From local grassroots efforts to global humanitarian initiatives, volunteers are essential to any successful nonprofit organization. But, volunteer recruitment often takes some serious strategy.
In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about volunteer recruitment, including our best tips, tricks, and strategies for nailing it 🚀.
What is volunteer recruitment?
Volunteer recruitment is the process of identifying and engaging individuals or groups to volunteer to help an organization fulfill its mission. It involves a combination of marketing strategies and relationship-building initiatives that not only attract volunteers but also retain them in the long run.
While volunteer recruitment is often about casting a wide net, expert recruitment plans also involve identifying quality volunteers. The ideal volunteer might be someone whos always on time, reliable, and hardworking, for example.
Why is volunteer recruitment so important in 2023?
Volunteer recruitment is crucial for nonprofit organizations for several important reasons. In 2023 volunteers are essential for:
💪 Progressing the organization’s mission: Volunteers’ time, skills, and dedication contribute directly to the organization’s programs and services, allowing it to make a greater impact on its beneficiaries and the community it serves.
💰 Saving money: Unlike paid staff, volunteers donate their time without the need for salaries or benefits. This allows nonprofits to allocate their limited financial resources to other critical areas of their operations.
💡 Enhancing organizational diversity: Nonprofits can leverage the unique talents, perspectives, and ideas of volunteers to address specific needs and challenges, enhancing the quality and effectiveness of their programs.
🧡 Creating a foundation of long-term support: Volunteers who have a positive experience and a meaningful impact are more likely to become loyal supporters, advocates, and even donors of the nonprofit.
📣 Building better brand awareness: Successful volunteer recruitment and engagement efforts can enhance the organization’s visibility in the community and attract positive attention from potential donors, partners, and supporters.
📈 Longevity: Gen-Z is an upcoming, eager philanthropic generation looking to make a difference. By targeting younger generations, Like Gen-Z, organizations can fortify themselves to remain relevant and operational for years to come.
Overall, volunteer recruitment is essential for the growth, sustainability, and success of nonprofit organizations. By effectively recruiting and engaging volunteers, nonprofits can leverage the power of collective efforts, tap into diverse skills and perspectives, and create lasting impact in their communities.
When is the best time to recruit volunteers?
The best time to recruit volunteers can vary depending on the nature of the nonprofit’s activities, the specific volunteer opportunities available, and the preferences of potential volunteers. However, there are a few best times to recruit volunteers:
⏰ During seasonal or campaign-based events: Nonprofits often experience an increased interest in volunteering during seasonal events or campaign-driven initiatives.
⏰ After successful fundraising events: Nonprofits that organize successful fundraising events can leverage the momentum and visibility generated from these events to attract new volunteers who are inspired by the organization’s work.
⭐ Need a quick event recap report? We’ve got you covered →
⏰ During National Volunteer Day: Many countries have designated weeks or days celebrating volunteering and community service. These occasions can serve as an excellent time to recruit new volunteers who are motivated by the spirit of giving back.
⏰ During school or work breaks: Volunteers who have school or work commitments may have more availability during school breaks, summer vacations, or holiday periods.
It is essential for nonprofits to have an ongoing recruitment strategy and maintain a steady presence in volunteer recruitment efforts throughout the year. Consistent engagement with potential volunteers, regardless of the specific time of year, can help build a solid volunteer base and allow the organization to capitalize on community engagement and support opportunities.
But, tailoring volunteer recruitment efforts to specific events or occasions can also amplify the organization’s reach and attract volunteers who are passionate about contributing their time and skills to the nonprofit’s mission.
Why is volunteer recruitment so difficult?
One of the most challenging parts of running a nonprofit organization, and trying to bring in more help, is the volunteer recruitment process. But what makes it so hard?
Before we dive into volunteer recruitment strategies, it’s important to understand what hurdles organizations have to overcome in order to solidify a solid volunteer base:
❌ Time constraints: Many individuals have busy schedules with work, family commitments, and personal obligations, leaving limited time for volunteering.
❌ Competition for time: Volunteer opportunities may compete with other activities or interests, making it challenging to capture potential volunteers’ attention and commitment.
❌ Perception of commitment: Some people may perceive volunteering as a significant time commitment and may hesitate to get involved due to concerns about being overwhelmed.
❌ Lack of awareness: Potential volunteers may not be aware of the specific volunteer opportunities available or may not know how to get involved with a particular nonprofit.
❌ Skills and expertise mismatch: Some individuals may be interested in volunteering but may not feel they have the right skills or expertise needed for certain volunteer roles.
❌ Limited reach: Nonprofits may face challenges in reaching a broad audience of potential volunteers, especially if they have limited resources for marketing and outreach.
❌ Perceived impact: Some individuals may question the impact of their volunteer efforts, wondering if their contributions will truly make a difference, or if they’re appreciated.
❌ Misalignment with interests: If volunteer opportunities do not align with an individual’s interests or passion, they may be less motivated to get involved.
As we’ll discover, there are several strategies that nonprofit organizations can use in order to overcome some of these hurdles and build a robust volunteer base.
✴️ Attract volunteers by expressing gratitude and impact with personalized reports →
What is a volunteer recruitment strategy, and why do you need one?
Unfortunately, it’s not enough to send out one email and post on all of your social media platforms to attract volunteers.
A volunteer recruitment strategy is a planned, systematic approach that nonprofit organizations use to attract, engage, and retain a team of volunteers — and is much more effective than one-off attempts at bringing in new help.
A great nonprofit volunteer recruitment strategy outlines the steps and tactics to identify potential volunteers, communicate opportunities, and create a positive volunteer experience — it increases the likelihood of attracting a diverse pool of committed volunteers who are passionate about the organization’s mission.
Typically, a volunteer recruitment strategy involves:
✅ Needs assessments: Identify the specific nonprofit volunteer roles and opportunities needed to support the organization’s mission and programs.
✅ Target audience identification: Define a target audience of prospective volunteers, considering demographics, interests, and potential sources of volunteers.
✅ Volunteer role descriptions: Create clear and compelling volunteer role descriptions that outline the responsibilities, qualifications, time commitment, and potential impact of each role.
✅ Strategic communication channels: Determine the most effective communication channels to reach potential volunteers, such as the organization’s website, social media, email newsletters, community boards, or local media.
✅ An outreach plan: Develop a detailed plan for reaching out to potential volunteers, including the frequency and timing of communications and engagement activities.
✅ Collaboration and partnerships: Identify opportunities for collaboration with community organizations, schools, businesses, and other entities to expand the organization’s reach and tap into their networks for volunteers.
✅ Personalized communication: Tailor communication to prospective volunteers’ interests and preferences, using personalized messages to convey the organization’s mission and the meaningful impact of volunteering.
✅ Recognition and appreciation: Implement a nonprofit volunteer recognition and appreciation program to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers, fostering a positive volunteer experience.
✴️ Convey appreciation like a pro with individualized gratitude and impact reports →
What are the best volunteer recruitment strategies?
In 2023, nonprofits will have to get creative when it comes to recruiting volunteers. Instead of relying on some tried and true methods like offering free t-shirts or swag, organizations should think outside the box and offer things like:
Micro-volunteering opportunities ⌛
In order to not overwhelm potential volunteers, offer different opportunities with diverse time commitments. Micro-volunteering, for example, is a great way to entice supporters with busy schedules and lives.
Detailed job descriptions 📝
Just like applying for a job, potential volunteers want to know exactly what they can expect from an opportunity with your organization. Include specific details like time commitment, location, transportation (if any), and exact guidelines around what they’ll need to learn in order to complete the job successfully. This will put volunteers at ease, and more confident about joining in on the action.
Easy and straightforward onboarding 👨🏻💻
Some volunteers can be intimidated by the onboarding process. When advertising volunteer opportunities, call out details around the onboarding process and highlight specific staff members that will be available for assistance. The easier you can make the onboarding process, too, the better.
Diverse volunteer opportunities 🌎
Every volunteer is different. While some volunteers might be perfect for answering phones and accomplishing administrative work, others might be better suited for more behind-the-scenes work. Be sure to offer a range of volunteer positions — even virtual volunteer opportunities — so every person feels useful.
Unique expressions of gratitude and evidence of impact 🧡
In order to recruit new volunteers, express gratitude for past volunteer efforts on social media, email, and more. Potential volunteers will note how much you value the time and efforts of supporters and feel compelled to join in.
Likewise, in order to retain active volunteers, share the impact of their efforts through personalized reporting, a gratitude report, or mention them in large documentation like your annual report.
✴️ Use templates, drag-and-drop editing, and more to build a digital report in minutes →
Easy social sharing 📱
Nonprofits should take advantage of peer networks, too, in order to attract volunteers. By making content that’s easy for a volunteer to share on social media, others in their network will be compelled to get involved.
Using a digital report builder for volunteer recruitment 🚀
One of the best ways to stand out from competitors, and attract volunteers, is to create personalized messages of gratitude and appreciation. While any nonprofit can post an image on Instagram and write a quick Tweet, organizations that really nail volunteer recruitment and volunteer retention go the extra mile with digital reports.
To recruit and retain volunteers, consider making:
- A gratitude report
- Individual impact reports
- Volunteer acknowledgment reports
Packed with infographics, videos, testimonials, and more, volunteers will feel like an essential part of your organization’s success. Plus, with digital reports, volunteers easily share their impact on social media, via email, or even through text.
Get started with Yearly 🌟
Regardless of your organization’s mission, digital reports are a great way to build relationships with supporters. By using an annual report builder like Yearly, nonprofits can choose from several annual report templates, and use drag-and-drop editing to really impress donors, and receive more funding than ever before.
⭐ To get started, sign up for a free 14-day trial →
Josh Kligman is the CEO of Yearly, a platform for nonprofits to create their own digital reports. Josh has been working with nonprofits on annual reports, brands, and partnerships since 2011. He is helping nonprofits create more engaging, digital annual and impact reports with Yearly. Throughout his career, Josh has helped launch and run nonprofit brand campaigns and media partnerships nationally and locally, using television, radio, and web to amplify the reach of campaigns and provide demonstrated value for nonprofit stakeholders. Josh received his B.A. from American University in Communications and his M.B.A. from American University in Marketing Management and Entrepreneurship.