Effective volunteer leaders recognize and value the contributions made by volunteers before sending communications soliciting donations of time or money from them. Their priority should always be serving others and appreciating their efforts.
1. They make giving time a regular practice.
Volunteering requires long-term dedication, so volunteers need to trust that their efforts will have an effect. One way of building that trust is by setting clear expectations and communicating regularly about progress.
Another effective tactic for engaging volunteers is matching them with appropriate tasks. If a volunteer possesses strong tech knowledge, for example, assign them research new tools that could improve efficiency within your organization.
Successful volunteers strive for long-term impact through their service. They view it as an investment in themselves and in their community; taking measures to learn from systems and challenges so as to ensure their efforts will have longevity.
2. They show interest in the cause.
Volunteers work tirelessly to make an impactful difference in the lives of others through service work, whether that means serving food at their local soup kitchen or distributing road maps for hurricane survivors in Texas. Furthermore, their experience as volunteers gives them greater perspective and self-awareness.
Introduce variety into shifts and tasks so volunteers can advance into more advanced positions over time, keeping them happy, fulfilled, and committed to your cause. This will keep volunteers satisfied, fulfilled, and engaged with the cause.
Prior to signing on with your organization, ensure prospective volunteers have a pleasant experience before making their commitment. A bad online application experience or delayed phone call could turn off potential volunteers completely, so implement a peer-to-peer kudos system where volunteers can recognize one another for their hard work using sticky notes, an office board or direct eCards.
3. They set goals.
Everyone possesses unique gifts and abilities; highly effective volunteers make an effort to utilize those skills effectively. If your organization has a tech-savvy volunteer on board, have them assist in researching tools for text-to-give campaigns or online fundraising efforts.
Effective organization requires efficient workflow, strong collaboration and transparency as well as eliminating volunteer time wasted by having them complete tasks they aren’t qualified for.
4. They prioritize.
Highly effective volunteers focus their energies and partnerships on projects, tasks and partnerships that advance their long-term goals. It can be easy to be sidetracked by daily responsibilities; therefore they prioritize what matters most in their roles.
They place great emphasis on taking care of themselves as nonprofit workers who don’t look after themselves are more prone to burn out or compassion fatigue, leading to decreased effectiveness over time. Nonprofit professionals seek ways to take care of themselves – whether through closed Facebook groups or meeting up with other nonprofit professionals for in-person meetups.
Giving volunteers an enjoyable volunteer experience can go a long way towards keeping them with your organization – this starts from their first day to when their service concludes.
5. They look to make a long-term impact.
Highly effective nonprofits make a priority of offering volunteers an enjoyable volunteering experience from day one, whether this means providing mentorship or any other form of support. This could include training them properly and being responsive when any queries or concerns arise.
As nonprofit organizations can easily become immersed in day-to-day work and lose sight of their goals, it is imperative that organizations prioritize projects, programs and work that will help achieve these objectives above everything else.
Nonprofits should allow volunteers to recharge and take care of themselves by offering rewards such as discounts at local businesses. Volunteers will likely continue their service when their emotional banks are full; showing gratitude can help with this goal.
6. They see where they can add value.
Numerous volunteer roles can have low impacts, particularly unskilled labor tasks that an organization could easily outsource to someone else. That doesn’t mean all volunteers should avoid these positions if you possess rare and valuable skills that make volunteering worthwhile; indeed it might even make perfect sense!
Make sure that your volunteers know they matter by gathering them together at the end of each shift for a celebratory phone call, showing your appreciation and giving everyone an opportunity to get acquainted. After this meeting, send each of them a personalized thank you note or email showing your care for their work.
7. They take care of themselves.
Volunteerism involves taking care of oneself. Volunteers give up their time without expecting anything in return, so it’s crucial they feel reenergized after giving so much of themselves to an unselfish cause.
As volunteers, it can be easy to become bogged down in daily tasks and lose focus of what your goals were in setting them. Effective volunteers prioritise projects, programs, and work that contributes to meeting these high-level objectives.
You must remain committed and patient in your pursuit if you wish to see results in any field, as it can take years for some initiatives to make an impactful statement. A volunteer with unlimited patience can persevere even when nothing seems to be happening; their resiliency can also help protect them against burnout risks associated with volunteering abroad.