What are the most important things to consider when recruiting volunteers for your non-profit organization?

Before initiating the search for volunteers, it is crucial to delineate the goals, objectives, and specific tasks required for the non-profit. Having a clear and realistic vision of organizational needs facilitates the creation of well-defined volunteer opportunities. This clarity not only streamlines the recruitment process but also enables effective communication with potential volunteers. By aligning volunteer expectations with organizational requirements, non-profits enhance their ability to attract dedicated individuals whose skills and commitment align with the mission and objectives of the organization.

Valuing the time and effort it takes for a person to even inquire about becoming a volunteer for an organization, event or community-led effort. Taking that understanding, promptly and courteously responding to their inquiry. My experience is that interested parties often want to discuss what is important to them, what they are good at and what they have time to achieve/contribute. Overwhelming potential volunteers with rigid process, rules, steps, orientations, parameters can often exhaust them to the point of walking away from the discussion. But, if they are met with appreciation, a listening ear and true interest in what THEY have to say-it can go much further in potentially locking them in to your mission and eventually volunteerism.

Understanding what moves and motivates your volunteers is an important part of developing a volunteer appreciation strategy. Use surveys, polls and discussions to help you understand your volunteers. It's also helpful to have volunteer representation on your board (beyond the board service itself). This brings another, important voice and view to the table and will be able to provide perspective that is unique to their role. You can also develop a volunteer advisory board to help you understand this audience. It also shows that your value and respect them.

Efficiently recruiting volunteers for a non-profit involves streamlining the process from application to placement. How easy is it for potential volunteers to find opportunities and apply? How quickly do you respond to inquiries and applications? How well do you prepare and integrate them into your team and culture? Streamlining the process reduces barriers and friction, mitigating potential discouragement. By prioritizing a straightforward and efficient volunteer recruitment process, non-profits optimize the experience for both the organization and volunteers, ensuring a positive and impactful engagement that aligns with the overarching goals of the non-profit.

Whenever I travel for a business trip, I try to pick up a postcard for our volunteers. I write a note on the postcard thanking the volunteers and letting them know how they contributed to our success at the conference. This gets me in the habit of expressing gratitude on a regular basis and lets the volunteers know they're part of a big, impactful mission.

Ensuring a successful volunteer recruitment strategy for a non-profit involves prioritizing the demonstration of appreciation for the invaluable contributions and achievements of volunteers. Central to this is establishing effective methods for expressing gratitude. This includes thoughtful expressions of thanks for their time and effort, as well as celebrating and sharing their successes and stories. Demonstrating appreciation not only builds trust and loyalty but also serves as a powerful motivator, encouraging volunteers to deepen their engagement with the non-profit. By fostering a culture of recognition and support, can create a positive and rewarding environment that enhances volunteer retention and overall organizational success.

This is probably the single best step you can take to retain and grow your volunteer base. Saying thank you, sharing words of encouragement and demonstrating you actually care for those who support you goes a long way toward building trust and confidence in your organization and leadership. The key is that this appreciation is consistent and authentic. Being appreciative in fits and starts and doing so just to check a box will backfire by actually pushing folks away. It will likely require you to invest in someone to own this role in your organization. The cost of that person will likely pay for itself and then some in volunteer and donor support.

Ask why are they volunteering for your cause. Help them find out what they are getting out of volunteering personally. Each type of nonprofit has its own rewards and challenges. Can that person cope with the challenges? It helps you as a leader to help the volunteer meet their why. As a volunteer gains experience do they want to gain a greater involvement with the tougher side aka management fund raising etc or are they happy at the basic level. What was required in a youth focused nonprofit is far different than a social work and other nonprofit sectors.