Volunteerism is about more than just offering time and effort without reward. It is an expression of people’s need to get involved in their communities and make a difference. But when putting together a great volunteer team, you need to be certain that you are meeting the needs of both parties.
Your charitable organization, as well as the volunteers themselves, both benefit from the structure that comes with teamwork. But how do you find the right people? And how can you be certain that everything will run smoothly in the fast-paced environment of a charity auction?
In this article, we address these issues and more. So follow the 7 steps in our guide below, and you will know how to put together a great volunteer team every time.
Depending on the society or cause you are involved with, different skill sets may be of use. Each team member will have their own role to play and will bring their own skills and talents to the table. The key is to identify what skills would be of most use for your particular charitable drive or fundraising campaign.
Volunteering can take many forms. Physical labor, admin tasks, PR and communication, marketing, etc. These are all part and parcel of any volunteer organization. Get the best people for the job, just like you would for paid positions. And offer basic training to those who would love to help but lack the skills.
It’s a fact that people work harder and better at something when it aligns with their interests. Ensure that every member of the team is truly invested in your cause. Ask them about their interests. Find out what their passions are. This will allow you to see deeper into their motivations and core values.
There are many worthy causes and volunteers can often be conflicted about which to devote their time to. To build a strong volunteer team for your campaign, recruit people who are committed to your particular cause. And for those who are undecided, educate them about what their contribution can achieve.
There are many countries throughout the world where volunteering is encouraged. And the US is one of the top countries for volunteerism. But not everyone can commit several hours in person per week. But that does not mean that they do not have anything of value to offer to your team. Allow remote volunteerism opportunities as well, and make them feel as important to the team as everyone else. Because they are just as essential to your success.
Many aspects of volunteerism can be adjusted to fit into a remote model. For example, some team members may be better suited to managing or contributing content to a blog site. This will be of great benefit to your online fundraising efforts and can be operated completely remotely.
Technology makes everything so much easier and volunteerism can also benefit greatly from the appropriate tools. Investing in the right software will make your fundraising so much simpler. You’ll attain your goals in less time and with far fewer obstacles. And that means better results for your NPO.
Investigate all online auction opportunities and mobile platforms that allow mobile fundraising or text-to-donate fundraising. These may be the right fit for your fundraising efforts as they allow more flexibility and remote involvement than in-person charity auctions. This will enable you to build a larger, stronger, and more efficient remote volunteer team.
Effective time management is key to any team effort. Your team of volunteers may also have careers or families. Consult with everyone on the team and draw up a schedule that works well for everybody. You’ll get a whole lot more done, in less time, with the right time management strategy in place.
Do what is right for your team. Work around their own free time, and execute volunteer duties in shifts if necessary. The aim is to have a fluid operation that works for everyone. Organize these time segments on a calendar that everyone can download on their mobile devices and refer to as needed.
Like with any team, it is a good idea to have regular meetings to review your progress. Make these review reports accessible to all involved, and keep the terminology straightforward and easy to understand. If things are not working out as smoothly as you hoped for, reassess your team’s duties and structure.
Every team is only as strong as the leadership is. So have a capable team leader in place to steward the meetings and delegate tasks. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that this is not important in volunteerism. Strong leadership of a volunteer team is just as crucial, if not more so than in any sector of paid work.
Teamwork is reliant on communication above all else. So to put together a great volunteer team, encourage all team members to add their own fundraising ideas. There are always novel approaches to any project, and you may be surprised by their creativity. Enable members to air their views at meetings.
Set up a suggestion box, even if it is a virtual one online, for their ideas. Look at new fundraising angles and carefully consider the strengths of each one. But don’t feel that you have to incorporate them all at once.
Too many ideas implemented altogether will just complicate matters unnecessarily. Some of them may be best for future projects.
Raising money for a charity can be hard work, but it can be very rewarding if done correctly. Volunteerism goes hand in hand with teamwork, so you need to start out with a strong and capable team of volunteers.
With the simple steps above, you will put together a strong team of volunteers and be assured of success. These tried-and-tested strategies are effective for building an effective team in any environment.