Volunteering appears to prove the saying, “’tis better to give than to receive.” While most volunteers’ intentions are solely to help others, researchers say that the benefits to the volunteers are also numerous.

Studies indicate a high correlation between health and volunteering. Volunteers have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and lower rates of late-life depression than individuals who do not volunteer.

Older volunteers seem to receive the most benefit, likely because they are more likely to suffer health problems in the first place. Volunteering provides physical and social activity, as well as a sense of purpose. This is imperative to seniors, because those aspects of their lives tend to wane as we age. And the more one volunteers, the higher the level of benefit!

This is important to non profit managers and volunteer recruiters because the Baby Boomer generation is now reaching retirement age. This group is all about staying healthy and living a full life. So, advertising the fact that volunteering has numerous benefits could help in recruiting volunteers—especially in the Baby Boomer group.

The study even showed that chronic pain sufferers experienced lower levels of pain and depression when they began to serve as peer volunteers for other chronic pain sufferers.

Better health leads to higher rates of volunteerism; volunteering leads to better health. The cycle continues and sustains itself—good news for non profit organizations that need volunteers!

The study also indicates that the benefits of volunteering do not start to kick in until a threshold of one to two hours per week is reached. So, tout the health benefits of volunteering in your outreach efforts—and be ready for your phone to start ringing!

Tap into a group you might not have considered for volunteers: kids! Many parents and guardians are encouraging their children to volunteer during their downtime. More and more high schools require volunteer projects to graduate. Community giving days and National Volunteer Week focus attention on nonprofits. Is yours ready to take advantage of the increase in younger volunteers?

Nearly any charity can use the skills and time of young people. Certainly, if your nonprofit’s mission is driving seniors to appointments or delivering furniture to the needy, you won’t naturally think of using kids to perform your routine tasks. But thinking outside the box can spur ideas to involve kids. And the more ways you find to teach kids to give of themselves, the more ways your nonprofit can benefit.

What are some ways younger people can help? Basic tasks are best for the smallest children. Older kids can take on more responsibility. Here are a few ideas:

Sorting: most kids can handle sorting at an early age. Do you have donations from a clothing or coat drive sitting in piles? Ask kids to group them in whatever way you need: size, season, gender. Look around your offices and warehouse areas to see what needs organizaing, and have a kid sort it out for you.

Boxing: Kids can handle boxing up food from a food drive, supplies for the homeless shelter, or even stacks of paperwork for year-end storage.

Light cleaning: Put a broom in a child’s hand and let him or her go to it. Have a youngster clean the glass door to your facility. Hand a kid a dust cloth and ask them to wipe down the common areas of your office. Keep things safe: no lifting, ladders, or use of chemical cleaners. Kids might not do as thorough a job as you would like—but the idea is to encourage them to give of their time and use up some energy.

Serving clients: kids can bring smiles to your clientele and other volunteers, just by offering to help. Older kids can help serve meals; baking cookies is a great way to involve the little ones.

Reading: if your charity serves youth, perhaps you can arrange for older kids to read to groups of your kids. Conversely, older folks enjoy visits and reading from kids, too.

Everyone benefits when young people catch the volunteer bug. And just knowing they’ve helped out can be a huge boost to a kid’s confidence. You never know how many lives you can change by reaching out to younger volunteers!

Got volunteers? Great! Need volunteers? Here’s where to find them:

Word-of-mouth: the oldest way to communicate a need is still viable. Let your friends and family know that you need volunteers. Ask them to spread the word. You never know whom they will see in a day, so your perfect volunteer might just be waiting to hear that they are needed.

Social media: SM is the new word-of-mouth. Word spreads online much faster, to larger groups, than ever before. People are plugged in, online, and receiving information almost 24 hours a day. Why not take advantage of this accessible audience? Here are two ways to get on the SM bandwagon—and remember, it’s not a fad, and it’s not going away!

1. Facebook: If your nonprofit has not set up a Facebook page yet, put that on your to-do list. Facebook has 350 million users—in fact, if Facebook were a country, it would be the 4th largest in the world! You are missing out on a great deal of free exposure for your charity if it has no Facebook presence. Go here and get started!

2. Twitter: More and more nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are on twitter. Why? Because it is one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with your supporters, the community, and potential volunteers. Twitter can also help you connect to resources, other NPOs and tons of current, useful information—about politics, the economy, fundraising, management, and scores of more topics. Start a twitter account for your charity, search for people who have similar interests, find the twitter lists that your community members are on, and you’ll soon have a nice network of followers and resources delivered to your desktop all day, every day!

Craigslist: Craigslist is free. Craigslist is visited by hundreds or thousands of people in your community every day. A simple “volunteers needed” ad is all you need to reach out to potential volunteers. And if you’re conducting background screening on your volunteers, you won’t need to worry about the type of person who answers an online ad.

If your NPO needs new volunteers, these quick, easy and FREE tips just might be the best way to find them!

Remember to screen volunteers properly to protect your staff, other volunteers, and clients.

October 5, 2009 has been designated World Habitat Day by the United Nations. Its purpose is to call attention to the dire need worldwide for safe, adequate and affordable housing. According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless, while millions more live without adequate sanitation, electricity and security. One out of three city dwellers lives in a slum.

The need is truly staggering—more than 2 million housing units per year for 50 years are needed to solve the present crisis. Yet, even if they were all built, at the rate the population is growing, there will still be a need for another 1 billion housing units.

What can we do? The first step is to just be aware—and to care. Most of us are lucky to have more than adequate housing—we’re comfortable enough to have a difficult time imagining what it must be like to lack sanitary facilities and clean water for our families. Compared to most of the world, we live in luxury.

The housing crisis is not just some other nation’s problem—it’s a problem we can all come together to do something about. Advocating for change is the next step toward transforming the existing systems that perpetuate the global plague of poverty housing.

In the US, about 95 million people—one-third of the population, have housing problems such as high-cost, overcrowding, poor quality, and homelessness. These conditions contribute to health problems such as childhood asthma, viral infections, anemia and stunted growth. Approximately 180 children die each year in the U.S. due to house fires attributable to inadequate electrical systems and faulty heating.

Change can happen. Advocate for it by asking Congress to pass legislation to prioritize affordable housing. Educate yourself and your community about the problem here at home and around the globe. And donate to Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to end the global housing crisis.

Many charities and non profit organizations (NPOs) think that they are not equipped or lack the resources to screen all volunteers that apply to help them. Especially in our down economy, when fund raising is more difficult and budgets have been slashed to the bone, volunteer managers might be tempted to skip this important step in the recruiting process.

What a mistake! Every organization has way too much to lose each time an unknown entity is put into the community on its behalf. Depending on the situation, a charity could face losses ranging from its good reputation, to a monetary loss from damages, or even the destruction of the entire organization—solely because it failed to conduct a criminal background check.

Especially at risk are those agencies serving vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, physically and mentally disabled, and children. Unfortunately, the general public contains far too many predators that target these groups specifically. How can a volunteer coordinator know who is safe—and who has the potential to ruin innocent lives and the organization itself?

Professional, thorough interviews of volunteer applicants is the first step to protecting your NPO. Ask the right questions, and ask the same of every applicant. Consider whether the person is appropriate for interacting with clients, or doing behind-the-scenes or event-only tasks that minimize their contact with the public.

Proper background screening is next. If funding is an issue, consider the potential losses to the organization if an unscreened criminal harms a client, and the value of background checks becomes clear. Don’t forget that credit checks can prevent financial losses.

Reference checks are also crucial. Ask references if they would want the potential volunteer taking care of their child, parent, or loved one. This question tends to make people think—and answer honestly.
And finally, for every new volunteer, the screening process must continue through proper training and supervision. This ongoing effort is necessary—even if the volunteer passed the background screening. You cannot be too careful.

If you are a non profit volunteer coordinator, remember that now, more than ever, proper procedures, including background checks, are essential to minimize the risk to your organization!

These days, nonprofits are more dependent on volunteers than ever. You probably cannot imagine running your nonprofit organization without them. So where do you go when you need new volunteers as a result of reduced staff, increased workload, or volunteer turnover?

Think technology! Check out these tools that can make this important task much easier:

1. Software: Volunteer Reporter is one software program you might try. It’s designed to help streamline volunteer management with reports, spreadsheets, templates, and other features, based on a powerful database model. Find the volunteer with the right skill set for a particular job in minutes, or prepare a custom report for a board meeting .The software’s online subscription service integrates with your website, and allows volunteers to log in from home to track hours, and you to post opportunities and accept applications online.

2. Newsletters: keep volunteers updated and informed with simple online newsletters. You can try a template-based online program, such as Constant Contact, for free, and if it works for you, pay a fee for ongoing use. Simply input your information, load your database of email addresses, and the newsletter is delivered instantly. Links to yours or other websites, photos, and interactivity are all part of Constant Contact’s offerings. Remember to ask volunteers for their email address so that you can add them to the list! Keep former volunteers engaged and encourage them to volunteer again with regular contact.

3. Register with an online volunteer database: Try VolunteerMatch or 1-800-Volunteer.  These services will help you get noticed and match your organization with appropriate volunteers in your area. You can easily match skills with needs, manage your volunteers, and compile reports through 1-800-Volunteer. And both services will put your organization’s name, mission, and needs in front of thousands of interested volunteers every day.

4. Use online classifieds: Think of Craigslist.org as a free online classifieds section of the newspaper. In fact, many newspapers’ classifieds sections are becoming increasingly skimpy, thanks to Craigslist’s emergence as the dominant place for buyers and sellers to meet. And, Craigslist is where employers and employees are finding each other, too. So take a cue from savvy employers and put your volunteers needed ad right where your potential volunteers will see it: Craigslist. It’s easy to get started, update, or delete your posting, so give it a try!

Using technology to recruit volunteers is easier, faster, and more effective than ever. Give these tips a try and you’ll see what we mean.

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) dependent on federal and state funding to successfully serve their clients and community often have their hands full dealing with extensive laws and regulations.

One area frequently mandated by state and federal governments is background screening. If your organization provides day care or child care services, or in the course of providing services brings employees or volunteers into contact with minors or vulnerable adults, you may be required to perform background checks on all employees and volunteers.

Programs that use federal funds or are under federal contracts are required to conduct criminal background checks on both employees and volunteers. Additionally, many states require all of an organization’s employees and volunteers to undergo background criminal checks if any state funds are used by the organization.

To implement background screening, you must notify the potential volunteer that it will be performed. If your organization is subject to mandated screening, and does not already have a formal application procedure, you should implement one immediately. Have the potential volunteer give written consent by way of a signature on a notification page, ideally separate from the application.

Be sure to document everything! Each interaction with a potential volunteer, along with copies of background checks, credit checks, or criminal background checks, must be filed securely and preserved. You never know when you might need to prove that you took the proper steps to protect your clients and community members in your volunteer recruitment and placement efforts.

A report by the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Volunteering in America shows that about a million more people volunteered in 2008 than in the previous year.

What accounts for the surge in volunteering? Teens and young adults! The study shows that young people are increasingly interested in serving their communities and making a difference. Of the one million new volunteers, 441,000—almost half—were between the ages of 16 and 24. This age group makes up 21.9 percent of all volunteers, with a total of 8.24 million young people volunteering in 2008.

Teens and young adults are increasingly interested in assisting others. Among first-year college students, nearly 70 percent (the highest rate since 1970) believe it is essential or very important to help other people in need. President Barack Obama’s call to volunteerism, as well as an increase in service requirements in US middle and high schools, may have contributed to the uptick.

If your nonprofit organization (NPO) needs additional volunteers, consider reaching out to the teen and young adult group. They are likely more aware of volunteer opportunities and needs as growing numbers of their peers communicate their involvement.

And if you already enjoy the help of young people in your NPO, ask them to reach out to their friends. The Volunteering in America study shows that people who do not currently volunteer are more likely to do so if asked by a trusted friend.

You will enjoy a much greater rate of success promoting your cause to this age group if you utilize the same social networking communities that they do—such as Facebook and Twitter. It’s easy to create a fan page on Facebook and set up a Twitter account. With a small time investment, you can communicate with thousands of potential volunteers at once, while they learn more about your cause and your need for volunteers.

The rate of volunteerism in America has not declined, despite the challenging economy. Now is a great time to recruit new volunteers—and teens and young adults are a great group to target!

It might seem that volunteers are just like free employees. Volunteers don’t get paid, they don’t get health insurance, and you don’t pay taxes or workers compensation for volunteers. They don’t cost your nonprofit organization anything because they’re not on the payroll, right?

Well, not completely right. True, volunteers are unpaid. But good volunteer management means acknowledging that volunteers are not completely free to your organization—so treat them accordingly.

Volunteers are an investment: Recognize that recruiting, screening, training, and retaining volunteers takes time and resources.

Volunteers are an asset: Your volunteers save your organization’s needed funds by performing work you would otherwise be obligated to pay for.

Volunteers are needed elsewhere. If your volunteers feel underused or underappreciated, there are plenty of organizations they can give their time and talent to.

Volunteers must be supervised. Your organization may need to designate a full- or part-time employee to just this area—incurring all the costs of salary and benefits, recruiting, screening, hiring and training that person.

Volunteers must be appreciated. Showing thanks can take many forms: small gifts, plaques or certificates, free tickets to events, or even free meals. There are costs associated with all of these items.

Volunteers incur expenses, too. Travel, parking, auto reimbursement and other expenses must be taken into consideration when looking at overall volunteer costs.

So don’t make the mistake of seeing volunteers as having zero impact on your bottom line. They are immensely valuable assets that do cost your nonprofit organization time and money. Treat them right, and your investment will be repaid many times over!

Good volunteer coordinators see their nonprofit organization’s (NPO) volunteers as more than just bodies filling positions. Knowing names and personal histories is the first step in fostering good relationships when managing people. It’s also important to know what motivates your volunteers, so you can keep them engaged and enjoying their service to your organization. It’s far easier to keep happy volunteers than to replace burned-out or disinterested ones!

So, what makes people volunteer their time and energy to service and charity organizations?

1. People like to make a difference. Whether focused on their street, their neighborhood, community or the world, people want to know that their efforts are actually making a difference to another human being. Remind your volunteers of the changes they are bringing about through their work. They may be changing one life or making the entire world a better place to live—and they should know it.

2. Volunteering makes people feel better. Giving to others without expecting anything in return is reward enough for many volunteers. Many report feeling their mood brighten by seeing how others are affected by their work. Some volunteers get “addicted” to these good feelings—a real bonus for their chosen organizations. Do what you can to help make your volunteers feel good, and they’re more likely to stick around.

3. People like to learn. Many folks look to volunteering as an opportunity to learn new skills, or do something completely different than their profession. Keep this in mind as you assign tasks to your volunteers; don’t assume they’d like to perform the same tasks they’ve been doing for years! Switch things up when you can to keep people fresh.

4. Volunteers are “people people.” Many volunteers report their love of meeting new people as a big reason they offer their help to service organizations. If you have extroverts among your volunteers who are not getting enough people contact, you could lose them.

5. People love to support their favorite causes. Step inside an animal shelter and you’ll see animal lovers volunteering their time. Look no farther than the Boys and Girls clubs and you’ll find volunteers who relish the idea of turning around the life of a kid. If you need more volunteers, a great place to start looking is at your donor base. After all, these people have already demonstrated and interest in your cause!

6. Volunteers love to be active. Most volunteers aren’t good at the couch potato thing. These folks love to be out and about in the community, knowing what’s going on, and contributing to society. Keep your volunteers busy before they get bored and move on.

7. Everyone like perks. Some people are ushering at the local theater because they want to see plays for free. Others volunteer at art museums to get their fill of paintings and sculptures. Still others just like to be included in the annual volunteer appreciation luncheon. Bear in mind any perks you can offer your volunteers to keep them happy and show your thanks.

8. Some folks love seeing how things work. Certain volunteers get a kick out of seeing how a food bank or health clinic works. Others are more event-oriented and love working on parade floats, or setting up food booths and music. These behind-the-scenes people are vital to many NPOs’ success stories. Remember that not all your volunteers want to be on the front lines.