Enthusiastic volunteers can open doors, bring creative solutions to the sticky problems, and help your organization extend its impact and growth. Master the basics of creating and effectively managing volunteers at all levels, including predicting common challenges and having a variety of solutions.

Recruiting

1. Create recruitment materials. Think about the types of people you want as volunteers and tailor your materials to them. Make sure to include how much time you need your volunteers to commit to.
2. Leverage the web for recruitment purposes. Find local community calendars and tap into existing online platforms, such as idealist.org, volunteermatch.org, allforgood.org.
3. Conduct targeted outreach. If your project requires a specific skill - target your outreach and materials to those people.
4. When you just need a lot of hands for a short period of time, try the "warm body" recruitment approach. With this recruitment approach it’s all about spreading your call for volunteers as far and as wide as possible.
5. Recruit from your existing networks. Invite your supporters, your partners and friends to volunteer. At worst you have an extra pair of hands. At best it will deepen their commitment to help your cause.

Managing

1. Create a volunteer management plan. Who is going to be in charge? Are you going to have sub-committees and team captains? If you have a lot of volunteers it’s especially important to have a solid management system, so everyone knows their role and purpose at all times.
2. Hold an orientation for your new volunteers. This a not only a good time to establish expectations and ground rules, but a time to make your volunteers feel welcome and part of the team. It’s good idea to have your staff present. Invite a beneficiary to speak so the volunteers understand the impact of their time.
3. Brief volunteers on your purpose and communication guidelines. In addition to expectations and rules, it’s important that your volunteers know what your organization is about and how to talk about it. Put it in writing, so they always have it to refer to.
4. Set up a communication system for your volunteers. Whether it be a facebook group or an email listserv an established system for communicating with your volunteers is key. In addition to emails or messaging it’s good to have a online page (a facebook page, a blog, a website), where your volunteers can access needed information, in case they miss a meeting or an email.
5. Make sure to recognize your volunteer’s efforts. I.E. Honoring a volunteer of the month, thanking them in event programs, gift certificates for a job well done, a thank-you note from a beneficiary.
6. Survey your volunteers after the event. Surveys are great for finding out what worked and what didn’t so you can keep your volunteers’ experience positive and your project running smoothly.