3 Things: Volunteers

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Volunteers are an important part of every campaign or organization. Whether it is knocking doors or stuffing envelopes they do things that would often not get done otherwise, and they’re often the best evidence and spokespeople for a campaign that is resonating.

While much thought is usually put into ‘whose door we are knocking’ or the message of a fundraising ask, there is often too little thinking about how to best manage volunteers and make their time at an organization a positive experience.

1) Don’t ask volunteers to do things they are not qualified or able to do.

Volunteers have joined a cause or campaign because they want to be helpful. This can make it tempting to give an eager volunteer a task such as art design or helping with message, especially if the volunteer is persistent in his or her offer.

This might seem obvious, be we’ve seen it happen so often we feel it bears mentioning here. While handing off a task to an eager volunteer who’s interested in learning how to do it may seem like a cost effective alternative to paying for expertise, stay clear of giving volunteers tasks they are not qualified to do. This can lead to a strained relationship between staff and volunteers, a less than stellar end product, and a volunteer with hurt feelings.

2) Amplify, don’t duplicate: plug in volunteers to do things that staff don’t have the capacity or wherewithal to complete.

Over the years we have seen organizations and campaigns where the field director is knocking doors or the fundraiser is stuffing envelops to get a mailing out the door. It’s a great idea for staff to stay close to the day-to-day tasks required to keep things moving, and there’s no better leadership than by example.

However, if staff is consistently doing the work that requires people power but not full-time expertise, then it might be a sign you’re not putting your volunteer capacity to efficient work for you. (It might also be a sign you’ve not got the right volunteer cultivation and management systems in place.)

3) Don’t take your volunteers for granted.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that volunteers are-well, just that, volunteers. Many of these people have jobs, families, and packed schedules. Let your volunteers know what an important part of the operation they are. Take the time to explain a little more about the organization, even if it isn’t directly relevant to the task they are helping with, and always explain why what you’re asking them to do matters. Volunteering at an organization should be mutually positive experience. If volunteers feel appreciated and have learned something, they will come back.