7 Tips to Help Retain Your Volunteers

Volunteers are an indispensable part of any event, from planning to execution. Use these tips to keep them interested and engaged.

1. Short-Term commitment Volunteers respond best to short-term commitment. Cater to this by breaking jobs into smaller tasks and recruit for each, this way you aren't spreading volunteers too thin and their timeline is short and sweet. If a volunteer wants to do multiple jobs, let them! 2. Leadership A passionate leader can and will make a big difference in the way your volunteers interact with you and each other. Being a passionate leader will inspire others to stay connected and dedicated to achieving their goal. 3. Be honest Be honest about the commitment. Don't look for bodies to fill a chair, look for someone who is driven. To do that you need to be upfront about what you are asking of them and how labour intensive it can be. 4. Clear communication Part of keeping clear communication is properly outlining tasks involved for each position. When a volunteer's job is clearly outlined they will be able to complete the task easier and faster. This allows for tasks to be properly matched to the volunteers skill set. this goes both ways, have clear line of communication for your volunteer to connect with you.

5. Recruit their friends! Ask volunteers to ask their friends to volunteer. A buddy system can be very effective when keeping volunteers committed to their position. Many times, when working with friends, they feel a sense of accountability to not let them down.

6. Gratitude goes a long way

Showing appreciation for one's work can do absolute wonders for productivity. Say Thank you and have a small celebration after the event to show appreciation.

7. Keep them organized Organization is key! You will have a team of volunteers under your supervision looking for direction that must come from you. Have a stock list of volunteer names, contact information and their skill set and assigned tasks. The WayPoint platform has created a way to keep your volunteers seamlessly organized - click here to learn more.

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