Volunteers play a very important role in the success of nonprofit organizations, and acknowledging their dedication and hard work not only elevates their spirits but is essential for their motivation and retention within the organization. Volunteer appreciation strategies can be divided into two groups:

• Ongoing strategies, which are embedded in the organization's culture and are part of the day-to-day operations.
• Periodic appreciation and recognition strategies, which are special gestures that celebrate and thank volunteers.

Ongoing appreciation and retention strategies for your nonprofit’s volunteers

Leadership support and recognition

It all starts with senior leadership setting the example of their support for the role of volunteers within the organization. They do this by speaking positively about volunteer efforts to achieve the organization's goals. When volunteer contributions are acknowledged at the highest levels of the organization, it will increase volunteer dedication and productivity and create a culture of appreciation and respect of volunteer efforts throughout the organization.

Clear vision of volunteer roles and responsibilities…

The inclusion of lived experience experts (LEEs) within nonprofits impacts beneficiaries on 3 levels: the individual, community and policy levels. On the individual level, LEEs serve as role models to current program participants, provide their feedback to staff, including which methodology contributes to their own willingness to change, influence organizational accountability practices, increase donor willingness to fund overhead expenses, influence volunteer management protocol, and inform fundraising campaign design. On the community level, lived experience experts inform nonprofits of potential barriers to accessing the service array and provide collective accounts of their experiences to work with nonprofits jointly to address social problems impacting them. On the policy level, LEEs influence policy advocacy by providing nonprofits with information about their perceived needs and barriers, which organizations are then able to advocate for from an informed position.

LEEs who engage with nonprofits’ “systems change activities” report feeling more committed to their own therapeutic recovery, receive meaningful job skills and leadership experience, improving LEEs' perceptions about authority figures, and empowering LEEs to continue working to improve their communities after engaging with the…

Volunteer engagement plays a pivotal role in the success of nonprofit organizations, impacting productivity, service delivery, and overall operational costs. Volunteer satisfaction is a key factor influencing retention, donor support, and community engagement.

The importance of volunteer engagement

Volunteers contribute significantly to the nonprofit missions, offering their time, skills, and passion. Successful volunteer engagement practices not only enhance organizational effectiveness but also drive funding, boost morale, and garner community support. The ability to retain satisfied volunteers directly correlates with sustained organizational impact.

Successful volunteer engagement practices have been studied and researched across nonprofit entities. This research underscores the critical role of volunteer satisfaction in organizational success. The literature reveals that 60 million Americans volunteered for a total of 8.1 billion hours in 2011. The positive correlation between volunteer satisfaction and increased volunteering hours is evident globally, emphasizing the need for a focus on satisfaction and retention.

Volunteer satisfaction has notable financial implications. A survey found that 65.6% of CEOs believe volunteers…

Are you a nonprofit organization hoping to secure funding to advance your mission and projects? I mean, who isn’t? If you answered yes, you've likely contemplated hiring a grant writer to navigate the intricate landscape of grant applications. However, before taking that step, evaluating your organization's readiness for grants is crucial. In this guide, we'll delve into the key considerations you should address before hiring an expert grant writer.

Understanding grant readiness

The term “grant readiness” encompasses the preparedness of a nonprofit to pursue and manage grant funding effectively. While a proficient grant writer is indispensable, it's equally vital to ensure that your organization possesses the requisite infrastructure, capability, and readiness to embark on grant opportunities.

Mission, vision, and value clarity

Ensure your organization has a clearly defined mission statement aligning with the goals and priorities of potential funders. Grantmakers seek to support organizations with a robust sense of purpose and direction.…

Workplace culture is more than a leadership approach, a strategic plan, or even a set of values held by an organization. Workplace culture ensures that employees feel connected, valued, safe, motivated, and invested. It outlines expectations and creates opportunities for behavior modeling, and allows for relationships to be built on trust and respect. A positive workplace culture is not just a passive desire within the sector. According to a study by Deloitte, 83% of executives and 84% of employees believe having engaged and motivated employees is one of the most important attributes of a successful organization. And the road to engagement and motivation is paved by workplace culture.

So how can leaders develop a culture that will improve outcomes?

Define the values that staff feel are important to them and the workplace culture

No one type of culture is any better than another. Rather, it is most important that the leadership understand the culture valued by the employees, and support the collective values. It is recommended that leadership clearly identify those shared values to ensure a mutual understanding with staff.

Provide leadership training…