Keep The Door Open Wide For Your Volunteers
Your Volunteers Deserve VIP Status
Crazy thing happened the other day. I became aware of an organization that has a call to action on their website that gives potential volunteers the opportunity to provide their personal contact information, a little about themselves, and to choose how they would like to help. The organization provided four different avenues of participation for volunteers to choose from.
Brilliant, I thought! But, wait. (insert sound of scratched record)
These potential volunteers never heard back from anyone. There was a big crack in the system and all potential volunteers slipped right through it. It makes my stomach hurt thinking about it. Why? Because of the wide chasm of lost opportunity.
Statistics say that half of all volunteers give more financial support because they volunteer. And, 87% of volunteers reflect that there is an overlap between their volunteer work and their financial support. But, that’s not why my stomach hurts.
Volunteers are people that have stepped forward and raised their hand with a strong belief in the impact your organization is having, whether it be in their community, in their neighborhood, or in their family. These are not only great folks to know (duh!) they are your potential ambassadors, people who can spread the word about the good work of your organization in places you could never imagine.
But, let me say this again: These are people. People with good intentions. People that care whether or not they hear back from you, and when.
If your organization doesn’t have a Volunteer Engagement Strategy or Volunteer Retention Plan, why not? It’s not rocket science. (Click to tweet)
Volunteers can be the life blood of your organization. Encourage people to volunteer and learn first-hand about the work you’re doing to solve the issues you’ve taken on. There’s not a better way to convey that we’re all in this together! Change comes when small groups of people band together and work toward a common goal.
Volunteers make change happen. So, treat them like the gold they are.
