Guest post by Nicole Boyer

It isn’t always easy to attract volunteers to help with your cause. There are just so many different nonprofits out there nowadays competing for the same pool of people that it can be hard to find new volunteers.

For that reason, you’ve got to think outside-the-box: come up with ways that not everybody is leveraging. Not feeling that creative?

Here are few ideas to help you get started.

Guest post by Jason Miner

With National Volunteer Week approaching, and events in Boston and Texas reminding us of the importance of community, it’s become even clearer that volunteers really are the backbone of nonprofit organizations.

Volunteers help with fundraising, administrative tasks and operations, and they help spread the word about the mission of the organization. And although volunteers tend to perform such duties out of the care and concern they have for the goals set forth by the organization, there are a few key strategies that can be used to make these all-important volunteers feel recognized and appreciated:

Guest Post by Mila Sanchez

It’s easy to think about volunteering in places like hospitals, food banks, schools, and animal humane societies, but some places that are commonly overlooked [and could really use volunteers] are prisons.

You’ve gotten to know Roger well over the past 6 months. Without fail, he’s shown up every week to volunteer his time at your nonprofit organization. And never once has he shown up without a cup of coffee in his hand. You know that his favorite coffee spot is just down the street from your office.

Each year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues a report on volunteer rates in the United States.

This report tells us a lot. We can learn the total percentage of the population that has volunteered over the past year (from September – September). We can see which age groups and races volunteer the most, and whether men or women are more likely to volunteer. We can see if employment status, education level, marital status and more have an effect on volunteering.

Guest post by Ermina Veljacic

Employee disengagement can prevent your business from reaching success. According to a Gallup survey in 2011, approximately 71 percent of American employees are disengaged at work, and 19 percent are actively disengaged. This lack of employee engagement is alarming, and it negatively impacts your business.

The Gallup report also showed that organizations with high employee engagement have 3.9 times the growth rate for earnings per share than other companies with lower engagement in the same industry. Many in the business world consider employee disengagement one of the top three business threats. The good news? Employee volunteer programs can easily increase employee engagement.

Our country takes great pride in the role volunteering has played in our history. We believe that volunteers are virtuous, kind and essential to the health of our society. It is why the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, for instance, is celebrated as a national Day of Service. We are a country that loves volunteering.

As a small business, finding ways to engage your employees is important. For example, chefs from your local restaurant may volunteer together at a soup kitchen to strengthen their relationships as a team and with the community. Or, perhaps your dog daycare’s employees enjoy spending time working together at your town’s shelter.

Dylan volunteering in Boston, Mass.

This post should really be called: “How I learned more about my community and humanity once I stepped outside my college classroom.” You see, going to college in the heart of a city has an abundance of advantages, and many students are quick to take a big gulp of all the opportunities presented by the fast-paced, busy, and unique city landscape.

Updated June 29, 2016

It’s more than just another acronym for you to remember. Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policies are a quickly growing trend among businesses committed to authentic corporate social responsibility.

These companies provide a certain number of hours per year for employees to volunteer in the community – independent from the company-sponsored volunteer days and weeks of service. And just as these group programs show direct benefits for the employee, the company, and the community, businesses who institute VTO policies are finding they make a difference in a number of important ways.

Solutions by VolunteerMatch makes running an employee volunteer program easy. Learn more.