Let me pose a couple of questions to you:
- Do you understand the trends that can affect volunteerism and the delivery of volunteer programs?
- Have you taken a step back to see where gaps exist and how to address them?
- Are you adaptable and agile enough to proactively shift your volunteer program based on the needs of your organization and your volunteers?
We are in a world of change and the future of volunteerism needs to change as well. There are many trends that have emerged that are impacting volunteerism and the administration of volunteer programs today and will continue to do so into the future.
Some of these trends that have crept into the nonprofit sector, and specifically volunteer programs, are the following:
- Project, short-term, and flexible volunteering
- Hybrid and/or virtual volunteering
- Multiple generations volunteering together (4 generations volunteering together)
- Websites as the face of the organization, with social media as the network
- Recognition is more than a thank you certificate, it is a way to further engage
So, let’s look at some of these trends and how we can address them.
Project, short-term, and flexible volunteer opportunities
Though volunteers want to engage and make a difference, we are finding that they do not want to commit long-term at the start. They want to feel that they have the freedom to come in and out of volunteering and want to ensure that the flexibility is there. Volunteers will stay committed if they feel that they have made an impact, been treated well, and receive the appropriate onboarding, training, support, and recognition for their efforts. Volunteers are more willing to start their volunteer journey as a member of a project or short-term activity and, as they feel more connected, then they will expand their time commitment.
We must remember that one of the results of the pandemic is this need to control or manage the flexibility of life and the activities that we engage in, and volunteers are no different, they want to feel that they are important but also want to see the impact of their role.
Can you build in short-term opportunities? One suggestion is providing roles that could be performed by multiple volunteers as a team, where they all have the same role and can work together to ensure that the activities are fulfilled. Also, provide opportunities for “vacations”, allowing volunteers to take time off without the fear of losing their position or having to “quit” their role. This is a great form of recognition as well…flexibility is the key.
Hybrid and/or virtual volunteering opportunities
At a minimum, volunteer programs need to build in a hybrid option for volunteering. Again, as a reflection of the trends, people want to work from home or at least be able to move back and forth. This is the same for volunteering. This is the way of the future and organizations need to build this into their programs.
What happens if facilities need to shut down again? What if a volunteer is not feeling well? These are all legitimate disruptions in the volunteer management program and our lesson learned is to develop opportunities to connect with stakeholders, clients, and members on a virtual level.
For example, friendly visiting can still be performed in person with the option for virtual visits if available. Are there opportunities to teach courses, network, or provide social engagement virtually? Can you deliver an art class, offer financial planning, or assist with health management on a virtual platform?
These types of volunteer opportunities will become more and more attractive to volunteers and are necessary for volunteer programs to survive and thrive.
Multiple generational volunteering
Boomers bring the experience and social skills that are important in connecting people. Boomers have worked through great periods of change and still value face-to-face relationships and understand the importance of body language, networking, coaching, mentorship, and life experience. They bring the past to the present and future and are very willing to both share and learn. They bring the loyalty factor to their volunteering
Gen X has learned to manage economic and technical changes and has the people skills and traditional leadership experience, while starting to embrace technology and learning to work in diverse environments.
Millennials are the group growing up with the internet and smart devices, and they understand how these devices can be tools for collaboration, learning, and work. This group has seen the most fundamental shift due to the quick shift to technology as a tool for day-to-day life. Technology changed the way we communicate, work, network, connect, and live, and this group thinks very differently than the previous generations.
Gen Z is the newest generation to enter the workforce and technology is how they do everything. They are amazing multitaskers and problem solvers, but their forms of communication may be very different than the previous generations. This does not mean they work poorly, but they do work differently.
Each generation brings its challenges and opportunities, and volunteer programs should embrace these unique perspectives in how they build, grow, and support their volunteers.
Websites increasingly must become the face of the organization, while social media is used as the thread to connect it all together.
When was the last time that you looked at the volunteer page on your website? How easy is it to navigate? Is it providing enough information, the right information, and the current information? Many volunteer pages on organization websites are generic and do not have pizzazz. They often do not give enough information for the volunteers to make informed decisions.
Look at your volunteer page as a dating site. If this is your profile, you’d best provide the key facts you want a stranger to know about you so that they swipe right.
Show your website to people who are not already familiar with your organization and ask them what they would want to see and what would attract them to the organization. Do not put everything but the kitchen sink in there, and don’t waste the real estate with information that is not important. Here are some quick tips: show impact, add testimonials and stories, be visually appealing with graphs or illustrations, and do not use stock photos, to name a few.
Once you have your website reviewed and sorted out, look at your social media presence. This is an area where most nonprofits are getting a failing grade. We know how much time people are spending on their phones, going down the rabbit hole of information. Volunteer programs need to get on the social media train and actively and consistently post. The more you have a presence out there, the more familiar you are, and the more people are interested in finding out more. If you don’t have the skills or time, find a volunteer to help…what a great volunteer role.
Recognition is more than a thank you certificate, it is a way to further engage volunteers
How do we acknowledge volunteerism? What is formal and informal volunteer recognition? How do we recognize volunteers in a timely fashion, reflecting not only the activities but the volunteers themselves?
This is where intergenerational differences can play a big part. Different people want different forms of recognition. It is not one-size-fits-all and we need to find that secret sauce of thank you.
Some suggestions that are reflective of the trends are:
- Education as a form of recognition using virtual platforms
- Impact stories and how the volunteer work makes a difference in real words and real-time
- Badges as a form of recognition, a tool that they can add to their virtual presence and help build their online profile.
- Ask your volunteers what meaningful recognition is to them and then act accordingly
- Coaching and mentorship as a form of recognition
I could go on forever, but the foundation of recognition is to ensure that it is meaningful to the volunteer, reflective of the activity, and provided in a timely fashion.
My thoughts on trends and how to respond are just a few ideas to build, grow, adapt, and reflect the needs of our communities, clients, stakeholders, and volunteers proactively and creatively.
Take the time to reflect on what your strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats (SWOT analysis) and build a strategic plan that works for you. This is not something that you want to do alone, you want to engage others and start with the low-hanging fruit.
My final thought is, like a shark, if we don’t keep moving then we cannot receive oxygen and cannot live. Keep moving and embrace your creative side, you will be amazed as to what you can accomplish.
For more information about volunteer engagement and a list of workshops and articles go to https://lorigotliebconsulting.podbean.com and https://lorigotliebconsulting.wordpress.com
For advice and to book a workshop, contact Lori Gotlieb at lorigotliebconsulting@gmail.com.
