Volunteers

In the nonprofit world, volunteers are your most valuable resource. They power your events, mentor your beneficiaries, and bring essential skills to your operations. But there is a special tier of volunteers who bring an added bonus: they are being paid to be there. Volunteer Time Off (VTO) is a corporate benefit where employers grant employees paid days off specifically to volunteer with nonprofit organizations. Unlike traditional volunteering that happens on weekends or after hours, VTO allows professionals to support your mission during the workday without losing income. For nonprofits, this is a goldmine. It unlocks a pool of skilled, energized [...]

In the nonprofit sector, time is a resource just as precious as capital. Your volunteers dedicate countless hours to your mission, from tutoring students and walking shelter dogs to serving on your board of directors. You value their time immensely, but did you know that their employers might value it financially as well? This is the power of volunteer grants, a form of corporate philanthropy where companies provide monetary donations to organizations where their employees volunteer. However, accessing this "free money" is not always straightforward. The key to unlocking these funds lies in understanding volunteer grant reporting and, more importantly, volunteer [...]

The future of charitable giving is never certain. Donor behaviors are constantly changing, and questions loom about how to engage upcoming generations of potential supporters. That’s why event organizers tailor their appeals to connect willing supporters with opportunities that interest them. Young people have a strong, growing desire to give, making them an ideal audience for service projects and volunteer events. Generation Z, for example, has been dubbed “the most influential generation for the future of fundraising,” with 57% of its members accounting for donations in their yearly budgets and 40% reducing their spending so they can give to nonprofits. Inspiring [...]

In any of your church’s programs, volunteers are essential to fulfilling the roles that make your ministry possible. Securing this support involves more than just attracting volunteers, though. As a children’s ministry leader, you must cultivate relationships with volunteers, offer a positive experience, and ultimately retain their support for the long haul. Before you choose a children’s Bible curriculum or plan your program’s themes, building a strong team of loyal volunteers is one of the first steps you should take toward all your ministry’s goals. Let’s look at the four R’s of recruiting and retaining volunteers for your children’s ministry. 1. [...]

Whether you’re planning an advocacy campaign, a new program, or an online donation drive, your nonprofit needs volunteers. But are the volunteers you recruit sticking around? Volunteer recruitment is a challenge for many nonprofits, but fortunately, there’s a simple solution: keep as many of the volunteers you currently have as possible. Of course, this is easier said than done unless you have a reliable volunteer retention strategy. To help your nonprofit create just that, we’ll explore some tips for cultivating long-term volunteer support. But first, let’s dive into just why retaining volunteers matters so much. Why does volunteer retention matter? Volunteer retention [...]