With all the complexities of organizing and running a successful nonprofit event, recruiting volunteers is one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects. Having a good number of dedicated volunteers is vital to ensure the success of your nonprofit event, and retaining these fantastic people can be just as important. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with the ultimate guide for recruiting and retaining volunteers for your nonprofits. We’ll discuss how to recruit volunteers, treat them at events, thank them appropriately, and keep them engaged with your organization. Let’s get started!
What are the specific tasks and needs that you have?
You’ll first want to consider the specific tasks and services you need. You’ll want to create a description of volunteer needs for your potential volunteers. Consider set-up tasks, clean-up tasks, and everything you’ll need in between.
You’ll want to ensure that you expect appropriate work from your volunteers, and the Department of Labor has information to confirm this. You can use Google Forms to have volunteers sign up for their preferred tasks. However, you might get an uneven number of volunteers for specific tasks. You might want to wait to assign tasks in person.
How will you reach out to volunteers?
Choosing communication streams is an essential part of your planning. You’ll need to share information on the event you’re trying to staff, how people can sign up, and the organization itself. You must also stay in touch with volunteers, send reminders, and thank them after the event.
An excellent place to start is with your own relevant social media pages. Encourage friends and family to share your posts and send press releases to local news stations and local influencers to share.
You should already have a unique email address for your organization; you should be using that to reach out to volunteers. Signing up for a mass texting system is an excellent option to keep your volunteer messages in one place.
Who are your target volunteers?
Google Forms are a great way to keep track of volunteer signups. There are also websites you can use to track volunteer signups and contacts. You’ll also need to determine how you want to keep in touch with your volunteers. Text and email are the most convenient and accessible for everyone to use.
Social media is a great way to reach out to volunteers. You’ll want to prepare a social media campaign. That might include paid ads or working with other organizations or volunteers to spread the word. A solid social media plan can help you gain volunteers and support for your organization.
Messaging is an integral part of this process. Consider the specific language you’ll use and the tone you want to present in your message. For example, you’ll want to emphasize service if recruiting volunteers for a church event. Maybe you’ll include a bible verse as well. If you’re trying to recruit parent volunteers for a school or club event, focus on their support for their children and community.
How do you thank volunteers?
After you recruit volunteers, you need to work hard to retain them. Showing gratitude to your volunteers is the best way to keep them active in your organization. Make sure to say thank you and show appreciation. There are several ways to do this:
Set up automated emails to thank volunteers when they sign up.
Write letters to individual volunteers thanking them for their work.
Give volunteers refreshments, snacks, or meals before and after your event.
Provide parking and any other special perks you can for the event itself. Having volunteers work in shifts so they can enjoy the festivities is a good start.
Put together swag bags or goody bags with gear from sponsors.
Provide gift cards, gift certificates, or tickets to events.
Plan volunteer outings that are focused on having a good time.
Use social media to thank volunteers for their exceptional work and dedication.
How often should I ask my volunteers to volunteer?
It’s essential to be consistent with planning events. Depending on the work, you might need volunteers weekly, monthly, or sporadically. This is especially important for organizations that provide free meals, clean up communities, work with hospitals or shelters, or do other community-based work.
If you have people dependent on your services, you must be consistent with providing these services. Your volunteer recruitment program should emphasize this dependency and clarify that people depend on your volunteers.
With that in mind, you must also remember the Department of Labor laws on volunteer service. Some of your volunteers will want to work every week, and others will sign up whenever possible. Please talk with your volunteers and work around their schedule as best as possible; you depend on them.
It can be difficult to recruit volunteers but don’t let the process discourage you. We also have several other blogs that might help you, like 6 Important Skills for Nonprofit Leaders. We also have blogs discussing how to plan fundraising events, and we have some event ideas if you’re unsure where to start.
How many times have you been working on a project and just hit a wall? You feel like you’ve tried every approach possible, and nothing seems to work. If you’re like most business owners, you’ve experienced burnout. Feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, and run down are all common symptoms of working too hard and not taking enough time for yourself.
Working in a creative field can be fun yet challenging. Creative blocks affect all types of creatives in hobbies and, of course, in the work field. It’s important to understand that creative blocks are usually rooted in fear, anxiety, and stress. You’ll be back on track once you can relieve the core issues.
It’s essential to start by understanding what is causing your creative block, and then you can begin working through it. Let go of any worries and allow yourself to mess up until you get it right.
What is Burnout?
First, let’s talk about burnout. Job burnout can affect your mental and physical health, putting a real burden on your work-life balance. It’s essential to take care of yourself and take steps to prevent burnout and emotional exhaustion.
Start by paying attention to these signs of burnout:
You’re not excited about work anymore
You’re struggling to complete simple tasks
You start to get frustrated with your coworkers
You start experiencing physical ailments, like migraines
You’re exhausted
Burnout can happen to anyone, but it can be especially damaging to people in creative fields. You can try some tips to help spark creativity and recover from burnout.
Collaborate with Coworkers or Other Creatives
It can seem difficult to tell anyone, especially your coworkers, you need help. Have you ever heard the saying “two minds are better than one”? Well, it might be worth asking your teammates, coworkers, or creative friends and networks for their opinions. Show them your work and ask for constructive criticism.
Your coworkers, supervisors, friends, or collaborators might be able to offer a fresh perspective. If you lack a creative circle, we offer consulting services to help you with every step of your business. Contact us for a free 15-minute consultation to see what your business can do.
Focus on Other Creative Outlets
Creative minds can struggle to focus on one thing for too long. If you struggle with this, switch to your creative hobby, or find one. Take a break and draw, paint, sew, do needlepoint, or whatever can help you re-spark your creativity.
I also suggest trying new hobbies and switching things up. It is vital for those of us working in creative fields to have creative outlets.
When creatives get highly comfortable with a hobby, they can also be perfectionists with their work. Try something new and exciting, something you must focus on and give your all to. You might be surprised by what can happen if you stop focusing on something unproductive and try to reset it. Afterward, you will return to your main project refreshed and with a new way of thinking.
Visit a Creativity Sparking Location
Viewing art can be highly inspiring. Visit your local art museum, stroll around your favorite park, and stop by your favorite coffee shop, the one with all the plants and art. We all have one. Get out of your usual space and venture into an inspiring one.
Do some research and try to find somewhere new to go. Beyond parks and museums, see if you have a conservatory nearby or a “create-your-own” shop (my favorite is a local create-your-own candle shop). Do something you’ve always wanted to or go somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.
Exercise
Don’t let the word exercise fool you. You should talk with your physician about appropriate exercise regardless of your fitness level. This could be everything from a dip in the pool to pulling out the roller skates. Hitting the gym, taking a walk, or doing your favorite form of physical activity is a great way to work through a creative block. Get your creative juices, or sweat, flowing. You’ll not only feel better, but this should also help with stress and help you refocus.
Simply Take a Break
There’s nothing wrong with taking a break, but we busy bees can find it hard for some reason. We have so many things going on, work, our personal lives, hobbies, and remembering to eat three balanced meals can be hard sometimes. We need to remind ourselves that we need to relax. Eventually, these things will become habits.
Take a hot shower, rest, watch an episode of your favorite show, clean up your space, or get a snack. Do whatever you need to relax and reset your mind to refocus and spark creativity. Taking care of yourself is key to getting adequate work done.
Planning a successful fundraising event can be a daunting task. There are hundreds of different ways to raise money and choosing the right one can be difficult. If you’ve decided that working with another company to sell products and raise money isn’t for you, then you’ll need to plan an event. There are 5 basic steps to planning an event:
Set your goals and budget
Create a plan
Promote your event
Achieve your goals and enjoy your event
Thank your supporters and ask for continued support
We discuss each of these steps in more detail in our blog, 5 Steps to a Successful Fundraising Event, but first, you have to decide what type of event you want to put together. This blog will lay out different fundraising ideas, with tips on how to plan these events and what types of organizations will benefit the most from them. It’s time to raise some money!
Walk-a-Thon
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way to gather funds and support for your cause. Participants will ask sponsors to pledge an amount of money for each mile, or whatever amount they choose, that they walk. This is a good option for school clubs and sports teams, as it takes little money to set up and you can use your school track.
However, plenty of organizations could benefit from a walk-a-thon. You need somewhere to host your walk registration forms to get started. Your participants lead the way in raising funds.
Auction
There are plenty of ways to go about hosting an auction. First, do you want to host a live or silent auction? Silent auctions allow for more mingling and networking. However, depending on what you’re auctioning, you might need to do a live auction.
Next, you have to figure out what you’ll auction at you! Start by asking local businesses if they would be interested in donating items, gift certificates, or anything else to your auction.
Maybe you have some interesting people in your network who would be willing to donate their time. You can auction experiences at places or with people, like a cooking class with a local chef, a spa package, or a vacation package. This is one of our favorite fundraising ideas simply due to the different ways you can make this event happen.
Movie Night
This one can get a little tricky if you don’t have your own space to project your movie or display a large it on a large enough screen. You can work with local theaters to find a venue, but there will be a lot of extra work, and possibly money to rent the space.
Once you decide your venue you can pick your movie, figure out snacks and refreshments, and start selling tickets.
Trivia Tournament
We love trivia tournaments because they’re easy to organize and have relatively low costs. See if a local restaurant or bar to host your event or find a space big enough for your groups.
You can set a minimum amount required to donate to enter the tournament. You can ask local businesses to contribute to the prize pool so you can count every dollar towards your goal, with limited costs.
Car Wash
A car wash is a classic fundraiser, weather permitting. You only need a warm day, a hose, car cleaning supplies, and materials for signs. Think buckets, microfiber rags, and a decent soap for cars. You’ll need people on the nearest sidewalk trying to get vehicles into your pop-up car wash. Signs and social media will be your biggest ways to advertise.
Talent Show
This is a great pick for clubs and school groups, I’ve also seen several churches make this event a success. Get people to sign up with any and all talents. I’ve seen a 15-year-old with a yo-yo win a charity talent show over singers and dancers.
Set a ticket price for attendees and a registration fee. Make sure to have additional ways to donate available at the event. When people see how amazing your group is, they might want to give more!
You’ll need to secure a venue with a stage or a gym floor with bleachers, which should be easier for churches and school groups. This fundraising event can be relatively low cost, you’ll need to advertise and provide refreshments, but that’s the minimum to get this started.
Art Auction
Another great fundraising idea for schools and churches with talented participants. An art auction fundraising event is another chance to show a unique side of your organization while getting the opportunity to network and mingle during your event.
As for the art itself, I’ve seen art auctions with incredible paintings and pottery, but I’ve also seen a crochet gift sale for auction. Let anyone with a material creative skill set to use their talents. You can also ask local artists to offer donations in the form of art to sell if you need to fill out your display.
Craft Show
If you have a talented crew but an auction doesn’t seem feasible, a craft show might be better. This will open up your options on what to sell, as you can, again, invite artists to donate to your craft show. You can
Gala or Banquet
This might be one of the toughest to pull off, but if done correctly, it can be a huge boost to your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. Again, this event is an amazing opportunity to network and showcase some of your top talent and staff within your organization. Inviting families and friends that are associated with your charity or the cause your supporting is also a great way to get more support.
There will be a lot of planning that goes into this. You’ll need a venue, catering, decorations, and entertainment. You might want to add an auction to your gala to raise even more money. If you want to learn more about planning a gala fundraising event check out this blog from Forbes.
Cook-Off
Who doesn’t love a good cook-off? Invite local chefs to partake, they’ll love the free exposure. Ask them to bring enough to serve X amount of samples of any dish, or ask for a specialty dish from them. You’ll need a location, supplies for serving and decorating, and tickets to sell. You’ll also need a way to track votes, either paper or digitally.
This is another fundraising idea that pairs well with an auction. You can auction off cookware sets, chef experiences with the chefs in attendance, and other baskets filled with goodies from these chefs’ restaurants. This fundraising event will take some time to plan, but it’ll be a memorable one for your organization and the community you serve.
Sports tournament
Sports tournaments are great for schools and churches, but any organization can make this work for them. I have seen dodgeball, basketball, and even golf tournaments. Once you decide what sport you want to do, you’ll need a venue. Next, you need to get teams to sign up with a registration fee. Once you have enough teams signed up, create your bracket and get ready to have fun!
This is a great event to reach out to local businesses for sponsorships. They can sponsor the event as a whole or they can sponsor teams. Sponsorship packages would be extremely beneficial for this event.
It’s important to remember that this is just a list of fundraising ideas, there will be a lot of research and planning involved after you choose your event. Some of these events, like a car wash or bake sale, are lower dollar amount fundraisers. They also need less initial funds to start. Other events, like a gala or banquet, are going to take extensive planning and funding to pull off. You can check out our blog on planning events to help get you started.
Are you ready to plan the perfect fundraiser for your nonprofit, classroom, club, or organization? Fundraisers don’t have to be complicated; they can be fun with some planning and creativity! Whether you’re hoping to raise money for charity or want to give your group some much-needed funds for expenses like books and field trips, this blog post will help guide you through 5 key stages of the fundraising process. If you need help with ideas, check out our blog with a list of fundraising events!
Raising money for charity or providing your group with funds for expenses can be a daunting task. This blog post will help you through the five critical stages of the fundraising process. These stages include: gathering resources, setting goals, creating a plan, executing a program plan, and following up. This blog will give you a base to build on for the perfect fundraising event.
1. Set your goals and budget:
The first thing on your to-do list should be to set SMART fundraising goals and a budget. The budget should include all expenses in planning and executing the fundraiser, from venue rental to food and drinks. If you need help staying organized, give Notion a try. It’s our favorite tool for everything organization, from making lists to keeping track of budgets.
Fundraising events are an excellent way for nonprofits to gain funds. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate the team’s capabilities and the leader’s skills. These events can be incredibly engaging and memorable with proper planning. One of the initial issues with hosting a fundraising event is how to fund the event itself.
There are plenty of ways to fund events like this. Start by investing the funds you already have. You want to ensure that you raise more money than you put in. If you’re nervous about investing your funds, you can always ask for help.
One of the most basic fundraising strategies is the cold call. Calling other, usually for-profit, organizations and asking for donations is a great start.
You can also ask local businesses for donations and assistance in exchange for marketing at your fundraising event. However, building sponsorship packages will be the most rewarding for you and the organizations you’re contacting. Step 3 will talk more about incentives for donations.
2. Create a plan
With your goals and budget in place, it’s time to get creative! Create a plan for the fundraiser. Think about the type of event you want to have, potential venues, and what activities will take place. Make sure this plan involves every detail of the fundraiser, no matter how small.
After all, it would be best to create a schedule or timeline for your fundraising event to share with potential donors. People will want to know what their money is going to. Building a slide deck with crucial information about your fundraiser might be beneficial.
Furthermore, you can schedule virtual or in-person meetings with donors to present your slide deck. This lets you share your goals, schedule, sponsorship packages, and vital information with investors.
3. Think outside of the box with incentives
Offering unique and enticing incentives for donors can encourage people to donate. It’s essential to think beyond the typical incentives like a t-shirt or bumper sticker. Consider what products or services a donor might find valuable and partner with brands to offer them.
Building sponsorship or donor packages will show that giving more means getting more for the donor or sponsor. Donors can leave a mark on your project or allow an organization to market their goods or services. Find ways to turn this into a marketing opportunity for your potential donors.
Creating sponsorship packages is an excellent start if you need to raise funds for an event. You can attach a dollar amount to a set of benefits for sponsoring your event.
For example, a donation of $500 might include listing their name on event materials, they’ll receive three t-shirts, and they’ll be listed on the event website. While a $5,000 donation might mean they get their name and logo on a sponsorship banner, they get ten t-shirts and their name with a link to their website on the event website.
4. Promote your fundraising event
Spread the word about your fundraiser far and wide! It would be best to consider who you want to attend the event and how to target those people. You can send invites or create an event page for people to RSVP. The main thing is you need a headcount.
Use social media, email blasts, and flyers to reach potential supporters. Pitch your fundraiser to local media outlets, and try getting featured, too. Additionally, consider hosting small fundraising events leading up to the big day to generate excitement and buzz.
5. Thank your supporters
Finally, thank everyone who supports your fundraiser, whatever their contribution. Incorporating donor packages is a great way to thank donors proactively. You can include marketing benefits, like banners with supporters’ logos and links to their websites on the event pages. Your appreciation of their support will be evident at your fundraising event.
To further provide thanks and keep continued support, you want to send personalized thank you messages after the event.
You can also update your social media channels listing the names of donors and consider drawing up and mailing in hand thank-you cards to each donor.
And that’s it! With this guide, you’re well-equipped to plan the perfect fundraiser. However, planning a fundraiser is just the beginning – the real challenge is executing it successfully.
Remember to set achievable goals, create a solid plan, get partners for special incentives, and promote your event well. Always appreciate every donor, no matter how little they donate.
Are you looking to add some highly qualified remote employees to your team? With the right strategy, hiring remotely can be a great way to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing operational costs.
Finding and onboarding talented remote workers is essential for business growth. This blog post provides tips on how to do this successfully. We will discuss what skills and qualifications you are looking for, how to include those in a job description, and finally how to Follow these tips to take your business to new heights!
Consider what skills and talents you are looking for
In today’s highly competitive business environment, identifying the ideal candidate with the right blend of skills and talents is crucial for driving your organization’s growth and success. To help you through this quest, we have outlined four essential questions that will guide you in writing the perfect job description. By answering these questions, not only will you crystallize the qualifications needed for the role, but you will also refine your company’s employment strategy, ultimately attracting the best and brightest professionals in your field. So, let’s delve into discovering the dynamics of your dream team!
Is your job description turning away good talent?
Your job description is going to determine if you even have people applying. You need to start by outlining the role and responsibilities clearly. Create a list of tasks to help you structure your description. Ensure that the candidate has a clear understanding of the role and its significance within the organization. Provide sufficient context about the role to accomplish this. A job description should clearly explain the role of the job and leave little room for interpretation.
Next, identify the must-have qualifications and experience for the role. Be specific and realistic, avoid setting unrealistic expectations, and avoid using a long and wordy list of requirements. Remember, your goal is to attract a diverse pool of talented applicants, so be inclusive in your language and consider candidates with transferrable skills.
Consider showcasing your company’s culture and core values when describing the ideal candidate. Remote employees value a supportive work environment, so emphasizing your commitment to providing the necessary resources and fostering collaboration will appeal to potential applicants. Furthermore, highlight any unique aspects of your company or the work that set you apart from your competitors.
Clearly detail the perks and benefits of working remotely for your organization. Be transparent about your company’s remote work policies and clearly state if this is a hybrid or fully remote position.
Finally, make sure to review and proofread the job description before posting it online. A well-written job description reduces the risk of hiring an unfit candidate and cuts down on the time and resources spent on back-and-forth communication. By following these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to hiring successful remote employees who align with your company’s needs and contribute positively to your team.
Does the pay match the experience you’re asking for?
In today’s fast-paced business world, having a team filled with successful remote employees is essential. Hiring the right professionals for remote positions can make all the difference in your company’s growth and success. However, one significant aspect of attracting top talent is offering a competitive salary that matches the experience you’re asking for.
It’s crucial to provide a salary that appropriately reflects their skills and expertise. Professionals with extensive experience and talent bring added value to your organization and can positively impact its overall performance. Compare the salary you’re offering with similar positions online. This will help you to ensure your compensation package is in line with industry standards.
The old saying, “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” rings true in the realm of hiring remote employees. To attract highly skilled individuals, your job offer needs to be enticing and competitive. Offering an attractive salary is an essential aspect of this process, as it can make you stand out from other employers.
Keep in mind that talented remote workers who have a lot of experience in their field often receive multiple offers. To secure their services, it’s essential to make sure the “honey” factor is present in your compensation package.
Flexibility and adaptability are two essential traits of a successful remote worker. By offering a salary package that accurately reflects an employee’s experience and skills, you showcase your organization’s commitment to these values.
Are you turning away good talent without a college degree?
We understand that in some careers, a college degree is essential. However, for the majority of roles, the experience can be just as beneficial, if not more so. Organizations must carefully craft job descriptions and set requirements. This is essential to prevent discouraging highly qualified candidates. A simple change in how you word your job postings can make a significant difference in the quality and diversity of applicants.
For instance, consider using “college degree preferred, but not required” in your job descriptions. This inclusive approach keeps the door open for candidates with proven experience who may lack formal education credentials but possess the skills, competencies, and passion needed for the role.
In the end, the purpose of hiring is to find the best talent for the position. By acknowledging that a degree isn’t necessarily the only measure of a candidate’s success, employers can attract a wider range of exceptional remote employees who bring valuable experience and energy to the team.
Do you really need a cover letter?
In the digital age, hiring remote employees continues to become the norm for many businesses. However, traditional hiring methods still focus on cover letters, which are rarely reflective of a candidate’s true skills and capabilities. Instead, employers should prioritize tangible results by requesting an applicant’s portfolio or completed work samples.
When considering remote candidates, it’s essential to focus on their ability to produce high-quality work independently. A well-written cover letter might be impressive, but it does not necessarily guarantee that the candidate possesses the skills you require.
Prioritizing work samples over cover letters can be more efficient. It also gives talented candidates an opportunity to showcase their skills, even if they find writing cover letters challenging. This will allow a broader range of talent to apply to this position.
Invest in a robust hiring process
If you’re struggling to find and keep top-tier candidates then you might want to spend more time focusing on your hiring process as a whole. Sometimes we hire people too quickly, without ensuring they will be a good fit. A quick interview isn’t enough to learn if someone will work well with your company.
If you are looking to hire remote employees, we highly suggest a multi-interview approach. We also suggest interviews with multiple people. You can get different opinions if you do one interview with just the hiring manager and then a second interview with HR or another supervisor present.
Consider using personality and skills assessments
Our team, at Cultural Impact, uses TTI Success Insights amongst our own team and for our clients. It has helped us learn more about each other, ourselves, and how we all work together. It’s also a very useful tool in the hiring process of some of our clients.
Through using TTI Success Insights, we’re able to learn more about ourselves and our team members, refining our remote work dynamics and fostering greater collaboration. This powerful tool has not only proven helpful in understanding our current employees but has been indispensable in our clients’ hiring processes as well.
This tool helps identify the employees’ preferred working styles, communication preferences, and skill sets. Managers can then properly align each hire with the appropriate team and tasks while ensuring a harmonious and efficient working environment.
Choosing to use a probationary period
Navigating the world of remote work can be quite daunting, especially when it comes to recruitment. There’s a multitude of talent out there, but how can you be sure you’ve hired the right candidate for the job? One method that has been gaining popularity is the implementation of a probationary period.
First off, it’s essential to understand that probationary periods are not meant to be harsh. On the contrary, they can prove helpful for both you and your new hire. Probationary periods allow employees to understand their roles better and gauge whether the company’s culture and vision align with their expectations.
Success in remote work requires a team of dedicated and skilled individuals. Implementing a probationary period can help ensure that you’ve picked the right candidate to join your remote team. Give it a try when hiring your next remote team member, and you might just find the missing piece that takes your team to new heights.
Cultural Impact LLC
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