Treat volunteers like donors
Julian Lomas
We have written before about the need to shift the mindset of fundraisers (and their bosses) away from an old-fashioned, transactional, technical view of fundraising to something that is much more relational and supporter-focussed (see diagram). Reflecting further on these ideas, it occurred to us that exactly the same can be said of volunteering.
Too often we hear managers talking about volunteers as if they are an abstract resource rather than living, breathing human beings. This neglects a key point about all charity supporters, whether they give time, money or anything else; involvement, loyalty and bonding are what make the charity world go round.
Volunteers, every bit as much as donors, want to know how their contribution is making a difference to your cause (in fact their cause). For the most part they don’t want to be passive recipients of information; they want to be involved and to enjoy what they do.
The more involved they are the more loyal they will be and the more likely they are to support your charity in other ways, including donating or fundraising on your behalf.
Therefore, it pays to take a little time to understand what motivates them, to match them with opportunities they will enjoy and to make their volunteering experience really great. The key is to ensure that they make a personal connection with your cause and the work your charity does. How you do this will, of course, vary from volunteer to volunteer (we are all different), but it will almost certainly involve some or all of the following:
Provide information about what you do, what you can offer and what you need from them.
Listen to what they say about why they want to volunteer and why with your charity.
Where you can, provide opportunities for volunteers not involved in frontline services to see those services in action.
Be honest about any process/regulatory requirements associated with volunteering (such as safeguarding, confidentiality, selection processes etc.).
At appropriate points in their volunteering journey, explain the ways they could get more involved, including how they can help you reach out to other prospective supporters (volunteers or donors).
Be sure to say thank you (and not just once).
Provide opportunities for volunteers to meet each other, both with their peers and more experienced volunteers.
If they have raised or donated money, tell them what it will be used for and what that will achieve.
Ensure they have access to training and development opportunities.
Whatever you do, treat volunteers like the precious resource that they are, value them and nurture relationships so that you can ask them to support your charity in other ways.
If you would like to know more about the services we offer or discuss your needs further please contact us at julian@almondtreeconsulting.co.uk.