We did a straw poll to gather views on what is important when we consider the volunteer journey. Admittedly not very scientific but the insights from asking a few people who work for different charities include:
There is some concern about the challenges of recruiting and perhaps in this current economic crisis we may lose volunteers who seek more paid work.
We’ve already embraced and perhaps were the frontrunner in having a team of responders working from home, but do we now need to flex further. Is the traditional three-hour helpline shift on its last legs?
If you can identify the motivation a volunteer has for coming to you over and above other helplines, harness this drive and meet this motivation. Is then the success measure, the volunteer who stays with the service until the cost of the initial training has been returned.
Recognising the value volunteers bring to the organisation and then really shout about this. Use the social media platforms to share their stories, what made them volunteer for you, what do they love about being part of your organisation.
We are now seeing micro-volunteering opportunities. A short brief engagement on a specific project, event or day. This provides an opportunity for those short on time to be involved. It allows the volunteer bank to expand and perhaps bring in a more diverse pool of volunteers.
We would be interested to find out more. How is the volunteer journey in your organisation? Do you have an innovative way forward?
Photo credit - Nathan Lemon