Getting Started Guide

Welcome to the Resource Hub—an exciting journey awaits you! This hub is tailored to enhance your knowledge of volunteer engagement, taking you through each component of a strong volunteer program, with how-to articles, templates and practical advice. With more volunteer support, your organization will be able to extend your hours of operation. With more hands on deck, your organization will be able to pack and distribute more meals. Focusing in on your volunteer program is a huge key to increasing your impact and reducing barriers to your clients.

We've got four main sections, beginning with the planning phase of Developing Volunteer Projects and Descriptions, where you'll set yourself up for success from the beginning. From there, you'll need strong Recruitment practices to get volunteers in the door. When project day rolls around, you'll need to be Managing Volunteers effectively. And of course, you'll want them to return, so we've got a section on Retention and Recognition.

Read on to get an idea of how to flow through each section, or, watch our recorded demo of the platform.

First, we plan ahead! 

We start by ensuring our plans for volunteers and projects, are highly organized and intentional. This is crucial to ensuring we make the impact that matters most to our organizations and provide a great volunteer experience. So, Developing Volunteer Projects + Positions is the first stop in your journey. The first thing you'll want to do is a Needs Assessment, to reveal what volunteer roles and tasks are most needed by your organization. Read Needs Assessments - How to Facilitate and the companion article Needs Assessment - Question Bank to guide you on this. With the needs uncovered via the assessment, you will create the volunteer roles using the Creating Volunteer Position Descriptions - this is a step-by-step guide to creating volunteer roles and responsibilities. If you often work with youth volunteers, we've got an article of 6 Great Projects for Youth Volunteers!

Now, we recruit volunteers!

Now that we’ve set some expectations with clearly defined volunteer roles, it’s time to recruit volunteers! The Recruitment category has articles such as Key Methods to Recruiting Volunteers and How to Make a Great Flyer. These resources share the top approaches to bringing new volunteers in the door, what to include in your recruitment materials, and even a template! Communication with volunteers is key. Check out the two-part article on Volunteer Newsletter: Fundamentals and Volunteer Newsletter – Components for advice on time, building an audience, software, content, and samples!

Now that we've got volunteers signed up, let's make sure it's a great experience.

The next section is Managing Volunteers. Start with Elements of a GREAT Volunteer Project, a comprehensive guide to great volunteer experiences at the project. If you work with youth volunteers, check out Managing Youth Volunteers to learn more about best practices of engaging volunteers under 18.

Keep them coming back! 

Our final section is Retention and Recognition. You’ve already set the foundation by taking the time to identify your volunteer needs, creating volunteer position descriptions and recruitment materials, and planning fun and meaningful volunteer opportunities that connect with your mission. The articles How To Retain Volunteers and 10 Ways To Show Appreciation to Volunteers provide additional tips and ideas to keep volunteers coming back! Remember - a return volunteer means less time spent recruiting new volunteers, and they are great for leadership roles, too.

As you navigate through the Resource Hub, know that there's a human on the other side ready to answer any specific questions or talk more about any component. You can reach us using the Ask a Question button. And, please share your feedback on your experience by taking this short survey. We’d love to hear your thoughts and where you’d like us to go next!