What’s on the Horizon for Volunteer Programs?

The year 2020 has expedited many changes to the structure and function of volunteer programs. Our team here at VolunteerLocal has researched and organized industry insights over the last 6 months, with a specific focus on how volunteer programs are evolving with the times.

First, let’s examine the forces, big and small, that are motivating these changes. Although this is not an exhaustive list, the following represent many catalysts of change:

  • COVID-19 (what you might call the “mega catalyst”)
  • BLM protests
  • Growing base of younger volunteers
  • Technology

COVID-19

It comes as no surprise that COVID-19 has caused the most change to volunteer programs in the recent past (and present). The outbreak of the pandemic has brought volunteer programs to a complete halt in many cases, and forced other volunteer programs to scramble for a solution.

What might be more of a surprise, however, is how it has inspired quite positive, innovative change to volunteer programs.

For example, volunteer roles have diversified (even more on that in a moment!). Volunteer roles have become increasingly off-site, rather than on-site, as we realize that volunteering does not need to be confined to any particular set of four walls.

For example, more volunteers are being recruited for driving, delivery, and transportation roles — delivering supplies or even transporting volunteers safely (the keyword is “safely”) from one place to another.

Another “new normal” — forgive the buzzword — appears to be the idea of volunteering from home. Volunteer materials are mailed directly to volunteers’ homes, so they may complete their duties from the comfort (or quarantine) of their living room!

Mailing materials directly to volunteers invites a wider audience of volunteers to be engaged in the work they care about, as it makes your volunteer program more accessible to volunteers in various living situations and medical conditions. For example, volunteers who are unable to find transportation to your site, unable to volunteer during the hours you are open, or unable to work productively from your site for medical reasons — all of these folks can volunteer right from home.

Quick tip: Each community is different. Find out why people in your community choose not to volunteer. Then, see if your organization can meet that need/obstacle. There are many ways to go about collecting this information, but the easiest might be to ask your current volunteers for feedback along the lines of: “We are doing market research to better support our volunteers and our volunteer program. Reflecting on some of the people in your own social circle, could you share what obstacles/concerns they might have about volunteering?” Of course, speaking directly to those people would be best, but this should get the ball rolling!

COVID-19 is also helping us address needs and opportunities alike in our volunteer programs. To reflect on a few more: How did your organization first react to the crisis? Do you now have emergency protocols, or even a new position for crisis management? Have you identified the vulnerabilities within your program? Did you notice anyone who rose to the occasion unexpectedly?

BLM Protests

Although the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter (BLM) movements were born long before 2020, BLM has rightfully received much more attention this year. The BLM movement has given us much to reflect on and improve upon as community organizers and coordinators.

For practical starters, these protests have demonstrated how to gather large groups of people, while still minimizing risk of COVID-19 spread and exposure. Protesters wear masks, sometimes gloves, and carry their own signs/materials without exchanging them with another person. The protests are held outdoors, where there is good air circulation. Importantly, the protesters are informed of the risks and are motivated to keep each other safe. Research has shown that these protests — unlike other gatherings we’ve witnessed over the recent months — have not contributed the the spread of COVID-19. (Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020)

Furthermore, the movement itself has called attention to the systems within our own organizations, teams, and businesses. It has called for work that is overdue for many of us. Remember — tough questions can inspire needed, positive change. For example:

  • Is our leadership and team representative of the community we’re serving? In what ways? How can we improve this?
  • Are our goods, services, and job opportunities accessible to all, including those who have disabilities or socioeconomic barriers to access? If the answer is yes, yet you still do not see adequate representation in your programming or team, then there may be more subtle psychological or environmental factors preventing access. Reflect on how a person might feel upon arrival — welcomed, understood, intimidated, threatened, overwhelmed, at ease?
  • How can we use our organization’s powers, assets, resources, and privileges to support the BLM movement?

Growing Base of Younger Volunteers

As you may have noticed over the years, Millennials and Gen Z have knack for identifying their core values and promptly getting involved to advocate for them. A lot of this translates directly to a increase in this these generations’ collective volunteer efforts and monetary donations. (Monetary donations are largely sourced from Millennials, as the Gen Z population is still working toward financial independence.)

Volunteer coordinators who have noticed this trend have been riding the wave, maximizing their appeal to younger generations, and as a result, watching their volunteer programs improve in a number of ways:

  • Organizational adoption of technology solutions (more on this in the next section!)
  • Opportunities with varying commitment levels
  • Embracing & harnessing unique skill sets

As inspiring as younger volunteers are, they can also be known to be commitment-wary. Don’t write it off as a bad thing just yet! Introducing, the rise of “micro-volunteering”.

Micro-volunteering consists of small, bite-sized tasks, with no commitment to repeat. The tasks are usually informal, involving short, specific
actions that are quick to start and finish. Not only does micro-volunteering appeal greatly to younger generations, but it is also easy to promote and fulfill.

To make the abstract a bit more concrete, examples of micro-volunteering include: taking a feedback survey, leaving a review/testimonial, running an errand, signal-boosting and engaging with social media content, or being a brand ambassador.

Micro-volunteering could also involve small projects that utilize a volunteer’s unique skill. The age of the internet has empowered many to seek their own education in fields like graphic design, marketing, SEO, and computer science — whether via academic courses, online classes, or even YouTube videos. Younger generations are solution-seekers, powered by technology and personal values. They’d surely be a welcome addition to any volunteer program.

Technology

A more focused analysis of technology is a natural transition now, as it is closely linked to the understanding of Millennial and Gen Z volunteers. Beyond that, however, technology has fortified many volunteer programs with the organization, scheduling, and communication strategies necessary to keep things moving smoothly. (I say that not in hopes of selling to you; rather to celebrate the rise of game-changing tech solutions.)

From start to end, there is a technology solution for just about every need your organization might have. That is not to say that you should utilize every technology solution that is available…that quickly becomes overwhelming, expensive, and a total mess of open tabs in a web browser. Instead, I encourage you to envision technology as a library of resources, right at your fingertips.

Donations? Boom, that’s digital now. Recurring donations? Also a thing! Donor management software? You got it!

Rinse and repeat the above Q&A with the same level of enthusiasm, but swap out the topic with: volunteer management, vendor management, marketing/outreach management, etc. You’ll start to get the picture of technology’s impact in the nonprofit space.

“So broad, so abstract…” you might think, and you’re right! Let’s get more specific.

To be fair, technology solutions in the nonprofit space is a vast topic in its own right. Nevertheless, to measure how your organization and volunteer program has evolved with technology, you might ask yourself these questions:

  • Have we ever hosted a virtual event? (2020 is the year to do it!)
  • Have we offered any virtual volunteer positions?
  • Do we facilitate remote volunteering?
  • Can volunteers perform any volunteer-related tasks online, such as scheduling shifts, checking in/out, or logging hours?
  • What methods of communication are we utilizing? Email? Text?
  • Is volunteer information scattered among a series of folders and spreadsheets, or organized securely in a cloud-based database?

Technology can certainly be overwhelming, so set just one or two goals with your team. Work toward them together, one celebrated baby step at a time. If our team at VolunteerLocal can help, just say the word!

Reflecting on your own volunteer program, have you noticed any of the changes mentioned in this article? Continue to be mindful of your team’s reactions to these changes — including the reactions of your volunteers! Change can be nerve-wracking, and as a leader within your organization, you might explore ways of communicating change positively so that no one is left feeling discouraged.

2020 has been a year of incredible pressures to say the least, but sometimes pressure welcomes long-term change for the greater good. In your own reflections, or perhaps after reading this article, we hope you find a few glimmers of shine in an otherwise cloudy year.

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4 Sustainable Models to Strengthen Your Nonprofit

Nonprofit teams have a lot on their plates. First and foremost, there is the mighty task of carrying out the organization’s mission. Plan events, gather feedback, keep the community engaged! Volunteer coordinators hustle to organize their volunteers, and fundraising directors dance circles around monthly and yearly fundraising goals.

As with any busy, passionate team, it can be difficult to work as one cohesive unit. Or, perhaps, it might be challenging to maintain the overarching perspective of the organization’s goals. The work nonprofit teams do is important and impressive, so we organized a list of 4 sustainable models that could serve to simplify the complicated and facilitate organic growth.

Volunteer Leadership Roles

A common assumption in small nonprofit teams is that the volunteer coordinator must assume all the weight and responsibility of volunteer program. Volunteer coordinators truly make magic happen each day on the job, but there are ways to responsibly and sustainably distribute the weight of the work. Doing so will lead to a more impactful volunteer coordinator, a more empowered volunteer team, and better outcomes for the organization as a whole.

Let’s examine the details of volunteer leadership roles. You might wonder what it means, how it works, and how to establish such a structure. While everything can (and should) be adjusted to meet the unique needs and available resources of your nonprofit, here are some ideas to get started.

Volunteer leadership roles might include:

  • Recruiting new volunteers
  • Leading volunteer orientations
  • Conducting volunteer evaluations
  • Supervising daily volunteer programs/groups

Volunteer leadership roles are best reserved for volunteers who:

  • have shown excellent performance and dedication over time
  • have professional experience/expertise in a skill that is relevant to the volunteer program at large
  • have shadowed or worked closely with the volunteer coordinator in the past

Implementing a volunteer leadership model:

  1. Identify a few volunteers who might fit the bill. Introduce them to the idea and gauge their reaction. If the reaction is positive, time for step two!
  2. Outline the scope of their role in writing, and share that document with them. The document should include what is expected of them, what is not expected (aka, what they are not allowed to do), the duration of their role, and who they should report to.
  3. Express the benefits of taking on this responsibility, and be accountable to them. For example, college student often need examples of leadership in their resumes and CVs. Express that as a benefit and ensure them that you’ll advocate for them when they look for jobs if all goes well.
  4. Introduce this leadership structure to the volunteer program at large. This will keep everyone on the same page, ensure that everyone knows what to expect and from whom, and maintain an appreciated level of transparency. This program might even inspire other volunteers to work diligently towards the opportunity for themselves, over time.

Free Public Events

With fundraising at the mental forefront of most nonprofit teams, there certainly must be a cautious balance between free services/events offered and paid services/events offered. However, there are vast benefits of free public events, and they shouldn’t be overlooked. Rather, examine them more closely to understand how to get the greatest return on investment. You might just find that it becomes a sustainable model for fundraising, community engagement, and growing your volunteer program.

Benefits of free events/services:

  • Increased and sustained positive perception of your nonprofit by the community as a whole. You put goodwill out, you’ll get goodwill back. This is a longterm investment in a positive relationship with the community.
  • Increased and sustained brand/nonprofit awareness. It might be hard to track, but free public events draw larger numbers and more diverse crowds. Over time, this translates to a larger volunteer program, more donations, a larger audience to serve, and more interest in involvement of all kinds (you might receive more job applications or even valuable networking opportunities/introductions).

Safeguards for sustainability:

  • Free events should not put a dent in the organization’s budget. Think “lean but lovely”.
  • Free events should not take much time to prepare for. Think “rinse and repeat”.

Strategies for even bigger impact:

  • Let the local press and media know about these events! Keep them in the know, and be ready to loop them in every time.
  • Get yourself a hashtag. If your event happens in any repeated fashion — weekly, seasonally, or annually — create a catchy hashtag! This will make it easier for the community to share their experiences at your event and, in a way, advertise for you at no cost (a savvy term known as “user generated content”).
  • Offer ways to donate and/or submit an interest in volunteering.

Donation-Matching Partners

Fortunately for fundraising coordinators, philanthropists orbit the nonprofit space closely. To strengthen the financial model of your nonprofit, pull those philanthropic entities close and develop genuine relationships with them.

This relationship can flourish beyond simple, one-time donations. With each of your donors – especially the larger ones – consider how you might ignite more excitement (and therefore, more funds) from the partnership. A great example of this is by establishing a donation-matching partnership with one or more of your larger donors.

Donation-matching is as straight-forward as it sounds. For each donation received from the public, this chosen partner/donor would match the amount. For example, if your neighbor donates $50 to your organization, this donation-matching partner would match that donation and also commit to a $50 donation.

Depending on the comfort level of this partner, you can decide together on an appropriate donation-matching ceiling (the maximum dollar amount they’ll match) and/or floor (the minimum dollar amount they’ll match). You can also decide the duration of this initiative — whether that is over the course of one fundraising weekend, or even a whole year.

Before inviting a donor to be a partner in this initiative, consider the following:

When will the donation-matching initiative start and end, ideally?

Reflect on the psychology of your audience – the people who you’d like to encourage to donate in various quantities (not the donation-matching partner). What conditions will make this most exciting for them?

  • Start this initiative during a fundraising event. It could end at the close of the event, or continue on in perpetuity.
  • Close this initiative at the year end. People love reaching year-end goals together. Consider leveraging the holiday season from November-December to reach your year-end fundraising goals.

Will your donation-matching partner need (or perhaps appreciate) anything in return?

Even if it is a symbolic gesture, acknowledgement of the partner’s gift could go a long way. In addition to recognizing them in the public announcement of this initiative, you could also send them a special thank-you note or symbolic gift.

Recurring Donation Options

When collecting donations, encourage recurring donations! Although one-time donations are appreciated, recurring donations make a much larger impact.

Why donors like it:

  • With various websites available to facilitate recurring donations, donors won’t run into any hassles getting set up. (Check out ActBlue, GivingFuel, DonorBox, PayPal)
  • It works behind the scenes, collecting funds monthly/yearly without effort from the donor.
  • Even if the donation is only $5/month, recurring donors have skin in the game and will feel like a more integral supporting member of the organization.

Why organizations like it:

  • Organizations can generate more accurate financial forecasts when recurring donations can be accounted for in advance. Better forecasting = better management of funds.
  • Reach funding goals more easily and predictably. By knowing how many donations can be expected each month, organizations can prepare fundraising initiatives accordingly to fill in any gaps.

Let us know if there are other sustainable strategies and program models that you’ve discovered along the way. We would love to add them to the list!

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VolunteerLocal Partners with Blerter For Safer, Smoother Event Management

VolunteerLocal is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Blerter, a tool that helps outdoor events streamline delivery, prepare for things that can go wrong and increase crew engagement. With a simple, easy-to-use platform that helps centralize your communications, operations and safety processes – your entire event team is connected in one place.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Anthony Vernon, Head of Sales at Blerter about what they do, their partnership with VolunteerLocal, and how he sees the future for the events industry. 

How do you describe Blerter to someone who’s never heard of it before?

Blerter is an event delivery platform that connects your entire event crew on one unified platform to centralise communication, manage risk and streamline operational delivery. It leverages the latest digital technology to provide visibility and situational awareness across teams and locations by allowing users to rapidly communicate issues and incidents, giving event organisers the ability to deploy resources faster and easily crowd source event intelligence for better audit control and post event reporting. 

It helps protect the sponsors brand, support the event experience and mitigate the risk associated with your insurance premium and legal liability.

What are the primary industries you serve?

We developed the platform to serve the events industry – in particular sports and festivals. Blerter is purpose-built for the idiosyncrasies and dynamics of each event.

Why is your solution important? Why is it innovative?

Events can be incredibly rewarding. But there is a fine line between getting it right and wrong. Events provide opportunities to curate wonderful experiences and as events professionals we are obligated to create an environment to make this happen. 

But this is no easy task, we’ve found that most events still use radios, paper forms or apps like WhatsApp to communicate and deliver the event. These systems have inherent flaws and create disconnected teams and disorganised communication. Information often goes missing, they lack context, people can be sent to the wrong locations to deal with issues and some teams like volunteers, often, have no direct line of communication at all. They are briefed for 30 minutes before an event and told to call a number or find someone with a radio if something goes wrong. It’s not effective. There are too many opportunities for time delays to occur, which is not suitable for a time sensitive industry. It only takes one situation to escalate and the entire event is at risk.

There are currently no systems that help events centralise communications, operations and safety in one platform. That is why we are innovative.

Why partner with VolunteerLocal? How do you think this partnership will benefit the industry?

Almost every customer I have a conversation with asks if we integrate with a volunteer management system. This partnership will allow customers to build a robust technology infrastructure, leverage specialist technology in one workflow, seamlessly share data and reduce administration time by digitising the process of volunteer management, registration, briefing, training and communication. 

It is a seamless end to end solution. 

What’s one thing you’d like our customers to know about Blerter?

We have an extremely diverse team. Nearly 50% of our development are female and over 60% of the company coming from different countries and ethnic backgrounds. I think this has allowed us to innovate and explore new ideas much quicker than our competitors. 

Where do you see the industry heading in the next 5 years? How is your company positioned to enable that growth?

I think the events industry will be the leader for leveraging experiential technologies. You can already see it happening with music artists appearing as holograms, virtual and augmented reality becoming more common amongst E-Sports and Gamers. It will dramatically change the marketing landscape, audience engagement and how sponsors will leverage their products.

Ultimately, I think it will help events drive new revenue streams and reach a larger global audience.  It epitomises the global economy we now live in. Technology will allow consumers around the world to experience the atmosphere of the Super Bowl as if they were actually there, without having to buy the ticket, flights and accommodation. 

To find out more about how you can use Blerter with VolunteerLocal, click here.

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4 Ways Millennials Impact the Nonprofit Workforce

Born from approximately 1981 to 1996, Millennials are primarily between ages 24 and 39. While popular media often refer to all young people as Millennials, it’s important to discern that this generation of individuals is now entering or fully integrated into the workforce. 

The Millennial generation differs greatly from those who came before, Gen X and who came after, Gen Z. As your organization considers the role that young professionals can play in the staffing or contributions made to your organization, it’s important to understand the qualities and characteristics that make this generation unique.


When you understand the unique aspects of this group, you can make educated decisions about how to make your nonprofit an attractive place to work and volunteer, as well as motivate those who currently work for your mission. 

That being said, here are the top four characteristics of the Millennial generation and how those characteristics impact their influence in the nonprofit workforce: 

  1. Millennials engage more with causes and missions rather than institutions. 
  2. They see contributions of time and action as significantly important. 
  3. This generation is technologically apt and connected. 
  4. Culture tends to be incredibly important to the millennial generation. 

As you expand your team with new staff members and volunteers, be sure you take into account the motivations and characteristics of each individual. Remain transparent in your approach to get everyone involved and up to date with your strategy. This is attractive to both your Millennial team members and other generations. 

Ready to dive a little deeper into the characteristics of Millennials and how your organization can make them feel welcome and productive? Let’s get started. 

1. Millennials Engage With Causes Over Institutions

According to the Millennial Impact Report, the Millennial generation engages more and has allegiance to a mission or a cause rather than an organization itself. This means that this generation of volunteers and staff will feel dedicated to your mission, but not necessarily to your organization. If another organization has the same mission, they wouldn’t mind switching their allegiance. 

This quality in Millennials is key to understanding what will attract them to work with and contribute to the organization, but also what will make them stay and work with you long-term. 

If you’re working with many Millennials at your organization, make sure to: 

  • Write out a complete, descriptive, and detailed mission statement that will capture their attention. This is what draws them into working with you and clearly explains what your organization is working to accomplish. 
  • Include this mission statement on marketing documents and job descriptions. As you’re attracting younger generations to work with your organization, place your mission statement front and center for them to see. 
  • Center your strategic plan around the impact and philanthropic goals of the organization. Because Millennials are passionate about your cause, tying organizational actions to the impact they’ll have on the mission will engage and further motivate these individuals. Bloomerang’s strategic planning guide explains that your goal should never just be to “raise money.” Rather, you’re working to achieve a specific philanthropic initiative with a specific amount of money that you need to raise.

If your organization finds yourself in an uncertain or unsteady environment and want to make sure your team of staff members, specifically Millennial staff, stay focused on what’s important, you may consider switching to an organic strategic planning model. 

This model is used to solidify your team’s understanding of your philanthropic mission and identify individuals’ strengths in order to best put those strengths together to serve the mission. This keeps the focus on the mission itself rather than on your organization. 

2. They see contributions of time and action as significantly important. 

Contrary to corporate businesses, nonprofit organizations don’t rely solely on their staff members to get things done for the organization. They also heavily depend on volunteers to fill in the gaps for events, office duties, and other administrative tasks.

This is a great strategy! Many small to mid-sized nonprofits may not have the funding to expand their team to fulfill each and every need during peak events or giving seasons. Volunteers help engage supporters, achieve philanthropic goals, and save organization funding. 

It’s important to note, especially if your nonprofit wants to attract Millennial volunteers, that this generation sees contributions of time and action as just as important as donations. 

Bloomerang pulled some statistics from the Millennial Impact Report, featured in this article and the graph below: 

As you can see, Millennial cause engagement is fairly equally divided between volunteering, donating, and advocacy participation. This group of individuals believes they can make an impact on the world through many means. This differs from the mindset that donations are the most impactful way to give to a nonprofit organization. Millennials find their contribution of time and energy just as important. 

Therefore, your nonprofit should show ample appreciation for volunteers, get the most from volunteer programs, and come up with creative opportunities. For instance, consider the following strategies:

  • Promote volunteer grant opportunities. Double the Donation’s volunteer grant guide explains that many companies offer a financial match to nonprofits when their employees volunteer a certain number of hours. Informing volunteers about this opportunity and encouraging them to look up their own eligibility will help make your volunteer hours go further. 
  • Create creative volunteer opportunities for supporters. Younger Millennials are still getting their foot in the door with their careers. Finding opportunities for them to expand their resumes and develop valuable skills while helping an organization they love is a great incentive for this group of volunteers. 

Many nonprofits have a bad habit of putting more emphasis on contributions of money rather than contributions of time. However, the Millennial generation considers both to be critical to achieving your mission. Therefore, treating volunteering as important and valuable within your organization will only help you engage more supporters. 

3. This generation is technologically apt and connected. 

It’s probably not a surprise to hear that Millennials are good with technology. You’ve probably read somewhere about how the use of social media and technology are key to engaging Millennials and Gen Z. However, this is not the only consideration when it comes to Millennials and technology. 

Your nonprofit probably uses a variety of software solutions for your internal affairs. This article explains some of the different types of technology that nonprofits invest in, such as donor and volunteer management, fundraising, prospect research, event management, grant, and auction software solutions. 

When it comes to your nonprofit’s staff members, you’ll probably find that your Millennial workforce will better understand how to engage others using technology. 

Your Millennial staff members grew up in the midst of a technological boom. They’ve seen the evolution of technology and learned to adapt to these changes from a young age. Therefore, they’re more likely to quickly understand how each of these software solutions work and the potential they have to help your organization succeed. They can identify how you can strategically use these solutions to best engage your audience. 

For instance, consider the following: 

  • Your marketing software may have the functionality to post to various social media sites. Having grown up in the age of social media, your Millennials can accurately and effectively craft messages ideal for each of the different social media platforms, choosing detailed images for Instagram, writing content for Facebook, and crafting short witty Tweets. 
  • Effective fundraising software offers different ways of giving and various campaign types. Millennials in your workforce may have insight into what type of campaign will best appeal to the audience (especially if that audience is other Millennials). You may use a text-to-give campaign during events, a standard donation page for giving days, and a peer-to-peer campaign leading up to various activities. 

The Millennial generation has seen the advancement of technology throughout their lives. They can attest to how it is best used because they have grown up watching expert markers at work! Asking for Millennial staff input about your use of technology can help you better strategize and understand how to maximize its use. 

4. Culture tends to be incredibly important to the millennial generation. 

The Baby Boomer Generation was well-known for being driven by money and prosperity. The quality of their work was directly influenced by financial compensation. However, Millennials take more into consideration than simply a paycheck. For instance, company and organization culture is of vital importance to retaining your Millennial workforce. 

While money is still an important factor to motivate Millennials in your workforce, a holistic approach to compensation will take into consideration the benefits and culture in which they work, which are both highly valued by this generation. 

When you’re deciding on a nonprofit compensation package for employees, make sure to take a total rewards compensation approach. This type of approach takes into consideration the following factors: 

  • Direct compensation
  • Benefits like PTO, health insurance, dental, 401(K) matching, etc. 
  • Performance management styles
  • Work-life balance
  • Organization culture

Millennials are more likely to respond well to a well-rounded compensation approach rather than simply being motivated by the money. 

Therefore, your organization should consider how you’re developing a team culture among your employees to keep your Millennial staff members motivated. Try planning team activities for your nonprofit staff to do together like a book club (about your mission!), setting team goals and providing incentives to reach those goals, and planning outings to do together (like company holiday parties). 

If you have volunteers who also work with your organization regularly, consider inviting them along to some of these team activities! This way, when it comes time to hire new staff members, you’ve already set expectations and have access to a pool of potential employees who understand how the organization works. 


The Millennial generation has unique motivations and approaches to their work and to nonprofits. Understanding how they differ from previous generations will help your nonprofit ensure your Millennial workforce is motivated and retained over the years. Good luck! 


About the Author:

Ross Hendrickson is a co-founder and the CEO of Bloomerang. Prior to co-founding Bloomerang, he served as Product Manager for Bostech Corporation and later Avectra. Ross serves on the Horizon Council, the young professionals leadership council of the Indianapolis-based nonprofit Conner Prairie’s He graduated with a B.S. in Economics & Engineering Science from Vanderbilt University.

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Get Creative with Virtual Events

Quarantine mandates have been announced, lifted, then announced again, but one thing remains consistent – the boom of the webinar.

Webinars are hugely valuable, and with so many free options available to us, we’re nearly spoiled at this point! Still, I can’t be the only one who receives about 5 emails per week about a brand new webinar. The word “webinar” is getting tired, and people are zoning out, understandably.

I love webinars… but can we (please) call them anything else? As a creative, I’m ready for change! So I did a bit of research to help anyone else who might also be experiencing webinar-fatigue (but still wants to engage).

Presenting, a proposition: to deliver the same value of a webinar – repackaged, rebranded, and with the intent of piquing curiosity. Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:

“Tune in for [organization name]’s upcoming…”

  • …Show & Tell – highlight the amazing work, news, and/or achievements of our [students/members/team/organization].
  • …Welcome to the Stage Event – meet the organization’s new [mentors/coaches/leaders]
  • … Weekly Tutorial – share informative tips and tricks on a relevant topic of your choice. Of all the examples listed, this one is most closely synonymous with the word “webinar”.

Furthermore, there are plenty of other types of virtual events to experiment with. For example:

Livestreams

Invite the community to tune in as you do whatever you do best at work! You might welcome watchers as your move through your morning routines at work. Or, you might simply carry out some of your organization’s normally offered services virtually. This is the new “normal”, at least for the foreseeable future.

  • Sunday Storytime – Sunday morning read-aloud for all ages.
  • Rise & Shine – A morning routine! This works beautifully for organizations like animal shelters, rescues, farms, and/or zoos. People love to see the animals waking up as morning chores are completed.
  • Living Room Sessions – Share live performances with your audiences. Whether these are musical performances, comedy acts, or literature readings – these creative gatherings in intimate home settings have been a highlight of my quarantine, personally.

Happy Hours

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Gather your team (or, if it’s appropriate, your patrons) and enjoy a virtual, socially distanced drink. This is a spirited – no pun intended – way to keep traditions of beautiful summer days alive and well, while also nurturing team/community bonds.

Virtual events like this often work best with smaller teams and communities, since connections are usually already present. Even so, you might give it a try with a larger team or community! Perhaps a (responsible) sip of liquid courage will help form brand new connections among folks who had not yet had a chance to meet.

Inclusivity note: let everyone know that they may drink whatever they like, including non-alcoholic drinks!

Think Tanks

Community ties are deep and valuable, especially in the nonprofit sector. Often times, community members and organization patrons are more interested in your organization’s mission than anything else. That’s why they volunteer, donate, and support your programs. Additionally, people like to be heard and for their constructive feedback to be thoughtfully evaluated.

Mix it all together for the best of both worlds – your organization receives fresh perspectives on organizational challenges, victories, and roadmaps; and your community feels valued enough to be consulted and included in big decisions.

Identify a challenge that your organization is facing in times of COVID-19, and invite the community to the table. Many minds make innovative solutions, and many hands make light work!

Fundraisers

Yes, a virtual fundraiser! Not only is it possible, but it is becoming increasingly popular in the nonprofit sector. Embrace the areas where technology is allowing us to expand, regardless of the unfortunate external pressures posed by COVID-19.

Depending on your organization’s budget, there are various options available to you, logistically.

How to accept funds:

  • Share your organization’s Venmo or PayPal to accept donations/tips during the event
  • Sell “premium” tickets for extra perks.
  • Explore virtual fundraising platforms such as Classy, QGiv,
  • Seek corporate sponsorships (funding a free event for the public)
  • Seek individual/family sponsorships (in exchange for symbolic gift or recognition)

Types of fundraisers (just scratching the surface!):

  • Livestreamed performances, presentations, or speeches
  • Virtual auction
  • Virtual run/walk marathon

Finally, let’s think about what happens after these events are over. Would you like your audience to have access to a recording of your event, or any of the resources shared? If so, consider adding a “Virtual Library” to your organization’s website. There, you can store all of the recordings and resources shared during your live event(s), so your audience may access it any time.

What do you think? What have been the event you have enjoyed the most, and what made them so memorable? Keep us posted with your creative insights on virtual events. Alright, I’ll mute myself now 😉

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5 Free Webinar Series Nonprofit Teams Won’t Want to Miss

It is fair to say that, back in January, no one expected the world would come to such a grinding halt in a matter of months. Yet, here we all are, doing our best to stay safe amidst COVID-19 and make the most of our circumstances. While many city blocks are quieter than usual, our virtual lives seem to be bubbling. Teams are embracing the tools that keep us connected from a distance, and as I’m sure you’ve heard time and time again, there’s a brand new webinar just about everywhere you look.

To make “looking” for webinars a bit more organized, we’ve compiled a list of 5 organizations that are hosting a whole series of webinars over the next few months – specifically for the nonprofit sector.

Without further ado, I present 5 free webinar series that your nonprofit teams can benefit from this summer. (Or winter, depending on your hemisphere!) Browse through these sources and load up your calendars.

Nonprofit Hub

Check out their webinar series here.

About Nonprofit Hub: The name says it all! This online community serves as a hub for all things nonprofits need to establish and grow their nonprofits. Resources vary from guides, blogs, e-courses, and (drum roll) webinars.

Upcoming webinars we’re excited about:

Navigating Your Nonprofit’s Challenges through Emotional Intelligence. Led by Stephanie Cory on Jul 15, 2:00 PM CDT

Virtual Donor Engagement During the Pandemic and Beyond. Led by Caliopy Glaros on August 19, 2:00 PM CDT

Nonprofit Learning Lab

Check out their webinar series here.

About Nonprofit Learning Lab: In case you were hungry for more resources, Nonprofit Learning Lab has your back! Although many of these resources are member-only, others are completely free, from guidebooks to activity sheets, and a plethora of nonprofit resources for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Upcoming webinars we’re excited about:

Equity vs. Equality. Led by Richard Leong on July 20, 1:00 PM CDT.

How Far Are You Willing to Go? Moving from Diversity & Inclusion to Anti-Oppression. Led by Richard Leong on August 17, 12:00 PM CDT.

TechSoup

Check out their webinar series here.

About TechSoup: This company introduces nonprofits to the technologies they can utilize to thrive in any climate (even a pandemic). TechSoup aims to empower impact. For members, a number of technology discounts are available. Furthermore, many of their free, public resources (including webinars and trainings) are pre-recorded, and therefore, available whenever you are!

Webinars we’re tuning into:

Crowdfunding in Our Climate: A Digital Fundraising Plan of Action. Led by Moshe Hecht.

Getting Started with Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits. Led by Rachel Clemens.

Network for Good

Check out their webinar series here.

About Network for Good: A hybrid nonprofit and B Corporation, Network for Good “powers more digital giving than any other platform”. For nonprofits, donors, and companies interested in giving, this platform points you in the right direction. Much like TechSoup, their webinars are available anytime after they have been recorded. Dig into their archives and stay tuned for new webinar releases!

Webinars we’re tuning into:

Staying Afloat: PPP Loan Forgiveness, Accounting, Tracking and Reporting For Nonprofits. Led by Network for Good.

The Burning Question: How Do I Find More Donors? Led by Kimberly O’Donnell.

IFEA (International Festivals & Events Association)

Check out their webinar series here.

About IFEA: A global nonprofit organization, IFEA serves to support festivals and events with the programming, resources, and guidance needed to be successful. Nearly every week through October 1st, the IFEA webinar series is hosting webinars on a variety of topics pertinent to event, festival, and nonprofit work. Although these webinars are not free, they are well worth the ticket price. If you are interested in a pair of free tickets for your team, please contact us at hello@volunteerlocal.com – we’ll make sure you’re taken care of!

Upcoming webinars we’re excited about:

The Winds of Change: Creatively Redefining Volunteer Programs in the Time of COVID-19. Led by VolunteerLocal’s very own VolunteerLocal President, Kaylee Williams, on September 10, at 12:00 PM CDT.

Cancelling Events Does Not Mean Cancelling Relationships. Led by Bruce Erley, on July 16, at 12:00 PM CDT.

Which webinars are catching your eye these days? Have you made weekly webinars a tradition yet? We hope you’re doing well during these unsettling times. While it lasts, make sure to soak up the abundance of industry resources!

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Engaging Volunteers Remotely

In these times where most people are at home and social distancing, it might feel difficult to keep volunteers engaged. It is more important than ever to keep volunteers engaged and ready to jump in when we are able to be together again. Keeping your volunteers engaged is also great for their health and wellness during this heavy time. Volunteer coordinators might find themselves reflecting on their volunteer programs and even wondering if their events will take place. You might be wondering how your volunteers are doing, given the current circumstances, and how things will fall into place in the future. 

We’ve put together some ideas that may help with reaching volunteers and providing ways that they can contribute from home to keep engaged.

Develop a virtual team.

Find volunteers/staff who make it a focus to meet virtually on a regular basis to discuss and implement initiatives. (As we are all learning, you can easily get started with this at no cost through virtual meeting platforms, like Zoom.)

Do you have volunteers that could help with writing copy, letters or grants?

It goes without saying that keeping your name out there and securing funding right now and for the future is imperative. 

Create short-term project teams to help volunteers get a feel for your organization and make an impact.

For example, do you have volunteers that could help with creating digital art, website design or video editing?

Do you have volunteers that would be good at public relations?

Even if your event is not occurring in 2020, these volunteers can communicate a positive spin and get the message out that you will be back stronger and better in 2021. 

You could also utilize this public relations talent for social media posts and outreach. Focusing this content around storytelling is an especially good way to connect. You could have volunteers share your culture, goals and missions. They can also share their stories and experiences with volunteering. 

Host a virtual event.

For example, you might host an event where everyone makes thank you cards to send to the essential workers in your community. This one would be especially great to involve families who have kids. 

Tweak, set-up or revise your volunteer training program.

Do you have volunteers that would be good at taking the lead on implementing or improving your training program? Now is a great time to dig into an area like this, and it is easily done remotely. 

Use the experience of your volunteers to revise your volunteer program. You might want to expand or change up the work/shifts available, revise checklists, revise volunteer applications or take a look at areas from past events that could be stronger and improve on them. You could also use experienced volunteers to design or update position descriptions. 

Check in with each other!

Have a volunteer, or team, create a phone tree to check in with other volunteers and keep in touch. Or set up a regular virtual “happy hour” or hang time. 

People are eager to help. Start recruiting!

It might not seem like it, but now is also a good time to recruit volunteers. Many people have unexpected extra time right now and are looking to contribute to a cause they care about or feel like they are making a positive difference.

Engaging volunteers remotely can be challenging, but with some creative thinking, you may be able to get through this with your volunteers engaged and even recruit some new volunteers. The creativity we have seen from people engaging around the world during these challenging times is so inspirational. We hope that these ideas are helpful in keeping volunteers engaged and ensuring that you have a strong volunteer base during and after this pandemic.

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Creating a Successful Volunteer Budget

Let’s face it – the typically tight budget for volunteer programs can be a little straining. After all, we know that “volunteer” does not mean “free” – but when you’re juggling coordinating an event and nurturing volunteers, there’s extra meaning to “a little goes a long way.”

When it comes to budgeting, there are a range of things to consider as a volunteer coordinator: What is the best way to spend your money? What can you do without? 

And most important of all: How do you throw a great event for the attendees and the volunteers, such that everyone is inspired to return for another year?

Get your priorities straight

Identify what you can and can’t live without, the reasons why and the consequences that will occur for either decision. Be sure to know what you need so you’re able to maintain the best practices that your organization strives to achieve for its volunteer program. That means having a plan or structure in place so you know the necessities of your program are, and what you need to achieve your goals.

Recognition is key

Even with a small budget, you can find a way to show your volunteers the importance of their work and (at the same time) say “thank you.” Consider this a necessity. Whether you throw a post-event appreciation party, provide everyone with limited-run t-shirts or some other token of appreciation, these are the actions that will help to cultivate the goodwill you need to keep volunteers coming back, year-after-year.

Two birds one stone

Volunteers help out in all different areas of an event. Can you create a line-item in your budget to nurture volunteer relationships? For example: If you’re throwing a food truck festival and charging tickets for entry, is there enough wiggle room to also allow volunteers a free pass? Communicate with your colleagues and figure what opportunities there are for a win-win scenario.

Volunteers are key to your success. Finding the right budget balance between making an event spectacular for attendees, while making sure the volunteer experience is also fantastic, is critical for an organization’s continued growth.

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Managing Legacy Volunteers

There are new volunteers and then there are the volunteers who have seen it all and been there forever. Both types need you and vice versa. 

There’s always at least a few volunteers who have been there forever…the legacy volunteers. They have tons of knowledge and maybe even decades of experience. They bring a lot of value to your team, but can also present somewhat of a challenge. Whether you are new to your position and inheriting these volunteers or just trying to figure out the best way to continue working with them, here are some best practices to keep in mind when in comes to legacy volunteers.  

Show some respect. If someone has been a volunteer with you or your organization for years, give them a whole bunch of respect and appreciation. Seriously, how amazing is it that they’ve continued to commit year after year? Don’t take them for granted and be sure to let them know how glad you are that they have given their time and energy as a core volunteer. If you are newer to the event or organization than they are, then there is probably a lot you can learn from them, which is a huge asset to your team. You likely won’t have to hold their hand like the new volunteers and can trust their abilities to fulfill their duties. Perhaps they have worked in the same role for years, which can also be a benefit.

Honor their continued dedication by promoting them if they are ready. Ask them if they want to try out something new or even better–find out if they would be willing to help train and lead newer volunteers to do the same job. 

Set boundaries. While you definitely want to treat your longtime volunteers with respect, you also want to create clear boundaries. Unfortunately, sometimes these volunteers are used to things being a certain way and don’t want you to shake things up or give you some proper respect in return. Be patient with them if this is something you face, but also let them know that ultimately the decisions are yours. They may challenge you in this process if you’re new, but find ways to communicate with them kindly yet honestly about what you’re doing and what your goals are in doing so.

Instead of just cutting them loose, try to reach a common understanding because deep down, you both care for the success of this event and/or organization. If you are still having a hard time, look to some of your coworkers who have been around longer than you have for advice on how to best connect with this volunteer while also standing your ground when necessary. That said, if an agreement cannot be reached and a legacy volunteer is unwilling to budge, let them know what the expectations are of current volunteers and the boundaries they must follow under your leadership, regardless of what it was like in the past. If they can’t comply with those boundaries and expectations, then unfortunately you may have to ask them to step down.  

Ask for their cooperation. With these experienced volunteers, you both need each other. No, they may not need as many instructions or an orientation, but they do still need your leadership and direction. Likewise, you need their skills, time, and effort as a volunteer…not to mention some of their knowledge and wisdom gained from being around so long. Try to work to each other’s strengths and start by asking them to be involved in that process. You need their cooperation. Ask for guidance and advice when appropriate. Ask them to use their experience to lead others. And finally, ask for their flexibility and understanding as you make changes or have your own learning curve to face. 

No matter how long a volunteer has been with your organization, remember they are all sacrificing something to be there and all carry value. Legacy volunteers may need a different management style at times in order to give them more freedom or flexibility, but they can have a huge impact on you and your team. Hear them out, learn from them, but also remember that you are in charge. You have the responsibility and privilege of providing vision and leadership to all of your volunteers, whether they are legacy or brand-new.

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Creating Goals for Your Volunteer Base

Knowing ahead of time what you want to accomplish with volunteers sets both you and them up for success. 

We’ve got squad goals, relationship goals, personal goals, soccer goals…you name it. So can you tell me what your volunteer goals are? 

You have a number of people present and ready to help, so what’s the goal? They may have their own motivations for being there and thoughts on how they can best help, but what do you think? What are you hoping to accomplish through each individual volunteer and with the volunteer group as a whole? 

Make a plan 

Before things get crazy or overrun by too many cooks in the kitchen, outline your goals. What needs do you have? What can be accomplished by volunteers and what needs to be done by staff or by someone with a certain level of credentials? Outside of the actual assigned volunteer tasks, are you hoping to recruit and retain more volunteers? Are you trying to make a splash in the community or gain corporate partnerships? How do the goals you set out for your volunteers align with the mission of the organization? 

Ask for areas of interest 

Now that you have an idea of what you are hoping to accomplish, what is it that your volunteers want? You can’t read minds, so go ahead and ask them! Send out a survey to get to know your volunteers to understand what makes them tick. Or, include a checklist of areas they may be interested in or experienced with during the volunteer registration process. Not only will they have certain areas of interest, but volunteers may have extra motivation to be there to network or bolster a particular skill set. Be careful to align expectations and not overpromise. Sometimes you want more than anything to say this volunteer experience will look great on a resume or that they can volunteer wherever they want, but that’s not always realistic. You can only have so many social media managers on a volunteer team, or sometimes a volunteer experience will benefit the community more than their resume. 

Consider the big picture

You may have primary goals like accomplishing the tasks at hand but keep in mind secondary goals like volunteer retainment and recruitment. Sure, you need to pass out water to all the runners, but you want to make this volunteer experience a memorable and enjoyable one. Likewise, volunteers may have primary goals like learning a new skill or rubbing elbows with musicians, but if those can’t be met, make sure you give them a glimpse of the big picture, too. They need to know how their involvement makes an impact and how their primary goals can be achieved in the future.

As a volunteer coordinator, you can’t get too bogged down in the individual needs and wants of every person on the team, because it’s almost impossible to keep everyone happy. Making sure your goals and the goals of your volunteers align with the mission of the organization helps keep everyone in check with what’s to be expected and what’s realistic. 

Writing up a list of defined goals for volunteers usually isn’t a difficult task, but it does take time and thought. Make sure to take the time to think through what you want for volunteers and what they might want from you. Then, back it up with feedback from volunteers to make sure you’re all on the same page. Comparing and contrasting your goals and the goals of your volunteers might provide clarity on what your goals are and what they aren’t.

You may not hit every goal every year, but providing some benchmarks will help you plan and prepare for this year and for years to come.

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