Cultivate your volunteers as you would your garden ...
As I contemplated my white-petaled visitor, I was struck by the similarities between native garden volunteers and nonprofit volunteers.
It’s often easy to recruit volunteers, but the challenge is to create a situation in which they can thrive. The best organizations—like the best gardeners—have a knack for this. One volunteer becomes several become many, through positive experiences and success stories that create interest and build awareness.
Here are some tips to help build or improve the volunteer program at your nonprofit.
What's the Motivation
Each volunteer comes to your organization with unique interests and the ability to help in distinct ways. Understanding their motivation is key. Capture this information on volunteer applications or informal conversations so you can appropriately match volunteers with the work at-hand. This will help ensure success and encourage long-term relationships.
Training and Feedback are Key
Good training and feedback are vital to a robust volunteer ecosystem. Take time for orientation and training by staff and more seasoned volunteers. Keep open lines of communication about how things are going and make adjustments if necessary. Help volunteers feel empowered to do their jobs and know how they contribute to your mission.
Build Community
Volunteering unites like-minded individuals in a common effort and builds bonds that can last a lifetime—both between people and with the organization. It's fun to connect while working on a project and feel part of a team and a larger effort. The best volunteer programs allow ample time for both work and socialization.
Tell a Story
Storytelling can be an important tool to both engage new volunteers and recognize volunteer accomplishments. Think about times when your volunteers have made a difference and communicate that message—in person, via social media, and through email and printed materials. Make sure to capture the energy and use photos and video to help tell the story.
Volunteers give freely of their time and expertise to support your cause. Recognize their contributions in ways that make them feel valued and special. This doesn't have to be expensive. Be creative and personal. And remember, recognition isn't a one-time event. It should continue throughout a volunteer's engagement life-cycle.
The investment in your volunteer garden will reap rewards for many years to come. With the right engagement techniques and careful cultivation, volunteers will return, grow, and spread to build a healthy organization that benefits everyone!
Bonnie Hawksworth
Bonnie Hawksworth is a fundraising professional, nonprofit leader, and avid nature lover based in the Indiana Dunes. For nearly twenty years Bonnie has been helping nonprofit groups exceed their most ambitious goals.
Ready to take your nonprofit to the next level? Contact Bonnie at BonnieMHawksworth@gmail.com.
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