Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Small Nonprofits
The strength of every small nonprofit organization relies heavily on volunteer recruitment and volunteer retention. Without dedicated, dependable nonprofit volunteers, no matter how great a mission may be, it will not succeed. Small nonprofits often have small budgets. They depend on volunteers to run programs, plan events, and help the community as part of effective small nonprofit staffing.
If your organization is to grow year over year, you must know how to recruit and retain the best volunteer resources. When you develop processes that recognize your volunteers and improve volunteer engagement, your mission becomes more successful, you will make a larger impact in your community, and your community will build trust in your organization and support its efforts.
Where to Look for Volunteers in Your Local Community
When seeking out volunteers for a nonprofit organization, many nonprofits feel that they have to use a large marketing budget and go far away from home to find assistance; however, many of the best volunteers are in proximity to your nonprofit organization. Strengthening local volunteer recruitment efforts can make a significant difference.
Many college students or students from local high schools will be looking for a place to complete their community service hours. Community centers are a great place to promote a variety of volunteer opportunities. Many local libraries will allow you to post flyers for volunteer opportunities. Many local businesses will inform their employees about your organization’s volunteer needs. Faith-based organizations can effectively invite volunteers through church services, newsletters, and fellowship activities.
Utilizing online marketing platforms is also beneficial for recruiting potential volunteers; a nonprofit organization can post volunteer opportunities on social media sites and in local Facebook groups to support volunteer recruitment. Nonprofit organization board members, donors, and supporters should also be asked to help spread the word about the organization’s volunteer needs. One of the most effective forms of volunteer recruitment is word of mouth, so potential volunteers are more likely to respond when they hear about your organization from someone they know.
Ways To Create An Excellent Description Of A Volunteer Position
A clear description helps people say yes. Keep it simple. Explain what your organization does and why your organization is so important. Make sure to clearly state what your volunteers will be responsible for, how many hours it will take to complete those responsibilities, and when those hours will be required. Let each individual know whether they will need to bring or develop certain skills to improve overall volunteer engagement.
Potential volunteers want to know if their time will make a real difference. Show them how their time will be used. For example: Instead of saying “Help with Event,” you could say, “Help Serve Meals to 100 Families in Need.” If you use clear, readable language, it may attract more volunteers from your first contact and strengthen your volunteer recruitment.
To attract and retain volunteers, it is important to keep your recruiting processes as simple and clear as possible to support both volunteer recruitment and volunteer retention.
Respond quickly; wait times can lead to lost volunteers when choosing a platform for volunteers to sign up. Create an easy-to-complete online form with required fields only. Most volunteer management systems offer free accounts for smaller organizations. A simple system will allow you to keep track of volunteer names, schedules, and contact information while improving volunteer management practices.
It is also essential to provide clarity on the position, including the required training/experience, as well as a schedule. If volunteers don’t know what position they signed up for, they are less likely to show up. Building trust through good communication starts the minute a potential volunteer signs up and supports stronger volunteer retention.
Whenever possible, send an email welcoming the volunteer within 24-48 hours of their signing up for the position. Thank them for their willingness to serve and inform them of the next steps. This small gesture can greatly improve volunteer retention and overall volunteer engagement before they even begin.
How to Help Volunteers Stick Around by Providing Training and Onboarding
When people have the tools they need to do their jobs, they feel like they belong and are prepared, which leads to a strong volunteer retention rate and increased volunteer engagement.
Components of the Orientation Process
To begin, share your mission statement. Then describe who your nonprofit serves and provide an example of a person who was affected by your services. Nonprofit volunteers become connected to your organization through an understanding of what the organization does.
After establishing your organization’s mission, provide precise wording for the volunteer’s role. Use simple written instructions to outline their tasks, and if safety is a concern, provide basic safety training. Specific procedures for working with children or handling money should be clearly outlined.
New volunteers are paired with veterans so they can ask their mentors questions without fear of sounding ignorant. This builds a network of community members who support one another and improve volunteer engagement.
When volunteers feel supported, they stay longer. This reduces the time spent searching for new employees due to high turnover, saving your organization time and money and strengthening small nonprofit staffing stability.
The Importance of Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Working Together
Volunteer recruitment brings people in. Volunteer retention keeps them involved. If you focus on only one of these two ideas, you may end up with many volunteers who leave your organization too quickly. This can create instability for your organization, as each time you need trained volunteers to fill positions, it will require starting all over again with new volunteers, affecting small nonprofit staffing.
A strong volunteer management system will allow you to track attendance, communication, and volunteer skills. By understanding the volunteer, you can match them to the most appropriate position, increasing satisfaction and commitment over the long term and improving both volunteer recruitment and retention.
Acknowledging and Valuing Volunteers to Increase Volunteer Retention
The foundation of volunteer retention is showing volunteers appreciation. Volunteers need to feel recognized and valued. Appreciation does not need to be expensive and can consist of such things as emailing the volunteer with a “thank you,” writing a handwritten note to the volunteer, giving them a public shout-out on social media, mentioning them in a church bulletin if your organization is faith-based to encourage faith-based volunteer appreciation, providing the volunteer with a small certificate or plaque at special events, and providing the volunteer with a night of appreciation where you enjoy pizza and have an informal conversation and thank the volunteers for their contribution.
Showing gratitude consistently will build loyalty among your volunteers and increase engagement. Asking volunteers for their opinions and feedback is also important. Being open to their suggestions and trying to implement some of them demonstrates that you respect your volunteers.
Not only does recognition build volunteer retention, but it also improves your volunteers’ volunteer engagement and helps them to feel connected to the organization’s mission and the team.
Fostering Community and Creating Growth Opportunities to Keep Volunteers Long-Term
Volunteers want to connect with others and provide services to the community. This is why connecting them to one another and to the community is so important when building a volunteer program that strengthens volunteer engagement and retention.
Provide opportunities for volunteers to connect. Have small meetings. Utilize social media networks to create virtual conversations among volunteers. Hold regular meetings for all volunteers to discuss their experiences. A culture of welcome fosters a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves, thereby improving volunteer engagement.
Provide volunteers with opportunities to grow in their role. Allow experienced volunteers to lead smaller-scale projects. Give them the chance to train newer volunteers. Teach them new skills. When volunteers take on leadership roles, they feel more committed. Many even invite their friends to join. By creating natural opportunities for volunteer recruitment, there is no cost to recruiting volunteers and it supports long-term growth in volunteer recruitment.
When Is It a Good Idea to Reassess Volunteer Recruitment and Volunteer Retention Plans?
Conduct an annual review of your system as part of your volunteer management strategy. Questions to ask: Are volunteers retaining with you? Do volunteers have a clear understanding of their role? Are volunteers satisfied with their time spent with your organization? Use surveys or simply ask for feedback during regular conversations to evaluate volunteer retention and engagement.
If your organization is losing a high number of volunteers each year, investigate onboarding, communication, and/or recognition processes. One small adjustment can yield significant improvements in volunteer recruitment and retention. Ongoing evaluation will keep your nonprofit organized and strong while supporting small nonprofit staffing needs.
Conclusion
Volunteer recruitment and volunteer retention are ongoing efforts. They are not one-time tasks. Many small faith-based groups have found that creating a simple system, effective communication, and appreciation will enhance their ability to successfully recruit new volunteers and support faith-based volunteer participation. To build a dedicated, mission-oriented team, develop meaningful relationships with your volunteers by finding them within your community, making the sign-up process easy, creating an effective onboarding process, expressing your thanks, and forging real connections that increase volunteer engagement.
Volunteers will bring energy, skills, and heart to your mission when they feel appreciated and supported as nonprofit volunteers; therefore, they will return year after year, strengthening volunteer retention. Start enhancing your volunteer recruitment strategy today. With each volunteer who comes into your organization, it will become more robust and improve staffing at small nonprofits.
FAQ
We are a brand-new nonprofit organization and have no volunteers yet. What do we do?
To recruit your first group of nonprofit volunteers, start with your close contacts (family and friends, board members), reach out to local community groups, and use social media to expand your reach. A positive experience for initial volunteers can generate word-of-mouth interest in your nonprofit and will lead to stronger volunteer retention.
How do we find volunteers with a particular skill set?
Contact local businesses and professional organizations to see if they can provide volunteers. Create job descriptions that detail the tasks or jobs performed by volunteers and the impact of their skills on the cause, while strengthening volunteer recruitment.
Are religious/faith-based organizations using different volunteer recruitment tactics?
The fundamental principles for recruiting volunteers will remain the same; however, churches can also use their church bulletins and announce volunteer opportunities during church services and at fellowship events to encourage faith-based volunteer involvement and improve volunteer engagement.
How do we reconnect with volunteers who have ceased volunteering?
Organize a personal contact through a friend or volunteer to send them an email, inviting them back without pressure. Provide them with additional updates and encourage them to return to volunteering with you to improve volunteer retention.
How do we keep our volunteers motivated over the long term?
Create a culture of appreciation through regular recognition and reward programs, and provide continued growth opportunities to increase volunteer engagement. When volunteers feel valued and connected to the organization, they are more likely to continue volunteering, strengthening retention.