5 ways to motivate your volunteers

1. Invest in a good volunteer manager

Recruiting, developing and supporting a great volunteer manager is vital for any not-for-profit (NFP) organisation that is serious about placing high value on their volunteers.

Recognise your volunteer manager as the expert by giving them support to manage and freedom to innovate. Volunteers who have an energetic and valued manager will be energetic and feel valued too.

2. Be flexible

NFP organisations need to understand that volunteers have different time commitments and levels of energy to dedicate to their volunteer work. While some volunteers are happy to dedicate a little bit of time every week or month, others might want sporadic project-based volunteering experiences.

Regularly check-in with your volunteers to ensure that the number of hours and the type of work they are being allocated matches their expectations. Volunteers will lose motivation very quickly if they feel the role is either too demanding or not worth their while.

3. Be clear about the role

Often volunteers lose motivation because they can’t see how the work they are doing is contributing to the overall mission of the organisation. The volunteer manager should explain what the task they are delegating is helping to achieve both in the short-and long-term. This will help the volunteer to understand the purpose and value of their work.

4. Keep lines of communication open

It’s important for the volunteer manager to develop a good one-on-one relationship with volunteers so that any tensions or disputes are detected and settled early.

5. Recognise and reward volunteers

A great way boost morale and motivation among volunteers is to ensure they know their efforts are appreciated. In addition to thanking volunteers in person, organisations can recognise the hard work of their volunteers in newsletters, by distributing certificates of appreciation or by holding a morning tea.