How do you lead a successful volunteering project?

1 Define your purpose

Before you start any volunteering project, you need to have a clear idea of why you are doing it, what you want to achieve, and who you are serving. This will help you set realistic and measurable objectives, identify your target audience, and align your activities with your mission and values. You can use tools like SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) or OKR (Objectives and Key Results) to define your purpose and track your progress.

2 Recruit and train your team

You can't do everything by yourself, so you need to recruit and train a team of volunteers who share your vision and passion. Depending on the size and scope of your project, you may need different roles and skills, such as project managers, coordinators, facilitators, fundraisers, marketers, or mentors. You can use platforms like VolunteerMatch, Idealist, or DoSomething to find and connect with potential volunteers, or reach out to your existing network of friends, family, or colleagues. Once you have your team, you need to provide them with clear expectations, guidelines, and feedback, and offer them training and support to help them perform their tasks effectively and safely.

3 Plan your budget and resources

One of the biggest challenges of leading a volunteering project is managing your budget and resources. You need to estimate how much money, time, and materials you will need to run your project, and how you will raise, allocate, and monitor them. You may need to apply for grants, seek donations, or organize fundraising events to cover your costs. You also need to consider how you will secure and distribute your resources, such as venues, equipment, supplies, or transportation. You can use tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or Trello to plan and track your budget and resources.

4 Communicate and collaborate

Communication and collaboration are essential for any volunteering project. You need to communicate effectively with your team, your beneficiaries, your partners, and your donors, and keep them informed, engaged, and motivated throughout your project. You also need to collaborate with other organizations or individuals who can support or complement your project, such as nonprofits, schools, businesses, or media. You can use tools like Slack, Zoom, or Mailchimp to communicate and collaborate with your stakeholders, and create feedback loops to collect and respond to their input and suggestions.

5 Execute and evaluate

The final step of leading a successful volunteering project is to execute and evaluate your project. You need to follow your plan and timeline, and make sure you deliver your activities and outcomes according to your objectives and standards. You also need to evaluate your project's impact and performance, and measure how well you met your goals and satisfied your stakeholders. You can use tools like SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or ImpactMapper to collect and analyze data, and generate reports and stories to showcase your results and learnings.

6 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?