be on the same page. You can do this with a wiki or by keeping a separate area of your website for volunteer access easily enough. Monthly or quarterly in-person trainings, or on Skype if you are a virtual organization, can help to reinforce written training and also serves to bring together a volunteer team and increase their social interaction.
5. Support. Your volunteers want to feel a part of an organization and do not want to be overwhelmed. They want to have your guidance and feel supported by you and others in the organization. Knowing that you have an open door policy and are available for help when they feel that something is above their pay grade is not only wise, but good business.
6. One Size Does Not Fit Most. Each contributor has different strengths and skillsets. Matching volunteers to roles that fit them as individuals and highlight their areas of expertise can help with retention. Adding a section to your volunteer intake form and asking questions about their strengths can help you steer them toward more fulfilling work and help you get to know them as people.

We hear frequently about organizations starved for help and that a few people do the work of many. What does it look like when you foster relationships with your volunteers? A healthy, thriving non-profit can result when you have volunteer engagement and dedication.