Steps & Tips for Creating a Facebook Group for Volunteers


Facebook can be a phenomenal method for keeping volunteers connected. A simple Facebook provides a place for members to post photos, share tips, ask questions and meet other volunteers. So, wondering how you’d even get one of these started? We’ve got all the information you need below.

 

On the homepage of your Facebook account, select ‘Groups’ among the options on the left-hand side of the page under the “Explore” heading. On the top right corner, click the green button which says “+Create Group.” A window will pop-up for you to enter group information:

 

Name of Your Group
No need to get fancy or creative here, especially if the Facebook group is a recruiting tool, you’ll want it to be easily searchable. Which isn’t to say that niche groups of volunteers can’t have their own internal group for discussion with a more personalized name (ie IronMan Wolf-team Volunteers).

 

Add Some People
Start off by adding your volunteer team leaders & managers to the group and they can add their volunteer team. Definitely make sure to add only individuals who have made a commitment to the group, especially those who have an administrative role in managing. This will be determined largely by your privacy settings.

 

Select Privacy
A good way to decide which setting would be best: how much time do you have to manage the volunteer page? A sense of inactivity on a page can deter people from visiting.

  • Public—anyone can search for and join this group. Because this kind of group is so open, this kind of setting is recommended especially for large events which require a large volunteer base. This opens up content to be shared and also serves as a recruiting tool for the next event.
  • Closed—can be searched, but requires permission to join. More for internal use, and dissemination of information.
  • Secret—invite only. What is there to be said for secrets? They don’t make friends, but can keep them.

 

To change group information you can add more detail, description and the like by returning to the main “Groups” page. You will see the group you just created under “Groups You Manage”. There will be a wheel next to the group name where a sub-menu will let you change notification settings, group settings, favorites and last but not least, let you leave the group.
To add more people once the initial work has been done is simple. Visit the main page for the group and type in the names or e-mail addresses of those you wish to add in the designated window to the right of the group interface.

 

And there you have it. A step-by-step guide to creating your first Facebook group. So get out there, and start creating a community amongst your volunteers!