How to get volunteers for your organization. Advertising your project in order to get the attention of potential volunteers and donors is extremely important. You can rely on many online platforms or agencies, although some of them may charge subscription or intermediation fees. These costs can increase the overall price of volunteer experiences, so it is worth comparing different options before deciding which services are useful for your organisation.
Publish your opportunity on Voluntouring.org
Before sharing a few suggestions for recruiting volunteers, we would like to remind you that hosts and organisations can submit a volunteer opportunity to Voluntouring.org for editorial review.
Traditional fair exchanges that meet our standard guidelines can normally be published free of charge. Fee-based programmes, cost-recovery projects and other non-standard opportunities may require a one-time editorial publication contribution.
Submitting an opportunity is free and does not create any payment obligation. If a publication contribution applies, Voluntouring.org will confirm the amount before proceeding. The contribution is not a commission on volunteer bookings or placements, and publication does not guarantee applications, placements, social media promotion or other results.
You can read the current FAQ for hosts and publication guidelines here.
Now, let’s see what you can do to help your organization recruit volunteers.
Post leaflets
Post leaflets and ads in places where potential volunteers usually spend time, for example library bulletin boards, senior centres and university halls.
Social media marketing
Maybe even more than agencies, you can rely on social media marketing. It can be very useful in today’s hyper-connected society.
Build your organization’s Facebook and Instagram pages and regularly post photos and updates with clear descriptions. You can also build a simple website and keep it updated with pictures and news. You can create a website with tools such as WordPress without necessarily investing a lot of money, as long as the information is clear and regularly updated.
Invest in photography
Recruiting a skilled photographer can be very helpful. Ask photographer friends to help you create a good series of photos that you can display on your website and social media pages. The photos should be of good quality and should represent your organization, volunteer activities, volunteers, members of the organization and the general environment.
Word of mouth
Rely on word of mouth: make sure your volunteers have a good experience so that they can recommend your organization to friends and other people in their networks.
You could also ask them to share a testimonial about their experience. Here is an example of a volunteer testimonial.
Volunteering is obviously not a vacation, so do not be afraid to expect serious commitment. At the same time, do not treat volunteers as free labourers. Try to make them feel comfortable with their tasks and part of the community.
Other ways to get volunteers
- Advertise on as many volunteer sites as you know.
- Publish an announcement on relevant local or online community boards.
- Write to local, regional or national newspapers.
Have a good motivational title ready. Explain why people might want to volunteer with your organization, what they will be contributing to and what they can learn or experience in return.
Good luck with your search for volunteers 🙂
