Guest post by Annie Storey, CAE
It’s the start of a new year, a great time to get motivated and reevaluate what works and what doesn’t. Here are six ideas to get the most out of volunteers, while also giving them a rewarding experience.
As a CEO or volunteer manager, if you or your volunteers found yourselves unmotivated and ready to just stop at the end of the year, join the club, no dues required. But now it’s a new fiscal year for many and a new calendar year for all, which likely means you’re setting new goals with a new crop of enthusiastic volunteers. You’re probably also ready to make some improvements—for your own sanity and that of your volunteers.
Here are six quick tips to motivate you and your team and refresh your perspective as you create new experiences for your members and—most importantly—your volunteers.
Ask less of your volunteers.
You read that right—less. This past year has provided some clarity about what matters most in people’s lives, and that clarity will determine where and how they spend their time. As a volunteer manager in an organization that depends on volunteers, you need to make sure that when your volunteers give you their time, you’re maximizing the opportunity. Less time will equal more output if the time they give is meaningful and goal driven.
Share your data.
Who doesn’t like to know they are making a difference? You’re likely tracking communication and engagement metrics and sharing them with your board. Are you sharing that information with all your volunteers? Don’t wait for National Volunteer Week to tell them how meaningful and important they are. Pass the data points on to the volunteers and engage them in your celebrations of success.
