Your volunteer program powers your initiatives, fundraisers, and outreach campaigns. Whether they’re professionals providing a skill-based service or members of your community performing routine tasks, volunteers want to work with nonprofits that have organized, impactful volunteer programs.

You can leverage technology to improve your volunteer experience and attract more supporters. Core tools such as your nonprofit’s website, CRM, event and program management software, and other solutions can help you stay organized and discover opportunities to get more value out of your program.

In this guide, we’ll discuss four core parts of every nonprofit volunteer program and how the right technology-based strategy can make them more effective.

Nonprofits routinely try new recruitment strategies to attract a variety of volunteers. After all, a strategy that earns support from local college students will likely differ from the recruitment methods that result in a professional photographer donating their time to take photos for your website.

Your nonprofit’s technology can help you cast a wider recruitment net and refine your approach to attract a few specific target audiences. Here are a few strategies for how you can leverage each of the following tools to improve your recruitment efforts:

  • Your website. New volunteers will look to your website for more information about your program. Ensure the information they find there is useful and persuasive by including detailed volunteer job descriptions, information about major upcoming volunteer projects, and a list of benefits for volunteering. You can also provide potential volunteers with up-to-date information about your program by integrating your website and CRM. Information about your volunteer program stored in your CRM will automatically sync to your website, informing volunteers about open positions, the number of volunteers in each role, or any other data you wish to share.
  • Communication tools. Your outreach tools can help you find more volunteers with both public and one-on-one communication. For example, use your social media communication platform to craft messages about your program and schedule when they go live on each platform. Then, follow up with supporters who engage with your posts with personalized emails that provide more details about the specific opportunity they showed interest in.
  • Donor database. Often, your top volunteer candidates already support your nonprofit through donations. Analyze your donor database to find supporters who are likely to respond well to messages asking them to volunteer. A few characteristics that indicate an affinity for volunteering include long-term support, residence in your nonprofit’s community, and a relationship with one of your beneficiaries. Additionally, check donors’ professions. Individuals with careers that require specialized qualifications are more likely to agree to volunteer opportunities that align with their skills and interests.

Read the full article about effective volunteer programs through technology at VolunteerMatch.