Showing Appreciation and Other Small Ways Keep Volunteers On

If you head up a volunteer group at your church or other non-profit organization you know how difficult it can be to get people to commit and then stay a volunteer for longer than a couple of months. There is much work to do in any organization that is focused on helping others but there is very little money to pay for the work. That's why volunteers are invaluable.

Is there anything a volunteer coordinator can do to get people to sign up and then keep them as volunteers for at least a year? Here are a few ideas.

Show Appreciation
The number one complaint of volunteers may be they feel under appreciated. It is a known fact that when employees were asked what they needed most from their employers the answer was not more money or more time off. The majority of employees answered, "Appreciation." Recognition for work done is not a selfish need but a natural, core need of every human being. A volunteer knows his or her worth to the organization and expects the organization to know and show the appreciation due them.

It doesn't take much to show appreciation. A gift card to a popular restaurant enclosed in a thank you card at least twice per year is one idea. A yearly banquet honouring the volunteers with a certificate or plaque may also work. The organization that shows appreciation to their non-paid workers will maintain the same volunteers for years.

Pay Expenses
Volunteers are already sacrificing their time away from their families and other activities they could be enjoying because of the work they're doing for your organization. People on fixed incomes or who have low incomes don't bother to volunteer because they know they will have monetary expenses to deal with.

It is unfair to expect volunteers to give of their time and money to help your organization. They should at least be reimbursed for their gas expenses and paid for mileage if they must use their cars or trucks in their efforts to help.

Strategic Placing
When a person decides to help out they usually see themselves in a specific area or doing a certain task. Ask them why they chose to help and place them where they would like to work. If they have a passion for a particular job or love to work with certain groups of people they will be self-motivated and will need less pushing from you.

Delegate
As more people are added to your group of volunteers you will find people who are very capable of doing some of the tasks you have kept for yourself. Turn those tasks loose and give 100% of your time to coordinating, delegating, and keeping your people feeling appreciated. You'll find these three things keeping you more than busy and your organization running smoothly.

There are other things you can do to keep your people volunteering besides showing appreciation, paying their expenses, placing them where they want to be and delegating. However, implementing these ideas gives you a starting point that will bring you immediate results in your recruiting efforts.