Nonprofit Tip of the Month: Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up!

by Matt Wallace posted on May 10, 2013

Don’t drop the ball. Follow up.

You use VolutneerMatch to connect with the volunteers you need, but what happens next? Following up is an important part of the recruitment process. It’s the first opportunity for your organization to engage new volunteers. For this month’s tip I’ll teach you how to use the tools in your VolunteerMatch account to follow up with everyone who expresses interest in your opportunities.

Following up does not have to be a long, involved process. Most of the time a simple ‘Thank You’ note will work. You can also use follow up messaging to inform volunteers of next steps in your on-boarding process. If your organization has a Community Leader subscription you can even create customized questions that are sent out automatically.

When you post an opportunity on our site it will be visible to thousands of individuals within our network. Each time an interested volunteer clicks the ‘I Want to Help!’ button we will automatically save their contact information into your VolunteerMatch account. You can use this information in your follow up process by accessing your Referral Report.

To learn how to access the Referral Report watch this short Tools Training Video.

Use the information stored in your Referral Report to send out follow up messaging to prospective volunteers. Let them know you received their inquiry and inform them about next steps. Schedule a phone interview, send them additional paperwork or invite them to register on your website. Taking the time to follow up promotes engagement and retention, so make sure your organization doesn’t drop the ball.

Do you have any tips for following up with volunteers? Share them in the comments below!

May Webinar Preview: New Dates, New Titles

by Matt Wallace posted on April 30, 2013

Posted in Training/professional dvlpmt

Have you registered for one of our free webinars yet?

This May we have exciting news to share: We’re adding two new sessions to our webinar schedule, both focused on volunteer engagement. We’ve also rolled out the remainder of our 2013 webinar calendar. New dates are now available in our Learning Center.

Read more about our two all-new webinars below. Each one focuses on an important aspect of volunteer engagement.

Build Staff Buy-In for Volunteer Engagement

Is your organization open to engaging volunteers in new ways? Often one of the biggest challenges to a new model of volunteer engagement is the resistance of paid staff. Often attitudes and fears of our co-workers prevent us from expanding the work that volunteers do. In this webinar we’ll discuss strategies for working with paid staff to engage volunteers. We’ll cover how you can train and support your coworkers as they become responsible for managing volunteers.

Developing a Strategic Plan for Volunteer Engagement

In this webinar you’ll learn how to create a strategic plan for volunteer engagement for your organization. We’ll tell you which components need to be included in your plan. And we’ll share ideas for working with organization leaders to include strategic goals for volunteer engagement in your organization’s overall strategic plan.

If you missed one of our webinars earlier this year, not to worry. We host each title multiple times throughout the year, including the following:

Fighting Hunger Together: Create Compelling Opportunities on VolunteerMatch

Using common volunteer opportunities from hunger relief organizations we’ll discuss best practices for creating listings on VolunteerMatch that will appeal to the volunteers you’re looking for to run your programs. We’ll look at before and after listings, and we’ll discuss how to use our Premium Account tools to pre-screen and get to know prospective volunteers before you talk to them. Sample descriptions, custom questions, and useful examples will be provided.

Measuring Success: How to Strategically Assess Your Program

Your volunteer engagement program can be measured by more than just the hours a volunteer gives your organization. What other kinds of information should you keep track of, and how do you know if you’re doing a good job with your volunteer engagement program? This webinar will help you think through both the quantitative and qualitative information you can use to evaluate your program.

To view our full webinar calendar, visit our Learning Center.

Think ‘Outside-the-Box’ to Engage Volunteers

by Matt Wallace posted on April 23, 2013

Posted in Inspiration

Get excited for National Volunteer Week!

National Volunteer Week is about recognizing and inspiring those who give back to their communities through service. It’s also the perfect time for your organization to engage new volunteers. A great way to promote your cause and grab the attention of volunteers is to post a creative, ‘outside-the-box’ volunteer opportunity.

We’ve selected four of our favorites to share with you. Each opportunity engages audiences through celebrating the role of volunteers and the impact they have within their organizations. Let’s take a look!

Calling All Magicians, Clowns, Face Painters and Performers!

If you like magic, music, clowns and fun then this opportunity is for you! This organization puts on monthly birthday parties for low-income children residing in homeless shelters. They believe that children should be celebrated throughout the year and not just on holidays.

This opportunity was posted by Cause For Celebration. For more information about this organization, click here.

Calling All Beauty Professionals! Help Chronically Ill Patients!

If you want to put your beauty talents to good use, look no further. This organization recruits volunteers to bring dignity, hope and respite to people living with chronic or terminal illness through beauty ad grooming treatments. They strive to make clients feel beautiful inside and out, in order to raise self-esteem and maintain dignity and the enhance quality of life.

This opportunity was posted by Beauty Bus Foundation. For more information about this organization, click here.

Exotic Plant Removal

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and you like working in nature, sign up for this opportunity. This organization strives to develop in children and adults an appreciation for the natural world, and to preserve Eaton Canyon as a natural area for future generations.

This opportunity was posted by Eaton Canyon Nature Centers Associates (ECNCA). For more information about this organization, click here.

Video Editors for Hospice Patients Life Stories

Put your video editing skills to use and sign up for this opportunity. Like their counterparts, Evercare Hospice strives to preserve dignity and freedom from pain at the end of life through a series of customized projects and activities. The Life Review Videos help in these efforts by showcasing the lives of each patient.

This opportunity was posted by Evercare Hospice & Palliative Care For more information about this organization, click here.

Does your organization have a fun, creative opportunity that you’d like us to share? Post it in the comments below!

April Webinar Preview: Revise & Refresh Your Volunteer Program

by Matt Wallace posted on April 4, 2013

Posted in Training/professional dvlpmt

April webinar preview at VolunteerMatch Spring has sprung and we’re shaking off the winter blues with our webinars in April. This month you’ll learn how to increase capacity by getting back to the basics. We’ll cover the core concepts of volunteer management including the three ‘R’s: recruitment, retention and recognition. So whether you’re new to VolunteerMatch—or just in need of a refresher—here are four webinar you don’t want to miss!

VolunteerMatch: Getting Started

In this webinar we’ll tell you how to post volunteer opportunities in order to recruit the volunteers you need. You’ll also learn how to manage and maintain your VolunteerMatch account. All attendees will receive a coupon good for three free months of our premium account known as Community Leader.

The New Volunteer Managers Toolkit

This webinar will walk you through the three ‘R’s – recruitment, retention and recognition. We’ll discuss program components such as interviews, orientations, volunteer handbooks, and more. All attendees will receive a sample packet with examples of program documents and assessment checklists to help you evaluate your existing program.

Fighting Hunger Together: The Basics of Volunteer Management

From handbooks to retention plans, in this webinar we’ll discuss all the basic components of a volunteer management program. We will focus specifically on the needs of hunger relief organizations, though all types of organizations are welcome to attend. This webinar was originally designed for new volunteer managers, but even seasoned professionals can learn something new.

Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program

This webinar will teach you how to determine what information you should be sharing with your volunteers to prepare them for their roles. We’ll discuss how to present this information using different delivery methods that appeal to adult learners. Assessing what your volunteers have learned, and creating ongoing training and professional development for your volunteers will also be covered.

Check out more of our free webinars for nonprofits in the Learning Center.

Nonprofit Tip of the Month: Build Capacity by Bringing in Back Up

by Matt Wallace posted on March 26, 2013

Posted in Using VolunteerMatch

Stressed out? Bring in some back up!

Struggling to find the volunteers you need? No time to engage the volunteers you have? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This month I’ll tell you how to use VolunteerMatch as a capacity building tool by recruiting volunteers to help run your programs.

Let’s get started.

Recruit a Volunteer to Manage Your VolunteerMatch Account

If you don’t have the time to actively maintain your organization’s profile on VolunteerMatch, recruit a volunteer to manage it for you. This is a great way to engage the technically savvy volunteer. As you write the description, be sure to include web related skills and strategic keywords to help your opportunity show up in relevant search results.

Recruit a Volunteer to Train New Volunteers

When creating your opportunity include skills and keywords surrounding human relations and education. Not only will this save you a great deal of time, it will help keep your current volunteer staff motivated and engaged. You could also promote a more seasoned volunteer to trainer and put them in charge of on-boarding new recruits. Who better to train volunteers than the individuals already doing the work?

Recruit a Volunteer to Promote Volunteer Engagement

If you find yourself without the time to engage volunteer staff, recruit someone to help you. This is another great time saver and a sure-fire way to ensure your volunteer staff is happy and motivated. This is also a great way to develop new volunteer roles and expand your program’s impact within your organization.

Do you recruit volunteers to help run your programs? We want to hear from you! Share your opportunity in the comments below.