One of the biggest challenges facing non-profit organizations is keeping volunteers happy and coming back for their assignments. Volunteers often do unpleasant jobs, and not getting compensated for their time makes things even more difficult for them. This article will give you some how to’s for keeping your volunteers happy and coming back.
- Make Volunteers Feel Appreciated: The most important thing you can do to keep your volunteers is to continually let them know that they’re valued respected. Volunteers who feel like their work is going unnoticed are not likely to keep volunteering for your organization.
- Be Specific About What You Expect From Your Volunteers: Volunteers appreciate clear expectations: when they’ll be expected for their shifts; how long their shifts will last; and most importantly, clear how to’s for their job duties.
- Find Out What Volunteers Want To Bring To Your Organization: Matching workers’ job assignments to their skills is as important in volunteering as it is in paid employment. Ask your volunteers what they like to do – for example, a volunteer who enjoys photography and who volunteers in an animal shelter would enjoy being put to work photographing animals for the shelter’s website.A volunteer who loves the outdoors would be better suited to doing grounds keeping or “outside” work than being stuck inside an office filing papers.
Keeping volunteers happy is an ongoing process, and not done in a single day. This list of how to’s should serve as a starting point, but always remember that keeping your volunteers coming back requires your best efforts every day.