December 21, 2023
Episode #89: Strategic Volunteer Recruitment Ideas for 2024
Looking for fresh volunteer recruitment ideas? Look no further. In this episode, Volunteer Nation host Tobi Johnson provides practical tips and big ideas to attract and retain volunteers, drawing from volunteer experiences and the current landscape of volunteerism as reflected in comments of a recent Washington Post article.
Tobi also addresses the systemic issues in volunteerism, such as organizational inefficiency, lack of appreciation, and the need for skilled leadership. He shares valuable insights on improving website content and usability to better engage and retain volunteers.
Volunteer Recruitment Ideas – Marketing Strategy Based on Real Volunteer Experiences
A recent Washington Post article asks – Nonprofits need more help than ever. Why aren’t Americans volunteering?. And 495 people shared their insights and experiences as volunteers in the comments. The lack of responsiveness to some volunteers, on behalf of the organizations they approached, makes for a pretty sobering read. In this episode, Tobi uses these comments as “market research” and offers volunteer recruitment ideas and tips directly related to the comments shared.
Volunteer Recruitment Ideas – Aside from Your People, Your Website is Your Biggest Asset
Tobi also highlights the effectiveness of Google grants for pay-per-click volunteer recruitment advertising and shares valuable insights on improving website design, structure, content, and usability to better engage and retain volunteers.
Volunteer Participation Research – Show Highlights
05:25.6 Why aren’t volunteers volunteering
11:36.9 Comments from volunteers about their experiences
18:15.7 Volunteer recruitment ideas
22:16.3 #1 – Collaborate across your community better
22:30.6 #2 – Refresh your volunteer recruitment webpages
25:50.2 #3 – Make it easy to get to the volunteer hub from the home page
30:29.1 #4 – Check for a clear call to action
33:40.9 How to form a fast response team
37:57.4 #5 – Offer people short challenges to give them a taste of what volunteering is about
Volunteer Research – Quotes from the Episode
“Just as donors aren’t cash machines nor are volunteers immediate free labor. It just doesn’t work that way. In both cases, supporters are valued people in the community that give their time, talent, and treasure, and all of those things are worth something.”
“So it’s really important if you’re working in a community with other volunteer involving organizations that you are stewards of that volunteer ecosystem, not just the roles for your organization itself.”
“But you’ve got what we’re hearing over and over again from especially from the comments that I read in this response to the Washington Post article, but also we’re just hearing it in general that people need more flexibility in their volunteering.”
“We have an issue with nonprofit staff treating volunteers like they don’t matter, and that’s a problem. Why would you go volunteer your time if your time is your number one precious resource, why in the world would you go somewhere where you’re not wanted?”
Helpful Links
- Volunteer Management Progress Report
- Washington Post, Nonprofits need more help than ever. Why aren’t Americans volunteering? (December 11, 2023)
- Google Trends
- Google Analytics
- PickFu
- Time Well Spent research series
- Volunteer Nation Episode #79: Nonprofit SEO: How to Get Found on Google
- Volunteer Nation Episode #002: How to Recruit Volunteers by Building a Following First
- Volunteer Nation Episode #042: Why Your Volunteer Recruitment Isn’t Working (And What To Do Instead
- Volunteer Nation Episode #044: 6 Creative Ways to Recruit Volunteers
- VolunteerPro Membership Community
Want More? Check out Our Time + Talent Podcast!
Whether you’re looking for solutions, inspiration, or just want to hear what others are doing to successfully engage volunteers, Time + Talent is the podcast for leaders of volunteers.
Co-hosts Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA and Jennifer Bennett, CVA bring you uplifting and insightful conversations with thought leaders and volunteer management practitioners who are redefining their roles, and the roles of volunteers.
About the Show
Nonprofit leadership author, trainer, consultant, and volunteer management expert Tobi Johnson shares weekly tips to help charities build, grow, and scale exceptional volunteer teams. Discover how your nonprofit can effectively coordinate volunteers who are reliable, equipped, and ready to help you bring about BIG change for the better.
If you’re ready to ditch the stress and harness the power of people to fuel your good work, you’re in exactly the right place!
Contact Us
Have questions or suggestions for the show? Email us at wecare@volpro.net.
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