How To Organize Volunteer Efforts

According to a study released by Curtin University, people are continuing to volunteer, but they’re volunteering less often and for shorter periods of time. What does this mean for nonprofits? Organizing your volunteer efforts is essential in helping you maximize your impact.

African American man standing with his arms crossed in a white tshirt that says volunteer across the chest in black.

Delegating Volunteer Work

Why do people stick around with an organization? There are two main reasons: they relate to the cause and they feel like their efforts are truly helping to make a difference. Your volunteers don’t feel like they’re making a difference while they’re standing around waiting to be assigned a task. There’s no sense in feeling bad about giving volunteers a lot of responsibility, that’s exactly what they’re there for.

 

Volunteer Member Management Software

How do you know who to delegate which task to? Does it matter? Yes! You want your volunteers to fulfill their sense of purpose while also feeling comfortable in what is being asked of them. It takes a few extra steps, but you should take the time to ask your volunteers why they’ve chosen your organization. Do they want to help people? Do they prefer to be behind the scenes? Do they have a passion for social media? If you can place your volunteers in tasks that will be on-going they’re more likely to return rather than requesting that they do something new every time they arrive. It’s handy to invest in a member management software that will allow you to track your volunteers’ contact information as well as jot down notes about their interests.

 

Avoid Micromanaging 

Treat your volunteers as if they’re both passionate and intelligent people. When you delegate, provide them with a list of tasks and expectations that has a direct contact number for any unexpected roadblocks. Once you’ve provided those tools it’s time to step away and allow them to volunteer! There are systems to help you track their deliverables to ensure you’re maximizing efficiency without checking in with them every hour. Micromanaging doesn’t help them volunteer, it takes away from the time they have and makes them less likely to return.

Volunteer Task Tracking

Clockify is a great free tool for tracking volunteer hours and short descriptions of their accomplishments. A second software that assists nonprofits in tracking their volunteers’ efficiency is Key Software Systems LLC. Their courier delivery management system saves on fuel costs by scheduling optimal delivery routes and tracking drive performance. If you have a group of volunteers that need to visit local businesses to provide flyers for upcoming events, discuss donations, or pick up lunch for the event set up team then you need this software. Volunteer managers have the ability to confirm tasks were completed while volunteers have the ability to make their routes the most efficient.

 

Organize Volunteer Efforts

Proficiency is key when it comes to running a successful nonprofit. You want to maximize your ability to support your community, and that means a little planning needs to come into play. Keep records of your volunteers so you can assign them to positions that will entice them to return week after week. Treat your volunteers with respect while maximizing their time with task tracking tools. What other things are you doing to make sure you’re giving your volunteers a reason to lend a helping hand time after time?