Guest post by Miles Maftean.

You’re passionate about a cause. It’s what inspired you to start volunteering.You wanted to be involved, join a community and make an impact.

But did you know volunteering gives you an edge in the job market too?

Guest post by Meridian Swift. This post originally appeared on volunteerplaintalk. 

Everywhere you look, you see volunteer recruitment ads that begin with “Energetic Volunteer Wanted.” Or “Caring volunteer.” Or even “Friendly volunteer.” Maybe “Enthusiastic,” “Flexible,” or “Compassionate” appears. But does “Detail-Oriented” really float your boat? Does “Organized volunteer” send you running in to help sort an organization out of their accounting mess?

The point is, how can a volunteer be enthusiastic about a role they haven’t yet undertaken? And what does flexible indicate? That a volunteer will be called at 3 am? Or that they have to drive 50 miles just to participate?

Guest post by Kayla Matthews.

Volunteers are often the lifeblood for nonprofits, especially when those organizations are understaffed and overworked.

But what happens when those volunteers become disheartened and no longer enjoy the work they do? They might be suffering from burnout, and you need to take action before it’s too late.

It’s trickier than you think to describe impact – and that’s good.

Every time I offer a volunteer impact measures training, I’m struck by some new takeaway that helps me better explain how to master this complex-but-valuable process.

Regardless of the size of your volunteer engagement program, you need to be in touch regularly with your volunteers to ensure your organization's goals are being met. While most volunteer managers use emails, phone calls and social media to stay in touch with their volunteers, texting may actually be the most effective communication tool. In fact, text message open rates are significantly higher than email open rates.

Want to increase volunteer retention? Here’s how to do it and enjoy the process.

It’s start the New Year by taking a show of hands. How many of you subscribe to this belief?:

While traditional methods of volunteer recruitment and fundraising remain effective, technology has allowed nonprofits to innovate new ways to attract supporters to their cause. Organizations have expanded on their previous efforts by adopting new strategies, and social media is no exception.

With nearly 3 billion social media users across the globe, social good organizations are increasingly adopting a more digitized approach towards social activism and engaging their volunteers.

Click here to read Part One of this two-part series.

A lot of well-intentioned people advise volunteer managers to treat “hiring” volunteers in the same manner staff is hired. It’s not that simple, and Part One of this two-part series explored why. In case you missed it, here’s that list again:

Guest post by Meridian Swift. This post originally appeared on Volunteer Plain Talk.

We need volunteers. We say as much, in ads, to staff, to other volunteers and to the woman behind us in line as the barista makes our coffee. So, how can we justify rejecting anyone who steps forward and raises their hand? Because, as much as we want every person who even mutters the word “volunteering” to succeed, we need volunteers who will make a positive impact on our missions.