7 Easy Ways to Keep Volunteers Engaged in 2021

With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, many nonprofits have been suffering with volunteer recruitment, simply because there are no safe opportunities in place. Many are starting to feel restless about spending extra time inside, now is the perfect time for your nonprofit to benefit from this and offer volunteer opportunities from home.

Who can volunteer?

Volunteering online lets individuals donate their virtual time to a cause space that matters, which means they can help make a difference even if they can’t go physically volunteer somewhere. Volunteering virtually could be a great fit for

• Those with busy schedules or time sensitivities and who need flexible scheduling.

• Those who care for young children and who need to stay home.

• Those without a vehicle or who experience other transportation or mobility challenges.

• Those who want to volunteer outside their own community, state or even country.

Virtual volunteering ideas

If your nonprofit suffered in 2020 and lost essential volunteers, here are a few ways you can build your recruitment efforts back up:

1. Grant Writing - Recruit for volunteers to lead and assist in the grant application process including grant writing and research.

2. Become a Virtual Mentor - Mentors can listen, share advice, and help a young person navigate the challenges of life. A quick text, call, or message can make a world of difference.

3. Fundraising Calls - Consider putting together a team of trusted (and well-trained) volunteers to handle 'thank you' calls to donors. It will have a direct, positive impact on your fundraising revenue.

4. Decorate Food Bags - If your nonprofit provides food to others, offer the opportunity to decorate donated food bags with stickers, drawings, and inspirational sayings to delight and encourage their recipients.

5. Become a Brand Ambassador - Put together a team of volunteers who are active online and give them a list of sample Tweets, updates, and posts. Then ask them to help you spread the word about your nonprofit online.

6. Sharing Their Stories - Why not ask your volunteers to share those stories as part of your e-mail newsletter, your fundraising appeals, your gala events, and at other fundraising functions?

7. Personalizing Communications - Your volunteers can provide a great service to your fundraising team by handwriting short personalized notes on thank you letters, newsletters, and annual reports that are already being mailed to your donors.

Virtual volunteering has proven to be successful at filling the needs in our communities during the pandemic and we believe it has sparked a new trend that is here to stay.

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