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The title of the article: Types of Volunteer Software and Tools Nonprofits Need

3 Types of Volunteer Software and Tools Nonprofits Need

September 30, 2024/in Nonprofit Tools, Volunteers /by Jessica King

Approximately one-third of the nonprofit workforce is volunteers, and these supporters keep your nonprofit running by completing program-related tasks, assisting with fundraisers, spreading awareness, and generally lending their time and energy to support your organization. However, managing a team that can come and go randomly is a challenge, and to compensate, many nonprofits turn to volunteer software solutions.

Nonprofits can benefit from several types of volunteer software. In this guide, we’ll explore three kinds of nonprofit software focused on volunteers and how your organization can make the most of each platform. Specifically, we’ll cover:

Volunteer Software FAQ
Volunteer Management Software
Volunteer Grant Database
Peer-to-Peer Software
Volunteer Software Tips

First, let’s address the fundamentals of volunteer software. If this is your first time investing in this type of solution, you’ll have a baseline of what to prioritize.

Volunteer Software FAQ

What is volunteer software?

Volunteer software includes technology platforms designed for nonprofits to manage, engage, and interact with their volunteers. This includes tools that allow nonprofits to message volunteers, create shift schedules, and post volunteer opportunities. It also includes platforms that allow volunteers to complete specific tasks, such as fundraising on a nonprofit’s behalf.

Be aware that various volunteer software solutions include different features. For example, even if two vendors both offer volunteer management software, one might have features for recruitment and training, whereas another focuses specifically on communication and organization.

Why do nonprofits need volunteer software?

Small nonprofits can run volunteer programs without software supporting their efforts. However, as your volunteer program grows, so will its level of complexity. With more volunteers, programs, and tasks, nonprofits can benefit greatly from using a centralized system to stay organized.

With the help of volunteer software, nonprofits can:

Better manage resources. Volunteer software collects and monitors data related to your volunteer program. This allows you to understand what resources you have at your disposal, how they are being used, and if they could be better allocated. For example, you might notice certain programs are at capacity for volunteers while others need more support. In this case, you can edit your schedule to fix this discrepancy.
Improve volunteer retention. By running an organized volunteer program where supporters receive prompt communication and clear direction, you’re more likely to have returning volunteers.
Launch specialized programs. Certain types of volunteer initiatives require software to function. For example, if you plan to offer virtual volunteering opportunities, you’ll likely need software to connect with these supporters and assign tasks.

Volunteer software platforms vary in scale, and different nonprofits will need different levels of support. While a smaller nonprofit might be content using its CRM’s volunteer engagement features, a larger organization may prefer a highly customizable volunteer-specific management platform.

Is volunteer software free?

Volunteer software is available at a variety of price points. Some solutions may offer free packages with limited features, but most platforms operate on a monthly or annual subscription system.

For example, volunteer software vendor POINT has three price points, including a free option that provides core management features, such as time tracking and calendar management.

However, other desirable features, like background checks and waivers, require upgrading to a paid plan. Additionally, POINT, like many other volunteer software providers, offers custom pricing solutions for enterprise-sized nonprofits.

Volunteer Management Software

Volunteer management software is the most common type of volunteer software. These platforms help nonprofits organize and run nearly every part of their volunteer program, making them essential for any growing nonprofit.

Various volunteer management software platforms specialize in different aspects of volunteer management. However, every platform should offer these core features:

Database. Many nonprofits use CRMs, which house donor data, such as their engagement history, contact details, and payment information. Some CRMs also provide profile management features for non-donors, such as volunteers, but dedicated volunteer management platforms are likely to provide more robust offerings. Look for platforms that allow you to easily build volunteer profiles, search your database for specific individuals, and store your supporters’ information securely.
Scheduling. Planning and managing volunteer shifts is essential for maintaining a functional volunteer program. Assess management platforms based on their scheduling-related features, such as calendar creation, shift assigning and claiming processes, and bulk scheduling.
Communication. To keep your volunteer program running smoothly, volunteer managers will need to coordinate with numerous supporters to provide direction, ensure shifts are filled, and answer questions. Your volunteer software should aid this process with communication tools, such as the ability to contact volunteers via multiple channels (like email, text messaging, and volunteer app notifications) and automatic messaging (like upcoming shift reminders).
Reporting. Reporting tools help you make sense of your data to determine where your volunteer program is succeeding and what could be improved. For instance, all volunteer management software should have basic hours tracking tools. You might use this information to determine which times of year your nonprofit has the highest volunteer capacity.

When assessing volunteer management software, consider your nonprofit’s needs. Some organizations might be looking for an out-of-the-box solution with an app volunteers can engage with, whereas others might want a customizable platform and sophisticated reporting features. Every vendor has its own specialties and strengths, so take note of what features they highlight and ask questions during demos and sales pitches about specific use cases.

Bonus: What are corporate volunteer management solutions?

While for-profit businesses don’t have volunteers, some corporations do have software with volunteer management features. Specifically, businesses with corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs often use software to manage these initiatives.

CSR programs include grantmaking, sponsorships, in-kind donations, and employee volunteer initiatives. Some examples of corporate volunteer programs are:

Volunteer grants
Volunteer time off (VTO)
Team volunteer days
Mentorships
Internships

To encourage employee volunteering and track volunteer initiatives’ results, businesses use CSR software. These tools allow employees to report their volunteer hours, submit volunteer grant applications, and request VTO. With some platforms, employees can search for volunteer opportunities.

Some CSR vendors provide users with a database of reputable nonprofits. These platforms then allow users to search for relevant volunteer openings or even let leadership highlight and promote specific volunteer opportunities to employees. Explore top CSR vendors to see if it’s possible to submit your nonprofit for consideration to get featured in these databases.

Volunteer Grant Database

While volunteer management software allows your volunteer program to function, tools like volunteer grant databases enable nonprofits to earn additional value from their programs.

A volunteer grant database provides nonprofits and volunteers with information about corporate giving and CSR programs related to volunteering. These databases allow volunteers to search for their employers and discover the following details:

Their program eligibility. If an employer offers volunteer grants or VTO, a volunteer grant database will provide relevant information about the program. This includes which employees are eligible. For instance, a company might provide volunteer grants to all employees, but only full-time staff are eligible for VTO.
Program requirements. Every company has its own volunteer grant requirements, making it challenging for nonprofits to provide guidance to volunteers. A volunteer grant database can help supporters find relevant information, such as how many hours they need to volunteer, what types of nonprofits are eligible, and when they need to submit their volunteer grant application.
Next steps. Discovering if a supporter is eligible for a volunteer grant or VTO is great. But what do they do next? Look for a volunteer grant database that provides links to relevant forms and pages supporters can follow to take the next steps to apply immediately after confirming their eligibility.

Volunteer grants and VTO earn your nonprofit additional revenue and additional volunteers. Many eligible supporters are unaware these initiatives exist, let alone if they qualify. By bringing them to your supporters’ attention, your volunteer program will become even more valuable.

Bonus: Our recommended volunteer grant database provider!

Currently, the top volunteer grant database on the market is Double the Donation Volunteering. Double the Donation originally specialized in matching gift software, but the volunteer functionality expands its offerings to provide users with information on overlooked volunteer grants and VTO opportunities.

A few of Double the Donation’s top features include:

Comprehensive database. Double the Donation’s matching gift database covers 99.68% of all match-eligible donors. This same comprehensiveness applies to the volunteer arm of the database, meaning all of your eligible supporters should be able to find their employers’ information easily.
User-friendly search process. 360MatchPro’s search tool is easy to embed on any page of your website, including your volunteer registration form. Use it to capture your volunteers’ employer data so you can streamline the search process and identify if they qualify for volunteer grants or VTO.
Extensive integrations. Chances are that you will use your volunteer grant database alongside your volunteer management software. 360MatchPro has over 100 integrations with various CRMs, volunteer management platforms, and donation tools, meaning chances are you’ll be able to add it to your current tech stack with ease.

Get started with Double the Donation Volunteering by scheduling a demo to discuss its potential benefits for your nonprofit.

Gain more volunteers and have more time to train and retain them by leveraging VTO. Discover how you can take advantage of VTO in Double the Donation’s complete guide.

Peer-to-Peer Software

Peer-to-peer campaigns are a unique type of volunteer initiative. While volunteers often help with various fundraisers, in a peer-to-peer campaign, volunteers essentially run their own fundraising campaigns on your behalf.

As a unique type of program, peer-to-peer campaigns require specialized software. A few specific features include:

Campaign page creation. Peer-to-peer campaigns succeed because volunteers are able to create unique donation pages that share their personal stories. This allows their friends and family to give in support of their loved one rather than a nonprofit they might be unfamiliar with. Choose a peer-to-peer solution that lets your volunteers add their own photos, share their stories, and even upload videos.
Social sharing options. Most modern peer-to-peer campaigns operate online and make heavy use of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Your volunteers should be able to easily share their campaign pages and updates on social media to promote their fundraiser to friends, family, and followers.
Data and analytics. Like any volunteer program, it’s useful to have a bird’s eye view of your volunteers’ activities. Use your platform’s data and analytics tools to track how each volunteer’s campaign is performing so you can step in to lend a hand, provide encouragement, or offer congratulations.

Peer-to-peer campaigns straddle the lines between being fundraisers and volunteer initiatives. As such, you’ll likely find software guides and campaign tips categorized under both volunteer and fundraising management.

Regardless, look for software that enables volunteers to share their unique message and fundraise on your behalf with confidence.

Bonus: Peer-to-peer volunteer management tips!

Peer-to-peer volunteers operate fairly independently by managing their own outreach after getting their campaign pages live. However, that doesn’t mean your volunteers should totally handle it alone. Improve your peer-to-peer campaigns by:

Providing branded assets. While you should encourage peer-to-peer volunteers to design their own campaign pages and outreach content, doing so without guidance can lead to a hodgepodge of messages that don’t represent your brand well. Instead, share your nonprofit’s style guide with them, as well as a library of branded images and assets they can use, such as your logo and professionally taken photos of your programs.
Using gamification tools. Engage your volunteers by turning fundraising into a game. Some peer-to-peer platforms have gamification tools that do things like award volunteers badges and points for hitting milestones, such as raising a certain amount. Some even feature leaderboards, letting your volunteers engage in friendly competition with one another.
Checking in routinely. Make sure your volunteers know they’re not fundraising alone. Have your volunteer supervisor check in with them regularly to answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and provide encouragement. This will not only improve volunteers’ campaigns but also ensure volunteers feel supported by your nonprofit.

Like with any volunteer initiative, you should also thank your volunteers for their hard work. Many nonprofits end their peer-to-peer campaigns with an event as a final opportunity to fundraise and celebrate volunteers. Consider handing out awards to top-performing volunteers or thanking your peer-to-peer fundraisers as a whole in speeches throughout your event.

Volunteer Software Tips

After researching various types of volunteer software and vendors, you’ve hopefully found a platform you think is right for your nonprofit. However, the success of your volunteer software solution depends on how you use it.

To ensure your software powers your volunteer program successfully, be sure to consider:

Implementation timeline. If you’re investing in a highly customizable volunteer platform or changing volunteer software, you’ll likely have a considerable implementation timeline. Make plans to migrate data, work with technology consultants, and train your staff to use your new platform.
Onboarding. All volunteers should attend an onboarding session before working with your nonprofit. In this meeting, go over how to perform volunteer tasks, who volunteers should go to with questions, and what expectations for working with your nonprofit are. Additionally, if volunteers will use any software, give them a tutorial on how to operate it.
Integrations. Choose a volunteer platform that integrates with the rest of your technology stack. Software like 360MatchPro that has many integrations will let data flow seamlessly from platform to platform. This means you can access data on your volunteers with ease and without worrying about data getting siloed into one system.

Request demos for your top volunteer software candidates. During these sessions, ask questions not just about the software but about how the vendor will support you. Look for vendors who provide fast technical support, training, and extensive resource libraries.

More Volunteer Resources

Volunteer software can elevate your nonprofit’s operations by streamlining volunteer recruitment, management, and revenue generation. Explore the variety of volunteer platforms available to find solutions that fit your nonprofit’s need.

For more volunteering and software resources, check out these guides:

Nonprofit Advertising: The Essential Guide (With Examples!) Volunteers can be key members of your advertising team. Explore key tips to improve your marketing campaigns that you can share with volunteers.
13 Must-Have Technology Grants for Nonprofits This Year. Looking for help funding your technology? Check out these top grants for nonprofits.
Volunteer Appreciation: The Ultimate Guide +20 Ideas. Appreciating your volunteers is the easiest way to increase retention. Discover creative ways to show your thanks.

Learn what volunteer grants are, how your nonprofit can benefit, and how to secure them in this guide.

Corporate Volunteer Grants: The Basics & How to Secure Them

June 27, 2024/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising, Volunteers /by Jessica King

As a nonprofit professional, you know that every dollar gets you closer to achieving your goals. You can boost funding and attract more volunteers for your nonprofit with a dedicated volunteer grant strategy.

We’ve put together this guide to walk through everything you need to know about volunteer grants. We’ll cover the following:

Volunteer Grant FAQs
How to Get Volunteer Grants for Your Nonprofit
Best Practices for Securing Volunteer Grants
Examples of Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs

If you’re not familiar with volunteer grants or aren’t sure how to maximize revenue from this channel, look no further! Let’s dive right in by answering frequently asked questions about volunteer grants.

Volunteer Grant FAQs

What are volunteer grants?

Volunteer grants are a type of corporate giving program in which employers provide monetary grants to organizations where their employees volunteer regularly. These programs are also known as Dollars for Doers, Dollar for Hour, Matching Time, and Grants for Time programs.

For example, if your nonprofit has a dedicated volunteer who devotes 5 hours a week to your organization and their company has a volunteer grant program, the company will pay you for those hours.

The exact amount of time a supporter needs to volunteer to earn a grant for your nonprofit depends on their employer’s specific program requirements. Work with your volunteers to help them discover their eligibility and take the steps necessary to secure a volunteer grant.

What are the benefits of volunteer grants?

The main draw of volunteer grants is extra funding for your organization at no cost to supporters. Beyond that, volunteer grants have benefits for everyone involved in the process:

Individual volunteers can make an even bigger impact with the hours they give to your nonprofit. Volunteers already care about your mission and purpose; now they can give you twice the support through the work they’re already doing.
Companies that offer volunteer grants benefit from maintaining a positive public image. This positive reputation also means their consumers and employees will be happier to work with them.
Nonprofits benefit by building stronger relationships with both companies and volunteers. Volunteer grants give supporters another way to support your nonprofit, increasing their investment in your organization. And if you have a lot of volunteers who all work for the same employer, you may secure a corporate relationship that could turn into a sponsorship!

Some companies even offer team volunteer grants, where groups of employees from the same company can volunteer together and secure a larger grant for your cause.

Why do businesses offer volunteer grants?

To secure corporate support, nonprofit organizations usually rely on companies to already have corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs like volunteer grants or volunteer time off in place. However, by understanding why businesses offer volunteer grant programs and researching the employers your supporters work for, you or your donors may be able to persuade certain companies to start new CSR initiatives.

Reports show that employees who work at companies with volunteer programs are five times more engaged than those who don’t. When pitching a volunteer grant program to businesses, emphasize statistics like this and how they can lead to improved business outcomes, such as increased employee productivity and retention.

Additionally, remain open to other types of corporate volunteerism. For example, some businesses arrange organized corporate volunteer groups, which serve as team-building activities for their employees while also providing your nonprofit with extra help for your ongoing programs.

Are volunteer grants common?

Yes, volunteer grants are a common business practice! We’ve pulled together some key statistics from Double the Donation that demonstrate how common and impactful these programs are:

40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs. Plenty of other businesses and corporations also have some sort of volunteer grant program.
80% of companies with volunteer grant programs give between $8-$15 per volunteer hour. Those dollars add up! If you have a dedicated group of volunteers, those accumulated hours can result in a nice annual sum.
The average corporate volunteer participation rate is 33%. About a third of eligible employees currently take advantage of corporate volunteer opportunities. However, when it comes to volunteer grants, that rate drops to just 3%, indicating that volunteers don’t know about this opportunity. Nonprofits are working to increase these numbers by marketing their volunteer programs.

From these statistics, it’s clear that there are plenty of volunteer grant opportunities that your organization and its supporters can take advantage of.

How to Get Volunteer Grants for Your Nonprofit

To secure volunteer grants, you first need to understand how the process works. From your nonprofit’s perspective, it happens in four steps:

An individual volunteers with your nonprofit. This can include helping with your programs, volunteering virtually, or participating in any other roles your organization offers.
That individual looks up their volunteer grant eligibility. If they qualify, they’ll submit a request to their company for the grant.
The employer looks over the application and confirms eligibility.
Once the company has verified the hours with your nonprofit, your nonprofit gets a check!

Companies’ volunteer grant requirements vary, but there’s generally a minimum number of hours that must be volunteered to qualify for a grant. Once the volunteer hours threshold has been met, the company will either pay by the hour or a set amount. For example, one company might pay $15 per volunteer hour, while another pays a flat $500 after 40 hours have been contributed.

Unfortunately, most volunteers don’t even know whether they’re eligible for a grant or how to check their eligibility. That means it’s up to your nonprofit to help volunteers earn the grants they rightfully deserve.

Best Practices for Securing Volunteer Grants

How do you get the word out about this mutually beneficial opportunity? Just follow these three best practices:

1. Market volunteer grants to your supporters

You can’t secure volunteer grants if your supporters don’t know what they are or how to request them. That’s why it’s crucial to create a marketing plan that promotes these opportunities to your supporters.

As you develop your plan, consider these strategies:

Create a page on your website that explains the volunteer grant process and how to submit a request. This can be added to your volunteer sign-up page, “Ways to Give” page, or a new page. Additionally, this is a great place on your website to add a volunteer grants search tool, which we’ll discuss soon.
Launch a social media campaign that educates donors on volunteer grant basics and encourages them to check their eligibility. Try sharing statistics about volunteer grant participation and impact, as well as stories from beneficiaries about their positive experiences with your volunteers.
Highlight volunteers and companies who contribute volunteer grants in your monthly newsletter. This creates social proof and can inspire supporters to check their own eligibility.

Once you’ve created basic volunteer grant marketing materials for your website, you can expand your reach by leveraging the Google Ad Grant. The Google Ad Grants program provides eligible nonprofits with $10,000 a month in credits to spend on Google search ads.

Through the Google Ad Grant program, your organization can create ads that show up at the top of Google search results pages for relevant terms, like “volunteer opportunities near me” or “animal shelter volunteering.” Highlight volunteer grants in these ads, and you’ll promote the opportunity to a whole new audience of potential volunteers!

2. Offer a variety of volunteer opportunities

Ensure you have volunteer activities that supporters find interesting to encourage continued support. Consider creating various ways to get involved that fit various skill sets, time slots, and physical requirements.

For example, you might have a physically intensive volunteer opportunity for supporters to work in a community garden where they can learn about plant care on the job. In contrast, you might also offer a remote volunteer opportunity for data entry.

Additionally, have activities that groups of volunteers can participate in. This will accommodate corporate volunteer teams to secure more corporate volunteers, increase the grant money you receive, and help your nonprofit build a long-term relationship with the company they came from.

3. Use corporate giving software

Whether you’re looking to secure volunteer grants, matching gifts, or any other kind of corporate support, streamlining the application process is a surefire way to maximize donations. And you can do just that with a volunteer grant database.

Our favorite volunteer grant database is 360MatchPro by Double the Donation. 360MatchPro offers nonprofits support for both matching gifts and volunteer grants. Here’s how the volunteer grant component of this platform works:

The volunteer searches for their employer. Volunteers can enter their company’s name into 360MatchPro’s employer search tool. This tool can be embedded on any page of your website. That way, you can put it wherever you think volunteers are most likely to check, like your volunteer information page.
The search tool identifies the employer. If the employer is in 360MatchPro’s database, it will autofill to streamline the search process. 360MatchPro’s database currently covers 99.68% of match-eligible donors, meaning your volunteers will likely be able to find their employers.
Volunteer grant information is provided. 360MatchPro provides detailed volunteer grant information for every employer. This includes which employees are eligible, how many hours must be volunteered, how much the grant will be, and if the company offers other corporate volunteer opportunities like team volunteer grants and volunteer time off.

From there, the software will direct volunteers to the next steps they need to take to request a volunteer grant. This will usually be to complete a form for their employer that documents their volunteer hours and details about your nonprofit like your mission statement and contact information.

Some companies may reach out to your nonprofit for confirmation, while others might consider the process done after reviewing an employee application. Either way, be ready to work with your volunteers to answer their questions and support them through the volunteer grant process.

Examples of Top Companies with Volunteer Grant Programs

Take a look at some of the top companies with volunteer grant programs to get an idea of how much businesses invest in corporate philanthropy.

Verizon’s Volunteer Grant Program

Verizon offers a Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP), which awards $750 to an organization after an employee volunteers 50 hours with that organization. Even better, Verizon employees can request up to two of these grants per year.

Microsoft’s Volunteer Grant Program

Microsoft has a generous volunteer grant program with no minimum hours required. Microsoft employees can earn $25 per hour they commit to a nonprofit. Last year, almost 30,000 employees took advantage of this program and volunteered over 1 million hours in total.

ExxonMobil’s Volunteer Grant Program

ExxonMobil has multiple volunteer grant programs: an individual volunteer grant program through which employees can secure a $500 grant after volunteering 20 hours with an organization and team volunteer grant opportunities for groups of five or more.

Additional Volunteer Grant Resources

Tapping into volunteer grants doesn’t have to be daunting. The more knowledge your team has about these opportunities, the more successful you’ll be at locating and securing these valuable contributions.

We hope this guide has helped your organization realize all the untapped volunteer grant opportunities you can benefit from! If you want to continue your research, we’ve picked some great resources to get you started:

Nonprofit Marketing Ideas You Need to Promote Your Cause. Use these tips to promote volunteer grants to your supporters and generate more traction for your volunteer program.
14 Important Matching Gifts Questions You Need to Ask. Matching gifts are another common type of corporate giving program. Learn the essentials with our guide.
How to Win At Corporate Philanthropy: A Nonprofit Guide. All of the giving programs we’ve mentioned fall under a bigger umbrella: corporate philanthropy. Learn more about what that means with this guide.

Learn how to recruit volunteers by exploring the impactful volunteer recruitment strategies in this guide.

A Smart Guide to Volunteer Recruitment: 17 Proven Strategies

June 26, 2023/in Nonprofit Communications, Volunteers /by Jessica King

Nonprofits of all shapes and sizes rely on volunteers to continue fulfilling their mission day after day. Whether they’re helping shelter animals find their forever homes or setting up fundraising events, volunteers provide their time and skills to amplify your organization’s impact.

In its latest Value of Volunteer Time report, Independent Sector estimates that each U.S. volunteer’s hour is worth $33.49. To secure such valuable support for your nonprofit, however, you’ll need a clear strategy for how to recruit volunteers.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the fundamentals of volunteer recruitment and provide effective strategies to boost your results:

Volunteer Recruitment: FAQs
How to Recruit Volunteers: 5 Steps
17 Volunteer Recruitment Strategies for Success

With the right approach, you’ll be able to recruit dedicated supporters to further your mission. Let’s get started!

Volunteer Recruitment: FAQs

Before your organization starts crafting its own volunteer recruitment plan, it’s essential to first understand the basics of the process. Let’s explore a few frequently asked questions to break down how to recruit volunteers for your nonprofit.

What is volunteer recruitment?

Volunteer recruitment is the process of attracting new volunteers to support your nonprofit’s work in a variety of ways, from fundraising to advocating for your cause. Since there are so many organizations calling for volunteers in emails, social media posts, and even text messages, it’s critical to figure out how you’ll stand out from the crowd.

The ideal candidates for your nonprofit’s volunteer program are passionate about your mission and committed to making a difference in the lives of those you serve. By optimizing your volunteer recruitment efforts, you’ll be able to build a strong volunteer base to power your organization’s impact.

Why is volunteer recruitment important?

Volunteers are vital to your nonprofit’s ability to fulfill its mission. Therefore, volunteer recruitment is crucial for acquiring the support that will ensure your long-term success. Most notably, volunteers benefit your organization by:

Keeping it running. By offering their time and skills for free, your committed volunteers provide a significant resource that helps your nonprofit move forward with its mission.
Saving you money. AmeriCorps found that, between September 2020 and 2021, “volunteers served an estimated 4.1 billion hours with an economic value of $122.9 billion.” Since time is money, free support from volunteers can go a long way toward reducing your nonprofit’s administrative and operational expenses.
Increasing your donation revenue. Not only can volunteers spread the word about your mission, but they can also become donors themselves. Golden’s guide to mapping the volunteer-to-donor journey recommends analyzing engagement data and leveraging feedback loops to cultivate volunteers into donors.

Take a look at your nonprofit’s current state and evaluate how volunteers are facilitating or enhancing your results. These insights can guide you in determining how to recruit more volunteers for your organization.

Do I need a volunteer recruitment plan?

A volunteer recruitment plan is critical to securing as much support for your nonprofit as possible. After all, 72% of volunteers are involved with only one organization, while just 18.3% volunteer with two.

Having an organized, evidence-based approach to recruiting volunteers ensures that you catch the attention of potential supporters and inspire them to get involved.

How to Recruit Volunteers: 5 Steps

Fortunately, it only takes five steps to craft a successful volunteer recruitment plan:

1. Reevaluate your current volunteer program.

Start by inspecting your current volunteer program. In order to motivate people to join, your program must:

Be engaging. Is your volunteer program interactive? Are there opportunities to connect with staff and other volunteers? Your volunteers should be able to get up close and personal with your nonprofit’s work so that they can feel like they’re making a real difference in their community.
Emphasize impact. Make sure your volunteers understand exactly how they’re contributing to your nonprofit’s impact. The more they feel like they’re making a positive difference, the more likely they are to stay invested in volunteering.
Factor in appreciation. It’s important to have plans in place to make your volunteers feel valued. There are many ways to express your nonprofit’s gratitude, including a thank-you email, e-Card, a social media shoutout, or even a handwritten letter.

While you can evaluate your current volunteer program on your own, consider surveying your existing volunteers as well. They have firsthand experience with your program and may provide a useful outside perspective. Plus, asking your volunteers for feedback demonstrates that you care about their opinions and preferences.

2. Identify your volunteer needs.

After you’ve determined your volunteer program’s strengths and areas for improvement, it’s time to identify the types of volunteers you need most. Use these questions to guide you:

What type of organization are we? Many people choose to volunteer for organizations that align with their interests, skills, and passions. Reflecting upon your nonprofit and its mission allows you to appeal to individuals who are most likely to contribute to your cause.
What type of volunteer program do we offer? There are various types of nonprofit volunteer programs, including formal, non-formal, and project-based. Defining this upfront ensures that you can focus on attracting supporters who will be interested in your specific type of program.
How many people do we need? Do you need one person to volunteer regularly? 10 people to volunteer every week in shifts? 100 volunteers for a specific event? The number of volunteers each organization needs will differ, so determine what suits your nonprofit best.

Identify what sets your volunteer program apart from others, and highlight these differences in your nonprofit communications to attract the most suitable volunteer candidates.

3. Enlist your current volunteers.

Your nonprofit’s most dedicated volunteers can be an excellent volunteer recruitment tool. Encourage them to reach out to like-minded friends and family members about joining your volunteer program. You can even invite them to bring someone along to their next volunteer shift to show them the ropes and spark their interest.

Consider offering benefits such as free branded merchandise or social media shoutouts to further incentivize your current volunteers to spread the word. This will not only bolster your recruitment efforts but also help you retain more supporters in the long run.

4. Create specific job descriptions.

The success of your nonprofit’s volunteer program depends on how well you communicate with volunteers. Therefore, when recruiting volunteers, it’s essential to get specific with the job description you create for each role. This way, you’ll be able to find volunteers with the right skillsets, and those who are interested in volunteering can easily determine whether a role is suitable for them.

Some popular volunteer roles may deal with:

Graphic design
Photography
Writing
Translation
Event check-in
Event planning
Event setup and cleanup
Fundraising

Be sure to include the relevant skills for each volunteer role to maximize your recruitment effort and narrow down candidates to the best fit. Potential volunteers will also want to know important details such as the role’s time commitment, duties, and any associated benefits in advance. Use the template below to hit the ground running with well-written volunteer job descriptions for your nonprofit.

5. Determine your recruitment strategies.

Once you’ve solidified your volunteer program’s needs and identified the specific roles you’re looking for, you’re ready to start implementing recruitment strategies to secure new support for your nonprofit.

While there are numerous strategies for how to recruit volunteers, the ones you choose to focus on will depend upon your organization’s unique goals and resources. Let’s explore impactful volunteer recruitment strategies to consider.

Volunteer Recruitment Strategies for Success

Use these volunteer recruitment strategies as a jumping-off point for your nonprofit:

1. Leverage social media.

Social media is a powerful and cost-effective way to reach a broader audience. Get creative with your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages to show potential volunteers how rewarding it is to support your organization.

For instance, you can promote your volunteer program on social media by:

Going “behind the scenes.” Share videos or images that offer a glimpse into your nonprofit’s on-the-ground impact to show potential supporters the meaningful work they can participate in as a volunteer.
Posting volunteer testimonials. Capture some compelling action shots of your volunteers and ask them to provide a quote about why they love what they do. Then, with their permission, share their picture and quote on social media to inspire others to volunteer.
Letting volunteers do an account “takeover.” This allows potential supporters to learn more about a day in the life of one of your volunteers and how important their contributions are to your overall impact.
Creating social media ads. By investing in a paid volunteer recruitment ad campaign, you can target more people who are likely to be interested in your nonprofit’s opportunities by focusing on characteristics such as location, interests, and connections.

With 4.76 billion social media users worldwide, sharing your volunteer opportunities on these platforms can not only recruit more support for your nonprofit but increase your brand awareness as well. Be sure to include a link to your volunteer application form on each of your posts to make it easy for inspired users to get involved.

2. Advertise volunteer opportunities online.

By advertising your nonprofit’s volunteer opportunities online, you ensure that potential volunteers can learn about your open positions and explore all the relevant details to start contributing.

The Google Ad Grants program provides an impactful, cost-effective way for nonprofits to advertise their volunteer opportunities. This program awards eligible nonprofits $10,000 a month in ad credits, which they can spend on relevant keywords. Then, they can create text-based ads to promote their content at the top of Google’s search results.

A link to The Nature Conservancy’s volunteer page, for instance, pops up in the search results when a user searches “nature volunteering,” directing those who are interested to learn more about getting involved.

Your nonprofit can take a similar approach to volunteer recruitment, using this grant to target potential volunteers with advertisements of your open positions or volunteer page.

If you’re interested in getting started with the Google Ad Grant program and maximizing your results, consider partnering with a certified agency, like Getting Attention. We’ll determine your eligibility for the program, handle your application, and craft a winning strategy to help your organization secure more support—so you can focus on generating a greater impact on those you serve.

3. Approach recent donors.

Your nonprofit’s donors have already demonstrated an investment in your mission by making a gift to your organization. When you follow up with first-time donors and thank them for their contribution, be sure to let them know about other ways to get involved, such as volunteering. One-time donors who may not have the financial means to donate consistently may prefer giving their time instead.

AmeriCorps notes that, behind teenagers, people between the ages of 45 to 54 have the highest formal volunteering rate. With this in mind, consider segmenting your donor database and reaching out to this group, among others, who would be most likely to participate in a volunteer program.

4. Cultivate corporate partnerships.

Corporate philanthropy is another excellent avenue for volunteer recruitment. By reaching out and nurturing relationships with businesses, you can open the door for them to support your nonprofit in several ways. For example, they may encourage their employees to volunteer with your organization or even arrange mandatory team volunteer activities.

Many businesses support nonprofits and encourage employee volunteering through volunteer grants. With 40% of Fortune 500 companies offering these programs, volunteer grants can incentivize current and prospective volunteers to put in additional hours. By promoting these programs, you’ll unlock free revenue from your volunteer program and more volunteers. Here’s how these programs work:

Individuals volunteer. Volunteer grants start with regular volunteering. Be sure to keep accurate records of all of your volunteers’ hours since almost all volunteer programs award funding based on hours contributed.
Volunteers apply for a volunteer grant. Help volunteers research their eligibility. Most employers will have relevant information in their employee handbooks or CSR software. However, nonprofits can streamline this process by investing in a volunteer grant database. These platforms house information on volunteer grant programs and can be searched by entering an employer’s name, allowing volunteers to find relevant information and start the application process in seconds.
Employers review the applications. While different employers have different review processes, be prepared for employers to reach out to your nonprofit to confirm volunteer grant applications. For example, some organizations may want to speak with a volunteer supervisor to double-check the hours reported or ask questions about the volunteer’s contributions to ensure your nonprofit’s program meets their eligibility criteria.
Employers fund your nonprofit. When a volunteer application is approved, your nonprofit can expect to receive payment from the employer or the employer’s CSR vendor, depending on their payout process. These payments may come shortly after the application’s approval or on a quarterly or even annual basis.

To learn about volunteer grants your volunteers may be eligible for, consider appending employer data to complete their profiles with crucial information such as their employer and job title. Then, reach out to notify them about this opportunity to increase their impact.

5. Establish a school partnership.

Over one in four college students and teenagers volunteer with nonprofits. Reach out to local middle schools, high schools, and colleges to recruit these young supporters for your organization.

Many schools promote volunteering by offering awards to those who reach a certain amount of service hours. Volunteering also allows students to build their resumes for college and job applications, make valuable connections, and develop leadership and teamwork skills.

To spread the word, ask schools to post flyers about your volunteer program, include a pitch for it in their email newsletter, or even set up a time for representatives from your nonprofit to visit classes and encourage students to get involved.

6. Build relationships with other nonprofit clubs and organizations.

There are plenty of community service-driven clubs and organizations with members more than willing to get involved in your work. The key to recruiting more supporters is to find those who are already likely to be passionate about your mission. Reach out to your local Kiwanis Club or Lions Club to see if they’re willing to circulate your volunteer opportunities among their members.

Additionally, consider local churches in your area. Be sure to share your nonprofit’s mission and impact alongside your volunteer needs, so people can understand just how their involvement can make a difference in their community.

7. Reconnect with past volunteers.

Consider reaching out to individuals who have volunteered with your organization in the past and encouraging them to get involved again. If you’ve made improvements to your volunteer program, you can send them an email explaining the program’s new aspects and invite them to return.

You can also send them a survey for feedback. This may provide important insights into what about your program, if anything, leads individuals to stop volunteering. Remember that in order for your volunteer recruitment efforts to pay off, you need to have measures in place to retain your volunteers’ support for the long term.

8. Leverage your staff members and board.

Your nonprofit’s staff and board members may have key connections within the community who would like to get involved with your nonprofit. By leveraging these relationships, you’ll be able to promote volunteering opportunities beyond your existing audience.

You can even create a relationship map that lays out all the connections that your board members have, from business associates to fellow alumni from universities they attended. This resource can be immensely beneficial in informing your volunteer recruitment tactics and donor outreach in the future.

9. Create a volunteer page on your website.

Your nonprofit’s website plays a central role for both your current supporters and those who are interested in learning more about your organization. Make it easy for visitors to discover how they can support your mission by creating a dedicated volunteer page that contains all the relevant details for signing up. Be sure to include:

Descriptions of open opportunities
A link to your signup form
Compelling images of volunteers in action
A list of FAQs
Contact information for additional questions
A volunteer grant database

Feeding America, for example, has a volunteer page that features a large image of volunteers in action. Front and center on the page, interested supporters can fill in their information to pledge to volunteer and find opportunities in their location.

The easier the volunteer signup process is, the more success you’ll have with recruiting eager volunteers for your nonprofit’s cause.

10. Post on volunteer matching websites.

Get in front of people who are already on the lookout for volunteer opportunities by posting on volunteer matching sites. Some popular sites for volunteer recruitment include:

VolunteerMatch. VolunteerMatch has connected 18 million volunteers with nonprofits who need their support. This website allows people to refine their search by inputting information such as mission category, skills, and distance, making it easy for those who are passionate about your organization’s cause to find the opportunities you have available.
Catchafire. This website has matched volunteers on over 40,000 skills-based projects for nonprofits so far. Your organization can post volunteer job descriptions that require specific expertise, such as accounting or copywriting, and find qualified individuals to support your mission.
Idealist. By creating an account on the website, your organization can post volunteer listings for free to reach Idealist’s 1.3 million monthly visitors.
Create the Good. By registering for Create the Good, your nonprofit can post volunteer opportunities of all sizes and track volunteer participation in those opportunities.

Be sure that the volunteer job descriptions you post clearly outline the qualifications and expectations related to each position. This increases the chances you’ll find candidates with both the skills and the passion to enhance your nonprofit’s impact.

11. Reach out to local media outlets.

In addition to leveraging social media, Google ads, and volunteer matching websites, broaden your nonprofit’s reach by approaching local media outlets that may be willing to share your volunteer opportunities with their audiences. Consider reaching out to local:

Newspapers
Bloggers or podcasters
TV stations
Radio stations

According to the Federal Communications Commission, radio stations are legally required to operate in the “public interest” of their local communities. One way to demonstrate that they’re responding to the needs and interests of their community is to dedicate some airtime to nonprofits, allowing them to share their causes and direct listeners to their websites. This is an effective way to reach people who might not otherwise be exposed to your organization.

12. Provide a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Just as your nonprofit’s donors have varying preferences and connections to your cause, your volunteers will have their own strengths and interests. Therefore, be sure to provide a variety of opportunities that will appeal to everyone interested in volunteering with your organization.

While some of your volunteer positions may allow individuals to advance their specialized skills, for instance, you may also offer opportunities where people can develop their teamwork skills by working closely with other volunteers.

13. Prioritize accessibility.

Make your volunteer opportunities inclusive for people of all abilities by ensuring that locations are accessible to those who use mobility equipment and including a field in your volunteer signup form that asks whether the individual may need any accommodations to fulfill their role.

Furthermore, to provide a positive experience for all volunteers, consider factors such as transportation, childcare, and meals in advance. You may arrange for carpools or provide meals for volunteers on longer shifts to ensure that they can support your organization in a way that’s comfortable for them. Virtual volunteering opportunities can be another effective option, especially for supporters outside of your local area.

14. Consider micro-volunteering.

Micro-volunteering refers to offering volunteer opportunities that are more short-term and low-commitment so that even supporters with busy schedules can find ways to contribute to your nonprofit’s impact.

For instance, you can ask supporters to translate a document, sign an online petition, or make thank-you phone calls to donors. This can be a wonderful way to keep even the most time-pressed volunteers engaged with your organization for the long run.

15. Offer incentives to volunteer.

While 66% of volunteers get involved to make a difference in their communities, and 60% volunteer to contribute to a cause they care about, offering incentives can enhance volunteers’ experience with your nonprofit and keep them enthusiastic about supporting your work. Some common incentives to consider in your volunteer recruitment include:

Branded merchandise, like t-shirts and hats
Free food and drink
Gift cards or baskets
Social media shoutouts

These incentives can not only inspire more supporters to sign up as volunteers, but they can also serve as impactful volunteer appreciation ideas as well.

16. Recognize volunteers and ask for feedback.

Remember that determining how to recruit volunteers is only the start. Once you’ve found your volunteers, be sure to practice frequent recognition to retain their support for years to come. Send thank-you letters and share the specific impact of volunteers’ support so that they understand the importance of their contributions. These communications should:

Be prompt. Follow up with volunteers within a few days after their experience to ensure that they feel valued for their time and effort.
Be personalized. Show each supporter that you appreciate them as an individual to build a stronger, longer-lasting relationship with them.
Specify impact. Your volunteers want to know that they’re making a difference by contributing to your organization. In your thank-you message, be clear and specific as to how their involvement made an impact on the lives of those you serve.
Include images. Add relevant, compelling images or even videos to your thank-you’s to enhance your message and help volunteers visualize their impact.
Encourage further action. In addition to appreciating your volunteers, it’s important to keep them invested in your mission by offering them more ways they can get involved in the near future.

Use this volunteer thank-you template as a springboard for creating impactful, personalized messages to your supporters:

Furthermore, consider sending out surveys to gather direct feedback from volunteers after their involvement. This allows you to gauge their satisfaction with your organization and identify areas of improvement to boost your volunteer recruitment results moving forward.

17. Promote Volunteer Time Off

49% of individuals report that work commitments are their biggest obstacle to volunteering. This means there are many prospective supporters who would like to start volunteering or volunteer more but are unable to.

Fortunately, more businesses have become aware of this struggle and have come up with a solution: volunteer time off (VTO). VTO is paid time off employees can take specifically to volunteer. On average, most companies with VTO policies offer two or three days per year, but some organizations provide employees with an entire week they can take off for volunteering.

With VTO, employees can volunteer during normal business hours without sacrificing a paycheck or a much-needed vacation day. However, despite this upside, participation in VTO programs is often low due to a lack of awareness. Spread the word among your nonprofit’s supporters to earn more volunteers and ensure they’re taking full advantage of their employment benefits.

Be aware that, like volunteer grants, VTO programs often have requirements for who is eligible and what types of activities are applicable. A few common considerations include:

Employee status. Some businesses only allow full-time employees to participate while others include those who work both part- and full-time. Eligibility might also depend on employee level. For example, some businesses might provide VTO to executive employees but not retail employees.
Organization type. Volunteer grants often exclude specific types of nonprofits, like religious and political organizations. The same goes for VTO, and VTO may even be stricter about allowed activities to prevent employees from treating it like regular paid time off. If a volunteer lets you know they are using their VTO hours, keep track of what activities they are performing so you can verify with their employer if they reach out to you.
Request date. When it comes to planned time off, most businesses prefer employees to let them know far in advance. Encourage supporters to review their accumulated VTO hours and request them well before shifts they would like to work. Additionally, some businesses don’t allow VTO hours to roll over, meaning employees need to take advantage of them before they’re gone.

Promote VTO to your entire supporter base. You might be surprised how many of them are eligible and able to put in more hours to help your nonprofit. In fact, 61% of businesses offer VTO programs!

You might even add information about VTO to your volunteer page to encourage prospective volunteers to check if they qualify. Plus, consider investing in a volunteer grant database that also provides information on VTO. This way, your volunteers will have a one-stop resource for all of the corporate volunteering information they need.

For more information on how to promote and leverage volunteer time off to recruit more volunteers, download Double the Donation’s free guide to VTO.

Wrapping Up

Recruiting high-quality supporters is essential to your nonprofit’s long-term success. By creating a memorable and rewarding experience for all of your volunteers, you’ll be able to build a strong, loyal volunteer base that sustains your organization into the future.

To learn more about promoting your volunteer opportunities and securing more support, explore these additional resources:

Digital Marketing for Nonprofits Made Easy: A Helpful Guide. Get started with crafting your nonprofit’s digital marketing strategy using the tips in this guide.
How to Apply for Google Grants: Get Approved in 5 Easy Steps. Ready to start making the most of the Google Ad Grants program? Follow these five easy steps to apply.
Demystifying the Google Ad Grants Website Policy: A Guide. A high-quality website is just as important for volunteer recruitment as it is for qualifying for the Google Ad Grants program. Explore the program’s website requirements in this guide.

Your volunteer program can make a real difference in your local community. Learn how to strengthen your volunteer efforts with a community needs assessment.

Community Needs Assessment: Tips to Strengthen Volunteering

February 14, 2022/in Nonprofit Communications, Volunteers /by Jessica King

Volunteering takes many forms, whether it’s helping promote your nonprofit’s digital fundraisers or devoting a few hours a week to further one of your nonprofit’s initiatives. Volunteers give their time for a variety of reasons, such as a desire to support a cause they believe in, make friends with other volunteers, or even fulfill a school or work requirement.

Many volunteers work with nonprofits that promise to help their communities. If your nonprofit is interested in launching a local volunteer initiative, you should start by completing a community needs assessment. Get Connected by Galaxy Digital’s guide to community needs assessments explains that these evaluations are tools nonprofits can use to identify what needs are present in a community and if the community has the resources available to meet those needs. Then, you can create a framework for ensuring those necessities are fulfilled.

Completing a community needs assessment and using it to guide your volunteer program will lead to a stronger, more focused volunteer effort that will effectively meet the needs of your community and be fulfilling for participating volunteers.

To help your nonprofit make use of this tool, this article will first explore how a community needs assessment can be used to make practical improvements to your volunteer program, before diving into three top tips for putting your assessment into action. Let’s get started.

How can a community needs assessment enrich your volunteer program?

A community needs assessment can assist your nonprofit in identifying gaps in your community’s services that your volunteer program can fulfill. The first thing a community needs assessment can help you do is categorize different types of needs and sort them by importance.

There are four types of community needs:

Perceived needs. Perceived needs are subjective assessments made by community members about what they feel their community needs.

Expressed needs. Expressed needs are similar to perceived needs in that they are defined by community members. However, expressed needs have a demonstrated history behind them, such as community members voicing formal complaints about littering due to a lack of trash cans.

Absolute needs. Absolute needs are essential to basic survival, such as food and shelter.
Relative needs. Relative needs are not necessary for survival, but due to outside circumstances have become essential. For example, your local library does not need to offer the community computers with free internet access, but failure to do so can significantly harm enough members of your community that this need should be fulfilled.

Your nonprofit can use these needs types to compare multiple needs that are discovered from your survey. Additionally, you should take into consideration which problems your nonprofit has the resources to solve and where your volunteers’ time will be best spent.

Identifying these needs can also inform your volunteer recruitment strategy. For example, if your community has a need related to technical skills, your nonprofit would know to add that as a qualification in your volunteer recruitment messages.

Top Tips for Using Community Needs Assessments To Strengthen Volunteering

1. Align community needs and your volunteers’ skill sets.

As mentioned, community needs should influence the volunteers you recruit and assign to specific projects. If you already have a running volunteer program with several individuals you can reach out to about your new project, be sure to consider their specific skill sets and how they relate to your community’s needs.

You can learn more about your current volunteers with a volunteer survey and attract new volunteers with the right skills by writing thorough job descriptions. Here’s a breakdown of these two tools:

Volunteer surveys are surveys you give your volunteers to learn more about them and their experience with your organization. These surveys should ask about a volunteer’s specific skills and qualifications, their interests, and what they want to get out of volunteering.
Your volunteer job descriptions should include details about your program and the skills your nonprofit is looking for in volunteers. Ensure you are also clear about scheduling and time commitments to set expectations right at the start of your program.

As you focus your volunteer program around specific community needs, you will likely have volunteers whose skills don’t quite align with your highest priority projects, but who still want to help. Do your best to find roles for all of your volunteers to keep them engaged with your organization. Doing so will ensure you have additional hands on deck when a project they are qualified for comes along.

2. Develop a clear plan of action to address each need.

Your community needs assessment can help your nonprofit gather necessary information and data that can be used to create an action plan for your volunteer program. Essentially, your nonprofit will need to first take into account what needs exist in your community, the resources and budget you have available to solve those needs, and your volunteers and their individual time commitments and skillsets.

With these various factors in mind, your nonprofit can create a SMART goal for your volunteer programs. SMART goals are goals that are:

Specific. While your nonprofit likely has a greater, broad mission statement that all of your initiatives fall under, your volunteer programs should aim to have highly specific goals. These will help you determine without a doubt whether your program was successful. For instance, a goal such as “recruit more volunteers than last year” will be successful whether you recruit one or a hundred more volunteers than you did previously. By contrast, setting the goal of earning 50 new volunteers for your program gives you a specific target to reach for.
Measurable. Qualitative goals can be useful, but your volunteer program should aim to have measurable, quantitative goals whenever possible. For example, an animal shelter’s volunteer program might have a measurable goal of finding homes for at least 40% of their current number of dogs and cats in the next six months.
Attainable. Your nonprofit should have to put a considerable amount of effort into achieving your goal, but it should also be within your organization’s potential reach. Setting unattainable goals will likely only demotivate your volunteers, which can cause your program to suffer in the long run as volunteers get discouraged and leave.
Relevant. Choose a goal that relates to both your specific program and your nonprofit’s overall mission. For example, a nonprofit with a mission to help promote tech literacy in low-income communities may have a program-specific objective of helping a local school create a computer lab. Your volunteer program may then have a smaller relevant goal of recruiting 10 volunteers with the necessary technical skills who can help procure and set up 20 computers.
Time-based. Even for ongoing projects, your nonprofit should establish various time-frames for each goal, at which point you will assess your progress and whether the goal was achieved.

When setting your goal, be sure to account not just for the results you would like to see, but the resources, logistics, and planning that will need to go into your program. For instance, if your volunteers need any training to complete a specific task or use a software program, you will need to schedule some instruction time into your volunteer program.

3. Spread the word about your plan of action with volunteers.

You can keep your volunteers engaged by sharing with them how your community needs assessment has shaped your program’s strategy. As members of the community themselves, your volunteers will be excited to see you’ve taken community needs into consideration.

You can get the word out about your program and approach by:

Using a multi-channel marketing approach. You can thoroughly explain your program and recruit volunteers by creating multiple touchpoints via a multi-channel marketing approach. This means getting in touch with volunteers through a variety of communication methods such as email, social media, direct mail, and even flyers at your local community center.
Applying for a Google grant to reach more volunteers. Google gives nonprofits the ability to create targeted ads with a $10,000 grant. These ads can be used to promote and share information about your volunteer program when people in your local community perform relevant Google searches. Ensure your nonprofit is optimized for the Google grant before starting the application process to reduce the time it takes to get this marketing channel up and running.
Partnering with local organizations. You can reach members of your community by partnering with local organizations such as businesses, schools, and community centers. These organizations will likely have a similar investment in improving your community and may appreciate an opportunity to boost their reputation by working alongside a charitable organization like your nonprofit.

You can give your volunteers an additional way to support your organization, and their community along with it, by sharing information about volunteer grants. Crowd101’s article on volunteer grants defines them as “monetary donations companies make to eligible nonprofits where their employees regularly volunteer.”

In other words, when eligible volunteers work a certain amount of hours at your nonprofit, they can fill out an application with their employer, who will then donate to your nonprofit. Help your volunteers discover if they qualify for a grant and provide assistance as they complete their applications.

Your community supports your nonprofit in all its efforts, and you can pay them back by discovering and attending to their needs through your volunteer program. Take the time to learn how you can help your community, and use the information you collect to inform your volunteer strategy. Good luck!