Smart Strategies to Attract Your Next Generation of Volunteers

It’s no secret that volunteers form the backbone of many nonprofits. While the need for nonprofit volunteers remains a constant, the expectations of those volunteers have significantly evolved.

In the past, many nonprofits focused on encouraging donations or bringing in volunteers to serve as the labor needed to pull off big events. But today’s volunteer – whether they’re new to the workforce and just starting their career or a seasoned professional looking to add meaning to their retirement – is often looking for more.

New volunteers are interested in more flexible project-based options. They’re driven by values. And they expect digital connections.

How can your nonprofit deliver emotional fulfillment and career opportunities for new volunteers?

In today’s world, volunteers want to participate on their terms. They’re looking for options such as:

• Flexibility: The world changed forever with the remote work options available in the past few years. How might your organization offer more flexible options attuned to busy schedules? Could volunteers deliver meaningful help to your organization on a remote basis, instead of requiring them to be physically present at your offices or during events? Are there ways your group could break volunteer positions into short-term commitments, event-based opportunities, or long-term, fully remote options?

• Skills-Based Roles: Many professionals may be hesitant to volunteer if they think that they’ll simply be used for manual labor. Could your nonprofit benefit from professional expertise in areas like marketing, IT, or finance? Could this be an opportunity for new graduates or the recently retired to put their skills to use in a manner that helps your organization complete needed projects while avoiding expensive employee overhead?

• Growth Opportunities: Recent graduates may be struggling to find jobs in their chosen field. Could your organization offer opportunities that help people build their skills on a volunteer basis as they start their careers? Is it possible to help a volunteer build a career growth ladder by stepping into successively senior volunteer opportunities? How could the senior leaders within your nonprofit provide mentorship to valued volunteers, which might help them advance their careers? Are there projects where your group might be able to team up more senior volunteers with less experienced staff or other volunteer, which might free up your senior staff for other priorities?

• Demonstrate Real Impact: In a world where people are used to seeing instant results, nonprofits need to adapt to provide transparency into the impact volunteers have on their mission. Could you create volunteer assignments that provide hands-on experience with your audience? How might your organization structure short-term volunteer assignments in ways that yield a clear view of how each person’s volunteer efforts are contributing to your mission? Could your nonprofit create ongoing communications that provide updates on progress toward goals and the results of recent events to help volunteers see the value of their efforts?

• Streamlined Digital Processes: Today’s world functions more and more on an online basis. As a result, volunteers expect organizations to make it easy to interact with them through online tools and communications. Does your organization use a digital volunteer management system where volunteers can sign up for opportunities and events, log hours, and communicate through a single platform? How might your group’s social media platforms do a better job of giving online shout-outs to volunteers?

It doesn’t matter whether a volunteer is a Millennial, Gen Z, or even a recently retired professional. In general, they’re all looking for ways they can help make the world a better place. 

Reconsidering how your organization structures volunteer opportunities and communicates with these valued team members can give your group the advantage of retaining more volunteers, instead of treading water through constant rounds of volunteer recruitment.

How can your nonprofit meet new volunteers where they are now?

Reworking your organization’s volunteer opportunities to better align with the goals of new volunteers is a smart first move. The next step is letting potential volunteers know about the opportunities available through your nonprofit. That means proactively meeting people where they are now.

• Lean Into Social Media: If a person is already interested in a particular cause or concerned about a certain issue, your nonprofit’s social media posts highlighting your mission and upcoming events may be a great way to grab initial attention. One of the keys to social media, however, is to be consistent. Try to post at least weekly, with even more frequent posts in the days leading up to big events. Create an editorial calendar in advance that blends information on your mission, event details, and volunteer opportunities. 

This might be an ideal opportunity for a volunteer with a marketing background. They could develop copy and graphics in advance, which your staff would then approve and post. This gives the volunteer a compelling position that aligns with their skills and helps remove some of the workload from staff members. 

• Meet Potential Volunteers In The Community You Serve: Look to the community your nonprofit serves to identify people who might become passionate volunteers; these people have an in-depth understanding of the situation your organization is working to address. 

Their first-hand experience can bring new insights to your nonprofit. At the same time, they might grow to become key members of your organization because they’ll have the empathy that comes from living through the challenges your nonprofit wants to solve.

• Foster Cross-Generational Volunteerism: Make it easy for valued volunteers to share their dedication with their children and grandchildren. These family members are already aware of their loved one’s passion for your mission. 

Encourage established volunteers to bring family members to events where they can see how the volunteer makes a difference to your organization. Consider building “Next Generation” volunteer opportunities, which might allow younger volunteers (or even parents of volunteers) to work together on smaller projects or events.

• Collaborate With Local Businesses: Many businesses sponsor corporate volunteer programs, offer volunteer time off (VTO), or give volunteer grants. Approach these companies with collaboration ideas where the company might sponsor certain events or include your volunteer opportunities within an employee newsletter. 

Think of creative ways your nonprofit could offer one-day volunteer sessions, which might double as corporate team-building events. Be sure to request names and contact information of these volunteers to send them a special thank you for their time, and then to invite them to participate in future volunteer opportunities. Once they’ve given time to your organization, these volunteers may be significantly more likely to become ongoing members of your volunteer team.

Customizing your volunteer experience to the goals of today’s volunteer can be a smart strategy to help your nonprofit build a stable team of enthusiastic volunteers who are dedicated to executing your mission. At the same time, flexible volunteer options that help people feel like they’re making a genuine difference can also help your nonprofit attract today’s new volunteer.

If you’d like more ideas on how your organization can build an effective onboarding program for new volunteers, take advantage of HR Workplace powered by Mineral. It’s free for 60 days and gives your nonprofit full access to a wide range of tools to help get your new volunteers off to a great start.

NOTE:  The link above would go to HR Workplace page at: https://www.chooseust.org/ust-hr-workplace/

SOURCES:

“20 Strategies For Recruiting The Next Generation Of Nonprofit Volunteers,” forbes.com, 6/11/24

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2024/06/11/20-strategies-for-recruiting-the-next-generation-of-nonprofit-volunteers

“17 Effective Volunteer Recruitment Strategies,” VolunteerHub.com, 8/16/24

https://volunteerhub.com/blog/17-easy-to-implement-volunteer-recruitment-strategies#:~:text=Write%20an%20eye%2Dcatching%20headline,that%20share%20your%20nonprofit’s%20values.