How can you turn volunteers into passionate advocates for your cause?

1 Know your volunteers

The first step to turn volunteers into advocates is to know who they are, why they joined, and what they want to get out of their experience. You can use surveys, interviews, or feedback forms to collect this information and create volunteer profiles. This will help you tailor your communication, training, and recognition to suit their needs, preferences, and motivations. It will also help you identify their strengths, interests, and potential leadership roles.

2 Inspire your volunteers

The second step to turn volunteers into advocates is to inspire them with your vision, mission, and values. You can use stories, testimonials, or case studies to show them the impact of your work and how it aligns with their own passions and beliefs. You can also invite them to share their own stories and reasons for joining your cause and how it has changed their lives. This will help you create a sense of belonging, purpose, and identity among your volunteers and foster a culture of solidarity and empowerment.

3 Train your volunteers

The third step to turn volunteers into advocates is to train them with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to be effective and confident in their roles. You can use workshops, webinars, or online courses to teach them how to communicate your message, how to engage with different audiences, how to use social media, or how to organize events. You can also provide them with resources, materials, and guidelines to support their learning and action. This will help you enhance their competence, performance, and satisfaction and prepare them for more challenging and rewarding tasks.

4 Engage your volunteers

The fourth step to turn volunteers into advocates is to engage them with regular and meaningful opportunities to contribute, connect, and grow. You can use newsletters, emails, or phone calls to update them on your progress, challenges, and opportunities and invite them to share their feedback, ideas, and questions. You can also use social media, forums, or chats to create a space for them to interact with each other, share their stories, and celebrate their achievements. This will help you maintain their interest, enthusiasm, and loyalty and create a sense of community and camaraderie.

5 Recognize your volunteers

The fifth step to turn volunteers into advocates is to recognize them for their efforts, achievements, and impact. You can use certificates, badges, or awards to acknowledge their skills, hours, or milestones and show them how they have made a difference. You can also use thank-you notes, shout-outs, or testimonials to express your gratitude, appreciation, and respect and highlight their contributions. This will help you boost their morale, motivation, and self-esteem and encourage them to continue and increase their involvement.

6 Challenge your volunteers

The sixth step to turn volunteers into advocates is to challenge them with new and exciting goals, roles, and responsibilities. You can use surveys, interviews, or feedback forms to assess their readiness, willingness, and availability to take on more leadership, advocacy, or mobilization tasks. You can also use workshops, webinars, or online courses to equip them with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to succeed in these tasks. This will help you unleash their potential, creativity, and influence and inspire them to take your cause to the next level.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?