How Technology Can Help You Connect with Supporters

A man uses a walkie-talkie to communicate at volunteer event

Elevate Your Fundraising Event With Volunteer Best Practices

Whether you’re hosting an auction or a walk-a-thon, the show can’t go on at your event without the help of seasoned, experienced volunteers. The guest experience is important, but it’s also vital to make sure your volunteers are having a great time. After all, happy volunteers are likely to become retained volunteers, who provide long-term support for your nonprofit’s mission.

But there are many factors at play when it comes to providing a good volunteer experience at your fundraising events. For example, you’ll need intuitive volunteer management software to track hours and a strong recognition strategy to make volunteers feel valued.

How can you ensure that volunteers have a great experience from recruitment to event cleanup? In this guide, we’ll discuss three best practices to support and dazzle your volunteers, leading to elevated fundraising events.

Give Volunteers the Tools They Need to Succeed

The fastest way to frustrate your volunteers is to throw them into a role without any information or training. Unfortunately, this is a common error many fundraising event planners make.

You can avoid stress and attrition by telling volunteers what to expect and providing the tools and training they need.

For example, let's say a volunteer is helping out with your organization’s silent auction checkout. Their job is to locate items and package them together for the winning bidders. In this case, you might provide:

Training: This could include giving volunteers a list of your auction items ahead of the event, explaining your auction rules, and sharing maps of where items are located.
Tools: Along with easy-to-use nonprofit auction software, consider providing bags, boxes, and other packaging materials for the items, as well as a walkie-talkie system to enhance communication and efficiency.

No matter what your volunteers’ responsibilities include, prepare them for event success by providing the right resources. Look through your list of volunteer roles and ensure you have adequate training and tools ready for each one.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Far too often, events are short on volunteers because of a communication breakdown or no communication at all. Even if your volunteer coordinator receives the commitment from a volunteer two months in advance, they won’t show up if they don't hear from your nonprofit again until the day before the event.

An important part of volunteer management is keeping your volunteers engaged, and the best way to do that is through regular and effective communication. Use these tips to improve volunteer communication at your next event:

Share regular updates about your event and what your volunteers can expect and look forward to.
Provide a written job description in a personalized email to the volunteer that includes a list of supplies they’ll have and the name of their day-of contact. Have that description printed and available for reference at each volunteer station at the event.
Regularly follow up with your volunteers via their preferred method of communication to confirm their participation and answer any questions they may have in advance.
Host a training or walk-through ahead of time. Nothing will make a volunteer feel more prepared than seeing the "what" and the "where" ahead of the event and practicing when necessary.
Create a cheat sheet for any volunteer working with your event software. Outline the main functions they’ll need to know to complete their jobs.

Get Creative with Volunteer Appreciation

Just like you steward your donors after they give, it’s essential to recognize and appreciate your volunteers once the event concludes. Say thanks on the night of the event, then make plans to reaffirm your appreciation and engage with volunteers well before it's time to ask for their commitment for the next event.

Make sure you go out of your way to make your volunteers feel appreciated. If you need inspiration, consider these volunteer appreciation ideas from NXUnite:

Send handwritten thank-you notes or eCards
Give a small gift or token from the event
Host a post-event volunteer appreciation dinner
Plan a custom volunteer awards ceremony to recognize individual achievements
Spotlight event volunteers on social media

We can’t overstate the power of a smile and a spoken “thank you,” as well. From the day they’re recruited to event wrap-up and beyond, volunteers should know how much you appreciate their help.

Don’t overlook the volunteer experience at your next fundraising event. Volunteers are the backbone of your organization, and you can show your appreciation by using these best practices to ensure they have a great experience. When you make event volunteering enjoyable, more volunteers will stick around with your organization for the long run.