The volunteer webpage is a key piece of online “real estate” for volunteer recruitment. Make sure you are using it to its full advantage to turn visitors into active volunteers and ultimately ambassadors for your cause or organization. Here’s a checklist of recommendations to make your webpage a key part of your volunteer recruitment and management strategy.

• Can your volunteer page be easily found from the home page? If the word “Volunteer” is not on your menu, it should be under Get Involved, Join Us or Support Us. Make sure it is easily accessible and not buried in your website.
• Your copy should first of all answer the volunteer’s question: why should I contribute my time and talent to your organization or cause? Focus on the impact that volunteers can make as a volunteer AND how they can benefit from the volunteer experience.
• Use the word “you” in your copy as if you are speaking directly to the volunteer: “Here’s the difference you can make as a volunteer” instead of “Volunteers make a difference by…”
• Avoid using the words “need” and “help”, as in “we need you” or “we need your help”. Remember you are answering the question of why they should give their time. Simply because the organization needs help isn’t a compelling call to action.
• Have a conversation with your Marketing, Social Media and Communications team (if you have one) to see how they can help and provide you with feedback.
• Make sure you can access your webpage analytics to determine a baseline of page views and click-throughs as you make changes – you may require the help of your webmaster or the Marketing and Communications Team. These are some of the metrics that you can start to track to understand how your page is performing.
• Make sure your webpage is current and check your website frequently. Even better: ask stakeholders (including your volunteers) to review your volunteer page to make suggestions.
• Start to collect stories, impact statements, qualitative and quantitative data that you can use to keep your page updated.
• Recognize the new normal of volunteering by highlighting virtual, hybrid, short-term, project-based, skills-based, opportunities. Short-term volunteers can become long-term volunteers if they have a positive experience with your organization.
• Ensure your webpage has good visuals: photos of volunteers, banners and infographics that tell a story of the impact that volunteers can make.
• Remember that a position or role description is not an advertisement. Use appealing language to describe roles. Keep it short and interesting. You can link to the positions descriptions as pdfs if volunteers want to read more.
• Do not add barriers to volunteering on your website page, such as one year commitment required (this can be discussed at the next step and should be included in the full position description).
• Include volunteer testimonials with photos. Even better: video testimonials from volunteers.
• Have a link to current volunteer opportunities. Volunteer Success provides organizations with a unique URL which will show all your active opportunities so you don’t have to update your website, just your opportunities on our site.
• Make sure you have a way for people to contact you. Provide an email address and/or phone number for those who have questions. This is especially important from an accessibility perspective. This is also good for people to offer a talent or service that you may not be actively seeking.
• Set up an auto-response to all volunteer emails with a message that someone will get back in touch within 3 to 5 days (ideally fewer). This would also be a great place to add any additional info about upcoming info sessions or anything else that would be a next step.
• Consider using an interest form to collect names and email addresses to start a volunteer prospect list. You can send prospective volunteers your full application form (as a URL or attachment) once you know that they are interested in moving ahead.
• Application forms should ideally be online and not fillable pdfs that require people to scan and email. If you aren’t yet using a volunteer management system, use Google or Microsoft forms so that responses can be collected in a spreadsheet.
• Consider offering regular online info sessions before volunteers apply. This can help volunteers decide if this is the right role for them. The session can be recorded and linked to the website for people who can’t attend a live meeting. You can even create a series of training videos that could be linked online.
• Create a Resources for Volunteers sub-menu item under the main volunteer page for all info/training videos, volunteer handbooks and the position description pdfs. You can even create short micro-lessons that potential volunteers can review. That way they are readily available for volunteers to access. Volunteer Success allows you to upload these resources to your organizational profile.
• Consider filming a volunteer in action (with permission) and post it on the website so that potential volunteers can visualize the role.
• Link your volunteer page to your volunteer social media pages (if you don’t have any, create them).
• Add an FAQ page for typical volunteer questions and address potential reasons why people may not volunteer. Time commitment is a typical barrier for people making a big commitment, so let them know what kind of flexibility you can offer.
• Add links to external resources such as how volunteering is good for your health, career development, etc.
• Don’t have the time to do all of this? This would be a great project for a skilled volunteer!

To sum up, your website is your calling card, and your hook for potential volunteers to look deeper. Don’t make prospective volunteers hunt for the volunteer page on the website. Your volunteer page should have images and include benefits and impact of the support of volunteers. Think of the volunteer page like a matchmaking page, where first impressions matter. Keep it current and keep it interesting. Finally, ask yourself if you want to volunteer for your organization after reading the volunteer page? If not, change it until you can say YES!

Written in collaboration with Lori Gotlieb, Trainer and Consultant in Volunteer Management. Check out her website and podcast for more resources on volunteer management.

Lori Gotlieb is a volunteer management expert, consultant, and podcaster, as well as an internationally published author and workshop facilitator who has taught workshops to many diverse audiences across North America. Lori consults with organizations on volunteer and board management, resource and learning and strategic planning to name a few areas. Lori pushes the boundaries of volunteer management through her writing, consulting, and teaching.

Aleksandra Vasic, CVA is a certified volunteer engagement professional with over 15 years of experience managing volunteer programs in social service and healthcare settings. She is the Director of Volunteerism at Volunteer Success, a Canadian online platform that connects volunteers to meaningful opportunities and allows organizations to find qualified volunteers. She is the current acting Past President of PAVRO, the provincial association for Volunteer Engagement professionals and the Past President of TAVA (the Toronto Association for Volunteer Administrators).