Why You Need a Volunteer Engagement Strategy (and a step-by-step guide) 

A volunteer engagement strategy allows you to plan on how to keep your volunteers engaged throughout their volunteer journey with your organization. 

An effective engagement strategy looks at your volunteer's journey from beginning to end. This includes strategies around volunteer recruitment (engagement opportunities, onboarding, etc.) and management (training, regular check-ins, annual reviews, succession planning, etc.). 

Here are some steps on how you can get started:

1. Determine the type of onboarding necessary. It's important that volunteers are armed with the information they need before they are introduced to their tasks. According to Personify Wild Apricot, here are some key things you'll want to include in your volunteer orientation strategy: 

• Informs volunteers about your mission  
• Educates them about different volunteer opportunities  
• Establishes goals for volunteers  
• Safeguards against common mishaps 
• Helps you learn more about them  
• Excites volunteers to make a difference 

2. Make sure to keep your volunteers informed as their interests and role are always changing giving rise to new challenges. Being there to support your volunteers is an ongoing process and requires a continuous commitment. A few ways you can do this are: 

• Regular check-ins 
• Coaching sessions 
• Reaching out via email 

Helping your volunteers overcome challenges that they face along the way will go a long way towards helping them grow and stay motivated encouraging long-term volunteer relationships between the volunteer and organization.  

3. Recognize the contributions that your volunteers have made. Volunteers are extremely important to any non-profit organization and it's important that their contributions are recognized. Each person is unique and has specific ways they respond to recognition; it's important to find out what works for your volunteers. 

Did you know?

United Way British Columbia's Volunteer Team offers support to Non-Profits who are in need of volunteers in British Columbia? Aside from UWBC's iVolunteer.ca platform, the volunteer team is also here to help actively promote your opportunities and provide other resources you may need to successfully recruit and manage volunteers.

You can email Aubrey Mendoza, Volunteer Coordinator. Non-Profit sector at aubreym@uwbc.ca to know more.