Volunteer Management: The Complete Nonprofit Guide

Volunteers are the backbone of many nonprofits, providing the essential services and support that allow organizations to thrive—which is why effective volunteer management is so often crucial for success in the social impact sector. 

A well-managed volunteer program can lead to increased productivity, better community relations, and a higher level of volunteer satisfaction, all of which will benefit your organization mightily in the long term.  

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best practices for managing volunteers, ensuring that your organization makes the most of this most precious resource. If you want to skip to a specific section, here’s a table of contents:

• Understanding Volunteer Management
• Recruitment: Finding the Right Volunteers
• Onboarding: Setting the Stage for Success
• Engagement: Keeping Volunteers Motivated
• Retention: Building Long-Term Relationships
• How Can Volunteer Management Software Help?
• Evaluating Your Volunteer Program
• Legal and Ethical Considerations

Understanding Volunteer Management

Volunteer management is the all-encompassing process of recruiting, training, supervising, and retaining volunteers in a way that aligns with the organization’s mission and goals. 

Underneath that broad umbrella, volunteer management encompasses a wide range of activities designed to ensure that volunteers are effectively integrated into the organization, understand their roles, and are motivated to perform at their best. 

Effective volunteer management ensures that volunteers are engaged, motivated, and productive, ultimately contributing to the success of your organization—and your mission.

The primary benefits of a well-managed volunteer program are as follows: 

• Enhanced Efficiency: Properly managed volunteers can perform tasks more efficiently, freeing up precious staff time for other mission-critical activities. When volunteers are well-organized and clearly understand their responsibilities, they can operate with minimal supervision, allowing paid staff to focus on strategy.
• Improved Morale: When volunteers are well-managed, they feel valued and are more likely to stay engaged and committed. Recognition programs, clear communication, and robust support systems contribute to a positive volunteer experience, which boosts morale and reduces turnover.
• Stronger Community Relations: Volunteers often serve as critical ambassadors for your organization, helping to spread your message and attract more support. The more positive experiences and personal testimonials your volunteers have to share, the more they can enhance your organization’s reputation and credibility within the community.
• Increased Capacity: With effective management, volunteers can take on pretty significant roles within your nonprofit, increasing the organization’s capacity to deliver services and achieve its mission. By leveraging the skills and enthusiasm of volunteers, your nonprofit can expand its reach and impact without significantly increasing costs.

When crafting your volunteer management program, remember to keep all of these benefits in mind. This isn’t just about making your nonprofit more efficient; it’s also about fostering a supportive and motivated volunteer corps. 

By investing in proper volunteer management practices, your nonprofit can achieve its goals more effectively and build stronger connections with your community. It’ll require a lot of effort, but the payoff will be well worth it. 

Recruitment: Finding the Right Volunteers

Building a strong base of volunteers for your nonprofit starts with finding the right people to join. It really doesn’t matter how well you nail the other parts of this process: If you don’t nail recruitment, you’re going to find yourself constantly returning to square one.

So how do you build the perfect team of volunteers? Well, you start by understanding that there’s no such thing as “perfection.” Next, you follow these four best practices. 

Define Roles & Responsibilities

Crafting our job description is not only about attracting the right candidates; it’s also the first place that you’re going to define and communicate your expectations. 

Each role needs a clear title like “Event Coordinator” or “Social Media Volunteer.” Your description should lay out how the role contributes to your mission and connect their work to your broader goals. 

Lay out the tasks and duties, so volunteers know what to expect, specifying the skills, experience, and attributes needed. Be upfront about the time required, detailing hours per week and any minimum commitment period. 

And, of course, you should also highlight the perks of volunteering—skill development, networking, and the joy of making a difference. Plus, if you’re offering some nifty swag or local discounts, that never hurts either. 

Utilize Multiple Channels

To reach a diverse pool of potential volunteers, you’re going to want to use multiple recruitment channels. 

Let’s start with your nonprofit’s website: At a minimum, it should have a dedicated volunteer page with detailed information and an easy-to-use application form. Branching out from there, your organization should also use websites like VolunteerMatch, Idealist, and Catchafire to connect nonprofits with potential volunteers who are actively seeking opportunities.

Next, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (that’s right! LinkedIn!) X, LinkedIn, and Instagram can be excellent for reaching a broader audience through your existing supporters’ networks. 

Regularly post volunteer opportunities and share success stories on these platforms and encourage your supporters to share them. You can even provide them with some pre-written copy to help grease the wheels. 

Finally, there are analogue methods, like posting flyers and information at local community centers, libraries, and schools to reach individuals actively engaged in their communities. You never know where your next superstar volunteer might come from!

Create Compelling Messaging

You can’t just put up a job description and watch the volunteer applications roll in. You’ve got to craft a compelling message that inspires someone to sign up! 

Start by highlighting the benefits of volunteering and the positive impact your volunteers can make. 

Next, tailor different messages to resonate with different target audiences. For instance, address your current supporters directly and personalize your messages to highlight how their continued involvement can make a difference.

Go beyond words by incorporating images and videos to show volunteers in action. Share stories and testimonials from current volunteers to provide social proof and highlight the rewarding aspects of volunteering. 

Once you’ve done all that, you can finish up with a clear call to action, like “Sign up today!” or “Learn more about volunteering opportunities.” 

Targeted Recruitment

Are you looking for a volunteer with specific skills or interests? Then perform some targeted recruitment outreach to make sure you find them. 

Partner with local businesses to reach their employees who may be interested in volunteering. Engage schools and universities to recruit students and faculty members. 

You can also connect with professional associations to find volunteers with specialized skills like accounting, marketing, or IT.

Want to learn more about volunteer recruitment? Check out this article:

Onboarding: Setting the Stage for Success

Finding the right volunteers is super important, but then you have to follow up by giving them all the tools they need to succeed. That’s where onboarding comes in.

A well-structured onboarding is crucial for setting the stage for a successful volunteer experience. It helps new volunteers understand the organization’s mission, values, and policies and prepares them for their roles. 

Here are 4 elements that your volunteer onboarding should include.

Comprehensive Orientation

A thorough orientation session is your chance to equip new volunteers with all the tools they’ll need to make a big impact. Here’s how to make it count:

• Welcome & Introduction: Start with a warm welcome to make new volunteers feel valued. Introduce them to your nonprofit’s leadership and staff, helping them put faces to names and feel part of the team. Share a brief history of the organization, highlighting key milestones and achievements to foster a sense of pride and belonging.
• Mission & Values: Provide an overview of your nonprofit’s mission, values, and goals, and explain how their volunteer work will contribute. Discuss the impact of the organization’s work in the community, using both individual stories and overall statistics to illustrate the difference volunteers make.
• Policies & Procedures: Explain important policies and procedures, including safety protocols, confidentiality agreements, and attendance requirements. Provide a volunteer handbook that includes all the policies discussed and additional information about the organization.
• Role-Specific Training: Offer training tailored to the specific tasks volunteers will be performing. This may include hands-on training, demonstrations, or instructional videos. Ensure that volunteers have the opportunity to practice their tasks and ask questions to build their confidence and competence.
• Tour of Facilities: Give volunteers a tour of your organization’s facilities (if you have them), including workspaces, restrooms, and emergency exits. Introduce them to key staff members and other volunteers they will be working with to foster a sense of community and teamwork.
• Q&A Session: Allow time for volunteers to ask questions and clarify any uncertainties. This can be done in a group setting or one-on-one, depending on the volunteers’ preferences. Encourage an open dialogue where volunteers feel comfortable voicing their concerns or seeking further information.

A well-structured orientation not only imparts necessary information but also makes volunteers feel like they are part of a supportive community from day one.

Ongoing Training Programs

In the previous section, we mentioned that your orientation should include role-specific training to enhance volunteers’ confidence and competence from the start. This session should introduce them to your organization’s systems and tools (as is appropriate to their role) and should cover essential skills and procedures. 

But training shouldn’t only be limited to your volunteers’ first day!

Your volunteer management program should also include regular training sessions to keep volunteers updated on new procedures, policies, and best practices. Workshops, webinars, and refresher courses provide continuous learning and skill enhancement. 

You can use feedback from volunteers to identify areas where additional training might be beneficial, tailoring ongoing training to address these needs (and in case you were wondering, this will not be the last time we mention the importance of gathering feedback).

For your most dedicated volunteers, you can even provide opportunities for personal and professional growth, like leadership training or specialized skill-building sessions that encourage them to take on new challenges and responsibilities. 

Mentorship

Pairing new volunteers with experienced mentors provides invaluable support and guidance. It will not only help them better execute in their given role; iit will also foster the sense of community that is so critical to retaining volunteers and growing your mission. 

Start by selecting experienced volunteers or staff members who are both knowledgeable and approachable (that second part is really important). Pair them with new volunteers based on roles, interests, and personalities to ensure productive and supportive relationships.

Schedule regular check-ins between mentors and mentees to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide feedback. These meetings can be formal or informal, depending on what works best for the given pair.

Help your mentors out by equipping them with resources like conversation starters, tips for providing feedback, and strategies for addressing common challenges. 

With a solid mentorship program in place, your nonprofit can expect to see better retention rates as new volunteers feel more supported and integrated into the organization.

Welcome Kits

This is the least important item, but a nice welcome kit that pairs essential information and resources with some fun swag can still go a long way to making new volunteers feel valued and prepared for their roles. 

Your nonprofit’s welcome kit should include most (or all!) of the following elements:

• Welcome Letter: A personalized letter from the organization’s leadership welcoming the new volunteer.
• Volunteer Handbook: A comprehensive handbook with information about the organization, policies, procedures, and role-specific details.
• Name Badge: A name badge or lanyard for identification.
• Organization Swag: Branded items such as t-shirts, tote bags, or pens to help volunteers feel part of the team.
• Contact Information: A list of key contacts and their roles within the organization.
• Training Schedule: A schedule of upcoming training sessions and events.

By the way, if you’re wondering what kinds of swag are going to help your nonprofit stand out from the crowd and get your supporters extra pumped, check out this article full of insights from Josh Kelly, PR Manager at Bonfire. 

Engagement: Keeping Volunteers Motivated

Once your volunteers have been onboarded and their roles are in full swing, your focus should turn to engaging them—because keeping a great volunteer is both easier and more valuable than finding and molding a new one.

Here area few key things you can do to help keep your volunteers engaged, motivated, and interested in sticking around!

Recognition Programs

Recognizing and celebrating volunteer achievements is essential for demonstrating that your volunteers’ efforts are valued and appreciated—and there are a lot of different ways to incorporate a formal volunteer recognition program into your volunteer management framework.

One approach you can take is presenting awards and certificates for outstanding service or achievements. These can be given annually, quarterly, or even monthly, depending on your organization’s size and the number of volunteers. 

Publicly acknowledging your volunteers in newsletters, social media posts, and at events not only celebrates them, something like a “Volunteer of the Month” feature where you share their story and contributions could help create a sense of friendly competition. 

Finally, hosting appreciation events such as dinners, picnics, or parties provides an opportunity for volunteers to socialize, share experiences, and just generally feel good about their contributions to your organization. 

Sure, throwing a party is going to take more (okay, way more) effort than writing a Facebook post about someone, but that extra effort is kind of the point! 

Feedback Mechanisms

Regularly soliciting and incorporating volunteer feedback is crucial for improving your volunteer experience and promptly addressing concerns as they arise.

Effective methods for collecting feedback include distributing regular surveys, providing suggestion boxes, organizing focus groups, and scheduling one-on-one meetings.

Surveys can gather quantitative data on the volunteer experience, training, and management. Suggestion boxes, both physical and digital, allow volunteers to submit ideas and feedback anonymously, encouraging honest input. 

Focus group discussions provide qualitative insights, which are particularly useful for exploring complex issues or generating new ideas. Meanwhile, regular check-ins with individual volunteers help build strong relationships and show volunteers that their opinions matter. 

These mechanisms ensure that your volunteers’ voices are heard and their feedback is used to make meaningful improvements in the program.

Inclusive Culture

Want to make your volunteers feel included and welcomed? Then foster an inclusive and welcoming environment! A culture that encourages diversity and promotes a sense of belonging at your nonprofit is going to lead to higher engagement and satisfaction. 

There are several different ways you can go about this. Using inclusive language in all communications is a great place to start, encouraging open and honest communication about diversity issues. 

As you step up your game, diversity training can help create a more understanding and respectful environment while also ensuring diverse representation in leadership roles, which can bring different perspectives and experiences into your nonprofit and enrich the decision-making process. 

Volunteer Appreciation Week

Celebrating National Volunteer Appreciation Week—which always falls in April—gives you the perfect chance to go the extra mile and really show your volunteers how much they mean to you.  If you’d like to learn more about different ways you can celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week, check out this article!

Retention: Building Long-Term Relationships

Keeping volunteers engaged and committed is crucial for building long-term relationships. Implementing strategies such as regular communication, flexible scheduling, personal development opportunities, and fostering a sense of community can enhance volunteer retention.

Regular Communication

Consistent and effective communication is essential for retaining volunteers. Keeping volunteers informed and engaged helps build long-term relationships and ensures they feel valued. Effective communication fosters transparency, builds trust, and enhances the volunteer experience.

If you have a large group of volunteers, then send regular volunteer newsletters with updates, stories, and recognition. You should also engage with volunteers through social media channels with a mix of real-time updates, recognition, and interactions to keep them connected to the organization. 

Don’t forget to mix in some offline personal interactions! Regular check-ins will help build strong relationships and allow for immediate feedback and problem-solving. 

Schedule regular check-ins and meetings to discuss progress and address concerns. Monthly or bi-monthly coffee meetings where volunteers can discuss their experiences, provide feedback, and suggest improvements can be very effective.

Flexible Scheduling

Offering flexible scheduling options shows volunteers that your nonprofit values their time and needs, reducing burnout and improving satisfaction.

Allow volunteers to sign up for specific shifts that fit their schedules rather than committing to a set number of hours each week.

Providing opportunities for volunteers to contribute remotely, such as social media management, grant writing, or virtual tutoring, expands your volunteer base. 

Volunteers are more likely to stay engaged if their schedules are accommodated. Flexible scheduling can help volunteers balance their commitments more effectively, making volunteering more sustainable. 

Creating a Sense of Community

Building a strong sense of community is something we’ve touched on previously in this article, but it really does really make a huge difference for retention. Activities and events that promote camaraderie and teamwork help volunteers feel connected and engaged—and make it much more likely that they’ll remain in it for the long haul. 

Organize team-building exercises and social events to strengthen relationships and improve teamwork. A team-building retreat that includes workshops, outdoor activities, and social gatherings can be very effective.

Encourage volunteers to work together on projects and initiatives, creating a sense of shared purpose and achievement. Organizing a community clean-up day where volunteers work together to improve local parks is a great example.

Host regular social gatherings for volunteers to network and build relationships. Monthly volunteer meet-ups at a local café or park can be very beneficial.

In the digital realm, you can create online forums or social media groups for volunteers to connect and share experiences, like a members-only section of your website where volunteers can share stories, ask questions, and offer support.

Want some more information about volunteer retention? Read this article:

How Can Volunteer Management Software Help?

We’ve talked about a lot of different strategies and best practices so far in this article. And do you know what’s going to make executing all of this way easier? A volunteer management system!

Whether you decide on a dedicated volunteer management platform or a comprehensive nonprofit management solution like Neon CRM that includes volunteer features, here are some of the ways that this solution will make managing your volunteers way, way easier. 

• Scheduling: Automated scheduling tools match volunteers to shifts based on their availability and preferences, ensuring all shifts are covered without manual intervention. This reduces the time and effort required to manage schedules and minimizes conflicts, leading to higher volunteer satisfaction and engagement. 
• Online Portals: Creating an online portal for volunteers allows them to sign up for shifts, track hours, and access resources easily.  A centralized online system provides clear and up-to-date information for all volunteers, displaying real-time updates on available shifts, logged hours, and upcoming events. 
• Data Management: Centralized data management systems within volunteer management software allow easy access and updating of volunteer records. These systems track volunteer hours, monitor participation, and manage contact information, ensuring all volunteer data is accurate and up-to-date. 
• Communication & Reporting: Volunteer management software enhances communication between staff and volunteers through built-in messaging systems, automated reminders, and updates. Additionally, these tools generate detailed reports on volunteer activities, helping organizations analyze performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve their programs. 
• Automation: Automation in volunteer management handles routine tasks such as activity reminders and data entry, allowing staff to focus on more strategic activities. Email automation sends confirmations, reminders, and updates, while data entry automation ensures records are accurate and up-to-date, reducing the risk of errors. 

When it comes to managing volunteers, Neon CRM comes with a suite of tools for volunteer applications, sign-ups, project assignments, and time tracking that help you create a fulfilling volunteer experience.

And that’s just one of the many things that Neon CRM can do, as its functions range from donor management and membership to fundraising, events, emails, donations forms, grant management, and more. 

If you’d like to get the full scope of what Neon CRM can do—and how it can help your nonprofit take it to the next level—join one of our group demos! These 30-minute sessions will give a solid overview of the system’s capabilities, and they’re low-pressure, too.

Just click the button below to find a group demo session that works for you. See you there!

Evaluating Your Volunteer Program

To ensure your volunteer program’s success and sustainability, you’ll need to be regularly evaluating your efforts. This involves setting measurable goals, tracking key performance metrics, and regularly gathering feedback. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Establish clear, measurable goals using the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound) to create a roadmap for success. By setting these specific goals, you can accurately measure progress and make informed adjustments to your volunteer program.
• Send Surveys: Regularly distribute anonymous surveys to gather more quantitative data on the volunteer experience, training, and management. Ask questions about overall satisfaction, adequacy of training and support, effectiveness of communication, and suggestions for improvement.
• Conduct Interviews: Schedule periodic one-on-one check-ins to discuss volunteers’ experiences personally and conduct exit interviews with volunteers who decide to leave to get qualitative data on your volunteer program. 
• Track Performance Metrics: Tracking key performance metrics helps assess the effectiveness of your volunteer management practices. Some key metrics to track include your volunteer retention rate, your total number of volunteer hours, your participation rates, and your feedback scores. Analyzing these metrics allows you to identify trends, understand volunteer engagement levels, and make data-driven decisions to improve your volunteer program.
• Strive for Continuous Improvement: Use evaluation results to make continuous improvements. Regularly review feedback and survey results to identify trends and areas for improvement. Hold quarterly review meetings with volunteer coordinators to discuss findings and develop action plans. And don’t forget to recognize and celebrate improvements and successes with volunteers and staff. 

By implementing these strategies and maintaining a cycle of evaluation and improvement, your volunteer program can adapt to meet the evolving needs of your volunteers—all to the benefit of your mission and the communities you serve. 

Legal and Ethical Considerations

We’ve saved the best for last! And since this is the most lawyerly section of the article, we are duty-bound to clarify that that was sarcastic.

Ensuring legal and ethical compliance is nobody’s favorite part of volunteering, but it’s critical for maintaining a safe, fair, and transparent environment. It’s to protect everyone involved, from your nonprofit to your volunteers to your constituents.

Here are the three things that your nonprofit should be doing to ensure that your volunteer program is compliant. 

Create Clear Policies

Developing and communicating clear policies regarding volunteer roles, responsibilities, and conduct is crucial. These policies set expectations and help create a consistent and safe environment for all involved.

• Code of Conduct: Outline expectations for volunteer behavior and interactions. Include guidelines on professional behavior, respect for diversity, and adherence to organizational values. Specify consequences for violating the code. This policy ensures that volunteers understand the standards of behavior expected from them, promoting a respectful and productive environment.
• Confidentiality Agreement: Ensure volunteers understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality, particularly when handling sensitive information. Define what constitutes confidential information, the importance of confidentiality, and the consequences of breaches. This is different from a nondisclosure agreement, which may be necessary for some organizations but is generally more formal and restrictive.
• Safety Protocols: Provide guidelines for maintaining a safe working environment. Include procedures for reporting hazards, emergency protocols, and specific safety guidelines relevant to your nonprofit’s activities. The goal is to ensure that volunteers feel secure and know how to respond in various situations.

When creating these policies, keep in mind that the objective is to support volunteers by clearly communicating expectations, not to overwhelm them with rules.  You’re not scaring them about how they can fail, you’re helping them know how they can succeed. 

Run Background Checks

Conducting background checks is vital for ensuring the safety and suitability of volunteers— especially those working with vulnerable populations. It helps mitigate risks and protects both the organization and the individuals they serve.

When conducting background checks, keep these best practices in mind:

• Clear Communication: Inform volunteers about the background check process and its importance. Explain what the background check will involve and how the information will be used.
• Consent: Obtain written consent from volunteers before conducting background checks. Ensure that the consent form is clear and straightforward.
• Confidentiality: Handle background check results confidentially and securely. Only authorized personnel should access this information, and it should be stored securely.
• Consistency: Apply background check policies consistently to all volunteers to avoid perceptions of bias or unfair treatment.

Background checks can be a hassle, but remember, it only takes one volunteer who should have been flagged by a background check but wasn’t to cause real harm in your community, torpedo your nonprofit’s credibility, and ultimately doom your mission. 

Cover Insurance and Liability

Understanding insurance requirements and liability issues is essential for protecting your organization and volunteers. Proper insurance coverage and clear liability policies help manage risks and provide a safety net for unforeseen incidents.

This is obviously a huge topic, but here’s a broad (a really broad) overview of how you can protect your nonprofit and your volunteers. 

• Liability Insurance: Ensure that your organization has adequate liability insurance coverage for volunteers. This insurance should cover potential injuries or damages that might occur during volunteer activities.
• Waivers and Releases: Use waivers and release forms to inform volunteers of potential risks and protect the organization. Ensure that these forms are comprehensive and clearly explain the nature of the risks involved.
• Training: Provide training on safety protocols and emergency procedures. Regular training sessions help volunteers understand how to perform their duties safely and respond appropriately in emergencies.
• Risk Assessment: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential hazards. This proactive approach helps prevent accidents and ensures a safer environment for everyone.

By focusing on these legal and ethical considerations, nonprofits can create a safe, fair, and supportive environment for their volunteers, fostering trust and long-term commitment. If that sounds like a bummer, this is why you need a lawyer on your board. They live for this stuff. 

Unleash the Power of Nonprofit Technology

Without a dedicated group of volunteers, the work of most nonprofits would grind to a halt. So, hopefully, this article has gotten you excited to create a thriving volunteer program. Implementing all the best practices we’ve laid out regarding onboarding, engagement, retention, technology, evaluation, and legal compliance won’t be easy—but it will pay off in a really major way.