Okay, so you work at a nonprofit planning a fundraising event to bring in the funding and support your mission needs. You’ve spent months laying the groundwork for an impactful gathering and are excited to get up and running. However, a few weeks before the event, you suddenly discover that your nonprofit doesn’t have all the staff members to pull it off. Now, you have to scramble to find the extra help you need.
Instead of leaving recruitment to the last minute, build your nonprofit’s capacity by implementing strategies for a long-term volunteer pipeline. With this guide, you’ll build a support base eager to lend you their time and energy.
1. Clearly define your volunteer needs
You can leverage your base’s support in many ways. Before revamping your volunteer recruitment process, clearly define your volunteer needs. Ask yourself and your team the following questions:
- What are our nonprofit’s core needs or priorities?
- What operational aspects are we struggling with?
- What tasks can volunteers take on?
- Do we need one-time or long-term support?
- Are we looking for generalized help or specialized support?
- How many volunteers do we need?
- What are the minimum and maximum volunteers we can manage effectively?
Start brainstorming the roles your volunteers can fill based on the answers to these questions. According to Funds2Orgs, these are the most common volunteer roles:
- Event coordinators
- Managerial volunteers
- Specialists and domain experts
- Peer-to-peer coordinators
- In-kind donation coordinators
- Volunteer mentors or supervisors
However, if you need support that’s not included on this list, don’t be afraid to recruit volunteers for that role. Every nonprofit’s mission is different, and their volunteer needs will be, too.
For example, a small nonprofit may look for a volunteer to help them create marketing graphics. A larger, environmentally-focused nonprofit might seek volunteers to participate in a community cleanup day. It’s all about what your nonprofit needs help with—and what supporters would be interested in supporting.
2. Create volunteer job descriptions
Although volunteering at a nonprofit is not the same as being employed by the organization, take a leaf out of the for-profit business playbook by writing robust job descriptions. In your descriptions, cover the following key details:
- Role title: This is a quick description of the volunteer’s role and should reflect the nature of the role.
- Role summary: This is a brief overview of the volunteer role and should include core duties, location, and typical schedule.
- Nonprofit overview: Concisely discuss your organization’s mission and how the role fits into it to show volunteers why their role is important.
- Duties: This section should list the volunteer’s day-to-day responsibilities and any other tasks they may need to perform.
- Qualifications: If you need specialized help, list the required qualifications that an individual needs to fulfill this volunteer role. You can also cover preferred qualifications to help the volunteer excel.
- Relationships: Discuss how the role fits in the hierarchy of your nonprofit. Since it’s a volunteer role, the individual will likely report to your volunteer manager. There are exceptions—for example, a social media marketing volunteer may report to your nonprofit’s marketing lead.
For example, let’s say you’re recruiting volunteers for a bake sale fundraiser. Your job description might look like this:
- Role title: Baker
- Role summary: You’ll create tasty treats once a quarter to help our nonprofit raise funds through our bake sales.
- Nonprofit overview: Eddard Middle School has spent the last 30 years offering their students top-notch educational experiences and opportunities. With your help, we aim to expand our offerings and improve learning.
- Duties:
- Submit a dessert idea to the volunteer manager once every quarter to ensure a variety of desserts are available at the sale.
- When approved, create that dessert and bring it to the school on the bake sale day.
- You may be allotted a small stipend for purchasing ingredients, but expect to pay for them yourself.
- Occasionally, you may be asked to staff the bake sale table and sell treats to students and other community members.
- Qualifications: No requirements, but it helps if you love baking and making desserts!
- Relationships: Volunteers in this role will report to our volunteer manager, Mrs. Avery.
Great volunteer role descriptions are helpful in multiple ways. They outline your expectations for volunteers, which helps them decide if the role is a good fit for them. Plus, they allow your nonprofit to put a professional foot forward, boosting trust in your organization.
3. Establish a volunteer value proposition
Volunteer program recruitment can be an uphill battle for many reasons. After all, you’re essentially requesting a community member add a commitment that is not part of their existing schedule or routine. With almost 2 million nonprofits in the United States alone and even more volunteer opportunities available, securing the support you need is challenging.
That’s why establishing a volunteer value proposition is one of the best ways to refine your volunteer recruitment process. You must answer the question: Why should someone volunteer at my nonprofit?
Since you’re not financially compensating volunteers for their time, some of the benefits they may receive for their efforts include:
- Learning new skills
- Strengthening existing skills
- Socializing with peers
- Meeting and networking with community members
- The health benefits that accompany making a positive impact in the world
Weave these benefits into all your volunteer communications to highlight that your nonprofit is worthy of your community’s support.
If your recruitment efforts are directed at businesses and corporate philanthropy initiatives, adapt the benefits above to fit their desires. For example, instead of emphasizing the opportunity to socialize with peers, frame it as a teambuilding activity for colleagues. On top of giving back to the community, you can underscore that engaging in corporate volunteerism boosts the company’s reputation.
4. Optimize your recruiting channels
You’ve probably already identified your most valuable marketing and recruitment channels through other promotional activities and previous volunteer recruitment efforts. To ensure you present a professional and trustworthy image to potential volunteers, take your marketing further and optimize your recruiting channels.
Here are a few tips:
- Website: Create a dedicated volunteer page on your website. List your top volunteer opportunities and add buttons linking to your volunteer sign-up page.
- Email: According to Bloomerang, nonprofits should adopt a consistent communication cadence to keep volunteer opportunities top of mind for supporters. Develop a newsletter strategy that fits your supporters’ preferences. To maximize visibility, add a shoutout to your volunteer program at the end of every newsletter.
- Social media: Image and video content are the best for grabbing attention on social media platforms. Conduct interviews and photoshoots with existing volunteers and post them to your platforms to entice new supporters to join. Don’t forget to add links to your volunteer sign-up pages in your posts and profiles.
- Volunteer matching platforms: Some software providers, such as Field Day, offer volunteer matching features that help individuals and companies find volunteer opportunities. With Field Day, you can build an events catalogue that allows your supporters to find and register for upcoming events. Plus, you can showcase volunteer activities for corporate groups and make them available to plan as team events.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to connect directly with local businesses for volunteering partnerships. Since many companies offer volunteer grants, which are corporate philanthropy initiatives that incentivize employee volunteering, you can secure significant support by going this route. In your partnership proposals, highlight the benefits for the business to maximize your chances.
Recruitment is the first step to securing a strong volunteer base filled with individuals excited to help your cause. As you develop your volunteer program, weave in ways to celebrate and show appreciation for your volunteers and the hard work they do. Your gratitude will help volunteers connect further with your mission and retain their support for the long term.
