This document discusses how to engage volunteers of the future by moving beyond simply posting that volunteers are needed. It recommends finding the right volunteers by having clear position descriptions and managing expectations. Organizations should also create more involvement, flexibility and understanding for volunteers by offering training pathways, virtual and project-based opportunities, and keeping volunteers informed about the organization's impact and new initiatives. Tools for evolving a volunteer program include creating documentation, asking volunteers for feedback, and empowering volunteers to take on leadership roles.

1. Engage the volunteer of the future!
Jennifer Bennett, CVA
@JenBennettCVA
#VMLearn - VolunteerMatch

2. What are we talking about?
• Moving beyond “Volunteers Needed”
• How do volunteers find you? How can
you find them?
• Finding the right volunteers
• Create Connection
• Building a culture of involvement,
flexibility and understanding
• What next?
(page 2 #VMLearn)

3. “Volunteers Needed”
What does your volunteer program look like
to a volunteer?
• Cul-de-sac
• Nowhere to go when you get there
• Country Road
• If you hang in there it goes somewhere,
eventually
• Highway
• It’s a direct route to impact and engagement
Volunteers have a choice!
(page 3 #VMLearn)

4. (page 4 #VMLearn)
This is not your mother’s
volunteering
Shifts in generations create a new model
• Volunteers hope to make an impact
• Volunteer task lists replaced by meaningful,
targeted work, skills based
• Meaningful to the volunteer, important to the
organization
• Volunteers need flexibility
• Does not imply that they can’t be dependable,
reliable, accountable
• Volunteers want to understand
• Answer the question “Why?”

5. (page 5 #VMLearn)
How do volunteers find you?
80% of Volunteer Coordinators tell us the
“Word of Mouth” is their #1 recruitment
method
What are your volunteers saying about your
organization? What can you do about it?

6. (page 6 #VMLearn)
• You can create a positive experience
• Meaningful and important
• The right volunteer in the right job
• Saying no politely and professionally
• Make it easier for volunteers to share
• Arm them with information
• Social media
• Don’t keep them in a silo
Pros and Cons of “WoM”

7. (page 7 #VMLearn)
• Passive
• You can’t make your volunteers tell their
friends, but you can encourage them
• Depends on earned marketing/media
• Easier now than ever – but can be negative
• Doesn’t bring in volunteers who don’t
have a connection or know who you are
Pros and Cons of “WoM”

8. (page 8 #VMLearn)
What we know about volunteers
VolunteerMatch by the numbers:
75,586 Active opportunities nationwide
6,962,317 Connections since 1998
2,500 Average referrals a day
Around 130 during peak hours
2-3 Referrals for each visitor
Lots of volunteers don’t have a strong idea
about where or how they want to volunteer.
They are looking for a opportunity to make
an impact and find a cause they care about.
(79% and 82% Hart 2010)

9. (page 9 #VMLearn)
Find the right volunteers!
When inviting volunteers to participate in your
organization finding the right fit becomes even
more important
• Know who you want
• Comprehensive position descriptions: skills,
experience, traits or characteristics
• Create a strong foundation and manage
expectations
• No bait and switch
• Policies and procedures manual, NDA, Letter of
agreement

10. Create more Involvement
• Training and experience pathways
• Do volunteers know what they need to do to be
able to fill each role in your program?
• Is it clear how that happens, or is it mysterious
or based on longevity?
• Do you offer those classes or have on the job
experience checklists?
•Bring more positions into your volunteer
engagement program
• Let volunteers help you!
• Volunteers know the work that volunteers do -
empower them to document or create the
foundation and flexibility you need. (page 10 #VMLearn)

11. Create more Flexibility
• Are there different types of opportunities or
different levels of involvement available?
• One size doesn’t fit all
• Doesn’t allow for growth or retraction as a
volunteer’s life changes
• Do you offer project based opportunities, virtual
opportunities, micro volunteering
•Where does the rigidity come from? You,
organization leadership, the past, or perceived
ideas about volunteers?
(page 11 #VMLearn)

12. Create more Understanding
• Keep volunteers informed
• New ideas or theories in your impact area
• New policies, practices or projects in your
program
• Milestones in your organization
• Incorporate impact into recognition
• Don’t just say thank you - share the work the
volunteer has done
• Include clients in the thank you message
• Spread the thank you outside of your volunteer
program - Social media, internal and external
communications (page 12 #VMLearn)

13. Create the Connection
Turn your volunteers into Advocates!
• Do volunteers know your mission?
•Major accomplishments, funders
• Do they know about other programs?
• Areas and impacts besides their own
• Empower them to spread the word
• Keep them up to date
• Use social media
• Do you know which of your volunteers are also
donors?
(page 13 #VMLearn)

14. Tools for Evolving your Program
• Think strategically!
• Do you have a 3 or 5 year plan for your
program?
• Get off the hamster wheel
• What type of program do you have now?
• What type of program do you want to have?
(page 14 #VMLearn)

15. Tools for Evolving your Program
• Start with the easy (easier?) stuff
• Create or document the structure that exists
now
• Identify volunteer position descriptions, how
they fit together, what volunteers need to know to
do them.
• Don’t do this alone!
• Where and why do volunteers drop out?
• Ask them!
• Survey past and current volunteers about what
they like, are proud of, don’t understand about
your program (page 15 #VMLearn)

16. Tools for Evolving your Program
• Create more flexibility
• What did your volunteers tell you they wanted
to do, but couldn’t - so they left?
• Where does the rigidity come from? You,
organization leadership, the past, or perceived
ideas about volunteers?
• Create a communication plan to turn
volunteers in to advocates
(page 16 #VMLearn)

17. Things to Think About
• You don’t have to change everything right
now
• Putting pathways in is an easier first step
• Identify the priorities or critical positions
• Invite volunteers to take on leadership roles
• Volunteers want to tell you what they like (and
don’t like) about your program
• Invite your superstar volunteers to take the lead
• Share your milestones and successes with
the organization
• Manager, leadership, co-workers and, of course,
the volunteers!
(page 17 #VMLearn)

18. Things to Think About
•Share your milestones and successes
with the organization
• Manager, leadership, co-workers and, of
course, the volunteers!
(page 18 #VMLearn)

19. Questions?
Jennifer Bennett, CVA
Senior Manager, Education & Training
VolunteerMatch
@Jen BennettCVA
jbennett@volunteermatch.org
(page 19 #VMLearn)

20. Enter to Win $400 Gift Card
Your feedback is very important to us. Be one of the
first 250 people to submit a workshop survey at the
conclusion of each workshop block and enter to win
your choice of a $400 Hewlett-Packard gift card or 2014
Conference registration. One prompt respondent will
be randomly selected for each of the five workshop
blocks. Visit a Digital Lounge now and log into the
Conference registration website to submit your
workshop survey.
(page 20 #VMLearn)