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10 Things to Know about Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

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By Kibrett Facey, Marketing Associate at Mobilize

Organizations of all shapes and sizes rely on volunteers to turn their missions into concrete action. No matter what your organization's volunteers and supporters do to further your mission, you have to provide them with solid management strategies and the right tools. But most importantly, you have to recruit them!

For mission-based organizations that are new to volunteer management or working with volunteers, figuring out where and how to start can be overwhelming. 

At Mobilize, we've hosted more than 8.5 million volunteer actions by over 3 million supporters for organizations of all sizes, and  we want to share a few tips and tricks we've learned along the way.

1. Create volunteer recruitment guidelines. 

To build a recruitment strategy, it is important to understand your organization’s needs and how you will maintain your efforts. Here are some questions to consider: 

  • What will our first volunteers do, and what skills are we looking for? 

  • How many volunteers do we need right now? 

  • Who will handle volunteer recruitment? 

2. Determine how you will recruit your volunteers. 

Think about the specific tactics you'll use to reach and engage potential supporters. These are the most common channels organizations use to recruit new volunteers:

  • Volunteer recruitment platforms that allow you to post new opportunities

  • Word-of-mouth from staff members, board members, and current volunteers

  • Digital marketing, including mass appeals and more targeted campaigns through social media or email

  • In-person outreach at community events or at spots where your target supporters might be, like college campuses

  • Print marketing, like postings on community bulletin boards or in your monthly newsletters

Many organizations combine multiple tactics in order to reach new volunteers. 

3. Refine your strategy.

As new volunteers begin to trickle in and support your mission, be sure to check in on your current efforts. Review your strategy and ask yourself:

  • How effective was our strategy?

  • Did we meet our recruitment goals?

  • How long did it take to recruit our volunteers?

  • What were our most effective outreach tactics?

  • How many supporters did we turn away because we couldn't currently use their help or because they didn't fit our job description?

  • Are there other areas of our work that need volunteer support?

Reviewing your strategy's performance during and after each new recruitment push is critical if you want to strengthen your effort. Using dedicated volunteer management software will help you do this with ease by providing you with data to analyze. 

4. Offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities.

As your organization and base of volunteers grows, offer a range of ways to get involved. Dedicated supporters will appreciate more options, and offering more types of opportunities will help ensure potential volunteers find a role that suits their skills, abilities, and interests. Event support, virtual opportunities, phone banking, and more can give everyone an opportunity to support your mission.

5. Target specific groups.

Get specific! Targeting groups of your supporters for specific volunteer opportunities can help boost the effectiveness of your recruitment strategies overall. Think about different segments of your base, and what types of opportunities and messages will be most engaging for them. This strategy will help you boost engagement, especially if you have a specific goal in mind like converting volunteers into donors.

6. Tap into existing networks.

For many volunteer opportunities, casting a wider net is the one of the best ways to increase your support. Volunteer recruitment platforms like Mobilize allow you to post new opportunities, tap into existing networks of supporters, and offer a streamlined sign-up process all at once. Our growing network of over 3 million users is home to many individuals seeking out their next cause to support. Reaching those new supporters and retaining their support over time can be game-changing for your organization.

7. Create “job descriptions” for opportunities.

Describe each volunteer opportunity and your mission in detail. It is also important to outline any specific skills and time commitments needed. This description will be useful whenever you're promoting your opportunities, and it gives potential volunteers a clear picture of the role. This information will help them determine whether or not they fit the role. It will also result in more sign-ups from qualified volunteers and less time needed from your team to sort through registrants and match them with appropriate roles.‍

8. Optimize your social media strategies.

Social media is an incredible tool for reaching new audiences and engaging supporters. Create concrete social media strategies to maximize the effectiveness of your organization’s reach on these platforms. Share exciting, engaging content and encourage volunteers to post about their own experiences, too. Peer-to-peer recruiting is a great way to increase sign-ups and boost visibility for your cause. In fact, 14% of all RSVPs on our own platform come from automated bring-a-friend prompts! Use volunteer management software that empowers supporters to easily post about their next opportunity and share custom sign-up links with their friends and family.

9. Offer unique perks and opportunities. 

An extra incentive might be the perfect push that encourages a potential supporter to sign up to volunteer for your events, campaigns, and other opportunities. Perks such as free merchandise and discounted memberships can be effective, but don’t forget to  think of additional exclusive experiences you might offer. Training opportunities and volunteer-only virtual events like roundtable discussions or town halls with your organization's leadership are popular examples of opportunities that your supporters can benefit from. 

10. Put your volunteer recruitment strategy into action with the right tools! 

‍Volunteer recruitment platforms and management software are essential for organizations that want to get serious about taking a strategic approach and continually improving their strategies over time. Today we are seeing organizations of all sizes rely on online recruitment and virtual engagement more than ever. 

The Mobilize platform is the leading choice for mission-based organizations, including nonprofits, political campaigns and committees, labor unions, and advocacy organizations. Organizations using Mobilize have doubled their signup rates for volunteer opportunities and increased event attendance from online signups by 30% or more. Saving your team's time, reaching wider audiences, and empowering more supporters to take action for your cause translates into significant growth for your organization.

Get started with a free Mobilize starter account or a demo from our team to see our platform in action! And to keep things going with your volunteer recruitment and retention research, check out these additional resources: