Nonprofits constantly search for ways to retain their volunteers while continuing to recruit. With the advancements in technology, it is now easier than ever to keep open lines of communication with all volunteers.
Being able to reach out to thousands of volunteers at any time can be as simple as a click of a button. Making volunteers feel welcome is simple with all of the tools you have at your fingertips. Here are a few tools to help you increase volunteer retention:
Text-to-Give
Your volunteers live busy lives. They give as much time as they can to your cause. They have many responsibilities to attend to, which may keep them from being as active as they would like with your mission. Using a text-to-give platform can allow them to feel involved even when they are on the move.
A text-to-give platform can put your cause front and center for the volunteers to see. Most likely, you’ve heard the saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” If your cause is not frequently engaging volunteers, your nonprofit may be forgotten.
If your volunteers still want to participate while away, they can donate monetary contributions. This is a great way to keep volunteers engaged and retain their commitment to your organization.
Automating Your Efforts
Automating your volunteer management efforts allows you to interact with your volunteers more often. By freeing up time, you can give time back to your team and volunteers. The more time you have, the better people can connect with your cause.
By automating your daily tasks, you are not only freeing up time for volunteers but relieving stress to make for a more peaceful environment for your team. Creating a happy environment for your volunteers encourages them to spend more time with your nonprofit.
Keep In Touch
Another great aspect of automating your volunteer management efforts is that you can connect with your volunteers at any time. Manually entering in data can cause for error and missing individuals. Using a software system can help you keep track of all volunteers and check in with them periodically.
Here are a few options to show your volunteers you value them:
- Email campaigns
- Text messages
- Social media conversations
- Create short videos
Make sure to communicate updates about your cause and accomplishments. Volunteers want to be informed and know that with their time they are making a difference.
Interacting with your volunteers via technology is a great way to keep your organization as one of their top priorities.
Variety of Volunteer Opportunities
The more options for volunteering your nonprofit has, the more likely it is that they will continue to give their time. People enjoy giving their time when they can also do something they love. Create a bunch of different opportunities that your volunteers can sign up for. Allow them to use their talents and skills for different events.
When volunteers can use their expertise, they feel like they are able to give more to your cause.
Automatically placing your volunteers into specific groups can help guide them to the correct opportunities. Having a volunteer management system will help you accomplish this efficiently and effectively.
Feedback
Communication is a two-way street. It is important to not only stay in communication with your volunteers but also allow them to give your organization feedback. If they feel as though you value their opinion, they will be more likely to give constructive feedback.
Here are a few ways to get feedback from your volunteers:
- Digital surveys
- Emails with a specific response address
- Social media outreach
Knowing what your volunteers and team think of your efforts can help your nonprofit connect with more people. Make sure to be authentic and show your volunteers you appreciate their opinions.
There are many tools you use to help engage and retain your volunteers. Using these tools can show your volunteers appreciation and that you value their commitment. This will keep them involved and continuing to participate for years to come.
This article was brought to you by Ashley Chorpenning, VolunteerHub’s Marketing Communications Specialist. VolunteerHub (a product of Carr Engineering, Inc.) is a leading volunteer software for nonprofits and other organizations. Since 1996, VolunteerHub has helped organizations manage over 5 billion volunteer hours.
