6 Easy Ways to Recruit Volunteers

An important part of starting your 501c3 nonprofit will be assembling a team of volunteers to help you execute your vision. Volunteers can be a huge benefit because they provide you with a team that can carry out various projects and initiatives. That’s why it’s vital to recruit volunteers.

Recruiting volunteers allows you to be more effective since you can then focus on other aspects of your nonprofit while having skilled individuals get things done on your behalf. Read on to see Chisholm Law Firm’s recommendations to recruit and keep volunteers.

Before you recruit

Once you recognize the need for volunteers, you’ll need to create a few policies and procedures. First, you should outline where you need volunteers, and what they’ll be doing. You’ll also want to set up expectations for how they will interact with the nonprofit and the community.

You should also create a Volunteer Agreement, a piece of paperwork that volunteers should sign before they begin working with your organization. The agreement will allow you to legally protect your nonprofit.

Additionally, you’ll need to decide how to recruit volunteers and what type of qualifications you need. Will you use word-of-mouth marketing or social media? Do you need specific skills, or do you want a large group of people? All of these will affect who works with your nonprofit.

How to find volunteers

Ask the people you know. 

Many times, your friends, family, or coworkers know of people interested in volunteering. Ask around, and see if they know of anyone. One of the easiest ways to recruit volunteers is to use your social network.

Reach out to your community. 

Schools and universities may have networks of young volunteers, or you may have businesses in your community that are interested in philanthropy. You could also reach out to clubs or community groups like sororities and fraternities.

Target online communities. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of jobs moved online. The same can be said about volunteering! There are many different jobs that volunteers can do remotely, and there are people interested in volunteering who can’t do in-person work.

How to keep volunteers

Make the experience enjoyable

People are more likely to continue helping your nonprofit if they enjoy being there and the work that they’re doing. They’ll also be more enthusiastic about their role, leading to increased productivity and higher volunteer retention!

Focus on the benefits

It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday struggles of a nonprofit. Still, to keep your volunteers, you’ll need to keep them focused on the benefits. Remind them that they’re making a difference in their community and working for a cause that they believe in.

Keep it easy and enriching

Remember, your volunteers are not your employees. You’ll need to find the balance between easy work and work that gives them a challenge. Take their mastery level into account, and save your complex tasks for people on the payroll.

Start recruiting!

Recruiting volunteers is crucial for running a successful nonprofit. To recruit volunteers, you’ll need to ask the people you know, reach out to your community, and target online. To keep volunteers, make the experience enjoyable, focus on the benefits, and keep it easy.

If you are ready to recruit volunteers, you need the right team with the expertise to help you on this journey. Chisholm Law Firm has helped thousands of people start and grow nonprofits that impact the world.

If you want the best for your nonprofit, look no further than Chisholm Law Firm. Our clients have a 100% success rate for nonprofit filings and trademark filings*.

You can rest assured that your nonprofit is in the best hands and that we’ll get everything done right the first time. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.

It shouldn’t be this hard to be a superhero. 

*Past results do not determine future outcomes.