Volunteers and donors are two of the most important stakeholder groups in any nonprofit. However, if your organization thinks of volunteers and donors as completely separate segments, you’re leaving valuable resources on the table. Donors can be your best volunteers, and converting volunteers to donors can be an effective strategy for meeting your fundraising goals.
The Benefits of Donor-to-Volunteer Conversion
When it comes to recruitment efforts, donors often get overlooked as potential volunteers. However, they are one of your richest resources. Donors have already given money to your organization, so they may be willing to give their time as well.
When you focus your volunteer recruitment efforts on your donor base, you skip one of the most difficult recruitment challenges: engaging an unaffiliated individual. Donors have already taken action to support your organization, so you don’t have to sell them on your nonprofit or your mission; you simply have to show how they can make an even bigger impact through volunteering. Even if individual donors decide that volunteering may not be the right choice for them, they will likely reach out to their networks and refer potential volunteers to you.
Not to mention, engaging donors as volunteers can increase your donors’ overall engagement with your organization. One-time donors who cannot afford regular gifts may jump at the chance to support your nonprofit in another way, and through consistent involvement, if they find themselves in a place to give again, they will prioritize financially supporting your organization. Furthermore, regular monthly and annual donors may decide to increase their gifts after seeing the inner workings of the volunteer program firsthand.
Simply put, engaging donors as volunteers doesn’t just expand your volunteer base; it also leads to donors who are overall more active and loyal. Volunteering donors are more likely to give—more frequently and in larger amounts.
The Top 10 Methods for Engaging Donors as Volunteers
Use these tips to boost your donor-to-volunteer conversion efforts.
Craft a Compelling Case for Your Volunteer Program
Before you approach donors about volunteering, you need to be able to articulate why the volunteer program is so important. The most compelling cases will combine both hard data and emotionally engaging narratives.
Track important metrics like the number of volunteer hours contributed, the monetary value of volunteer hours, the number of community members assisted, and the amount of services delivered. Then, put a face on that data by sharing volunteer and beneficiary case studies. If donors understand how your volunteers make a difference, they will be more likely to volunteer themselves.
Be Respectful of Donors’ Time
Time is money, and volunteering often requires a significant time commitment. Be respectful of donors’ time and recognize that they may not have the capacity to volunteer often. Offer micro-volunteering and virtual volunteering opportunities that are easier for donors to fit into their busy schedules.
Arrange One-Time Volunteer Opportunities for Donors
If donors are unsure whether they want to commit to volunteering, you can give them a low-stakes entry point with one-time volunteering opportunities. Pair interested donors with easy, low-commitment volunteer roles that don’t require training, such as setting up decorations for an event or handing out flyers. By offering a hassle-free way to explore volunteering, you make it easier for donors to get involved and pave the way for future volunteering experiences.
Align Volunteer Opportunities with the Donor’s Motivations and Skills
Understanding motivations is key to engaging volunteers and donors alike. While volunteers may have a wide variety of reasons for volunteering, from meeting school requirements to developing professional skills, your donors’ primary motivation is usually your mission. Identify the programs and aspects of your organization that your donors care the most about and then offer them volunteering opportunities that support those specific goals.
For example, if a specific donor is a retired teacher who prioritizes educating the community about your cause, they may be interested in volunteering with your outreach program. A donor with a writing background may be willing to assist with grant applications or newsletters, and a donor involved in business may have the connections to drive more corporate partnerships. These opportunities take advantage of both the donors’ unique skills and their specific interests.
Offer Leadership Opportunities
Leadership opportunities are always a compelling tool during volunteer recruitment, as they give volunteers a goal to work towards, a tangible way to make a difference, and an increased bond with your nonprofit. The same principle holds for donor-to-volunteer conversion. Donors may be more attracted to volunteering if they have the potential to take on leadership roles, and these positions will also deepen your donors’ commitment to your organization.
Promote Volunteering on Donation Pages
Your donation page plays a vital role in your fundraising efforts, but it can also assist with the donor-to-volunteer conversion process. In addition to donation-relevant calls to action, you can also add information about your volunteering opportunities to your donation page. Consider including links to recruitment surveys, volunteer sign-ups, and training, as well as engaging photos and infographics. This tactic is effective for engaging established donors and first-time givers alike, as it introduces them to another aspect of the organization.
Highlight Volunteers in Newsletters
Newsletters are one of your most important ways to keep in touch with your donors, and you can also leverage them for donor-to-volunteer conversion. Include compelling information about your volunteer program, such as photos, case studies, and volunteer impact data, to show how your volunteers make a difference. Newsletters make a personal connection, so they are the perfect place to spotlight volunteers with engaging stories. Make sure you include a call to action so that interested donors know how to get started with volunteering, such as contact information for your volunteer manager or a sign-up link.
Get Donor Feedback
Don’t just guess how your donors feel about volunteering; reach out to them directly. Gauge donor interest in volunteering through both informal conversations and formal surveys. This feedback will help you understand which donors are willing to volunteer and the kinds of volunteer opportunities that excite them, as well as changes that may motivate reluctant individuals to participate in your volunteer program.
Nurture Relationships
Your fundraising team should already prioritize nurturing relationships with donors, and you can use these connections to support your donor-to-volunteer conversion efforts. Thank you notes, newsletters, organizational events, and donor-specific perks make your donors feel like a valued part of your organization. When donors feel that personal connection to your nonprofit, they will be looking for other ways to support your organization—like volunteering.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
It sounds simple, but don’t be afraid to ask donors whether they are willing to volunteer. Asking for support is already key to the organization-donor relationship, so it’s hardly beyond the pale to ask a donor to support your organization as a volunteer. A well-timed request, accompanied by a compelling argument for the benefits of volunteering, can go a long way. And if you don’t ask for something, you won’t receive it!
Take It One Step Further: Volunteer-to-Donor Conversion
Just like donors are great potential volunteers, volunteers are great potential donors. Volunteers are two times more likely to give, and they typically give ten times more money than non-volunteers. That means that converting volunteers to donors is one of the most powerful fundraising tools available.
Consider these volunteer-to-donor conversion and volunteer fundraising best practices:
- Regularly show your appreciation for your volunteers through awards, rewards systems, and informal recognition like verbal praise and social media shoutouts. When your volunteers feel like a valued part of your organization, they will be more likely to support it financially.
- Automated prompts. Add donation prompts to volunteering landing pages and newsletters to make it easier for volunteers to give. Don’t make them look for ways to donate; be ready when they are.
- Clear fundraising goals. Educate your volunteers about the specific needs of a fundraising campaign and how donations will be used. When volunteers understand the specific ways their money will make a difference, they will be more likely to donate.
- Network engagement. Encourage volunteers to run their peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and donation drives. Even if a volunteer has limited ability to donate themselves, they may be able to engage their friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors.
- Corporate partnerships. Inform volunteers about gift-matching opportunities that can help elevate their donations.
- Personalized communication. Identify your most engaged volunteers and reach out with targeted fundraising communication that speaks to the volunteers’ specific motivations.
When you view your donors and volunteers as overlapping segments instead of separate populations, you can maximize both your recruitment and fundraising efforts!
Engaging Donors with VolunteerHub
From engaging donors as volunteers to converting volunteers to donors, VolunteerHub is the perfect partner for your nonprofit.
VolunteerHub is a premier volunteer management software backed up by a knowledgeable, responsive support team. Our comprehensive, easy-to-use platform offers volunteer fundraising features, including:
- Unlimited donation pages
- Automated fundraising communications
- Secure payment processing with a wide variety of donation processor services, including PayPal, American Express, and World Pay
In addition to boosting your volunteer fundraising efforts, VolunteerHub has solutions for every step of the volunteer lifecycle, including donor-to-volunteer conversion, recruitment, training, scheduling, retention, and recognition.
