How do you keep volunteers informed?

1 Choose the right channels

Depending on the size, scope, and nature of your volunteer program, you may need to use different channels to communicate with your volunteers. Some common options are email, phone, text, social media, newsletters, blogs, websites, and apps. The key is to choose the channels that are most convenient, accessible, and relevant for your volunteers. You can also ask them for their preferences and feedback on how they like to receive information. Remember to use consistent and clear branding, tone, and style across all your channels.

2 Plan your content

Once you have chosen your channels, it's time to plan your content. What kind of updates do you want to provide your volunteers? How often do you want to communicate with them? What are the goals and outcomes of your communication? You could inform them about your organization's mission, vision, values, and impact, as well as stories and testimonials from beneficiaries, staff, and other volunteers. You can also recognize and appreciate volunteer achievements and contributions, provide opportunities for training and development, invite them to events, meetings, and social activities, or request support, feedback, or referrals. Make sure your content is relevant and engaging - use a mix of formats such as text, images, videos, podcasts or infographics. Additionally, avoid jargon or technical terms - use simple and positive language. Finally, include calls to action and questions to encourage interaction and participation.

3 Segment your audience

When managing volunteers, it's important to recognize that they may have different roles, interests, skills, availability, and expectations. To ensure that your communication is tailored to each volunteer, you should segment your audience. For instance, you can group volunteers by location and send them information that is specific to their area; by role and provide them with materials relevant to their tasks; or by level and give them information suitable for their stage. Segmenting your audience will enable you to deliver more personalized and targeted communication that meets the needs and preferences of your volunteers.

4 Monitor and evaluate

Finally, you need to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your communication with volunteers. To do this, track and analyze the data and metrics of your channels, such as open rates, click-through rates, likes, comments, shares, and downloads. Additionally, you can conduct surveys, interviews, focus groups, or feedback sessions with your volunteers to get their opinions and suggestions on your communication. Test different formats, frequencies, styles, and messages to see what works best for your audience. Then use the feedback and data to adjust and optimize your communication strategy and tactics. Remember that keeping volunteers informed is not a one-time or one-way process; it requires ongoing planning, execution, evaluation, and improvement. By following these tips, you can create a communication plan that informs, engages, and motivates your volunteers.

5 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?