Your Next Volunteer Could be your New MVP
I hear you. I do. You are trying to save the world with not enough money, time, or help. You may have even had some doozy volunteers who didn’t show up when they said they would, made mistakes, slowed you down, or even created more work for you. Now, picture your dream volunteer: reliable, independent, positive, and a real go-getter. Make the dream a reality by investing in your volunteer, and your ROI will be an indispensable champion for your cause.
What’s going on in your volunteer’s life?
Take some time to find out why the volunteer came to your door. Was it purely the cause? Are they looking to network? Constructively fill their time? Learn skills? Do they have specific skills they want to utilize? Do they need to fulfill a requirement? (Don’t count out these volunteers in the MVP contest—-many happily go beyond the required hours once they are engaged in your mission.)
As your volunteers immerse themselves in your organization’s mission, they may offer their own insight. Listen. They are excited, have new ideas, and WANT TO HELP. Have an open mind and give them a little time. If they are off-base, don’t shut them down. Take the cue that they want to be more involved and ask for their opinion about something else. Don’t have the bandwidth to implement their idea? Dub, your volunteer, is the head of a new planning committee. Your new MVP might be just the person to help acclimate new volunteers.
I have a plan!
Be organized for your volunteer. Always have plenty of work. Make sure they have the tools they need.
Think Goldilocks. Make sure the work you give your volunteers is just right. Stuffing envelopes is “too cold.” Do not get mad, and stop reading over the envelopes. Have your staff stuff them during a meeting. Ask a seasoned volunteer to take some home and stuff them over wine with friends. Giving menial tasks to volunteers makes them feel undervalued. “Too hot” is when you throw your volunteer into the deep end with the sharks. In a youth development organization, this could be pairing your volunteer with a child who is being disruptive and non-participatory. If it’s hard for you, it’s harder for someone who is not always there. A “just right” task is one that uses some brain and creativity and clearly advances towards a goal.
Explain why. The volunteer may be familiar with the mission, but it’s important to break it down. Show the volunteer how their specific work fits into the operation.
Have I told you lately that I love you?
Volunteers are working for you…for free. Say, thank you. Don’t have a party. Your volunteers are already giving you some of their precious time; they may not want to give more, even to go to their own party. Just say, “Thank you,” with eye contact and a smile, often. Give them a T-shirt. SHOW THEM HOW THEY ARE HELPING. This is what they want the most. Spell it out for them. Make a direct connection between the work they are doing and the impact of that work. Handwritten thank-you notes are always appreciated.
Treat your volunteers as you would potential donors. They are potential donors. Already donating time, volunteers who feel like a valued part of your organization will organically want to give money, in-kind donations, and connections. A little extra investment in the beginning will pay off in the end. If you invest some time and energy into each and every volunteer that comes to your doorstep, at least one of them is bound to become your MVP.
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Thank you to our guest blogger, Cristin Caine, the founder and CEO of Charity Connect. Cristin Caine’s background in special events fundraising and as a Montgomery County Public School teacher, combined with her own fulfilling volunteer positions, led to her passion for ensuring that everyone who wants to volunteer is volunteering. Learn more about Cristin and Charity Connect www.charityconnect.us