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The VolunteerSpot blog has moved and is still alive and well! We continue to add new helpful tips and ideas every month with the goal of making life a little easier for all you awesome (volunteer, PTA/PTO, teacher, faith group, league, workplace, neighborhood, and community) Organizers out there.

 

SignUp.com’s Idea Center

We invite you to search our VolunteerSpot blog archive for past posts that may be of interest, and for fresh, up-to-date content, head over to the SignUp Idea Center. Here you’ll find fun ideas, best practices, smart planning tips, and free downloadable graphics, PLUS printable and fillable checklists, letters, coloring pages, appreciation certificates, thank you notes, and much more. 

We’ve got you covered when it comes to volunteer management (for nonprofit organizations, schools, teams, whatever your cause!), fundraising, holidays and other seasonal events, family reunions, picnics, potlucks… you get the point!

Whatever your interest, Start Planning Now at SignUp!

5 Things to Include in Your Community Impact Statement

Volunteer Impact Report

Whether you're recruiting volunteers, applying for a nonprofit grant, or simply updating your volunteer webpage with the latest and greatest news about your organization, there are a handful of key components to include that help illustrate your group's impact in the community:

 

1. Volunteer Hours: Tracking, measuring and sharing volunteer hours is vital to quantifying your nonprofit's community impact. Online tech tools like VolunteerSpot make it easier for organizers to schedule and track volunteers while hours reports are updated real-time with one-click access. Apps like RewardVolunteers also help volunteers report and track their service hours too. We love this impact report from Manna Food Bank in Western North Carolina that was direct mailed to supports, donors and volunteers >>

 

2. Value of Service: Did you know the national dollar amount placed on an hour of volunteer service is $23.56/hour? That's huge! VolunteeringInAmerica.gov revealed that nationwide in 2015 the estimated value of volunteer service was $184 billion, wow!Tracking your volunteer hours and capturing the value of that time, skill and talent as a dollar amount helps paint the picture of how your group is benefiting the community around them too.

 

3. Money Raised: Donations, contributions and money collected is a reflection on the both the impact your organization can have in the community as well as the loyalty and dedication of your donor base. Did you know volunteers are almost twice as likely to donate to charity than non-volunteer? When you're quantifying donations and community impact 

 

4. Specific Products/Services Given: As seen in the above example, Manna Food Bank illustrates how many pounds of food and produce was distributed, as well as how many food backpacks for resource-limited families were given out. Whatever your group is physically doing, sharing and distributing in the community, share it! Houses built, food distributed, kids tutored, meals cooked, you name it.

 

5. Testimonials: Your community impact story needs to be just that . . . a story. Interviews with willing volunteers and community members who have been affected by the GOOD work of your organization is a must for your community impact statement. Feature quotes and stories on your volunteer webpage, your nonprofit marketing materials and in follow-up appreciation letters to donors and volunteers.

 

Also see:

Nonprofit Fundraising Trends

 

Social Media in Event Management

 

5 Key Elements to a Volunteer Webpage

 

 

Family Volunteer Opportunities

5 Youth Service Ideas for Spring

Springtime is the time for getting out and doing good with your kids! Here are a few key opportunities for kids and teens to pitch in and help someone in need this season:

1. National Volunteer Week (April 6 - 10, 2016) > The long celebrated National Volunteer Week is a great time for families to connect with local organizations and causes they care about to support a specific volunteer project in their community. The week-long celebration also encourages volunteer appreciation and media coverage of year-round opportunities for volunteers to pitch in and help others. Learn more and access a free National Volunteer Week toolkit over on PointsofLight.org.

2. Global Youth Service Day (April 15 - 17, 2016) > With a special focus on the contributions of children and youth in their community, GYSD (sponsored by Youth Service America) is the largest service event in the world. It's easy for families to get involved > visit the Global Youth Service Day website and work with your kids to pick, plan, post and promote a service project that will impact their neighborhood or community.

3. Earth Day (April 22, 2016) > Earth Day falls on a Friday this year and what better way to engage children in stewardship of the environment than with service and volunteer projects that weekend? Whether volunteering at an Earth festival or celebration in your city, pitching in at the community or school learning garden, or simply beautifying the green space of a local nonprofit, there are tons of 'green' ways to get involved, see more here.

    Related: 6 Eco-friendly Service Ideas

4. Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2 - 6, 2016) > This treasured week to recognize and thank teachers is a great way to involve kids in acts of kindness and generosity. Handwriting thank you cards and creating giftbaskets or baking sweet treats for the teacher together are simple ways kids can take action in showing their appreciation. Check out more teacher appreciation ideas here.

5. Hasbro Community Action Hero Award > Know a young person already making a difference in their community? You can nominate them for the Hasbro Community Action Hero Award, a program of GenerationOn. With nominations opening soon, it's a great time to think about the outstanding children (5 - 18 yrs) who you know that are making an extraordinary mark on their community through service, advocacy or innovation. Learn more here.

 

Also see:

10 Tips for Volunteering as a Family

5 Summer Volunteer Ideas for Teens and Tweens

How to Encourage Teens to Volunteer

10 Family Service Ideas

 

 

Funding Your Cause

3 Ways to Find Money to Support Your Community Cause or Service Project

Looking to make a difference in your community but falling short on funds? Even the littlest amount of money can make a difference towards purchasing much-needed supplies, food, and gas for your initiative. There are GOOD companies out there who want to support your ideas - you just need to know where to find them. Check out these 3 below:

1. DreamBuilders Contest: Now through Feb. 7th, 2016, CreatetheGood.org is collecting video entries for the DreamBuilders contest where the grand prize winner will get $2,500 to support their favorite nonprofit's service project or event. It's super simple to enter, even a short video from your smartphone will do! Click here to register and submit your entry today >> 

2. Thrivent Financial Action Teams: Thrivent Financial, a leading financial services organization "connecting faith and finances for good," supports community volunteer teams led by Thrivent members. With seed money and promotional supplies provided by Thrivent Financial, these Action Teams are an incredible way for Thrivent members to make an impact where they live, work and worship. Learn more.

3. GrantWatch.com: Keep an eye on GrantWatch for news about grants and government dollars allocated for community service. Filter your alerts by region, category of nonprofit or service initiative, and source of grants (federal, foundation, state, etc). Learn more here

 

Also see:

5 Ways to Encourage Teens to Volunteer

10 Family Service Ideas

 

 

Volunteer Management Ideas

How to Prevent (and Handle) Last-Minute Volunteer Cancellations

An all to real situation volunteer managers have to face when coordinating a busy schedule for lots of volunteers is last-minute cancellations. Not only can this seriously affect the support your volunteer event so vitally needs, but it can cause undue stress and lead to further scheduling complications. Check out these 5 top tips for preventing and handling last-minute volunteer cancellations:

1. Coordinate volunteers online: Free, online volunteer scheduling systems like VolunteerSpot afford volunteer managers the capability to rely on comprehensive online tools to schedule, manage and communicate with volunteers (to avoid last-minute cancellations). An easier alternative to paper sign-up sheets and 'reply-all' emails, free, online sign-ups from VolunteerSpot ensure all your volunteers the convenience of checking out available spots to get involved from their computer or mobile device; as well as captures contact information for the organizer and issues automated confirmation and reminder messages. Try a free demo

2. Ask volunteers to swap: Establish a 'swap' policy with your volunteer group where if someone cannot make their shift, they're in charge of swapping their spot with another volunteer who can cover them. *Note: VolunteerSpot's unique "Swap" feature makes it super easy for volunteers to message and swap spots with one another, right from the online sign-up. Learn more

3. Share a 'sub' list: If the total spots for your volunteer event filled quickly, but you still have interested individuals, ask them to serve as subs or alternate to be on call if someone cancels. Build your substitute list in VolunteerSpot as a "no date" sign-up, or share with your volunteer group using Google Docs or Dropbox, free cloud storage tools.

4. Invite volunteers to bring friends: When recruiting volunteers for your school or nonprofit, encourage individuals to come in groups or with friends. Volunteers may be less likely to cancel last minute if they have both a commitment to the event and to another person they're going with.

5. Use group messaging tools: Find easy ways to communicate with your entire volunteer group quickly in case of a last-minute cancellation. VolunteerSpot's online sign-ups come with free messaging tools that help leaders email volunteers in seconds as a group or by status (i.e. signed up, invited, etc). Apps like Voxer and Facebook Messenger let you text, message, or live voice chat with your volunteer group wherever they're at on any device.

Also see:

10 Ideas for Volunteer Recruitment

8 Ways to "Reach" Volunteers

Free Twitter Volunteer Recruitment Images

Volunteer Incentive Ideas

Maintaining a Successful Volunteer Program

 

 

Festival Planning | FestForward

Festival Planning Hints and Tips from FestForward

At VolunteerSpot, we power festivals big and small around the country - from one-day community events like the Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson, to multi-day international events like the Long Beach International Film Festival. We wanted to learn more and went to the experts at FestForward.

Laurie Kirby and Stuart MacNaught, two long time veterans in the festival space, saw the diversity of festivals and lack of a centralized network and community and created FestForward, a conference dedicated to festival organizers. On Sunday, November 22, over 500 attendees gathered in Santa Barbara to learn from one another over the course of three days while participating and enjoying dozens of panels, speakers, a hackathon, live music, wine and beer tastings and a “Best of Fests” Award Ceremony.

Highlights included Lesa Ukman, a leading authority on sponsorships, who led an intimate panel that helped festivals better understand how to approach sponsors and execute sponsorship proposals, and Scott Mirkin, one of America’s most successful event producers, sharing his thoughts on the importance and evolution of technology in festivals.

The diversity of festivals is impressive and that’s before you consider the people and companies who bring them to life. From tiny non-profits, which can be staffed almost entirely by volunteers and rely on donations or fundraisers for support, to large for-profit organizations with legions of paid staff with healthy budgets and big name sponsors that can generate millions of dollars in revenue.

Not surprisingly many of these festivals and their organizers face a number of similar challenges including sponsorship activation, staffing, volunteer organization and most importantly delivering a great experience to attendees. A number of vendors were on hand at FestForward to show off their solutions for addressing these issues including Eventbase, a company that specializes in designing world class apps for festivals of all shapes and sizes.  In addition to building custom apps for events like SXSW, the London Olympics and Sundance they also offer a free version for those who might have a slightly smaller budget.

Based on the success of this year’s event dates have already been announced for next year’s conference which will take place November 20 – 22 in Santa Barbara. For more details, please visit:  http://www.aboutfest.com/home.html

 

*Image courtesy of AboutFest.com

Volunteer Communication Tactics

8 Ways to Reach Volunteers

Recruiting volunteers? Trying to engage new supports for your organization? Simply need more hands helping at school? Bookmark this list of 8 simple but innovative and time-saving communication tactics for reaching volunteers:

1. Tweet: A simple tweet can say a lot! If your community organization is looking for volunteers, strategic tweeting might do the trick. Utilize searchable hashtags like city names, events, etc. Check out, 8 Best Practices When Tweeting for Help.

2. Email: Whether in a letter-style email from your nonprofit leader or an eNewsletter full of content and volunteer opportunities, email is going to be one of your number one ways to reach current and potential volunteers at just the right time. Companies like Emma, MailChimp, Constant Contact, and iContact are great vendors to check out for more enhanced eMarketing capabilities.

3. Blog/Webpage: If your nonprofit has a website, make sure your volunteer webpage is doing everything it can for you! Post volunteer opportunities and sign-up links frequently, share volunteer testimonials, and encourage visitors to follow your group on social media. You never know, your next great volunteer leader might just be a google search away!

    Related: 10 Ways to Pump Up Your Volunteer Webpage

4. Online Sign-Ups: The easiest way to coordinate and communicate with volunteers is to schedule and remind them online! Planning a service project, an appreciation potluck, a carnival, festival or fundraiser? VolunteerSpot's free online sign-ups and scheduling tools are the answer for saving time and boosting participation! Try it out now

5. Facebook: Reach volunteers where they're at - on social media! Posting volunteer opportunities, nonprofit news, even feel good quotes and volunteer pictures is a great place to start in developing a communication highway on facebook. Check out Facebook for Volunteer Recruitment & Engagement.

6. Post online: Online resources like HandsonNetwork.org, VolunteerMatch.org and CreateTheGood.org let organizations and nonprofits post volunteer opportunities in an online database that anyone can access who is interest. Read more

7. Word of mouth: Few recommendations carry as much weight as someone telling a friend what an amazing time they had volunteering for your organization. If you're group is struggling to recruit new members, consider a "Bring a friend program" where current volunteers are encouraged to bring a friend or group with them to the next volunteer event. Organic, word-of-mouth buzz helps build a loyal base of supporters for years to come.

8. Like organizations: Network with similar organizations in your area to boost one another's visibility in the community. Partnering with another local cause or group can give you access to a whole new sect of volunteers and donors who have a record for giving back and supporting the community. Consider swapping emails to one another's lists, sharing booth expenses at the community festival or promoting one another on social media.

Non-profit Fundraising Ideas

New Study Reveals What Works for Non-Profits Big and Small

Fundraising events like galas, auctions, walk-a-thons, and  are not only great community builders but main sources of operating budgets for non-profits big and small. Event fundraising, however, can be a real gamble especially when resources are tight.

• What is the best bang for your non-profit's buck when it comes to fundraising events? 
• What tools and resources help streamline the event planning process to be more efficient and profitable? 
• How can nonprofits secure recurring donations and loyal donors while also raising awareness for their cause?

A recent IndustryView study from Software Advice, a company that provides online reviews of nonprofit software, illumines answers to these questions and many more with insights based off a survey of fundraisers who have planned at least one major event in the past year. Check out their INFOGRAPHIC with key findings below and read the full report here.

Key Findings Include >

Type of Event: Fun Runs and Walks are recommended for non-profits of all sizes due to their higher ROI and ease of planning, while time-consuming events like concerts and galas take much more work and bigger initial investments. 

How to Organize: Event planning and volunteer management tools streamline coordination and communication and save hours of administrative work. Check out our favorite free tech tools that simplify event planning, and the Top 10 Fundraising and Donor Management Software Systems recommended by SoftwareAdvice.com.

What to Measure: Cost Per Dollar Raised (CDPR), # of attendees, # of donors - what your non-profit measures for success can affect how you decide to fundraise in the future.

Read the full SoftwareAdvice.com Study,
"Which Fundraising Event is Best for Your Nonprofit".

Also see:

5 Ways to Leverage Technology & Boost Community Impact

Benefit Auction Ideas that Work

Boosting Fundraiser Turnout & Profits

Charity Race Sign-Ups

Organizing Walkathon, Fun Run & 5K Volunteers

Training for a 5k? Try training to organize one! From managing tactical event details to recruiting and organizing volunteers and sponsors, coordinating an outdoor race or athletic fundraiser can really take the wind out of you. Stress less and save time finding all the help you need with free online sign-ups from VolunteerSpot!

24/7 access from a computer or mobile device makes signing up to help with this year's 5K or Fun Run a breeze, not to mention eCalendar syncing and automated email reminders! Volunteers and helpers will thank you for making it so easy to get involved. 

Charity Race Sign-Up (Mobile View)

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Charity Race Sign-Up (Desktop View)

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In addition to intuitive and quick scheduling tools, volunteer coordinators have access to:

• Adding a custom background theme to a sign-up
• Collecting extra information from volunteers (i.e. t-shirt size)
• Having volunteers sign a permission or waiver
• Adding an event map and extra documents to the sign-up
• Inviting volunteers to the sign-up via email, social media, website
• Messaging volunteers by date or status signed-up
• And much more!

Try a free demo today or get started - you'll be glad you did!

 

Also see:

7 Tips for Planning a Successful Walkathon

Charity Walks: Easy Ways to Thank Volunteers

15 Summer Volunteer Ideas for Kids (of All Ages)

Family Volunteer Ideas

Thanks to RewardVolunteers for this inspiring guest post. RewardVolunteers makes it easy to do GOOD, earn rewards and spread the word about helping others.

Shine a light on service this Summer with these creative and FUN volunteer ideas for kids of all ages!

K – 6 > You’re never too young to give back! We love these easy, kid-friendly ideas for helping others:

• Make a treat with mom for an elderly neighbor or new mom like Light & Classic Lasagna or Baked Macaroni & Cabot Cheddar
  
• Host a lemonade stand and give the proceeds to a local cause
• Donate gently used toys & books to a children’s shelter
• Write/decorate cards for shut-ins, troops overseas (using leftover artwork from school)
• Volunteer with mom or dad at a local animal shelter walking, grooming dogs

Teens > Encourage your teen to join their friends in planning a special service project over the Summer:

• Clean and landscape the green space of a local school or nonprofit
• Collect change, allowance and summer job tips over the season to donate
• Host a bake sale for your neighborhood or community and donate the earnings; try baking easy recipes like Lemon-Yogurt Poundcake, Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Squares, or Whole Grain Quiche
  
• Mentor, coach or tutor a young person (neighbor, friend) at no charge
• Join your faith group or other on a mission trip or Habitat build

Youth/Adults > It’s easy to weave service into fun Summer events and activities you already have planned:

• Take part in a fundraiser or event where proceeds benefit your community, i.e. Fun Run
• Volunteer with a local wildlife museum, nature center or parks department event
• Share your time and talents at a Summer workday for church, childhood camp or school
• Pick up a Meals on Wheels route or plant extra veggies in the garden to donate to a homeless shelter. Check out Cabot's Cheddar Cheese Fudge.
  
• Turn your gathering into a food drive – ask for donations of canned goods at the next bbq or pool party

Get rewarded for all your GOOD work with RewardVolunteers! Reward Volunteers is a free, easy way to track the time you spend volunteering in your community and to earn rewards for your contributions. You can also amplify your good work on social media to spread the word and get friends involved. Prizes include vacations, cash, cruises and much more. Get started 

8 Volunteer Incentives

Volunteer Recruitment & Engagement Ideas

Volunteers give from the heart - but it never hurts to have a little incentive too, once in a while. Check out these easy 8 volunteer incentives that could help your school or nonprofit boost turnout today!

1. Food: Volunteers won't necessarily show up just for the food, but they sure will remember snacks and drinks were provided. Whether it's icey lemonade shared with volunteers during the hot festival hours, or coffee and donuts for an early morning volunteer project, simple food and beverage is a great way for volunteers to commune and bond, and shows your organization is putting in the extra effort.

Related: Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Sign-Ups

2. Complimentary Access: Recruiting volunteers for a festival, conference, fair or concert series? Complimentary access, free admission and/or a chance to win tickets is a great way to encourage more folks to help out with your event.

3. Swag: It's almost commonplace, but a simple knick knack or token (think key chains and pens all the way up to reusable water bottles and t-shirts) are a fun way to incentivize volunteers. Ask a local vendor to donate them, or work 'volunteer swag bags' into the budget for your next big event.

4. Time-saving sign-ups and scheduling. Do your volunteers get bogged down in 'reply-all' emails and last-minute phone calls? The best way to encourage volunteers to get involved quick and easy is to streamline the scheduling process with free online sign-ups with reminders. Mobile, 24/7 access, eCalendar syncing, and automated email reminders make it easy for volunteers to stay on task and encourage them to return regularly to help out. Get started

5. Credit: "Volunteer dollars" or credits towards the Book Fair, Rummage Sale, Benefit Auction, etc. entices volunteers, not just to help out, but to put in extra hours too!

6. Community Coupons: Promotions and coupons to local restaurants, movie theaters, retailers, you name it are a great way to both thank volunteers and encourage them to sign up to help in the first place. Connect with vendors in the region with a simple phone call asking if they are interested in supporting volunteers for your event.

7. Fundraising Goals: Fun volunteer and donor incentives include fundraising goals where a specific event or action will take place if a certain amount of money is raised. Duct-taping teachers and staff to walls is a favorite for elementary schools, while non-profits can shoot for pie-ing their founder in the face at the annual carnival or watching them shave their head for the charity.

8. Kudos: Knowing you're appreciated, and even publicly so, is great fuel for volunteers to return and stay loyal to your organization. Kudos as simple as shout-outs on facebook, twitter, and your group's website is an easy place to start. Tag your volunteers' social handles where possible, post photos and ask for their own testimonials and quotes to be shared too.

 Also see:

10 Ideas for Volunteer Recruitment

Best Practices for Tweeting Volunteer Opportunities

Facebook for Volunteer Engagement

5 Key Elements for Your Volunteer Webpage

National Volunteer Week

Happy National Volunteer Week from Team VolunteerSpot!

Whether you're getting in the spirit by giving back this week, or taking time to thank the volunteers in your life, have an awesome National Volunteer Week - here's to you!

 

Check out:

30 Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

Free Volunteer Certificates & Printables

Volunteer Appreciation Ideas on Pinterest

Ideas for Thanking Volunteers in your Life

Find Volunteer Opportunities in Your Area

The Volunteer Gift Guide

Volunteer Appreciation Lunch Sign-Up

Coordinating Volunteer Appreciation Events | National Volunteer Week

Planning a special event for National Volunteer Week? Whether for a party or luncheon, free online sign-ups will save you (and your volunteers) time in getting coordinated for delicious fun!

Use VolunteerSpot's intuitive scheduling and communication tools to quickly set up what needs to be brought for the lunch and where you need participants; invite them to sign up 24/7 from their computer or smartphone, and rely on eCalendar syncing and automated reminders to keep everyone on track! Get started

See how easy it is to set-up your Appreciation Luncheon sign-up in this quick video:

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And don't miss these great Appreciation Potluck ideas:

Potluck Sign-Ups & Planning Tips

8 Creative Potluck Food Card Ideas

5 Steps to Potluck Perfection

6 Potluck Favorites Folks Love

Super Fun Potluck Themes

Brunch / Lunch Recipes on Pinterest

 

Maintaining a Successful Volunteer Program

Volunteer Management Ideas

By: Jessie Lynn Olien, Co-Director of the Volunteer Program Assessment Service at UNC-Charlotte

Volunteers amplify the work your organization does – they can share the workload, raise awareness, and help your organization meet its mission. While volunteer programs are an essential part of many non-profit organizations, it takes time and effort to ensure these programs run effectively.

Check out 4 ways to help your volunteer program reach its full potential (without breaking the bank):

1. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

The first step in maintaining a successful volunteer program is understanding the health of your program. Knowing where you can, and should, improve allows you to access key resources and allocate them effectively. The Volunteer Program Assessment (VPA) uses a comprehensive and validated volunteer attitudes and engagement survey to assist organizational leaders in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their volunteer program. With the help of grants, VPA offers scholarships for free assessment services. To learn more about VPA and apply for a free scholarship, visit http://www.vpa.uncc.edu

2. Get Organized

Great organization is key to a smooth-running volunteer program. VolunteerSpot's free online signups and volunteer calendars provide organizations with tools and software designed to optimize your volunteer program. Their free services include, but are not limited to, scheduling tools and wizards to plan shifts, donations, tasks and volunteer jobs, the ability to collect contributions from members and donors, automated reminders, mobile access, eCalendary syncing of volunteer jobs and streamlined communication tools. Take a free tour

3. Understand Your “Fit”

Who’s going to be effective in your organization? Before bringing volunteers into your program, you need to know what you value in your volunteers and then accordingly, communicate these desires to your potential volunteers. The Humane Society of the United States has great resources for helping you screen volunteer applicants and make decisions regarding who will be the best fit for your organization, click here.

4. Show You Care 

Lastly, never forget to show your volunteers how much they mean to you! Create a culture of appreciation within your organization, where volunteers feel valued and informed. This goes beyond recognition events, awards, and gifts – it filters down to day-to-day efforts such as making sure volunteers are thanked for their work, in the loop regarding key issues, and treated with respect by paid staff. You can find great ideas for showing your appreciation at VolunteerMatch.org, click here.

 

 

About the Author:

Originally from Portland Oregon, Jessie Lynn Olien received her BA in Psychology from Michigan State University. She is currently a fourth-year doctoral student in the Organizational Science program at University of North Carolina Charlotte. In addition to her work as co-director and consultant with the Volunteer Program Assessment, Jessie also conducts research on non-profit management. 

5 Volunteer Manager Resolutions

 Looking to pump up your volunteer base this year? It's easy with these ideas for volunteer managers and coordinators:

1. Recruit more volunteers. The key to finding more volunteers this year is meeting them where they're at - online! Try some of these recruitment trends changing the face of volunteerism:

• Engaging welcome videos
• Welcoming and interactive website
• Free online signups
• Active social communities

Related: 10 Ideas for Volunteer Recruitment

2. Don't lose the personal touch. Saving time communicating and coordinating online does not mean that the personal touch of joining together to help others goes out the window. Still find ways to commune and bond with volunteers offline:

• Coffee and donuts before service projects
• Hand-written thank you notes
• Encouraging new leaders in new roles
• Sharing photo albums and slideshows from volunteer events

Related: 5 Fun Ways to Capture Memories Online and Off

3.  Engage more volunteers. Keeping the volunteers you find can be a real roadblock for many volunteer managers. Find creative and new ways to involve and engage volunteers so they bond with your group's mission and remain active and loyal for years to come:

• Find volunteer jobs to fit many schedules
• Offer online volunteer opportunities for people to do from home
• Encourage volunteers to become leaders themselves

Related: Tracking and Measuring Volunteer Engagement

4. Practice better volunteer appreciation. This year might be the year to put a bit more effort into thanking your volunteers for the time, talents and commitment they offer to their schools and communities. It's easy:

• Send regular thank you notes (handwritten or online)
• Use apps and online tech tools to say thanks & share rewards
• Sleuth out creative, DIY appreciation gift ideas on Pinterest
• Throw an annual volunteer appreciation party or potluck

5. Be more social: As mentioned above, active social communities are key for staying visible in the feeds and lives of potential and current volunteers. Facebook, twitter and instagram are great for:

• Publishing upcoming volunteer opportunities and events
• Linking to online signups and volunteer calendars
• Recognizing and thanking special volunteers and groups
• Keeping in touch with current and potential volunteers

Related: Using Facebook for Volunteer Engagement