Research and recommendations for effective, day-to-day nonprofit practice from ASU faculty, staff, students, and the nonprofit and philanthropic community.
Volunteers are the beating heart of nonprofit organizations. They bring energy, skills, and passion to missions they believe in, often becoming the driving force behind an organization's impact. But transforming well-intentioned individuals into a cohesive, effective workforce requires structure and strategy. That's where volunteer management comes in—and why it's essential for nonprofits looking to maximize their impact.
Volunteer management is the systematic process of recruiting, onboarding, coordinating, supporting, and retaining volunteers. It's a comprehensive approach that treats volunteer engagement as a professional relationship benefiting both the organization and the volunteers themselves.
At its core, volunteer management encompasses several interconnected elements. Strategic planning identifies where volunteers can add value to your mission. Recruitment focuses on finding the right people with the necessary skills and passion. Screening and onboarding ensure volunteers are properly vetted and prepared for their roles. Training and development equip volunteers with the knowledge they need to succeed. Coordination and scheduling organize volunteer efforts efficiently to maximize impact. Recognition and retention acknowledge contributions and foster long-term commitment. Finally, evaluation measures impact and improves processes for continued growth and effectiveness.
The…
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Keep your talent and strengthen your mission!
With nonprofit organizations having a high turnover rate, leadership tends to wonder what the root causes are, as well as how they can keep their staff from leaving. Being new to a leadership role, I have witnessed first-hand valuable employees quit from an organization and feeling powerless in keeping them from doing so. What do they need? What can we provide, as an organization, to help them understand they are part of a team and their work is valued? These are the questions we should ask ourselves as nonprofit leaders.
What are the causes?
Being overloaded with work, not making enough money, not feeling appreciated, and feeling stagnant are only some reasons nonprofit employees choose to leave the manager and the mission. A lot of individuals who choose to work within the nonprofit sector do so knowing that it is not lucrative; however, they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. With the mission in mind, should they also have to experience burnout, the feeling of being frozen in one position, or feeling undervalued? No. As a worker for good causes, nonprofit employees should know that the responsibilities they hold means something, and they should receive the tangible benefits that come along with this work as well.
How can we help?
Nonprofit organizations come in all different shapes and sizes…
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"Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much." Those are the words of Helen Keller as she touches on the power of unity and teamwork to achieve impact.
Let’s think of the impact that unrestricted funding can make. How can an organization attract that unrestricted funding?
Most organizations want unrestricted funding, but funders rarely award it. How can an organization make its grant proposal look more attractive to funders when requesting unrestricted funds?
Some grants are sought to support specific projects requiring a particular writing style and content. However, for unrestricted grants, the messaging is slightly different to achieve success. One must focus on clearly communicating the organization's overall impact, mission, and financial stewardship.
Key elements to include in unrestricted grant proposals
- Alignment: Ensuring that your organization's mission, vision, values, and culture align with the proposed funder's is one of the most important aspects of attracting unrestricted funding.
- Credibility: “You have the power to choose what tens of millions of potential donors see about your organization." Having an up-to-date organizational profile on Guidestar's Candid is one way to achieve credibility in the philanthropic world. Many funders use Candid to…
The impacts of revenue diversification and whether multiple revenue streams should be pursued by nonprofit organizations has been a question facing the nonprofit sector for decades. Diversifying revenue streams is not without complications, however the benefits of decreased volatility, increased community connections and mission performance, and organizational autonomy supports the claim that nonprofits should pursue a diversified revenue portfolio.
First, showing that an organization decreases its volatility and increases its financial stability. Increased stability ensures an organizations longevity through unsure financial times.
Second, organizations with diversified revenues are often more connected to the community they serve, more efficiently meeting local needs and allowing for better mission performance. Finally, organizations with diverse revenue sources have more autonomy, allowing them to pursue programs or events that better align with their mission.
How can nonprofits diversify funding for greater community impact? To work towards diversification in revenue, it is recommended that organizations should break down their current funding structure, strategize possible revenue diversification, and implement their finalized plan.
Breaking down current funding sources
Because implementing a diverse revenue portfolio can be difficult, employee understanding…
Read moreThis work has been a personal journey as much as a professional one. I’ve been exploring a question that feels relevant not only for nonprofit leaders, but also applicable for all other sectors, and to the collective communities we aim to serve:
How can we recruit and retain a workforce that doesn’t just survive, but thrives?
Often times there is a lot of emphasis and resources that are focused on measuring impact in the nonprofits. While understanding the impact the cause promotes and elevates is important, it is only half of the equation. The second part of the equation that is often missing, or limited resources are allocated towards, is organizational infrastructure sustainability. And here’s the hard truth: When we struggle to recruit, or neglect to retain people, our communities feel it. It causes a ripple effect that spans far and wide. Having a workforce deficit can cause programs to stall, services disrupted, and public reputation and trust can be impacted.
What’s behind the turnover?
Sure, compensation matters. But it’s not the whole story.
The research goes deeper than just compensation. It is the invisible measures that are less easy to quantify, related to workplace culture, organizational investment in the individuals doing the work, and clarity to the mission-driven work. Remember, people stay where they feel seen, heard and valued. It boils down to one word: belonging.