Volunteering is a rewarding way to give back to your community, learn new skills, and make a difference. But how can you make sure that your volunteers have a positive experience that motivates them to come back again? Here are some tips to create a volunteer program that fosters retention and engagement.
Before you recruit or train any volunteers, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how volunteers can help you. What are the specific tasks, roles, and responsibilities that volunteers will perform? What are the expected outcomes and impacts of their work? How will you measure and communicate their progress and success? Having a well-defined and realistic goal will help you attract, align, and appreciate your volunteers.
If I volunteer, commands and lack of respect hinders us all quickly. Dishonesty and politics kill many good works that would bless others. Not long ago, one told a lie on another to get them removed, and they succeeded. :-( That should not be happening! So, most of us refuse to volunteer at a place where people are trashed for stupid thinking and actions.
Not all volunteers are the same. They have different motivations, preferences, skills, and availability. To create a volunteer experience that meets their needs and expectations, you need to understand who they are and what they want. You can do this by conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups, or by creating personas or profiles of your ideal volunteers. This will help you tailor your recruitment, orientation, training, and communication strategies to your volunteers.
Volunteers need to feel valued, supported, and respected. They need to have access to the resources, tools, and information they need to do their work effectively and safely. They also need to receive regular and constructive feedback on their performance, achievements, and challenges. You can provide support and feedback by assigning a staff member or a peer mentor to each volunteer, by creating a volunteer handbook or manual, by holding check-in meetings or calls, and by recognizing and celebrating their contributions.
Volunteers are more likely to return if they feel connected and engaged with your organization, your cause, and your beneficiaries. They also want to have fun and socialize with other volunteers and staff. You can build relationships and community by creating opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and networking among your volunteers and staff, by organizing social events or activities, by sharing stories and testimonials, and by inviting feedback and suggestions.
Volunteers have busy lives and competing priorities. They may not be able to commit to a fixed schedule or a long-term project. They may also want to explore different aspects of your work or learn new skills. You can offer flexibility and variety by allowing volunteers to choose their own hours, locations, or tasks, by creating short-term or one-off opportunities, by offering different levels or types of involvement, and by providing training or development opportunities.
Volunteers want to know that their work matters and that they are making a difference. They also want to feel appreciated and acknowledged for their efforts and time. You can show gratitude and impact by thanking your volunteers personally and publicly, by sending cards, certificates, or tokens of appreciation, by sharing stories, data, or reports on the outcomes and impacts of their work, and by asking them to share their own experiences and feedback.
Resumindo as dicas para reter melhor os talentos de voluntariado: 1- Aten??o plena para as possibilidades dentro do seu voluntariado. 2 - Lembre-se de alinhar o seu voluntariado ao seu propósito de vida, ou tente pelo menos encontrar o seu propósito no contexto do voluntariado. 3 - Seja feliz e se divirta saindo da sua zona de conforto e tentando algo diferente! 4- Cuide para que os colaboradores estejam eles mesmos aproveitando os quatro tópicos acima!