There are millions of nonprofits across the U.S., and almost all need volunteers to support their mission. With so many volunteering opportunities available, it can feel challenging for your organization to stand out. The good news is that there are millions of nonprofit volunteers, too. Your supporters are out there. It's just a case of finding the right way to connect.
Volunteerism is the lifeblood of many nonprofits, so it might be time to expand your search if you're struggling to recruit. Here are six places you can find new volunteers for your organization.
Your Network
Your volunteers choose to donate their time, energy, and talents to your cause. Chances are, they're some of your best advocates. When it comes to finding recruits, start with your nonprofit community volunteers. Ask them to tap into their networks and find like-minded people who want to contribute. Many volunteers do so, in part, to create deeper connections with their community, so personal relationships are a powerful tool.
Use your nonprofit CRM to create a simple process where existing volunteers submit referrals. GivePulse makes it easy to set up and customize onboarding and application forms so individuals and groups can sign up online–plus, you'll have all their information stored securely in your CRM.
Your Website
If people are interested in learning more about your cause, chances are, they'll end up on your website. Make it easy for them to get involved by providing a form on your website that encourages people to sign up as volunteers. This can be as simple as asking for their name and contact information so that you can reach out to them when you need volunteers for your nonprofit events.
If you're using a nonprofit management platform like GivePulse, you can direct them straight to your nonprofit volunteer hub, where they can browse available opportunities and register on the spot. This makes managing and monitoring your volunteers more efficient and will give new volunteers a great experience from day one.
Once onboarded, volunteers can easily track hours by clocking in using their computers or smartphones.
Social Media
More and more volunteers are heading online to find opportunities, making your nonprofit's social media platforms a great place to connect with supporters.
Aside from keeping your current volunteers updated, you can make new connections and engage the nonprofit community by posting about your recruitment on channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
GivePulse makes it easy to sync your volunteer management platform with your social media accounts and share opportunities as you publish them.
Third-Party Platforms
One of the significant benefits of GivePulse is that as well as managing your existing nonprofit volunteers, it also expands your reach to potential new supporters.
Students, professionals, individuals, groups and businesses all use GivePulse to browse, search, and register for various events and opportunities to make an impact in their communities. That means that by using GivePulse, you're tapping into a vast pool of potential volunteers.
Make sure you're regularly listing a range of opportunities so that it's easy for supporters to find and connect with you.
Local Government Offices
You can coordinate with your local government to find volunteers, especially if your initiatives benefit your local community. They can promote your nonprofit organization on their boards and direct people who might be interested to your volunteer management platform or website.
Volunteer Fairs
You can also look out for local volunteer fairs or organize your own event specifically for recruiting volunteers. It's an excellent way for people interested in volunteering to get to know your organization and join your team right away. Remember to set up and promote the event on your nonprofit management platform for maximum impact.
Takeaway
While recruiting new volunteers can feel daunting, there are many places to find volunteers for your organization. To manage leads and referrals, you'll need a robust volunteer management platform to track volunteer information and hours, schedule shifts, and communicate regularly.
GivePulse offers an all-in-one system to manage, communicate, register and schedule your one-time and ongoing volunteers with shifts, a calendar, and a database.
Schedule a demo with GivePulse today to see how our nonprofit management software can help your organization find and retain volunteers.
About GivePulse
GivePulse's mission is to enable everyone in the world to participate and engage in lifting their community to new heights. We do so by providing a platform to list, find, organize and measure the impact of service-learning, community engagement, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and volunteerism.
Founded in 2012 in Austin, Texas, GivePulse works with 650,000+ groups, including colleges and universities, nonprofits, businesses, K-12/school districts and cities and municipalities. Together, we connect millions of people in an effort to create positive social change.
Start making a difference today by visiting www.givepulse.com.