3 Easy Tips for Recruiting Volunteers
As the demand for nonprofit services skyrockets, the need for volunteers increases, too. Here are three easy ways to reach out to your community for more support and recruit quality volunteers.
- Hire a volunteer coordinator if your organization hasn’t already. When quality volunteers are needed, a volunteer coordinator is one of the most valuable positions in a nonprofit organization. It’s a full-time job, involving everything from setting goals, making plans, and defining roles, to recruiting, screening volunteer applicants, and placing them in the right position.
- Start asking for help. Over the last couple of years, the economy spurred many unemployed folks to spend their time volunteering, so recruiting might not have been part of your daily job duties. After all, volunteers were knocking on nonprofits’ doors, anxious to help. But as the economy improves and more people land jobs, they may have to give up their volunteer duties. It might be time to start asking for help. When communicating with supporters, let them know you need more volunteers. And it’s okay to say that giving time is an excellent substitute for giving money.
- Hold a volunteer recruitment event for interested supporters to learn more about your organization and how they can get involved. You might want to have two events: one during the day for retired folks and others who want daytime opportunities, and one in the evening for people who work during the day. Ask your current volunteers to help you organize it, and to be on hand to answer questions and share their experiences. And of course, ask them to bring their friends.
Keeping a steady supply of volunteers is vital for every nonprofit to serve clients in their time of need. As demand for services grows, do you have enough volunteers ready to help? If not, follow these tips to add some new volunteers to replace those who are moving on.