Insights and ideas for leaders working with volunteers.

This interview with Chantel Megaffin, Associate Director, Event Operations at Elevate in Toronto, Canada was conducted and condensed by Amanda Rose.

This interview with Brady Tasker, Volunteer Coordinator for the 2023 Sydney Film Festival in Sydney, Australia was conducted and condensed by Amanda Rose.

Keeping files online to track applicants, and make available for volunteers to download is a game changer for organizers.

Landing your next job can be difficult — especially without appropriate experience. The solution? Volunteering.

Tools, tips, and templates for organizations wishing to publish a Frequently Asked Questions page for new and active volunteers.

Virtual volunteering: what’s not to like? Volunteers get to work where, when, and how it suits them, while organizations get the skilled resources they need. But studies on the benefits of volunteering tend to focus on formal volunteering; the kind where you show up in person to help out.

Sure, you could send them certificates, or maybe throw a party. But what volunteers really want is to be shown the impact of their contributions. Here are three ways to communicate to your volunteers why they matter.

Don’t Waste Their Time.

Why you need to recruit volunteers year-round.

When your nonprofit organization, school, or business has an important event coming up, it’s not unheard of to need volunteers to help it all run smoothly and make the biggest impact. Of course, you can’t just throw your volunteers into the fire and expect it all to go well. If you do several events a year, retaining as many volunteers as possible is crucial, meaning you need to make their experience a great one. Organizing your volunteers before each event is key — and we’re going to help you do it.

When your organization relies on volunteers to run events, contribute to programs, and help fundraise, it’s essential to have a roster of volunteers to choose from. You should constantly be on the lookout for new volunteers but keeping your current volunteers happy and coming back to volunteer is key.

Fixing a signup form is the easiest way to improve your volunteer recruitment efforts.

When you have volunteers who work hard for your organization, you want to ensure they feel appreciated. Not only is it kind to thank your volunteers for a job well done but showing your appreciation will help retain them, so they’re more likely to return in the future.

When you’re managing volunteers, you want to ensure you get a roster of people who fit well with your organization, are eager to do the work they need to do and are keen to learn and continually develop their skills.

Recruiting the best volunteers for your organization is essential to help your events and projects run more smoothly. So, having a streamlined volunteer interview process will help you hire — and keep — the most suitable volunteers for your organization. Here’s how to do it.

Do you currently manage your volunteer scheduling, communications, tasks, and more using various spreadsheets? This may seem like the most efficient way to organize all your information, but chances are, as your volunteer list and opportunities grow, it’ll get tougher to do it all with google docs or Excel — right? Here’s why it’s time to move away from using volunteer spreadsheets.