Volunteer Management
for Today’s Generation
A nonprofit organization’s best practice
guide for technology and social media
Demographics Affecting
Volunteer Rates
Peak for adults in their
30’s and 50’s
Education level
Reside with their own
children under 18
Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering: Corporation for National and Community Service,
Office of Research and Policy Development Authors
Reducing Turnover
Type/nature
of activity

Greater time
commitments

Asked by the
Organization

Involved with
multiple
organizations

Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering: Corporation for National and Community Service,
Office of Research and Policy Development Authors
Millennials

75% of the global workforce will be Millennials by

2025

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/09/04/why-you-cant-ignore-millennials/
http://www.gen-we.com/
Thinking Positive
Tech savvy
Diverse
Connected
Activists
Desire to make
difference

Desire to push
business forward

Grown up with: cell phones, Internet, connected devices

18% Hispanic, 14% black, 4% Asian, 3% Other, 59%
White
24 hour news cycle, websites as everyday part of social life

Cause awareness, online activity, conscious consumers

Service hour requirements, Teach for America, AmeriCorps

Social enterprises, crowdfunding, crowdsourcing
Negative Stereotypes
Narcissist

Entitled
Lazy
Coddled
Delusional

No attention spans
Love of Technology
Sent or received text
messages in the past day

69%

Believe new technologies
make people more efficient

become involved in philanthropic
endeavors via the Internet

2%

51%

33%

find their online philanthropic
involvement satisfying

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2012/10/23/are-millennials-lazy-or-avant-garde-social-activists/
Millennials would rather…
Give up sense of
smell

Than give up a
connected device

Have a flexible
work environment
& access to social
media

Than have a higher
pay check

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-warner/millennials-jobs_b_2566734.html
Millennials Giving Back
81%

Donated money, goods or services

70%

Educated others about a cause or issue

68%

Participated in volunteer work or service

60%

Signed an online or written petition

56%

Fundraised for a cause

52%

Expressed an opinion on positive social change issue by commenting online

49%

Joined/created a group for a positive social change issue on a social network

45%

Organized or united friends/neighbors to work together for a particular cause

43%

Provided leadership skills to an organization related to positive social change

41%

Wrote to or called a politician

36%

Attended a political rally, speech or protest of any kind

35%

Texted to make donations, voted, or organized a demonstration

http://www.waldenu.edu/~/media/Files/WAL/about/walden-university-social-change-impact-report-summary-report.pdf
*

Beliefs for the Future

Due to digital technology, people are getting involved in positive
social change issues faster and more frequently than ever
before.

*

84%

Digital technology can turn interest in a cause into a movement

more quickly than anything else

88%

World will continue to be more integrated

Think globally, act locally

http://www.waldenu.edu/~/media/Files/WAL/about/walden-university-social-change-impact-report-summary-report.pdf
Volunteer Management Cycle
Assessment

Position
Design

Retention

Recognition

Recruitment

Supervision
and
Feedback

Intake and
Screening

Orientation
and Training
Assessment

Changing Workforce
Blurring work and life
Goals achieved vs hours worked
Performance review cycles

Coworking and collaborative workspaces
Working for more than a paycheck
Flexible shifts and after hours

Emphasis on social interaction and shared learning
Place people at the center
No more “top-down”
Assessment

Millennial Values

Collaboration

Teamwork

Openness

Transparency
Assessment

Organizational Culture
Open &
Transparent
• How do you operate?
• How do you generate
money?
• How do you make
impact?

Release
control
• Be open to others
working on your
behalf
• Create true personal
connections

Requires cross-departmental institutional involvement

Solutioninspired
• Empower volunteers
to create own
solutions and execute
strategies
Position
Design

Pathway
To Get Involved
Self-organized group

Event-based
Young professional group
Leadership opportunities
Position
Design

Creating Volunteer
Opportunities

* Purpose
* Commitment level
* Date, time, location
* Staff contact
* Job description
* Benefits to the volunteer
* Prerequisites (training)
Position
Design

Types of
Volunteer Activities
Micro volunteering / crowdsourcing
One-time event volunteering

Group volunteering
Board/committee / event planning
Using background experience
Recruitment

How Millennials Find
Opportunities To Serve
Recruitment

Reaching Millennials
Use social media with strong call to action:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube

Have a good website
mobile friendly, search engine optimized, well designed
Recruitment

Reaching Millennials
Send e-mail campaigns with clear call to action
optimized for mobile
ConstantContact, Mailchimp

List opportunities online
VolunteerMatch.org, Idealist.org, Networkforgood.org

catchafire.org, christianvolunteering.org, meetup.com
sparked.com/content/nonprofit, craiglist.org,
createthegood.org, Eventbrite.com
Recruitment

How to Use Social Media

• Post
video
blogs
,
stori
es,
and
phot
os of
peop
le
you
serve
• Provi
de
direc
t
cont
act
info
(pho
ne,
emai
l,
socia
l
medi
a)
for
all
key
peop
le

2

• Disc
uss
issue
s you
are
deali
ng
with
as an
orga
nizat
ion
• Ask
ques
tions
,
idea
s,
and
ways
to
impr
ove
wee
kly

1

3

• Creat
e at
least
one
share
able
actio
n on
each
page
of
your
websi
te
• For
exam
ple,
“If
you
like
this
articl
e,
pleas
e
share
with
your
frien
ds on
Faceb
ook”

4

• Searc
h
social
medi
a
conte
nt
(post
s/twe
ets)
and
com
ment
/prov
ide
feedb
ack
on
relev
ant
conve
rsatio
ns to
your
cause
or
issue
Recruitment

Social Media Tips
Make a complete Profile
• Photos, information about your programs, links to your website and blog
• Introduce people managing the account

Listen
• Get to know your followers
• Learn from what others are doing

Chat
• Build relationships
• Don’t lead with an ask or promoting
• Offer to help, share links, retweet others, and engage in conversation

Identify influencers
• Engage the people who have trusted relationships

Call to Action
• Build relationships, engage with people, be a good resource, connect others, and then ask
your network to support your cause
Technology Tools
Making a website/blog
• Tumblr, Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, Weebly, Squarespace

Listen
• Get to know your followers
• Learn from what others are doing

Receiving Online Donations
• Paypal integration, donation widgets, VolunteerMark

Volunteer Management Software
• VolunteerMark! Signupgenius.com, volunteerspot.org, etc.

Project Management Tools
• Asana, Google Apps, AgileZen
Intake and
Screening

Volunteer Onboarding

Simplify the process
Be responsive (within 24 hours)

Give frequent updates
Make sure the volunteer is the right fit
Preferred communication Method (txt msg, Facebook)

Value volunteer’s time
Intake and
Screening

Clear Process
From Start To Finish

Volunteer Management Software

Your Website
Orientation
and Training

Organization Overview

Micro
volunteer

1 time
volunteers

Group
volunteering

Leadership
roles

Tell your story
Behind the scenes, open, honest

Engage Millennials to solve specific challenges
Relationship building
Supervision
and
Feedback

Value Feedback
Welcome all types of feedback
Ask what you can do to be better
Invest in tools and resources to position volunteers for success
Provide contact information everywhere
Be open, transparent, and accessible and always listen
Do not take down negative social media posts, try to resolve the concern
Encourage reviews on GreatNonprofits.org
Recognition

Recognizing Volunteers
Create a spotlight/blog post for highest impact volunteer
Recognize collaborative efforts
Recognize individuals for being team players
Show the impact of their work
Assess volunteers’ strengths and make deliberate connections
Say “Thank You” and “Happy Birthday”
Build personal relationship and ask about their interests/life

Volunteer Appreciation parties and social events
Retention

Retaining Millennials
Maintain regular communication through varied channels

Have a skills bank that maps the competencies of your volunteers

Know and understand who they are and how they are contributing

Provide opportunities for Millennials to involve their friends and family

Provide career-building opportunities – develop a new skills set
Key Takeaways
Social
experience

Skills-based
volunteering

Solutioninspired

Call to
Action
Thank You!
Andrew Stanley
(913) 735-7520
andrew@volunteermark.com
VolunteerMark – Maximizing The Volunteer Experience
www.volunteermark.com
www.facebook.com/volunteermark

@volunteermark
5250 W. 116th Place, Suite 200
Leawood, KS 66211

Volunteer Management for Today's Generation

  • 1.
    Volunteer Management for Today’sGeneration A nonprofit organization’s best practice guide for technology and social media
  • 3.
    Demographics Affecting Volunteer Rates Peakfor adults in their 30’s and 50’s Education level Reside with their own children under 18 Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering: Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development Authors
  • 4.
    Reducing Turnover Type/nature of activity Greatertime commitments Asked by the Organization Involved with multiple organizations Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering: Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development Authors
  • 5.
    Millennials 75% of theglobal workforce will be Millennials by 2025 http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/09/04/why-you-cant-ignore-millennials/
  • 6.
  • 7.
    Thinking Positive Tech savvy Diverse Connected Activists Desireto make difference Desire to push business forward Grown up with: cell phones, Internet, connected devices 18% Hispanic, 14% black, 4% Asian, 3% Other, 59% White 24 hour news cycle, websites as everyday part of social life Cause awareness, online activity, conscious consumers Service hour requirements, Teach for America, AmeriCorps Social enterprises, crowdfunding, crowdsourcing
  • 8.
  • 9.
    Love of Technology Sentor received text messages in the past day 69% Believe new technologies make people more efficient become involved in philanthropic endeavors via the Internet 2% 51% 33% find their online philanthropic involvement satisfying http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2012/10/23/are-millennials-lazy-or-avant-garde-social-activists/
  • 10.
    Millennials would rather… Giveup sense of smell Than give up a connected device Have a flexible work environment & access to social media Than have a higher pay check http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-warner/millennials-jobs_b_2566734.html
  • 11.
    Millennials Giving Back 81% Donatedmoney, goods or services 70% Educated others about a cause or issue 68% Participated in volunteer work or service 60% Signed an online or written petition 56% Fundraised for a cause 52% Expressed an opinion on positive social change issue by commenting online 49% Joined/created a group for a positive social change issue on a social network 45% Organized or united friends/neighbors to work together for a particular cause 43% Provided leadership skills to an organization related to positive social change 41% Wrote to or called a politician 36% Attended a political rally, speech or protest of any kind 35% Texted to make donations, voted, or organized a demonstration http://www.waldenu.edu/~/media/Files/WAL/about/walden-university-social-change-impact-report-summary-report.pdf
  • 12.
    * Beliefs for theFuture Due to digital technology, people are getting involved in positive social change issues faster and more frequently than ever before. * 84% Digital technology can turn interest in a cause into a movement more quickly than anything else 88% World will continue to be more integrated Think globally, act locally http://www.waldenu.edu/~/media/Files/WAL/about/walden-university-social-change-impact-report-summary-report.pdf
  • 13.
  • 14.
    Assessment Changing Workforce Blurring workand life Goals achieved vs hours worked Performance review cycles Coworking and collaborative workspaces Working for more than a paycheck Flexible shifts and after hours Emphasis on social interaction and shared learning Place people at the center No more “top-down”
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Assessment Organizational Culture Open & Transparent •How do you operate? • How do you generate money? • How do you make impact? Release control • Be open to others working on your behalf • Create true personal connections Requires cross-departmental institutional involvement Solutioninspired • Empower volunteers to create own solutions and execute strategies
  • 17.
    Position Design Pathway To Get Involved Self-organizedgroup Event-based Young professional group Leadership opportunities
  • 18.
    Position Design Creating Volunteer Opportunities * Purpose *Commitment level * Date, time, location * Staff contact * Job description * Benefits to the volunteer * Prerequisites (training)
  • 19.
    Position Design Types of Volunteer Activities Microvolunteering / crowdsourcing One-time event volunteering Group volunteering Board/committee / event planning Using background experience
  • 20.
  • 21.
    Recruitment Reaching Millennials Use socialmedia with strong call to action: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube Have a good website mobile friendly, search engine optimized, well designed
  • 22.
    Recruitment Reaching Millennials Send e-mailcampaigns with clear call to action optimized for mobile ConstantContact, Mailchimp List opportunities online VolunteerMatch.org, Idealist.org, Networkforgood.org catchafire.org, christianvolunteering.org, meetup.com sparked.com/content/nonprofit, craiglist.org, createthegood.org, Eventbrite.com
  • 23.
    Recruitment How to UseSocial Media • Post video blogs , stori es, and phot os of peop le you serve • Provi de direc t cont act info (pho ne, emai l, socia l medi a) for all key peop le 2 • Disc uss issue s you are deali ng with as an orga nizat ion • Ask ques tions , idea s, and ways to impr ove wee kly 1 3 • Creat e at least one share able actio n on each page of your websi te • For exam ple, “If you like this articl e, pleas e share with your frien ds on Faceb ook” 4 • Searc h social medi a conte nt (post s/twe ets) and com ment /prov ide feedb ack on relev ant conve rsatio ns to your cause or issue
  • 24.
    Recruitment Social Media Tips Makea complete Profile • Photos, information about your programs, links to your website and blog • Introduce people managing the account Listen • Get to know your followers • Learn from what others are doing Chat • Build relationships • Don’t lead with an ask or promoting • Offer to help, share links, retweet others, and engage in conversation Identify influencers • Engage the people who have trusted relationships Call to Action • Build relationships, engage with people, be a good resource, connect others, and then ask your network to support your cause
  • 25.
    Technology Tools Making awebsite/blog • Tumblr, Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, Weebly, Squarespace Listen • Get to know your followers • Learn from what others are doing Receiving Online Donations • Paypal integration, donation widgets, VolunteerMark Volunteer Management Software • VolunteerMark! Signupgenius.com, volunteerspot.org, etc. Project Management Tools • Asana, Google Apps, AgileZen
  • 26.
    Intake and Screening Volunteer Onboarding Simplifythe process Be responsive (within 24 hours) Give frequent updates Make sure the volunteer is the right fit Preferred communication Method (txt msg, Facebook) Value volunteer’s time
  • 27.
    Intake and Screening Clear Process FromStart To Finish Volunteer Management Software Your Website
  • 28.
    Orientation and Training Organization Overview Micro volunteer 1time volunteers Group volunteering Leadership roles Tell your story Behind the scenes, open, honest Engage Millennials to solve specific challenges Relationship building
  • 29.
    Supervision and Feedback Value Feedback Welcome alltypes of feedback Ask what you can do to be better Invest in tools and resources to position volunteers for success Provide contact information everywhere Be open, transparent, and accessible and always listen Do not take down negative social media posts, try to resolve the concern Encourage reviews on GreatNonprofits.org
  • 30.
    Recognition Recognizing Volunteers Create aspotlight/blog post for highest impact volunteer Recognize collaborative efforts Recognize individuals for being team players Show the impact of their work Assess volunteers’ strengths and make deliberate connections Say “Thank You” and “Happy Birthday” Build personal relationship and ask about their interests/life Volunteer Appreciation parties and social events
  • 31.
    Retention Retaining Millennials Maintain regularcommunication through varied channels Have a skills bank that maps the competencies of your volunteers Know and understand who they are and how they are contributing Provide opportunities for Millennials to involve their friends and family Provide career-building opportunities – develop a new skills set
  • 32.
  • 33.
    Thank You! Andrew Stanley (913)735-7520 [email protected] VolunteerMark – Maximizing The Volunteer Experience www.volunteermark.com www.facebook.com/volunteermark @volunteermark 5250 W. 116th Place, Suite 200 Leawood, KS 66211