Join this free webinar to learn more about social media, and how you can use social media tools to increase your volunteer engagement and expand your volunteer recruitment. Volunteer engagement is changing. What do you need to know about social media as a volunteer program manager? How can you use social media to promote your volunteer opportunities and recruit volunteers? This webinar will offer an introduction to including social media in your volunteer recruitment and retention plans. You'll see examples of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as blogs that other nonprofits have successfully used to draw attention to their organizations and volunteer opportunities. You'll also learn about the social media tools available as part of your VolunteerMatch account that can help you promote your volunteer opportunity on other social networking sites. VolunteerMatch is here to help make it easy for you to recruit volunteers, manage existing volunteers, and promote your organization.

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Jennifer Bennett @JenBennettCVA
CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training
Basil Sadiq @VolunteerMatch
Marketing Manager

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• What we’ll be covering today and what we won’t.
• What is Social Media and why does it matter?
• How to use Social Media to recruit and engage
volunteers
• Use Social Media if… Don’t use Social Media if… Are
you ready to start?
• Q&A
Agenda

4. This isn’t going to be a how-to use any particular
social networking site.
We will be talking about how social media in
general, and a few specific sites, can help you
better recruit, engage, train and build
relationships with your volunteers.
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Introduction

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What is Social Media?
Social Media is a way of interacting with others
using online tools or platforms.
• Keep up to date with friends and family
• Share ideas or opinions
• Get ideas or reviews of places to eat or stay
It can also be used to communicate with
prospective volunteers, and recruit, train, and
keep in touch with current volunteers.

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Successful Social Media Campaigns
• Social Media should be
– Brief
– Timely
– Actionable
• Social Media can
– Keep volunteers and supporters up to date
– Help spread and share news and ideas
– Attract new volunteers
– Provide an experience not based on a location

7. Social Media & Volunteer Engagement
• What do you need your volunteers to do?
– Sign up for an event, shift or orientation
• What do you want you volunteers to know?
– Initial trainings, new policies/procedures
– That you appreciate what they do
• What would you like your volunteers to share?
With you? With the world? With each other?
– Feedback on new programs or opportunities
– Support and passion for your org and mission
– Experiences with other volunteers even if they work different
days or in different cities
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8. Facebook
The most popular social networking site in the world.
Great For:
• Building a community of all of constituents
• Sharing photos, videos, stories and events all in one place.
• Building relationships with peripheral volunteers (single day,
corporate groups)
• Saying “thank you” and promoting that to your whole community
• Getting feedback or ideas from volunteers or community members
Examples:
MS Society Long Island http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/NMSSLI?sk=wall&filter=12
VM Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VolunteerMatch?ref=ts#!/VolunteerMatch?sk=wall&filter=12
Best Friends Animal Society https://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety/
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9. Twitter
Twitter is about what is happening right now! In 140 characters or
less
Great For:
• Promoting new or upcoming volunteer opportunities
• Immediate volunteer needs or reminders
• Sharing news or events
• When you need the “ripple effect” - ReTweeting can help spread
the word
• Participating in or building support for an event or a topic –
hashtags (#) group like tweets #volunteer, #volunTweet, Tweet
Chats - #ttvolmgrs
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10. You Tube
Not just for cute kitten videos! Actually useful too.
Great For:
• Gathering videos to be promoted in other places – website, Facebook,
etc.
• Providing orientations and trainings available on the volunteer’s
schedule
• Professional development for your volunteers – new information
• Helping your volunteers understand your clients or the work you do
• Saying “Thank You!”
Examples:
MS awareness blog http://www.youtube.com/user/laurenvparrott
Cat Shelter Training Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUfvlndupy8
Junior Achievement Training Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zvb5bTPoAo
Volunteer Thank You Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_eoa9wA0Q8
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11. Blogs
Originally a combination of Web and Log – an online journal of
sorts – now, it can be so much more.
Great For:
• Sharing news and ideas and soliciting feedback
• Creating a customizable, easily updated place for information
on your volunteer program, and your organization.
• Show volunteers in action with videos and photos
• Helping volunteers communicate with you and with other
volunteers.
Mount Rainier Volunteers https://rainiervolunteersnps.tumblr.com/
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos http://nphusa.blogspot.com/
Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast http://volunteergsccc.blogspot.com/
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Social Media on VolunteerMatch
• Promote your VolunteerMatch opportunities
– Facebook, Twitter, Blast Email Tool
– Add this creates a Wall post, or a shortened link for
twitter
• Direct prospective volunteers to one place
– Syndication Tool (Premium Account tool)

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Syndication Tool
• Promote VolunteerMatch listings on other sites
• Changes to listings update automatically
• Customize the colors/fonts to match your site
• Choose how opportunities are displayed

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Best Practices for Social Media
Do
• Start small – pick one medium and build from there
• Commit to regular updates – you can’t build a community
if you aren’t posting information on a regular basis
• Recruit a team of volunteers to help you
• Promote! – Volunteers can’t follow you if they don’t know
you’re there.
Don’t
• Get overwhelmed. It’s ok to pick the sites that work for you
• Leave up old information – If it doesn’t work or if it’s out of
date, take it down

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Questions?

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Resources
Learning Center
Find upcoming webinar dates, how-to videos and more
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
VolunteerMatch Blog
Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog:
blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/
Related Webinar Topics:
•Best Practices for Recruiting Online
•Playing by the Rules: Creating an Effective Volunteer Handbook
•Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program

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Thanks for attending!
Join us online:
Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch
Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch
For any questions contact:
Jennifer Bennett
@JenBennettCVA
jbennett@volunteermatch.org