Blessings to all and thank you so much!!!
One of the most distinctive features of the nonprofit sector is the unpaid workforce known as Volunteers. As a volunteer there were significant factors that determined where I would serve. I realized it was more than just spending time helping out. It was the energy, approach, engagement, and their reputation that validated the impact of my service. Here are four great ways to engage, connect, and build a solid relationship with your volunteer community.
1. Implement vital compensations such as transportation support.
Providing transportation and compensations for travels is an amazing incentive that goes long way. This is a great marketing strategy for volunteer recruitment, especially for people without a means of transportation. It help develops foundational relationships within the community and having the city and county support is always a plus. Providing transportation to youth is the number one successful method in gaining their commitment to volunteer events of all kinds. As long as they have a ride there and conversation. Local churches and schools may support your events as well by providing transportation for their youth and congregations.
Apply for local county and city grants that support community event with transportation as a funding request. Compensating for travel expenses is a great way to attract a wide range of volunteers who have limited mobility and those who are taking public transportation. Each city and county has funds available to organizations that are improving the quality of Life in their communities. Transportation for volunteers can be included in the grant or funding request. The chances of approval may go up as well due to the request showing that funds will not be wasted on another incomplete project. (I go more in depth on how to request special incentives for volunteers during an info session).
All in all, providing transportation is definitely a great way to engage volunteers and promotes the wellbeing of the community. Volunteers also gain more financial room to donate to your organization with that one main financial stressor.
2. Show appreciation and gratitude.
Gratitude can be expressed in so many ways. You can make someone feel appreciated before they even do something for your organization. Embrace potential volunteers with positive welcoming energy. Show them that you will make their service to your organization will be appreciated. Make a connection of gratitude with an introduction of hospitality. Get Southern with it. Shake hands and hug, embrace your new family member. Add fuel to the fire of their service before it is started. It goes back to the Golden Rule: “Treat people as you would like them to treat you”.
Always engage volunteers once they arrive on the event site with eye contact and smiles. Yes it can be frustrating with some people who didn’t arrive on time, site issues may occur, or the population being served is causing more ruckus than expected. Yes, there are always things that may come but you must maintain accountability.
Engage your volunteers with confidence so they may generate their own confidence it helping you with whatever issue is occurring. This is how you develop foundational relationships with volunteers and donors. This presents a great opportunity to express post event gratitude by sending a gift card, travel voucher, or thank you letter. Maintain a log of volunteers to followup with on future service projects and volunteer appreciation events.
(I will speak more in depth on Foundational Relationships in a future blog post.)
3. Utilize online social media, volunteer forums, and community sites.
The internet is literally everywhere which means that you can be too!!! You can engage volunteers from so many different platforms for no cost to you. The greatest thing about some of these platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, is that they are connected. For example you can share one post with the other social and professional platforms. The majority of social platforms are free.
There are forums that allow you to post for free. Create a detailed post with transparency to make a connection with your community of service. Engage commenters, followers, and never forget to reach out to who is watching your stories. People watch our stories so they can get a sense of where you are. Reach out to the ones who like your posts. These are your ghost supporters that get a shot of dopamine from the content you’re delivering.
4. Engage your social community and invite them even if you have to more than once. Almost every connection we make in society involves technology. Respectfully ask the people neighborhood, school, workplace, social circle, recreational centers, gyms, and other public places. I must admit, I have been surprised during my Life of service.
Everyone can be a volunteer regardless of their physical appearance. Judgement must be eliminated to become successful in the Nonprofit Sector. The majority of volunteers I serve with are seniors. According to Texas Center for Social Impact, people from all walks of life volunteer. Overlooking any segment of the community unnecessarily closes a door to possible volunteers. Keep in mind that some of the nation’s most active volunteers include senior citizens, not to mention the contributions of people with disabilities, people with limited incomes, parents of young children, and even children themselves—any of whom may be willing to serve in a variety of capacities, from hands-on frontline assistance to policy development and board service.
The Volunteer Community is real and should definitely get the credit they deserve. Communicate, Engage, Connect, and Grow with your volunteer community. Focus on developing a foundation within your community. Your community is the soil for the fruitful future you have awaiting you. Sow good seeds in your soil, nourish your soil, water your soil, and care for your soil. Have a Blessful week!!!! I look forward to fruitful future!!!
“Serve others as you would like for them to serve you.”- Mr. B
