501c3 Volunteer Recruitment Ideas

Most 501c3 nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers in order to keep their organization running smoothly. It’s estimated that about a hundred million people volunteer each year. Volunteers can help the nonprofit organization with multiple tasks like administrative work, fundraising, and spreading the word about your 501c3 organization. But recruiting and keeping people sometimes can seem like a big task if you aren’t sure where to start. Here are a few tips on some ways your nonprofit organization can find volunteers.

 

Post Information.

It’s essential to keep your social media sites up-to-date with things your organization is doing, hoping to achieve, and other events. It’s also a good idea to give your organization a presence physically in places. You can do this by printing out flyers or posters and putting them on local bulletin boards, restaurants, and shops. Having information on your organization both online and in physical locations will help people recognize and remember your nonprofit.

Ask People Directly.

Most people who want to volunteer aren’t too sure how to start the process. By reaching out to people directly, you give them an easy way to get started. It’s also good to try and ask people face-to-face. This way it shows you are serious about that person volunteering and it will also give you a better idea of where they would fit into your volunteer team. Places that are good to look for volunteers are schools/universities, businesses, clubs, community groups, and other local hotspots.

 

Provide a Questionnaire.

When someone is interested in volunteering for your organization, a good start is to give them a simple questionnaire. It can include questions about the person as well as information about the 501c3 organization. This will help you understand where they will best fit in the volunteer group and help the volunteer understand some of the basis for the organization. You can provide this questionnaire online for easy-access and hand it out to people when your recruiting face-to-face.

Communicate Expectations.

Make sure you give very clear information to your volunteers about what is expected of them and what the goal is of the event they are working. Not only will this help your volunteers know what they are supposed to be accomplishing, but it will also help your organization meet its goals efficiently.

Give Position Titles.

When people are looking for volunteer options, they are also looking at the title of the position in order to determine if their skills would be helpful. It is best to provide as much detail as possible and try to come up with a fun job title. You’ll attract more individuals if the position title is more interesting. This also can help individuals include their volunteer work on their resumes.

Most Importantly: Have Fun!

Remember to make these opportunities as much about your volunteers as possible. Volunteering shouldn’t be all work and no play. If you keep your volunteers happy during the event and afterward, they will be more likely to volunteer more often and even bring friends. Your organization could host fun local events or even special parties for the volunteers.

When your 501c3 nonprofit organization finds the right volunteers, it can help keep your mission alive in the communities!