Turning Your Volunteer Management Into A Natural System Of Your Organization

Volunteers play a vital role in a nonprofit organization. Volunteers play a role in most organizations’ governance, administration, fundraising, programming, promotion, and advocacy. Therefore, volunteers are a huge part of an organization. However, volunteer management can often feel clunky and piecemealed. To turn your volunteer management into a natural system of your organization, you should focus on the four areas of volunteer management: recruitment, tracking, engagement, and retention.     

Recruitment

Your organization should have a recruitment system and a yearly recruitment plan. The recruitment plan should feel like a natural part of your organization. Build the recruitment process into your annual calendar, and it should have an easy progression. For example, a recruitment plan could consist of two or three yearly open houses, followed by training sessions, and onboarding sessions. Be consistent at holding these events around the same time of year, so again, they become a natural part of your organization. 

Another part of recruitment is that you should have a diverse group of volunteers. Recruit volunteers not just from your usual networks but also from outside of your normal networks. Think of ways to incorporate people that are from different sectors. Do not rely just on nominations or word of mouth but have people self-nominate through an online form. You can also partner with companies and invite their employees to volunteer for a day, or After that, they might start volunteering regularly. You can also partner with other nonprofits for different volunteer opportunities. Take every opportunity to share how people can volunteer with your organization.     

Tracking

Your organization should have a natural system for tracking volunteer hours. Volunteers should fill out a simple timesheet. It should be easy for volunteers to fill out this form. The form should have the following spaces: name, sign-in time, sign-out time, and performed tasks. Volunteers can use one or two words to fill in the tasks space, such as administrative, hospitality, program, fundraising, volunteer management, training, etc. Keep track of total volunteer hours on an excel sheet.  

Several times a year you can also survey some of the volunteers and ask for more extensive information, stories, or testimonials that they would like to share about volunteering for your organization. You should report in your newsletter or on social media, volunteer hours for each month, and share any stories or testimonials. 

Engagement

Engagement is a very important part of the volunteer management process. Volunteers should feel engaged in the mission and vision of the organization. Some organizations might feel they do not have a lot of programmatic tasks to keep their volunteers engaged and involved. However, engagement can take all different forms. It does not have to be just programmatic. 

         Volunteers can help with administrative duties, fundraising tasks, training and workshops, and tabling at events. Volunteers can serve on committees. Volunteers can help with your volunteer management process. Volunteers can help with your open houses, training sessions, and the onboarding of new volunteers. Volunteers can help with many aspects of your organization. 

Volunteers can also help with advocacy around certain issues that affect your organization and the people you serve. Announce regular action alerts that your volunteers can do and host training sessions around advocacy for your volunteers.     

Allow your volunteers to dream. Ask your volunteers if they have any ideas to help advance the mission and vision of your organization. Provide them the opportunity to fundraise, do workshops, presentations, or recruit volunteers on your behalf. Give them the materials that they can use. For example, provide a fundraising kit online. Provide them with invitations to an open house so that they can help recruit volunteers. 

Retention

Recognition. Recognition. Recognition. Recognizing volunteers is critical in retaining your volunteers. Like all the other steps of the volunteer management process, recognizing volunteers should be a natural part of your organization. There are many ways to recognize your volunteers. It should not be done just once a year at an annual dinner. It should be a regular part of your organization. You can recognize volunteers through social media, your newsletter, annual reports, in-person events, during workshops, and training session. Think of creative ways to acknowledge and thank your volunteers and do it consistently.   

 You should include storytelling and opportunities to share your mission and vision as part of your retention process. Share your story. Share how your organization is making an impact. Feedback should also be a part of the retention process. Ask for regular feedback from your volunteers. If volunteers decide to end their time with you, conduct an exit interview. Make this a regular habit.

Volunteers are a critical part of a nonprofit organization. Therefore, your organization needs to incorporate a volunteer management system that includes the four steps of recruitment, tracking, engagement, and retention. If you incorporate this system, then your volunteer management will become a natural part of your organization.   

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