10 Ways to Pump Up Your Volunteer Webpage
If you’re reading this, volunteers are likely an important part of your organization’s operations. When people come to the website of your nonprofit, school or organization, is it obvious how much you value and welcome volunteers?
As the coordination experts, our free volunteer scheduling software helps nonprofits, schools and faith groups recruit and manage volunteers, but that’s just one piece of the equation! The formula for cultivating champions for your organization’s mission includes finding volunteers, getting them onboard, helping them succeed, and recognizing their efforts. Use your volunteer web page to build an authentic volunteer community online and in the real world!
10 creative ideas for taking your volunteer webpage from passable to powerful!
1. Link it from your homepage: Don't stick your volunteer page link in the bottom corner of your homepage - make it visible and easily accessible. Top your side bar with the link or include it in the navigation bar so visitors to your site see it readily available and are incited to click through.
Habitat For Humanity lists all their important links right at
the top of their homepage, calling visitors to action!
2. Pictures: Digital images are a great way to both reflect the vibrancy and life of your volunteer group as well as invite others to join in on the fun! Make sure you have volunteers taking photos during your events and include captions, locations, and names (if permitted by volunteers) when posting.
3. Social Media: Post widgets linking to your social media accounts like facebook, twitter and Pinterest. Map out available space and consider including a running social media feed so volunteers can see what you are sharing and doing with your community.
4. Video: Post short, intriguing videos or slideshows to introduce volunteers to your organization's mission and needs, to orient them to what is expected of volunteers, or to give them a look into a day of volunteering for your organization. We love this video from Project Angel Food in Los Angeles, CA.
5. Testimonials: Encourage current volunteers to submit their stories and reasons for volunteering for your organization in writing. Post their full pieces or specific quotes which can stand out on your webpage.
Keller Williams devotes an entire web page to their national annual day of service, Red Day!
6. Donations: Don't miss this vital landing spot for a link to donate to your group/organization. Visitors to your webpage are already looking to do good, and after checking out your awesome page, they may want to lend a proverbial hand right away with a donation. This example is from the Captial Area Foodbank in Austin, TX.
7. Volunteer Recognition: Run a series of appreciation ideas, whether it is acknowledging one stand out volunteer each month, posting text and photos from an appreciation party, or displaying a picture of a VIV (Very Important Volunteer) every week.
8. FAQ: Let volunteers know more with a link to a fact sheet which includes dates of your volunteer needs, what they can expect from the experience, whether back ground checks or other formalities are required, contact information for coordinators, if there are incentives like free t-shirts for a larger event, etc.
Manna Food Bank gives volunteers the facts and illustrates the unique service
volunteers do for the community through their organization.
9. Running Tallies: Make sure your volunteer webpage is illustrating the good your organization is doing in the community with hard numbers and facts. Whether it's food boxes filled, books collected for local schools, or hours served helping animals in the shelter, let visitors know the impact your volunteer efforts are having in the big picture.
10. Online Sign Up: Link straight to your VolunteerSpot sign up sheet(s) from your volunteer webpage so people can get involved with a click! Post the URL or embed a web button to grab more attention to available opportunities.
