Highly Effective Habits of (Digital) Volunteer Managers
We all know 'there's an app for that,' but when it comes to volunteer managers in the digital age, this saying rings no truer. Digital volunteer management is all about taking advantage of the engaging online tech tools and applications available to help groups large and small, connect, coordinate and do GOOD work. Check out 5 habits of effective (digital) volunteer managers:
1. They use social media. Facebook, twitter, Linkedin, Google+, just to name a few, are the channels digital volunteer managers utilize to purvey news, updates, opportunities, and the story of their organization. Connecting and engaging with volunteers online sets up the trust and positive impact their organization has with volunteers offline. Check out Facebook for Volunteer Engagement and Twitter Basics for Recruiting Volunteers
2. They use free online volunteer scheduling tools. Saving volunteers time in the digital age with the convenience of online volunteer calendars is highly prioritized by digital volunteer managers. Free, easy scheduling, mobile access 24/7 and automated reminders save hours of busy work and help volunteers stay on track. More info here
3. They show appreciation. Digital volunteer managers get creative with recognition of outstanding members in their volunteer community with online story-telling, videos and social shouts. Animoto is a fun slideshare video app that can help volunteer managers share appreciation videos via email, on their volunteer webpage and on social channels. Flikr and Shutterfly provide a platform for online photo albums for volunteers to share. Check out more Volunteer Appreciation Apps
4. They project-manage on the go. Online applications and free tech websites are the go-to toolkit for digital volunteer managers coordinating events. Dropbox and Google docs for sharing plans, Join.me and Skype for meeting up remotely, and Trello for assigning and managing pieces and people, name just a few of the free digital and mobile platforms perfect for volunteer managers.
5. They get their hands dirty. Yes, digital volunteer managers step offline and dig in with volunteers helping get the hard work done when it comes time. As volunteer managers have coordinated and organized volunteers, they convey the significance of what volunteers are doing by joining in, having fun, and respecting volunteer's time and effort.
Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
