Managing a volunteer program can be like navigating turbulent water - it's unpredictable, full of obstacles, and full of unexpected twists and turns.
Even so, it's important to remember the immeasurable rewards that come with this job. Making a difference in people's lives is what motivates us to keep going. Our dedication and commitment change lives and make a positive difference in the world through this journey.
You're tasked not only with planning and execution but also with the monumental mission of inspiring and retaining a team who's there purely out of passion.
Our mission is to make your voyage smoother. We've woven together a tapestry of vital knowledge, real-world strategies, and time-tested practices in this comprehensive guide.
This is your compass, designed to guide you confidently through the diverse terrains of volunteer management strategy.
Whether you're a seasoned captain or a fledgling explorer setting sail for the first time in the vast ocean of volunteer management, this book is your lifeline on how to manage volunteers. Embrace the journey, and discover the transformational power of effective volunteer leadership.
We've left no stone unturned, so you're equipped to handle whatever lies ahead and lead your volunteers towards a brighter horizon.
Running a volunteer organization successfully takes a lot of planning and management. Volunteer management involves ensuring volunteers fulfill their commitments, creating a positive volunteer experience, and tracking volunteer hours.
Volunteer work may not involve money, but managing it still requires financial considerations. It's important for volunteer managers to ensure efficient operation of the organization without excessive financial strain, even if they don't focus on business metrics.
Despite not having the primary goal of generating revenue, volunteer managers may still want to cultivate relationships with volunteers to potentially turn them into donors.
Instead, you need proper volunteer management. Without it, your organization may not be effective at all. Here are a few of the reasons you should consider optimizing your volunteer management.
Volunteer work can take a lot of time and resources. When you’re managing volunteers, the required time and resources increase exponentially. Without proper management, your productivity may suffer.
Effective volunteer management, on the other hand, fosters a collaborative and efficient atmosphere. One of the key advantages is the simplified approach to volunteer coordination, making it easier to organize and carry out tasks smoothly.
A huge part of any volunteer work is the effect it has on people. If your organization isn't able to effectively deliver on its mission, it will be difficult to justify asking for donations and growing your programs.
Effective volunteer management can help avoid that possibility. It lets you organize volunteers and focus their efforts, as well as measure and analyze the effectiveness of those efforts.
Depending on how your volunteer organization runs, stakeholders (board members, donors, Executive Directors, etc.) might have a lot of influence. If that’s the case, you know how important tracking and reporting on volunteer impact is to them. It would be hard to justify investing in your volunteer organization otherwise.
Volunteer management helps you stay organized and report accurate data to stakeholders. When they have such a transparent view of your operations, they’re more likely to stay engaged and interested in your organization.
To summarize, you need to consider stepping up your volunteer management because it:
Volunteer recruitment is unique in how rewarding and how difficult it can be. The payoff is worth it for you and the volunteers you recruit, but that only comes with successful recruitment. Part of the problem is that recruitment isn’t a one-time thing—it’s a constant process.
These are the keys to successful volunteer recruitment :
Let’s take for example, an organization successfully implemented a targeted recruitment strategy. They identified specific skills required for their upcoming project and reached out to professional organizations and industry groups related to those skills.
By showcasing the project's significance and the impact volunteers could make, they attracted highly skilled volunteers from the target audience, resulting in a successful project completion and valuable connections for future collaborations.
When you try to recruit a volunteer, you have to keep one thing in mind: volunteers are donating their time and energy to you. They have countless other options, some of them paid, so you have to figure out how to make your opportunity the most appealing.
From figuring out what your organization needs to carrying out social media campaigns, you can choose from a variety of strategies. If you’re ready to implement a new volunteer recruitment strategy, it might be time to take a more detailed look .
In The Volunteer Management Program , United Way Centraide looked into the effectiveness of volunteer management strategy . Aside from a 9% increase in volunteers in just one year, the program also relieved stress and left volunteers more satisfied with their work.
Source: VolunteerPro
Volunteer work doesn’t stop at recruitment. Some of the biggest challenges come after your organization is already full of volunteers. That’s when you have to focus on supervision, especially if you want your volunteers to be satisfied and effective.
So it follows that you need a good supervisor—one that can not only manage but also lead volunteers. Without one, your volunteers may move on to greener pastures. Before you hire a dedicated volunteer leader or step up to the role, here’s some key information about volunteer supervision.
A good volunteer leader will figure out how everyone will communicate and set expectations for that communication. This includes defining communication channels and creating a plan. Training is also important, and a volunteer leader should ensure every new volunteer is onboarded and oriented properly before beginning work.
Volunteer supervision is a full-time job, though, and you may need more than a few tips. Do some research to figure out exactly how you’ll supervise volunteers in your organization.
Your volunteers are only as good as their engagement. What that means is a bored or discouraged volunteer will, at best, deliver low-quality impact . In the worst cases, disengaged volunteers will leave your organization and even have negative things to say.
Once again, this often requires a strategy. Your strategy will depend on how you communicate with, train, and retain volunteers. If you’d like to get a better idea of how to keep volunteers engaged , you can find plenty of information online.
Develop your volunteer engagement strategy with these solutions:
Everyone needs to feel appreciated, and volunteers are at the top of that list. Unappreciated volunteers may leave your organization, unfortunately. So your best bet is to be proactive and show appreciation to your volunteers from the start.
You could provide gifts or even heartfelt gratitude. Gratitude is key in volunteer work, so you should look toward building a culture of gratitude in your organization. There’s a bit more to it than saying thank you, but you can find out more as your volunteers achieve more.
For example, a charity implemented a volunteer appreciation program to recognize and celebrate the contributions of their volunteers. They organized an annual volunteer recognition event where volunteers were honored with certificates of appreciation, personalized thank-you notes, and public acknowledgment of their achievements.
The program not only boosted volunteer morale and retention but also attracted new volunteers who were inspired by the positive volunteer culture.
When you're recognizing your supporters, consider these things:
1) Get Creative. You don't have to spend a lot on meaningful gifts. Check out these unique, inexpensive volunteer appreciation gift ideas . We don't do boring, one-size-fits-all gifts! Our list has something for everyone.
2) A simple "thank you" goes a long way. Saying thanks at the end of every shift makes volunteers feel appreciated. Get your CEO or board to write a thank you letter to volunteers and donors after a big fundraising push or seasonal campaign.
3) Share Their Impact. Show your volunteers how they've made a difference. Give volunteers a resume so they can act as proof at work or school. You'll need a way to track your volunteers' impact and create live reports.
Every organization has to record its activity, even when involved in volunteer work. This is important for the organization, as it gives insight into impact and effectiveness. But it’s also crucial for volunteers themselves, like when they need hour submissions approved.
Here’s a list of the reasons why tracking volunteer hours is important:
Software and tools can make volunteer tracking much easier and streamlined. For example, Clockify is a free time tracker that you can use online or with a timer. Alternatively, there’s Track It Forward, which lets volunteers track their own hours.
Rosterfy provides an entire volunteer management platform that also tracks volunteer hours. If you prefer simple interfaces that work without much finesse, Volunteer Hub is a straightforward volunteer hour tracking tool.
Galaxy Digital also provides a volunteer management platform that doubles as an hour tracker. This software also goes a step further with its reporting and validation features. If you’re still not sure how you want to track your volunteer hours, you have plenty of options to choose from.
Starting a volunteer program can be a difficult but worthwhile endeavor. There are so many considerations to make, from your goals to your funding. So how will you raise funds? Do you have a potential corporate partnership lined up? What kind of technology will you leverage to grow your program?
These are only a few of the questions you need to ask, but they’re all of equal importance. When you’re ready to start your volunteer program, make sure you take the right considerations into account.
As the world becomes more digital, so does volunteer work. That poses its own challenges, but the good news is you can also conduct volunteer management in a digital environment. Whether you want to save time or get more insight into your impact, digital volunteer management tools can help.
Passion is a prerequisite for an effective volunteer. That can take anyone far in an organization, but nothing is a substitute for skills and experience. Think about it: your organization could get stuck at a standstill if your volunteers never develop more skills.
That’s where continuous learning comes into play. If you invest in professional development for your volunteers, you can potentially end up with more high-achieving volunteers and volunteers that can take on more responsibility. That can make your organization run more smoothly and have a bigger impact. As your volunteer organization grows, make sure your volunteers can grow with it!
Need to measure your program's ROI? Get the free resource >>
Running and managing a volunteer organization requires unique knowledge and skills. If you’re just getting started, that might feel overwhelming. Even if you have management experience, volunteer management can throw you for a loop.
To avoid that, learn some of the best practices of the industry. Those best practices range from using a volunteer management platform to tracking volunteer engagement. If you want to learn more about volunteer management best practices, you can find some here .
As you can see, volunteer management is an important and complex process. That doesn’t mean it’s hard, though, and it’s necessary if you want your volunteer organization to succeed. After all, your organization is only as good as its volunteers.
This article should have provided a quick rundown of volunteer management, but check out our blog for plenty more about where that came from.
Volunteer management is all about time. Just ask any volunteer manager: they spend their days doing tasks and processes that make the organization run. That can cause a time crunch. Money is time, so a little investment can yield a lot.
That's why volunteer management software is so important. Sure, it's an investment, but you can't really buy more time. Consider investing in volunteer management software . It's worth it.
Starting out? Here's everything you need to know about starting a volunteer program.
Until then, here's how to start a volunteer program in 6 steps:
Need to measure your program's ROI? Get the free resource >>
Volunteer management has changed a lot in the past decade. We already know: the future is digital.
We've compiled some must-have resources and further reading so you can manage volunteers online:
Are you ready to advance your volunteer management career? Here are some resources to keep learning:
You'll find everything you need to manage your volunteers well and grow your program here. Check out our blog for more volunteer management ideas.
We've shared the navigational tools you'll need to steer your volunteer program to success. Armed with this wisdom, you're not just managing a group of individuals, you're leading a passionate force united by a shared purpose.
Your journey may be challenging, but remember, every great voyage tests the resilience of its crew. With this guide, you're prepared to weather the storms, harness the winds of change, and chart a course towards triumph.
The impact you create together with your volunteers will ripple outwards, making a difference in your community and beyond. So here's to your journey as a volunteer leader – may it be filled with inspiration, empowerment, and enduring success.