15 Tips for Managing Volunteers

When it comes to nonprofit success, a key ingredient is the volunteers. And while some organizations have the luxury of a healthy volunteer base, others find it a struggle to attract volunteers. To make matters worse, it’s often hard to keep volunteers around. The truth is that people these days are busy and overworked. If they do not feel needed and appreciated, they are likely to find a better use of their time. In addition, no volunteer wants to be a part of a messy situation. Having your ducks in a row when it comes to managing volunteers will ensure you have a well oiled machine and reduce turnover.

1. Perfect your message. People won’t likely volunteer for organizations they know nothing about. Ensuring the message about both your organization and the need for volunteers well will help you get volunteers whose values align with yours.
2. Be Responsive. If people reach out to you about potentially volunteering and you don’t respond within a day or two, they may just move on and volunteer elsewhere. Respect people’s time and strike while the iron is hot.
3. Maintain Social Media. New volunteers will be inspired by photos of your nonprofit in action. Social media is a great tool for this. The best part is that it’s relatively easy to use and free.
4. Show Gratitude. People who are appreciated are more likely to get the job done. Whether that appreciation is shown through personalized thank you cards, social media shoutouts or appreciation events, is up to you to make sure your volunteers feel appreciated.
5. Empower Others. Don’t feel like you have to be the one doing all the work. The more you can empower members and volunteers with the goals and mission, the more you can trust things will get done the right way.
6. Be a Mentor. Naturally, volunteers will look to you for instruction in their assignment. But you can also be more than that and mentor them along the way. Share advice, stories and life experiences to encourage them.
7. Provide Training. Volunteers are willing to help your organization. Provide a short training that will help them understand your organization’s history, goals and mission. Provide any instructional training they may need in their specific volunteer assignment.
8. Clear Communication. What time does the volunteering shift begin? What duty have they been assigned to? Clear communication will help organize volunteers and reduce misunderstandings. Send out emails or newsletters as often as needed so everyone is on the same page.
9. Utilize Tech. Don’t make it hard for new people to become volunteers. Streamline the process with tools designed for member tracking, volunteer management, budgeting, calendaring and more.
10. Focus On Recruitment. Give as much attention to the recruitment process as you do other aspects of your organization. Having a healthy cache of willing volunteers is never a bad thing, especially in times of need or high turnover.
11. Ask For Feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask volunteers for feedback. Knowing how you are doing is beneficial to your organization. You can create an anonymous survey online so volunteers can tell honestly tell you about any concerns.
12. Reasonable Schedule. Volunteers are exactly that, volunteering. So don’t schedule them with crazy hours or mind-numbing tasks. Create a rotating schedule for the tasks that aren’t so desirable.
13. Engrain The Message. People should be proud to be working with your organization. When they buy off on your mission and message, they are more likely to live it.
14. Equip Them Properly. Nothing is more frustrating than volunteering your time and not being able to complete the assignment properly. Make sure you have all the equipment that will be needed for the assignment. Will the volunteer be pulling weeds? Provide gloves. Is it an all day affair? Provide snacks. Small things go a long way.
15. Pick Assignments Smartly. Get to know your volunteers and their skills. You wouldn’t want to throw a volunteer into an assignment that is too physically or mentally challenging for them. See where volunteers excel and assign them accordingly.