Every non profit organization (NPO) needs a volunteer strategy. Whether it’s for recruiting board members or office helpers, a plan is essential to finding, retaining, and training volunteers. And, it can make the volunteer manager or executive director’s job much easier!

Why should NPOs have a volunteer strategy?

Volunteer strategies allow volunteer programs to run more smoothly. Planning is the first step to any successful endeavor. If your NPO is embarking on a volunteer program without a plan, it could fail, putting the entire organization further behind on its goals.

• They make recruiting volunteers much easier. A volunteer strategy should identify the best-fit volunteers for the organization, including demographic information (age, gender, occupation, residence, etc.), level of involvement and needed skills. Once the various groups of potential volunteers are identified, it is much easier to find them, reach them, and recruit them.
• To help focus orientation and training efforts: A well-trained volunteer is a better volunteer. Defining roles, supplying job descriptions, and identifying staff or volunteer trainers is essential to properly orienting and training volunteers. How can training be accomplished correctly—and replicated—without planning?
• To keep volunteers engaged and help avoid burnout. Another important aspect to volunteer strategy is retention. It’s usually not a good idea to recruit volunteers and then ignore them. Keeping them interested in the mission of the NPO, demonstrating appreciation, and soliciting their feedback are all vital pieces to the retention puzzle. And there are many more—which should be explored when creating a volunteer strategy.
• To enable NPOs to develop leaders out of volunteers. If an NPO’s executive or volunteer director is not focused on the volunteer strategy, there is a huge potential for loss, both in the simple numbers of volunteers (who are not being successfully retained) and in the loss of potential leadership. When a strategy has been established, everyone is more focused. Seeing the leadership qualities in volunteers becomes an everyday thing. And those who could help take the NPO closer to its goals will not fall by the wayside, unnoticed and underappreciated.

Every businessperson knows the importance of planning for the future and strategizing on how to get there. The non profit sector can take this page out of the business playbook and use it to successfully run volunteer programs!

The unemployment rate is still around 10% in the U.S. As more people lose motivation to look for work, they are turning to volunteerism to keep busy, update skills, or find new interests.

In fact, the demand for volunteer opportunities has inspired the HandsOn Network, the largest nonprofit volunteer network in the country, to participate in large job fairs. The job fairs are a partnership with Monster.com, the online job board.

As local job seekers tour the displays and learn about job openings, they are also introduced to non profit organizations that need volunteers. Job seekers can gain from volunteering in many ways, including:

• Networking opportunities: meeting new people can lead to job opportunities
• Showcasing their abilities: volunteer managers and nonprofit directors tend to notice the talent and skills of every volunteer—which is good thing, when you’re out of work
• Keeping skills current: it’s important to keep your mind sharp, your computer skills current, and your communication skills intact—and that’s hard to do when you’re home watching daytime television
• Learning new, marketable job skills: volunteering is a great way to try new tasks, software, or job skills—which can even lead to a job using them
• Having the satisfaction of putting their skills to good use in their community—feeling useful again is priceless

Out-of-work individuals don’t usually remain so forever; when they do find work, they often maintain their volunteer duties, as well as spread the word to their new co-workers about their experience. This is a great thing for nonprofit organizations; the more skilled volunteers that know about your mission and needs, the better.

And out-of-work volunteers often have more time, passion, and desire to have a purpose than employed volunteers. A mix of all kinds of volunteers—employed, retired, unemployed—is a great thing for any non profit organization!

If you’re strapped for volunteers, let your network know that you are looking. Now is a great time to gain the skills of the highly-educated, skilled workforce that is now out of work—but they won’t be forever. Whether you need help with fund-raising, marketing, grant writing or strategic planning—there is a wealth of talent in your community that you can tap into.

Executive Directors of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) wear many hats—especially these days, when budgets are tight and staff is scarcer than ever.

One thing you might not take time to consider often is risk and litigation avoidance—but doing so is vital to the health and well-being of every NPO. Lawsuits stemming from a non profit’s every day activities have the potential to hit hard, with damages and legal fees amounting to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Employment practices are probably the largest source of potential trouble for nonprofits. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that employment practices complaints rose sharply in the early 90s and held steady around 80,000 cases reported annually, until 2008, when the number jumped to 95,000!

Claims are highest for race discrimination, followed by sex, national origin, religion, retaliation, age and disability discrimination. Non profits must be highly cautious around hiring practices—for both paid employees and volunteers. Proper hiring, interviewing, training, and record-keeping are constant challenges. Good practices must be established and diligently enforced, and NPO executives must be up on all applicable employment laws.

A newer trend is donors suing nonprofits over use of their funds. When private donations make up a significant part of your revenue, it’s especially important to practice transparency and keep meticulous records. Unfortunately, nonprofits are accused of fraud at increasing rates, and donors are more sensitive than ever about how their money is spent on administrative expenses.

Government enforcement and regulatory agencies are keeping a close watch on nonprofits to ensure that public grant money is used judiciously. Improper transactions can be deemed illegal, and the IRS can revoke a non profit’s tax-exempt status, impose a penalty, or both.

Nonprofits, like any business, must monitor liability insurance coverage, and update when needed. Protecting staff, volunteers, and clients from harm is absolutely vital to keeping your nonprofit organization functioning and fulfilling its mission.

Courtesy of Houston Zoo

A non profit website that caught our eye recently is the Houston Zoo. Take a look and you’ll see why! The site is colorful, but not cluttered, organized perfectly and highly interactive.

Visitors to the site can easily find upcoming events for adults and kids, all the latest zoo news (including updates on soon-to-be-born baby elephants!), videos and activities. The site is updated daily, plus features a live Twitter stream. Following the zoo on Twitter, becoming a fan on Facebook, and connecting to the Zoo’s Flicker photostream and You Tube Channel are as easy as clicking your mouse on the home page buttons.

Interested in supporting or volunteering at the Houston Zoo? They make it any easy. Of the seven main navigation tabs, one is “Make a Donation.” You can see how important fundraising outreach is to the zoo. From that tab, one can choose from a variety of options:

• Donor Clubs: the zoo offers several tiers of support level, from the Flock, aimed at young professionals, to the Asante Society for higher-level givers. All supporters receive special perks and invitations to private tours and parties.
• The African Forest: This special project gets its own area of the site, fully explaining the vision and soliciting support to make it a reality.
• Fundraisers: Large-scale events and smaller family-oriented parties are highlighted, with photos from past years and “mark your calendars” information about this year’s dates.
• Corporate Support: Clear details on how corporations and businesses can sponsor events and volunteer at the zoo make getting involved a no-brainer. Plus, the content is obviously written with the reader’s motivation in mind, answering the question, “What’s in it for me?” Answer: visibility, brand enhancement, exposure, and wide appeal.
• Corporate Volunteer Program: this area of the site is well-writeen and appealing, outlining the ways business gourps can become involved, the commitment required, and how to get started with becoming a volunteer.

Finally, the zoo’s Annual Fund Drive and Other Ways to Give tabs make it easy to do just that.

Other ways this site is a winner:

• The site creates instant credibility by featuring the Zoo’s accreditations at the bottom of the home page, along with a Better Business Bureau seal;
• Hours, prices, directions, zoo maps and newsletter sign-up are at the top of each page;
• An interactive “Ask us a question” form and the event calendar appear on all 2nd- and 3rd-tier pages; and
• A big “Donate Now” button shows up on most 2nd and 3rd tier pages.

Non profits can learn a few tricks from Houston Zoo’s website. Even if your non profit cannot manage the high-level programming and graphics that this site has, you can still borrow most of the outreach ideas. Clear content that answers visitors’ questions and keeps them coming back are easily achievable website goals!

As if charities needed another one, a change in the estate tax could prove to be a possible roadblock to fundraising.

Here’s why: the estate tax meant that wealthy Americans, upon their demise, could leave their money to their children or to charity. When left to their heirs, the US Government took 45% and the heirs got 55%. If left to charity, the full amount of their pretax estate could be donated.

As of January 1, 2010, the estate tax is repealed for a full year. Now, that giving to heirs choice looks better—because the 45% tax has vanished—disappeared—poof!  Whether or not wealthy will continue to give, it’s clear that a reason for them to do so has been eliminated.

The impact on nonprofit organizations might depend on a philosophical question: is philanthropy based in goodness, or in tax savings?

The opportunity for charities is to make a real connection with their donors—all of them, but especially the wealthy. Give donors a reason to feel that the money is secondary to the benefits they will receive. Help them feel a part of your organization, of something bigger than themselves.

But how?

• Stay in touch with well-written newsletters.
• Produce a simple video and post in on your website. Feature clients if possible. Show, rather than tell, what good your organization is doing.
• Show the video at your next fundraising event.
• Introduce donors to the people your organization serves, and tell the success stories they are helping to make happen.

Stay tuned for updates on this issue; Congress can decide to reinstate the estate tax and make it retroactive to January 1. We’ll keep you posted!

Nonprofit volunteer managers are sometimes inundated with offers from corporations—especially around volunteer “holidays” like The National Day of Service and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. While no NPOs we know would turn down volunteers who are willing and qualified to help, sometimes too much of a good thing can make for headaches.

Every volunteer manager has had unusual requests from corporations. From custom-designing a volunteer opportunity just for them, to dictating who will show up and when, and what their employees will and will not do, companies can be “overeager” with their requests.

Some companies want only group activities—are they working on their team-building? What if you have more tasks that require only one person or two-people teams to complete?

Other companies want opportunities that will teach their employees a skill, or enhance their existing skills. What if your needs do not match this desire?

NPO managers are not required to satisfy their corporate volunteer programs’ needs. NPOs do not have to invest tasks and projects to meet their requirements. If you have work that matches what a company wants for their employee volunteers, then great. Let them go get it done! If not, offer an alternative.

You’re in charge—there’s no need to fill someone’s made-to-order volunteer desires. Ask for their help in getting your goals met. Offer alternatives that might make both sides happy. Break up large projects into smaller ones that can work over a longer term. Alternatively, group smaller projects into a work day that a corporate team can attend together.

Finding ways to fulfill both sides’ needs is important when corporate volunteer programs come calling. NPOs can’t alienate supporters, but they also shouldn’t let them dictate the terms of engagement.

Budget cuts at the state and local levels are having a huge adverse effect on nonprofits all over the country. Couple budget cuts with the reality that grant makers expect to give fewer grants in 2010, and you have a recipe for another difficult year for nonprofits.

Fundraisers and nonprofit directors need to look at alternative income streams to replace traditional sources operating funds like grants, individual donations, and state funding.

Here are a few ideas for alternative income sources:

1. Earned revenue. The profits from a product or service that people will pay for is a great way to raise needed funds.  A separate, for-profit company is sometimes needed to do this. Some nonprofits open coffee or ice cream shops. Arts organizations set up historic-area or architecture tours in their cities to earn tourist dollars. Others publish books, print t-shirts and mugs, or open thrift stores. The possibilities are endless, with a little imagination.

2. Major gifts. Developing relationships with philanthropic organizations or community groups is crucial. Find out who has money to give and make sure they know your organization’s mission and needs.

3. Rent out empty space. If there are empty offices in your building, offer them to entrepreneurs, other nonprofits, or professionals.

4. Sell assets. Are there assets you own that are not increasing in value or earning a return? If your NPO has not already done its spring cleaning, it may be time to look at what assets you can sell. Vehicles, parking lots, vacant lots, buildings–they should all be considered.

5. Diversifying your outreach. Social media is the answer to getting your organization’s message out to the masses. Smart phones are the new information delivery system, but consumers will only let in information they want or trust. Make friends and fans by setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts, and gather your supporters’ cell phone numbers as a way of mobilizing them when you need to.

6. Diversify your fundraising. Try sponsoring a fun run, a 5K or even a long-distance run. Get a booth at a community event and sell something: t-shirts, hand-crafted items, or food (cupcakes, candy, brownies, or ice cream.)

Creativity and diversifying will be the keys to increasing your nonprofit’s income in  2010!

The recession has been extremely difficult on charitable organizations, and many have not survived. To avoid shutting their doors, many are opening their minds to new possibilities—also known as “survival tactics.” Reports show that increasingly, nonprofits around the country are turning to collaborations, partnerships, and mergers.

One California program that helps special needs individuals through horseback riding thrived for fifteen years—until the economy tanked. Instead of shutting down, they found a sister organization the works with children and adults with disabilities, and after many, many hours of talking and planning, they merged into one new streamlined organization.

In Washington State, a youth-services organization faced extreme cuts in state funding that threatened to close its doors forever. The outlook was dire for the young people who counted on the services it provided, including a homeless youth shelter, foster program, and family counseling services. Luckily, a financially stable family-service organization stepped in. By taking over half of the youth service organization’s programs, the cash-strapped organization bought some time to reorganize and survive—without loss of services.

Whether it’s to improve finances, gain a wider range of services or additional expertise, mergers can be an ideal solution for nonprofit organizations. But mergers take a great deal of focus, planning, and dedication on the part of board members, staff, management, and volunteers.

Nonprofits collaborate in other money-saving ways these days—like sharing space. As budgets are slashed, personnel is often the first area targeting when cutting expenses. Fewer staff means less space needed. And that extra space is being filled by sister organizations.

Sharing rent, utility bills and administrative staff is a great way for nonprofits to reduce expenses. Plus, there’s the spark of new energy and ideas, a broadening of service offerings, and one-stop shopping for clients needing more services that make collaboration a great way to survive the down economy for nonprofits.

The top ten rated U.S. cites for volunteering are: Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; Seattle, WA; Kansas City, MO; Columbus, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; Hartford, CT; Denver, CO; and Washington, DC.

Numbers range from 38.4% of all residents volunteering in Minneapolis-St. Paul (908,900 volunteers) to 30.9% of residents (1.3 million volunteers) in Washington.

The top ten rated US states for volunteering are: Utah, Nebraska, Minnesota, Alaska, Iowa, Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Vermont, and North Dakota.

Here’s how the state numbers break down: from Utah, with an average annual volunteer rate of 43.5% and 817,200 volunteers to North Dakota, with an average volunteer rate of 35% and 174,800 volunteers.

The top activities performed by volunteers were fundraising, collecting and distributing food, general labor, tutoring and teaching, mentoring youth, and management.

The bottom five states? Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Nevada, and New York. Their numbers range from 20.9% to 18.7% of their residents volunteering.

National trends show 60.8 million volunteers, for a rate of 26.2%. The total number of hours volunteered is estimated at 8.1 billion. The places with the highest number of volunteers are religious organizations (35.7%) and educational or youth service organizations (26.7%).

As the economy continues its climb out of recession, volunteers will continue to serve a vital role in the work and success of U.S. non profit organizations.

Source: Volunteering In America

Volunteering appears to prove the saying, “’tis better to give than to receive.” While most volunteers’ intentions are solely to help others, researchers say that the benefits to the volunteers are also numerous.

Studies indicate a high correlation between health and volunteering. Volunteers have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and lower rates of late-life depression than individuals who do not volunteer.

Older volunteers seem to receive the most benefit, likely because they are more likely to suffer health problems in the first place. Volunteering provides physical and social activity, as well as a sense of purpose. This is imperative to seniors, because those aspects of their lives tend to wane as we age. And the more one volunteers, the higher the level of benefit!

This is important to non profit managers and volunteer recruiters because the Baby Boomer generation is now reaching retirement age. This group is all about staying healthy and living a full life. So, advertising the fact that volunteering has numerous benefits could help in recruiting volunteers—especially in the Baby Boomer group.

The study even showed that chronic pain sufferers experienced lower levels of pain and depression when they began to serve as peer volunteers for other chronic pain sufferers.

Better health leads to higher rates of volunteerism; volunteering leads to better health. The cycle continues and sustains itself—good news for non profit organizations that need volunteers!

The study also indicates that the benefits of volunteering do not start to kick in until a threshold of one to two hours per week is reached. So, tout the health benefits of volunteering in your outreach efforts—and be ready for your phone to start ringing!