Volunteers are the backbone of many organizations. American volunteers alone have an economic value of $122.9 billion annually. Volunteers dedicate their time and energy to your cause. However, volunteers can become unmotivated over time. Working long hours and performing difficult work can quickly drain team morale. Boosting volunteer morale is essential for keeping your team productive and happy. If you’re looking to increase volunteer morale, you need to start strategizing.
Why Volunteer Morale Is Important
Morale is what motivates our workers and volunteers. When volunteers believe in the work they do, they perform better. With 70% of organizations serving low-to-moderate-income communities seeing an increase in demand for services, retaining volunteers is critical. If your volunteers are motivated and happy, they’re going to continue working with your team. Motivated team members outperform unmotivated members. You’ll see higher productivity, better teamwork, and a more positive atmosphere when you invest in volunteer morale.
Tips to Boost Volunteer Morale
Volunteering is challenging work. Volunteers come in and work for free on top of their existing responsibilities. Your team gives their energy and emotions over to making a difference. This work can be draining — revive your team’s spirits with these morale-boosting tips:
1. Connect With Volunteers
One of the best ways to boost morale is to talk to your volunteers about how they’re doing. Asking for their opinions makes personal connections, increasing organizational bonds. When volunteers feel seen and heard, they become more invested in the mission. Regularly seek volunteer input on events, projects, and processes. Surveys and touchpoints give your volunteers a chance to feel like they affect the organization. Letting your team in on decision-making shows them you value all of their contributions.
2. Set Goals
Setting clear goals gives your volunteers something to track and look forward to, and goals give your team a sense of direction. Volunteers feel more motivated and engaged when they know what they’re working toward. Use individual and team-oriented goals to build a sense of purpose and teamwork. Use Volgistics volunteer reporting software to track value and service details. You can reward volunteers for the most hours or for hitting specific service goals.
3. Recognize Service
Setting goals is one thing, but volunteers want to be rewarded for their successes. Nothing boosts morale like rewards. Volunteers want to know you appreciate them and the work they do. Recognizing their service and accomplishments is a great way to motivate them. Consider a volunteer recognition program to highlight your best and brightest. Newsletters and social media are great places to give public shout-outs to your volunteers while driving engagement.
Additionally, use VicTouch to send greeting cards, thank you notes, and personal messages that recognize your volunteer contributions. Personalized notes and small gifts can go a long way toward boosting morale. When volunteers feel recognized personally, their relationship with the organization improves.
4. Support Clear Communication
Clear communication is essential for keeping your volunteers engaged. Imagine volunteering at an organization that gives you vague instructions and never follows up with you. You’d feel disconnected and even demotivated. Volunteers need to know their responsibilities, how they support the team, and where they can go for help. Talk to your team about progress updates and any upcoming changes. Always make sure communication is a two-way street — volunteers should be able to reach you with questions and concerns.
Training and support resources are also great communication tools. These let volunteers know exactly how to do their jobs and what’s expected of them. Use VicMail to message volunteers directly, making communication convenient and accurate. The more you communicate with volunteers, the more you’ll motivate them to engage with the operation.
5. Create a Positive Environment
Positivity can be infectious. Creating a culture of positivity can keep your volunteers motivated throughout the year. Encourage teamwork and celebrate everyone’s successes. Focus on the “cans” instead of the “cannots.” Little things, like warmly greeting volunteers, offering support, providing refreshments, and setting up team events, can make all the difference. When volunteers feel welcome and enjoy coming in, they’ll stay more motivated.
Creating a positive environment also means addressing problems quickly. As issues or conflicts pop up, talk to the involved parties and try to resolve everything fairly. Volunteers want to be respected and supported. When you resolve conflicts with care, volunteers see that you want the best for them. You’ll create a more positive environment and encourage team bonding at your organization.
6. Encourage Autonomy
Giving volunteers more autonomy is another morale-boosting strategy. Volunteers feel trusted and empowered when they are free to take charge of more tasks. With a greater sense of responsibility, you encourage volunteers to perform more effectively. This sense of responsibility can increase their commitment to the organization, making it feel like something they truly shape. To encourage autonomy, let volunteers choose projects, schedule slots, and set personal goals. Encouraging creativity and innovation gives your organization fresh ideas, increasing productivity and happiness.
VicNet lets volunteers claim open schedule spots, receive messages, update personal information, and access other important features. This access gives your team more control over their volunteering work. With a greater sense of autonomy, volunteers feel more like part of the organization instead of just workers.
7. Be Flexible
Staying flexible can also support volunteer morale. Volunteers often juggle volunteering, work, and home responsibilities. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. Offering flexibility in scheduling and tasks can minimize stress for volunteers. Be open to adjusting shifts, offering shorter shifts, and switching up volunteer roles. Flexibility shows volunteers that you value their time and work. When volunteers know they can easily fit volunteering into their lives, you encourage them to stay involved and motivated. With flexibility, you can also get essential work done without burning out your volunteers.
Support Your Volunteers With Volgistics
Keep your volunteers engaged and motivated with support from Volgistics. With Volgistics’ online volunteer management, you can create an environment where volunteers feel valued and connected. The platform’s flexibility lets volunteers manage their schedules, track progress, and more — all from any device. This autonomy empowers them to get more involved with their volunteer work.
With Volgistics’ VicNet and VicTouch systems you can keep your volunteers connected to their work. Send messages and manage schedules from our convenient portals. As the industry leader in technology for volunteer leaders, you can trust us to provide you with the solutions you need. Our customizable and scalable solutions work with your needs, making volunteer management simple.
Use Volgistics to encourage volunteer morale and enhance productivity. Take your volunteer management to the next level with our expert team! Reach out to us and try Volgistics with a free 30-day trial today!
