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Many nonprofits struggle to recruit enough volunteers. It is common for a nonprofit organization to work hard at recruiting new members and then have these people leave quickly once they see how much time and energy goes into volunteering. This blog post will discuss four great tips that you can use today to attract more volunteers to your cause.

 


  1. Set Fewer Recruitment Guidelines

The first step to recruiting more volunteers is having fewer guidelines for who can and cannot volunteer. Remember that you want to be as inclusive as possible; after all, the larger your group is, the more people are talking about your organization! This means not requiring past work experience, being flexible with schedules, making commitments shorter in duration, etc. This may seem counterintuitive since you are trying to better your organization, but remember that the more people out there talking about your cause, the more members you will have in the future.

 


  1. Determine the Recruitment Process at the Outset

The next step to recruiting more volunteers is setting clear goals for how you plan on attracting new members. Make sure your goals are specific and measurable (e.g., “increase membership by 10%”). After you set the goal, determine what steps need to be taken to reach that goal; then delegate these tasks between staff members and volunteers. For some organizations, the plan may be to post more flyers on bulletin boards around town or invite friends and family members to upcoming events. Remember that not all goals will require the same amount of work from everyone involved.

 


  1. Identify Potential Volunteers

It is challenging for a nonprofit organization to attract new members if they have no idea where to start. Before recruiting any volunteers, create a list of where you might find people to recruit, including the local colleges, coffee shops, places of worship, etc. This step can also include compiling some basic information about each location (e.g., students with a GPA over 3.5, all churches near campus with >1000 members, etc.). Once created, you can then use this database to send emails and phone calls asking for possible volunteers. This saves time from calling or emailing each location individually and builds relationships between your organization and these locations.

 


  1. Start Actual Recruiting

The final step to recruiting more volunteers is putting your plan into action. This means sending emails and phone calls to people on your list, developing a new advertising campaign, and asking professors or other faculty members at local colleges for referrals. You may be surprised at how many people were waiting for you to reach out to them!

 

Remember that the more people you reach out to, the more volunteers you will have, and your organization may also gain new members!