More than any financial gain, knowing that you are helping to make a difference is a huge factor in why people volunteer. Harness that good energy to power your project! Volunteers bring a new range of skills and experience to your team and will help to champion your project to the wider community. Managing volunteers requires patience and empathy – but investing time and energy in them will enrich not only your project, but the wider community too.
The Nitty Gritty
Process phase
Plan
Suggested time
Throughout the project’s lifetime
People
A volunteer coordinator
Steps
01
Clear roles and responsibilities
Make a list of all the things you need help with. Write role descriptions for your volunteers, making it clear what they are expected to do. Make everyone in your own team is clear about this too, so there’s no confusion about responsibilities.
02
Documentation
Prepare volunteer documentation including an Expression of Interest form so people can get in touch, and a Volunteers’ Handbook for when they start.
03
Spread the word
Put out a call for volunteers and cast your net wide. Try local volunteer bureaus, community groups and networks, schools, colleges and universities or local church groups. You can achieve a lot by word of mouth, blogs, social media, or via local newspapers.
04
Meet and greet
Invite all the people who are interested in volunteering to an informal meeting, where you can share your vision, outline the project’s goal, and tell them how they can get involved.
05
Care and share
Support your volunteers by meeting them regularly, either as a group or individually, giving them feedback and encouragement, and bringing them together for social events where they can share their work with each other.
06
Share the love!
A little thanks goes a long way, so celebrate your volunteers’ achievements by including them in events and launches, issuing certificates and thanking them individually in project exhibitions, publications and websites.
