Make Sure Your Volunteers Know Your Mission As Well As You Do

Your volunteers aren’t in it for the money, they’re volunteering because they’re enthusiastic about your mission! Consistently ensuring that your volunteers have a firm grasp on your organization’s principles and goals is good not only for PR – they’re a crucial interface between you and the public – but helps you retain your volunteers.

 

You don’t want to overwhelm your volunteers with information – how can you subtly remind them of your organization’s mission throughout the volunteer process? Here are some tips on how to do so during every step of the volunteer recruitment and retention process.

 

Signup. On the very first signup page, you can throw in a hint of what your organization does. Then, as part of the on-boarding process, you can ensure that there is personal understanding of the mission in a few ways. One way is to insert a quiz about the organization – just to check for comprehension. A more personal way is to ask your potential volunteer what the mission means to them, and how they see it playing out in their personal lives.  

 

Job descriptions. Each job description can contain language from the mission statement. The more you can repeat the same language, the better. This makes it more likely that they’ll be able to repeat the mission to folks they interact with.

 

Handouts. Don’t be afraid to hand out one-pagers before an event. The one-pagers can include logistics, maps, tips, and a blurb about how the event forwards the mission.

 

Thank yous. Again, your volunteers are working with you because they believe in your mission. It’s likely that making that connection – yet again – between their efforts and the goals of your organization will make them feel like they’ve contributed something valuable to their communities. There’s no such thing as overdoing this step!

 

Streamlining your communication strategy to focus on your mission – in varied but consistent ways – should be an organizational goal to which volunteer managers can contribute greatly.

 

Do you have any experience with mission-focused communications affecting volunteer satisfaction and retention? We always love to hear from the volunteer coordinators we work with. Email us your tips and tricks at josie@volunteerlocal.com.

 

 

 

 

Jordan Maze

Jordan Maze is a staff writer for VolunteerLocal. She enjoys going on walks with her dog, reading, and biking.