Four Tips for a Successful Relationship with Volunteers
by Meg Sheridan
Most of us couldn’t do what we do without volunteers. Whether they are providing introductions, or doing the heavy lifting, we have come to rely on them not only to help us fund raise, but to raise the profile of our organization to attract new donors. We need to cultivate relationships with volunteers just as we cultivate relationships with donors. Here are a few tips to help you work effectively as a team:
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Take the time to understand the volunteer’s motivation. Volunteers step up for any number of reasons, ranging from noblesse oblige to personal gain. Perhaps your volunteer wants to meet new people and feel more connected to the community, or he may want to make connections for a career change. If feasible, provide some introductions. Perhaps she connects with the mission on a personal level. Figure out what’s behind that connection. There might be room in your mission for a particular program your volunteer would like to promote. Maybe your volunteer simply feels its time for him to give back and he wants to do his part and move on. Then give him some specific tasks—if he can work from his desk and skip the meetings, all the better.
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Show your volunteers respect. Ask for their input. Include the volunteer chair in strategy meetings; don’t just give them their marching orders. Volunteers are usually brought in after the plan has been set—then if they have suggestions, it’s sometimes too late to implement them. If the volunteer chair has been included in strategy meetings, he can better articulate the plan to the team of volunteers you ask him to manage. A board member should join the development director to explain the strategy.
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Show them the money. Your volunteer chair and his team want to know how the campaign is doing. Give them frequent reports; call with updates. Is the campaign ahead of target, or behind? Has a major gift come in? Even if the news doesn’t pertain directly to your volunteers, let them know anyway. Show your volunteers they are considered part of a larger effort.
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Show them love. Now that the campaign is over, and now that you know your volunteer and what motivates him, show your appreciation in the appropriate manner. Does your chair like the limelight? Then honor her publicly at your next gala event or board meeting. Perhaps your honoree keeps a low-profile and gets enough satisfaction from a job well done. Then take your chair to lunch or highlight his achievements in your next newsletter, and leave it at that. Don’t forget to show your appreciation to all your volunteers—your next chair could come from that pool.
Recognize that your volunteer may not be around forever. He or she may be willing to chair the event for the next year or two, but rarely longer. In the best of circumstances your volunteer may agree to join the board and continue to fundraise at an even higher level. If you’ve taken the time to understand what motivates your volunteer, you’ll know when it’s time for him to move on—and for you to find some fresh recruits.
Meg Sheridan is the principal of Crossroads, which provides research, grant writing, and strategic planning services to non-profit organizations.
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