How do you create a volunteer program that appeals to millennials?

Whether its marketing, mission/vision statements etc. use plain language. Far too often people pull out their ‘word of the day’ calendar or thesaurus and use words that many are not familiar with. Also ensuring that you are approaching who your target audience is versus a general call to action can support engagement. By identifying your target audience, this will assist with them being interested in what your efforts offer and what their ‘return on investment’ is from a moral and satisfaction perspective. Showcase their efforts on your social media, webpages etc. so that they can share these through various channels to showcase their efforts while also assisting with marketing your organization to similar minded individuals.

I think it has to go deeper than just having a clear vision—millennial volunteers need to feel like their work is actually creating impact. While a strong mission can certainly attract millennials, the only way you can retain them is by showing them their contribution is actually helping the cause they care about. Most volunteers will know when they’re just window dressing, and they’ll churn quickly if they’re not useful.

Imagine a nonprofit with a powerful mission striving to make a tangible impact in the world. This organization doesn't just relay its mission through facts and figures but weaves compelling narratives that showcase the real-life stories of individuals whose lives have been transformed. For millennials, storytelling is a powerful tool that captures attention and evokes emotion. An effective volunteer program integrates storytelling into its recruitment efforts, emphasizing not just what volunteers will do but why it matters. Highlighting the organization's mission, the impact it creates, and how volunteers can be catalysts for change fosters a sense of purpose and connection.

In my experience if you can tie your work, even the most mundane, back to a “why” that relates to your mission, values, and vision, your team will feel empowered by their tasks.

Flexibility is a key aspect that appeals to millennials. Recognizing their varied schedules and commitments, a volunteer program should offer diverse opportunities that accommodate different timeframes and skill sets. Whether it's short-term, project-based tasks or longer-term commitments, providing flexible options allows millennials to engage according to their availability and interests. Diversity in volunteer experiences is equally important. Millennials value experiences that cater to their diverse interests, skills, and backgrounds. Offering a range of volunteer roles, from hands-on fieldwork to virtual opportunities, enables individuals to find roles that resonate with their strengths and passions.

Re-think how your volunteer opportunities are structured. If you have a rigid structure and are inflexible to how your volunteers want to be involved and what they want to get out of volunteer roles you are missing out on the talent of many volunteers. It is likely another organization will let volunteers be involved how and when they want so your potential volunteers will find meaningful volunteer roles elsewhere.

Training is a pivotal aspect of volunteer engagement. To appeal to millennials, training should be flexible, relatable, and relevant. Utilizing modern methods such as online modules, interactive workshops, and peer-to-peer learning, the training should provide valuable insights into the organization's mission, equip volunteers with the necessary skills, and connect them with mentors or resources.

Maintaining the interest and enthusiasm of millennials while they volunteer is crucial, especially considering short attention spans and more distractions. It helps if volunteers see the impact of what they're doing. For example, in a program where volunteers taught spoken English online to girls from rural Rajasthan, their close interaction allowed them to see the changes firsthand. We designed the program to encourage a close interaction between volunteers and the girls and it made the impact more visible and personal for everyone. This also forged a relationship of trust where girls could share their joys, fears, career aspirations and obstacles they face in the family and community with volunteers.

Getting them to write about what they went through in the form of a story narrative (mandatory) and getting the same published to give them some tangible item to leave behind and to take away with them.

Having been on half a dozen boards over the last 12 years, I have seen first hand how organizations burn through volunteers with unclear expectations. Most prospective volunteers have a very good idea of what they can (or cannot) offer. For some it’s fundraising, for others it’s time & labor, and for others yet it could be expertise. Nonprofits will have much better luck attracting and retaining millennials when the scope of their role is clearly defined. And, organizations shouldn’t shy away from turning down volunteers who don’t meet their needs. While it might feel counterintuitive to say no to an eager volunteer, it’s better for both parties to come back when the fit makes more sense!

Creating a volunteer program that appeals to millennials combines traditional and modern components. Impact: Create projects with clear outcomes that show the impact of service. Flexibility: Offer a variety of projects allowing multiple ways to engage. Long-term, short-term, virtual, evening, weekend, and working in several roles allows people to connect with you. Communication: Use multiple platforms to stay connected with your audience using multiple channels - email, text, in-person, video, and social media Feedback: Allow for two-way dialogue with your audience allowing them to review your projects, offer suggestions, and contribute to changes. Networking: Provide opportunities for your audience to meet others and socialize.

There's a common myth that "you can't fire a volunteer." In other words, if a person is generous enough to give their time and talent to your organization at no cost, you can't ask them to not return or you can't ask them to no longer be a volunteer with your organization. It would be great if all volunteers were enthusiastic and collaborative, but the truth is some volunteers can come with the wrong attitude or with the wrong motivation and this can be a potentially damaging or toxic relationship to introduce into your organization's workflows. If a person is not a good fit for your organization, have a respectful but honest conversation with them about whether continuing to volunteer with your organization is what's best for both of you.

A best practice to appeal to multiple segments is offering a variety of projects formats for engagement. However, this may not be feasible for every organization based on your particular needs...so you should first create a short list of priorities to attach your volunteers to. Afterwards, meet with a few people, including people from those segments (i.e. millienials, teens, older adults, etc.) to brainstorm different formats to accomplish your goals. You may discover some projects can be accomplished remotely using an inexpensive app, through project sprints, or may be optimal for intergenerational teams. Whatever the case may be, having different ways for your audience to connect is always a plus for increasing their involvement.