Top Ten Tips to Engage Volunteers
Volunteer recruitment and retention will be greatly enhanced if your board of directors and staff keep these tips in mind.
Ask for feedback.
Solicit volunteers' feedback on what worked and what didn't. The survey should contain both objective ratings that can be tracked over time, as well as open-ended questions that allow volunteers to express themselves.- Connect efforts to the organization's mission.
Volunteers obtain satisfaction seeing that their efforts make a difference. If connected to the greater good, volunteers will ably represent the association. - Encourage collaboration.
Technology such as TCAG's Higher Logic creates a sense of community among volunteers. They share ideas, difficulties and plans. - Don't forget fun!
Associations must make volunteering less of a chore and/or bore. Icebreakers, group dinners and team-building exercises contribute to community and willingness to serve. - Don't waste volunteers' time.
Associations need to be thoughtful about the amount of time they're asking VOLUNTEERS to contribute to the organization. Efficient meetings and conference calls as well as well-defined projects demonstrate that you value their time and understand they have other obligations. - Manage volunteer transitions.
Whenever a volunteer adds responsibilities and/or takes a step back, associations must make a special effort to understand why. Ensuring that such transitions are made with ease will increase the likelihood that they'll continue to contribute. - Recognize volunteers' efforts.
Recognition of volunteers' efforts must take place more than once-a-year. Encouragement needs to be more frequent, ongoing and personalized. - Promote volunteering as a professional development experience.
Whether or not it's part of their original motivation to volunteer, individuals gain valuable personal and professional skills. Remind volunteers that their efforts are resume builders. - Leverage unique talents.
Soliciting volunteers for anything and everything will identify those individuals who wish to be involved, yet doubt they can make a contribution. - Make it easy.
You can't expect volunteers to administer their committee, task force or working group. Take extraordinary steps to ease their burden by making yourself available at every turn.
