5 Tips for Better Volunteer Recruitment 9 Dec 2017

While discussing background checks for nonprofits, we often hear from our nonprofit partners that they are in a constant search for volunteers.

Many nonprofits have a similar makeup: They have big goals and lofty missions but a small staff and budget. This is just one of the reasons nonprofits are constantly looking for passionate and qualified volunteers to assist in all aspects of the organization. Recruitment, then, is a major part of running a nonprofit. To help your efforts, here are five tips and strategies to attract volunteers to your nonprofit.

1. Hone your message. It’s safe to say that every nonprofit has a message. The challenge is to convey that message in a way that is enticing and unique. Narrow down and get into specifics. Instead of saying you “fight hunger,” be more specific. For example, are you fighting hunger in your community? What methods are you using? Craft a story that is positive and specific, and one that highlights the good you do.

2. Why should people care. Volunteers can do any number of things in their free time, so why should they come work for your nonprofit? The best way to do this is to show your passion, that what you and your volunteers do makes a difference.

3. Offer incentives. Even though people don’t expect to be paid for their work, offering some sort of incentive does help. Legally speaking, you can offer volunteers de minimis fringe benefits, which are small tokens of thanks such as lunch, tickets, and organizational merchandise such as a mug or T-shirt. For the sake of your budget, and to avoid legal issues surrounding the Volunteer Protection Act and claiming taxable income, keep incentives small.

4. Targeted recruitment. When you need a specific skill in your organization, you need a strategy that targets the small number of people who can fill that gap. At the outset, this needs to be a carefully planned approach that addresses the following:

• A specific need
• Who can fill this need
• How to reach these people
• What incentives to offer

5. Concentric circles recruitment. When you don’t need specific skills but instead could use the extra hands to help, try the concentric circles method, which has to do with identifying people who already have some sort of relationship — directly or indirectly — with your nonprofit. These would include:

• Friends and family members of your current staff
• Clients and their family and friends
• Anyone who is affected by issues you deal with
• People who live or work near your organization’s headquarters

With different organizational needs and laws regulating the nonprofit world, we at Trusted Employees can help you hire the right people for the right roles.