8 Ways To Increase Volunteer Engagement
Volunteers are needed to keep society thriving. Volunteers are essential to the success of non-profits as well as many governmental and professional associations such as schools, fire departments, sports teams, and other organizations within the community. Listed below you can find a number of ways that you can increase volunteer engagement within your community.
- Talk About How it can Benefit the Community
Volunteers need to know how their service will benefit the community. That is why you should talk about the positive results that come from volunteering.
- Talk About How it can Benefit Them
Many volunteers donate their time and talent and expect nothing in return. However, you can increase volunteer engagement by talking about how it can benefit their career and lives. You will also be able to attract volunteers who are interested in growing their careers.
- Personally Invite Them
Many volunteers want to know why an organization wants them to volunteer. That is why you will need to personally invite your volunteers. They want to know that you need their talents and abilities, and you are not just looking for another person to fill a space.
- Communicate Effectively
You do not want to sound desperate when you are looking for volunteers. Potential volunteers will think that no one else is interested, and they will have to take care of all of the work. You should show them examples of previous volunteers. Effective communication is one of the keys to getting the most out of your volunteers.
- Give Them A Clear Time Commitment
Volunteers are turned off when they hear stories of people who had to work around-the-clock to complete a project. That is why you will need to give your volunteers a clear time commitment.
- Choose Skilled Work Instead of Grunt Work
Many volunteers are not interested in doing things like stuffing envelopes. However, they can use their time, talent and abilities in other ways. For example, some people can benefit your organization by writing articles. Others are interested in helping plan an event.
- Thank Them in Multiple Ways
There are several ways that you can thank your volunteers. You can send them a thank you note. You can also mention them in a newsletter. You can give them a gift. Additionally, you may want to have a special event for them.
- Teach Them How to be Successful
You will need to coach and train your volunteers. Teaching your volunteers how to do their tasks will benefit your organization.
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This blog was originally posted on EricSamek.org
Eric Samek 