You’re leading a team of volunteers. How can you keep them motivated and engaged?

Every person wants to be of help to another. It's a basic human drive. The problem is how do I so? “ I have so many, many other responsibilities and obligations and priorities and demands…” That's where we come in. At the the Center for Global Initiatives we open source humanitarian intervention, so it's easy to be of help: https://www.centerforglobalinitiatives.org/

Ultimately volunteers are attracted to your vision, but make sure you weave that vision into the volunteer role. Meaning, what role do volunteers in making that vision come to life? Don’t make them adjacent it to it — show how they are at the center of it.

People volunteer so that they can contribute practically to something they believe is important. Communicating vision to volunteers helps them understand that their service is meaningful and how their role contributes to the effectiveness of the organization’s mission. An example of this would be someone who slices bagels at a morning church service. As a leader you have to communicate to them that what they are doing is more than just slicing bagels. It is part of creating a welcoming environment that helps each person who walks through the door know that they are welcomed by God. Their sacrifice in slicing bagels communicates God’s welcome to those who wonder if God cares.

It is so imperative to help the volunteers make the connection to see how the work they're doing directly impacts the overall goal and aligns with their personal motivations.

Clearly articulate the team's purpose and goals, emphasizing the positive impact of their efforts. A shared vision enhances motivation and commitment.

Training and support are critical to a new volunteer. You can use an experienced volunteer to help onboard a new volunteer. Use various learning styles with your training; make it fun and engaging!

Offer training sessions to enhance skills and provide ongoing support. Empowering volunteers with the right tools ensures they feel confident and capable in their roles.

After conducting an onboarding session for our new volunteers, it is equally important to provide ongoing and frequent training throughout their volunteering period. In our organization, we regularly ask our social media volunteers to identify topics that interest them. Once we gather these topics, we plan 2-hour training sessions and reach out to social media experts or other professionals related to the chosen subjects, inviting them to volunteer as guest speakers. This way, the guest speakers can share their expertise with our social media volunteers, providing them with new knowledge. Additionally, this arrangement also offers the guest speakers opportunities to showcase their expertise.

Personalizing the growth mindset in volunteering comes from training and support. Support is to include clear communication from the leadership. Also, the more resources available to volunteers to learn and improve their skills. Informing the volunteers comes from a supportive leadership as well.

In my years working with nonprofits founders, I see many people make this mistake- not ensuring there’s professional development for volunteers. As an organization, it’s always advised to ensure your members of staff are continually being developed professional. If you see volunteers as integral members of your team, working towards a goal you’ve set, you should also provide training and support. To ensure they can be a great support, excellently deliver on tasks they are expected to do, give quality every time, they need continuous training and support.

Encourage team bonding activities, create a collaborative environment, and facilitate open communication. A strong sense of community fosters motivation and engagement among volunteers.

Our bond at Official Humans of Queer transformed into a family through a simple trick – sharing food pictures on our WhatsApp group. Volunteers may not always respond promptly, but whenever I posted a food picture, it sparked interactions. It became my go-to method for daily connection, a subtle reminder that I'm here, open for conversations, and also a gentle nudge about pending tasks. Haha!

One innovative way to keep volunteers engaged is to create a virtual volunteer program. This can include activities such as virtual trainings, webinars, online mentoring sessions, and virtual project assignments that can be completed remotely. Additionally, you can utilize technology to create an interactive community for volunteers, such as a dedicated forum or social media group, where they can connect with one another and share their experiences. This can help to foster a sense of belonging and provide opportunities for volunteers to stay engaged and motivated in their volunteer work.

Show appreciation to your volunteers by including them in activities, as a necessary team member, and in a community of other volunteers through learning, training, and celebrations. - communication is still key: keep reminding them about the ways they're contributing.

Volunteers can be one of the most difficult set of people to manage but one of the ways of mitigating against this is building a sense of community. Everyone wants to be accepted and appreciated and so in addition giving them a sense of ownership, building a sense of community builds social cohesion and makes for a healthy working environment, one they’ll look forward to coming back to.

Sometimes it's easy to keep a volunteer in role for too long especially if they are fabulous at it! The season of their life or their interests change. I think it is important to have check ins with volunteers to see if they are interested in something else or move up the volunteer leadership structure.

Allow volunteers flexibility in their tasks and schedules. Providing diverse opportunities ensures individuals can contribute based on their strengths and interests, maintaining engagement.

Give out recognition awards quarterly or annually to recognize volunteers that have gone the extra mile for their exemplary service. For example, your volunteer recognition awards could be something formal like a trophy or plaque, or you can keep it simple with a special T-shirt, pen, or other customized swag. Then, host an awards ceremony to hand out your prizes. Invite the volunteers’ families to join and prepare a few words to properly recognize each individual that dedicates their time to your nonprofit. Depending on the number of volunteers, you might consider recognizing everyone.

Organizations should provide opportunities to explore various roles, especially when working with youthful and free-spirited volunteers who are open to any challenges. Offering flexibility and diverse opportunities can cultivate loyalty and foster long-lasting engagement. In our organization, we have a dedicated group of social media volunteers responsible for managing our Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Upon completing their initial tasks, we encourage them to explore other roles, such as transitioning from content writers to content planners or from social media admins to video talents. We take great pride in having volunteers who have been part of our social media team for five years!

Volunteers are working for the organization because they see value in it. Allowing them the freedom to commit their time while maintain their personal life needs. It is also important to give them choices in the ways they serve.

Volunteer Appreciation is often a neglected part of the overall nonprofit operational cycle. Further, if volunteers are shown appreciation, it's usually in April during Volunteer Appreciation Month. Given that volunteers typically come from a wide range of groups (corporate, faith based, parent groups, etc.) It's important to ask the right questions to ensure your appreciation process, timeline and activities are inclusive: ? What is the best way to show appreciation to our volunteers? ? How do we establish a culture of gratitude across the organization? ? How can we involve our corporate and community partners in volunteer recognition? ? How often should we recognize our volunteers? ? Who will lead our volunteer recognition efforts?

Expressing appreciation to our volunteers is crucial as they contribute significantly to our organization. However, at times, saying thank you may not feel sufficient. In our organization, to genuinely convey our gratitude, we organize lunch and sharing sessions for our volunteers. Additionally, we provide them with year-end gift such as merchandise (t-shirt, cute stickers, tumbler, tote bag, etc) and e-certificate.

Regularly express gratitude for their efforts. Acknowledging and appreciating volunteers reinforces their importance, fostering a positive and motivated team.

You are prepared for their arrival. There is nothing worse than having volunteers waste their valuable time. Lead by example. Yes, that means getting working along side your volunteers. Be personable and have fun building relationships with volunteers.

At my organization, one of our guiding principles is that our volunteers aren't helping our organization, they are our organization. It's a powerful mindset!

Keep you volunteers motivated by showing them how their contributions make an impact. Don’t just tell them; show them! Volunteering can be really hard work. Don’t take advantage of your volunteers’ kindness. Appreciate them and publicly recognize them for their efforts.

Be prepared for them. Know in advance what you need their assistance with, take the time when they arrive to explain the task, show them the items they might need or the process that should be used, and have a space for them to complete any tasks.

Aside from all other ways advanced in this discourse, assigning ownership and accountability to volunteers is an important way to keep them motivated and engaged. Other ways are listening to their thoughts and make them feel important. Honouring victories and accomplishments. Creating the opportunity for people to grow and acquire new skills. Being transparent in discussing needs and effects and finally Acknowledging contributions in public either by way of a token gift or awards.

In leading volunteers, I focus on personal appreciation, autonomy, and growth opportunities. I personally thank each volunteer, recognizing their unique contributions especially when given a public platform to do so. This not only boosts morale but also fosters a sense of belonging. By giving volunteers autonomy, they use their creativity and skills, leading to fulfilling experiences and innovative solutions. Additionally, I offer training and leadership opportunities, catering to those eager to develop their skills. This approach not only enhances their experience but also contributes significantly to our collective success.

Consider regular feedback mechanisms, addressing concerns promptly. Also, promote a sense of ownership and autonomy within the team to enhance motivation and engagement.