Animal rights organizations can improve their volunteer program process and impact with volunteer management software.
Animal rights are important, and animal rights organizations are needed to speak on behalf of those who are voiceless across the world. Animals are not only members of our communities and lives, but our entire ecosystem, and can have harsh effects if they are not taken care of with dignity and respect.
Animal rights organizations could not become the thriving nonprofits that they are without the strength of the community backing them, especially their volunteers. Building strong organizations relies on these on-the-ground advocates spreading the mission of animal rights organizations and creating movement and action on behalf of the animals. These supporters are critical and will remain an essential element in creating lasting change.
But how can an organization get the most out of its volunteers? How can they continue to solve problems and do the most good for animals worldwide?
The answer is often a logistical one: invest in a volunteer management system. Not only will a formalized system help an organization become organized, but it can also – most importantly – help them remain organized. And it does more than hold volunteer contact information. A well-designed, accessible volunteer management solution will help an organization increase productivity, better communicate with supporters, and provide easier access to data.
Increased Productivity
All organizations crave productivity but often don’t know what the best tools are to achieve it. Which system can manage everything they are doing, and allow them to work collaboratively together? For an organization that relies heavily on volunteers to complete tasks, a volunteer management system is critical to stay organized. Working within Excel sheets and Outlook calendars can only get a team so far.
Taking full advantage of a volunteer management system can automate everything from data collection to report building. Taking simple (and even a few complicated!) tasks off of a team member’s to-do list can allow them to spend time optimizing other program areas. Relying on a volunteer management system will also help decrease human error and allow for a more streamlined process for inputting and maintaining volunteer information and interaction. This will not only save effort but will save important, valuable time that is critical for a nonprofit that is often fighting for staff time and energy.
Better Communication with Supporters
Did you also know that a volunteer management system can do more than just manage volunteer data? A truly effective system can also act as a communication system to your supporters – whether active volunteers or donors. Anyone who is actively looking to support and push forward the rights of animals through the work of your organization is an important contact to keep informed of the work you are doing. Even if they don’t volunteer regularly, all supporters should be aware of when opportunities arise, if they’d like to get involved in that way.
However segmenting audiences with different messages can be incredibly time-consuming and difficult to navigate, especially for a team member who is working to establish relationships and has a thousand other tasks on their plate. By investing in and setting up an effective, comprehensive volunteer management system, where all contacts and data can be stored in one single place with easy access, animal rights organizations can see the full picture of their volunteers, supporters, and contacts and develop a strategic communication plan.
Emails can be built and scheduled ahead of time, allowing team members to create a long-term campaign and develop effective, consistent messaging that will engage more volunteers and supporters. Automated thank you and follow-up notes can also be sent after events or campaigns have ended, allowing for a streamlined follow-up process. Texting is also available for last-minute details, increasing the visibility of the message to an organization’s audience, and creating real-time interaction that is critical to relationship building.
Using volunteer management system software can increase the likelihood that donors, supporters, and volunteers will respond and feel engaged with the organization.
Easy Access to Data
One of the hardest tasks for any organization is gathering data in a clear, streamlined way and presenting it simply to different audiences. Whether for internal staff meetings, board members, or volunteers themselves, having an accurate and timely way to view data on volunteer participation is critical. Data can help an animal rights organization understand their total impact, determine how effective their volunteers are, and provide transparency on how their program is performing overall.
By keeping all volunteer participation data in one place, animal rights organizations can easily grab reports and information to continue to drive impact.
Volunteers and supporters are the critical backbone of animal rights organizations that help uplift their mission and provide a strong, unified voice for the voiceless. By taking advantage of a volunteer management system, organizations can increase productivity, communicate more effectively with supporters, and increase their access to data.
