October 16, 2015
For many nonprofits, volunteers are the heartbeat keeping an organization moving forward. They drive an organization’s mission and act as community ambassadors for each cause. It’s imperative when enlisting volunteers, effective skill sets and common values are at the top of the recruiting prerequisite list. NPO’s should assess their processes, time requests and work environment before recruiting to ensure volunteers‘ lasting commitment to the organization.
The recruitment process for many nonprofits can be a tedious. But, there are several job boards such as VolunteerMatch, VolunteerHub, and LinkedIn that provide resources which helps NPO’s with their volunteer search. For many nonprofits, having the resources to obtain a dedicated volunteer coordinator is unrealistic, so using online sources may be cost effective.
People choose to volunteer for many different reasons. Networking opportunities, viable job training and genuine passion are top motives people elect meaningful engagement for their personal time. Promoting the benefits of volunteering is a surefire way to persuade a more volunteers to engage in a specific cause. By carefully defining the prerequisites, creating position titles with detailed job descriptions and only engaging volunteers to fill specific organization needs, the probability of attracting long-term volunteers improves.
After successfully recruiting volunteers, NPOs must solidify relationships through a positive volunteer experience. By carefully planning tasks and empowering volunteers to be creative carrying out their assignments will ensure the experience as a volunteer is positive. This produces value for both the nonprofit and any volunteer seeking to make a difference. Generate rewards to express genuine appreciation and thank volunteers publicly for their commitment, dedication and hard work.
Volunteering is a very personal, enriching experience with so many benefits. From improving career outlook, to building new skills, and attaining the gratification of aiding others, it also has proven to have a number of ancillary health benefits.
So, when gearing up for a new successful volunteer recruitment search keep these tips in mind. Good Luck!
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