Volunteer Recruitment and Training Tips from the Experts

Looking for better ways to recruit volunteers and cultivate those relationships? With the value of a volunteer rising 6.2% in 2022, the last year that data is available, to $31.80, these are impactful people your team should spend time stewarding.   

We’ve brought together a panel of partners, bursting with ideas to help you both navigate these relationships and get more volunteers invested in your mission.  

We asked our panel, “What tip(s) do you want to share for volunteer recruitment and training?” Experts from our on-site event management and donor engagement partners shared tips for ensuring you have the right event volunteers, ways to help your guests have high-level experiences with your volunteer groups, opportunities for corporate volunteer grants, and more! 

---

Volunteers are a pillar of nonprofit success. The time and effort they dedicate to your mission, events, and any other initiatives make a measurable difference in your organization’s success. 

The stats in this infographic provide deeper insight into how much their time is worth, ways you can find more volunteers, and how time spent volunteering can impact them and their mental health. 

Open the infographic now to gain more insight into volunteer relationships and maintaining them! 

---

Like any form of nonprofit support, most volunteers donate their time because they want to make a difference. When aiming to ramp up recruitment efforts, highlighting opportunities for corporate volunteer grants can go a long way. 

Grace Green, Senior Partnership Specialist at Double the Donation

These programs serve as a unique and powerful incentive for corporate employees to participate in volunteer activities with their favorite nonprofit causes. When they do, they know their employers will supply generous grant funding to the organizations with which they volunteer. Knowing that their volunteer hours will also result in financial support for the nonprofit encourages volunteers to commit their time and energy to the cause⁠—ultimately leading to more impactful volunteer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction. 

Another strategy involves partnering directly with companies organizing team volunteer opportunities. This way, you recruit new volunteers directly from your partners’ employee bases! 

Ryan Scanlan, Co-Founder at GOAT Events

When it comes to volunteer recruitment and training for your event, it’s crucial to match volunteers with roles that suit their personalities and skills. For instance, a volunteer with a bubbly and engaging personality makes an excellent greeter or line manager, creating a warm and welcoming first impression for your guests. Think of people who are familiar with a good number of attendees or possess the charm to spark conversations easily. 

For roles like registration, you’ll want individuals who not only have those people-centric soft skills but are also organized and tech-savvy, especially when using platforms like GiveSmart for check-in. This ensures a smooth and efficient process for your guests right from the start. 

At GOAT Events, we place a strong emphasis on hands-on training for our volunteers. We conduct face-to-face sessions where volunteers can practice essential tasks, such as checking themselves into the system, swiping credit cards, and placing bids. Our goal is to build their confidence in using the system, empowering them to excel in their roles and contribute to a successful event. This approach has proven to be invaluable in preparing our team to handle any situation with ease and professionalism. 

Kelly Rio, Founder and CEO at Ace the Event

Set your volunteers up for success by having clear volunteer roles and expectations. Clearly defining volunteer roles, and responsibilities for the event such as specific tasks, time commitments, and any required skills or qualifications will allow for a smoother Run Of Show. It also allows volunteers to take pride in their contribution to the success of the event and the organization’s mission.

Allison Geisinger, Vice President of Development and Events at Powered by Professionals

Make sure you find reliable volunteers who you know you can count on to show up and who are dedicated to learning their role. It is better to be short volunteers rather than to just take on any person, without making the expectations and responsibilities clear. Also, don’t forget to gather their day-of-event contact information to reach them if you need to.

Lauren Batterby, Founder & CEO at LIFE Event Staffing

Think about your organization and the things that matter to you. If you center your volunteer recruiting efforts around your organization’s vision, you are much more likely to find people who will 1) show up (let’s be honest, that’s a fight in itself), but 2) invest in your event as much as you do. For example: if you are an organization that builds homes for unhoused people, how about reaching out to your local college and recruiting their architecture students? Those students know the value of a good home and are already investing in the future to supply them for people just like you are.

---

Volunteers are a crucial to nonprofit organizations, from event day support to board members. Investing time in recruiting and training the right people fills your pipeline for strong volunteer (peer-to-peer) fundraisers and high-level supporters, such as committee and board members. 

GiveSmart offers mobile-friendly online forms that enable your organization to easily collect volunteer sign-ups. Capturing and reporting on this information in one place, and managing the data in a CRM, helps your team appreciate and understand the lifetime impact of your volunteer network.