How to Find and Keep Good Volunteers

in Nonprofits / Volunteers

You know you need volunteers for your nonprofit organization. You know the quality of your volunteers makes a difference. You want enthusiastic, reliable volunteers to make it possible for your organization to succeed in its mission. But how do you find and keep them? With persistence and creativity.

Finding Volunteers

  • Invest in a volunteer coordinator and organizational policies for managing volunteers. Have all your systems and procedures in place first, so volunteers have smooth, easy experiences with your organization.
  • Use social media! Share volunteer opportunities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, your e-mail newsletter, and anywhere you have a presence online. Beyond opportunities and event info, share posts about your volunteers and the work they do.
  • For most nonprofits, ads on TV, radio, and billboards are out of reach. But you can reach your audience in other ways:
    • Contact groups that are service-oriented or have community service requirements and offer to share opportunities or coordinate a volunteer project with them. Good candidates are schools, scout troops, service clubs like Kiwanis, church groups, and sororities and fraternities.
    • See if you can put notices in bulletins or newsletters from neighborhood or homeowners’ associations, churches, or local city council members or realtors. Find out if your library or community center has a calendar for local events.
    • Post notices in coffee shops and other businesses with bulletin boards.
    • If you need volunteers with specific skills, reach out to local chapters of professional organizations or companies with corporate giving campaigns.
  • Collect testimonials from current volunteers to share on your website, newsletters, and social media.

Outsource or use local resources:

Montgomery County Volunteer Center

Virginia Service

Volunteer Match

Serve DC

Corporation for National and Community Service

Taproot Foundation

Idealist

Keeping Volunteers

  • Be clear about expectations from the start and provide quality training or orientation sessions. Volunteers should know, before signing up, what’s expected, where they’ll be, how long their commitment is, what skills or materials are required, and who to contact if they have questions. Make sure your staff is trained to work with volunteers to ensure they have great experiences from the start.
  • Clearly explain your mission and how their work supports it. It’s easy to see impacts if they’re working “in the field,” but what about those helping in the office? Tell envelope-stuffers how many donations were brought in by those mailings.
  • Send an e-newsletter specifically for your volunteers. Here, you can share about upcoming events and opportunities, highlight volunteer achievements, and ask for feedback.
  • Get to know your volunteers. You want to find out why they’re here – often, it won’t just be to sacrifice their time, but also to meet new people or develop skills. If you learn about their personality, talents, and motivation, you can give them tasks they’ll enjoy and will do well.
  • Show your gratitude and appreciation! I could write a whole post just about how to do this!
    • Send a thank-you email (or even a handwritten card!) after volunteer events.
    • Host regular volunteer appreciation parties or an annual volunteer awards ceremony to recognize their hard work.
    • Provide drinks and snacks while they’re volunteering.
    • Partner with local businesses to give gift cards as thank-you gifts.
    • Give them shout-outs on social media.

Dedicated volunteers make it possible for non-profits to achieve their missions. Strong branding and a solid marketing strategy will help you attract, recruit, and retain those quality volunteers. Want to learn more? Email us at hello@epsteincreative.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation!