The strategy for "Enhancing Volunteer Engagement" aims to boost volunteer retention and satisfaction within the organization through three primary approaches: improving communication, enhancing training and development, and fostering a community.
Improving communication involves implementing a monthly newsletter and creating dedicated WhatsApp or Slack groups for real-time interaction. Regular check-ins and surveys are used to gather feedback, while personalized thank-you emails and transparent communication help acknowledge volunteer contributions.
Enhancing training and development includes a thorough onboarding program, regular training workshops, and an online resource library. Volunteers are paired with mentors and encouraged to set personal development goals, with opportunities for attending conferences and webinars.
Fostering a community focuses on organizing social events, creating a recognition program, and encouraging team-based activities. An online forum for sharing experiences, a buddy system, and volunteer committees help build camaraderie. Annual appreciation events and social media campaigns further acknowledge and celebrate volunteer efforts.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Improve communication
- Implement a monthly newsletter to keep volunteers informed
- Create a dedicated WhatsApp or Slack group for real-time communication
- Schedule regular check-ins with volunteers to gather feedback
- Use surveys to assess volunteer satisfaction and areas for improvement
- Recognise volunteer contributions in organisation-wide meetings
- Set up an online volunteer portal with up-to-date information
- Provide clear and concise instructions for volunteer tasks
- Send personalised thank-you emails after each volunteering session
- Offer open office hours for volunteers to voice concerns
- Ensure all communication is transparent and timely
⛳️ Strategy 2: Enhance training and development
- Develop a thorough onboarding programme for new volunteers
- Offer regular training workshops on relevant skills
- Create an online resource library with educational materials
- Pair new volunteers with experienced mentors
- Host quarterly skills development sessions
- Invite industry experts to present webinars or workshops
- Provide opportunities for volunteers to attend relevant conferences
- Encourage volunteers to set personal and professional development goals
- Regularly update training materials to reflect current best practices
- Offer certificates or badges for completed training programmes
⛳️ Strategy 3: Foster a community
- Organise social events to build camaraderie among volunteers
- Create a recognition programme highlighting volunteer achievements
- Encourage team-based volunteering activities
- Set up an online forum for volunteers to share experiences
- Implement a buddy system for new volunteers
- Host an annual volunteer appreciation event
- Create volunteer committees to involve them in decision-making
- Provide branded merchandise as a token of appreciation
- Develop a social media campaign showcasing volunteer stories
- Encourage volunteers to bring friends and family to events
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
