Heritage organisations rely heavily on the support of volunteers. According to research by Historic England, evidence from their primary research indicates that volunteers in the heritage sector play a key role in facilitating the operation of the sector.
The number of heritage volunteers has been increasing since 2012. Heritage volunteering has also gradually increased as a proportion of all volunteering, accounting for 5.7% in 2016. In the survey conducted by Historic England, organisations in the sector said that without the time and effort given freely by volunteers, the effectiveness of their activities and engagements would significantly decline.
Heritage organisations may face challenges in the upcoming months such as volunteer shortages. Due to the cost of living crisis, regular volunteers may choose to give up less of their time to help out as they now need to seek paid work to help them during the rising cost of living leading to the retention of volunteers being more difficult.
Heritage organisations could also need more volunteers due to a potential increase in visitors. Many people during this rising cost of living won’t have the disposable income to go out and pay for forms of entertainment such as the cinema or shows however the majority of heritage sector activities are free to attend. More volunteers may be needed to help with the increase in visitors.
It may be difficult to retain, recruit and manage your volunteers if you are an organisation that currently doesn’t use technology to manage your volunteers however TeamKinetic are here to help!
The Challenges
A volunteer management system can help volunteer managers collect contact information, preferences, and volunteer schedules and stay in touch with volunteers to ensure volunteers know exactly where to go to find the support they need.
Some challenges you might be facing are getting back on track after the pandemic and facing the challenges that the pandemic brought. Other current and upcoming challenges include the effects of the cost of living which could lead to difficulty in retaining volunteers. Volunteers might be reluctant to help out as regularly as they might need to replace the spare time they had to volunteer with paid work instead.
How can TeamKinetic help your heritage organisation face these challenges?
With our easy-to-use software, volunteers will be able to navigate the system smoothly, helping with retention. Volunteers may be put off if they have difficulty signing up for opportunities and may not sign up for them in the future if they can’t navigate the system efficiently. As volunteers are key for heritages to function effectively, retention is crucial.
By using TeamKinetic to manage your volunteers you can:
Save time
Volunteer management software can automate many time-consuming tasks such as volunteer registration, communication, and scheduling. This can save significant time for volunteer coordinators, allowing them to focus on other important tasks.
Improve communication with your volunteers
TeamKinetic allows communication between volunteers and coordinators to be quick and simple. A two-way communication system is beneficial for heritages looking for retention and improving the overall volunteer experience. Using technology to communicate with volunteers makes it easier and more convenient for both parties to connect, exchange information, and coordinate activities. With TeamKinetic you can keep in close contact with your volunteers at all times. There are a range of customisable automatic emails and other ways you can contact them using system notifications, or SMS texts. You can read more about communication with volunteers here.
Be more organised
The software can help coordinators keep track of volunteer data. Our opportunity management dashboard has all the tools you’ll need to schedule new sessions, place and move volunteers between sessions and lots more.
Improve your volunteer’s experience
Volunteer management software can make it easier for volunteers to sign up for opportunities, communicate with coordinators, and track their progress. This can help ensure that volunteers have a positive experience and are more likely to continue volunteering in the future.
Key Takeaways
Overall TeamKinetic can help heritage organisations better manage their volunteer programs, increase efficiency, and improve the volunteer experience.
If you’d like to look into developing a volunteer management system, why not start a FREE trial with us! Head over to our website and within minutes, you can be exploring your new volunteer management system.
With our system you can:
Recruit more volunteers than ever before.
Fully customise your site and volunteer registration.
Communicate with your volunteers easily, all in one place.
Motive and reward your volunteers with our achievement badges or create your own
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Flexible volunteering allows individuals to give their time and skills in a way that fits around their existing commitments and schedules. Unlike traditional volunteering, which may require commitment at a set time or specific days of the week, flexible volunteering offers more freedom and adaptability. It allows individuals to make a difference in their community and support causes they care about, without having to make significant sacrifices or changes to their existing routine.
Offering flexible volunteering roles may be off-putting for some volunteer managers as it is a lot harder to manage because there aren’t set roles and times. However, using TeamKinetic can make managing these roles easier.
Giving both options of flexible and set volunteering opportunities is more attractive to volunteers. People want the option of being able to decide what and how much they want to do, based on their situation in that particular week.
Why is flexible volunteering more attractive to volunteers?
Flexible volunteering is often more attractive as it allows volunteers to fit their volunteer work around their existing commitments and schedules. In a recent blog post by Rob Jackson, he says that people today want more flexible volunteering that fits around their availabilities & interests. It connects them to a larger sense of purpose and makes an impact. Also due to the current cost of living crisis and post-pandemic, these adjustable options are more appealing, organisations are more likely to engage volunteers if the volunteering opportunities are flexible. Below there are six reasons why flexible volunteering can be more attractive at this time.
Current circumstances: Due to the current cost of living crisis, flexible volunteering is more appealing. Volunteers can still complete voluntary work but will still have the spare time they need. This may be useful if volunteers need to do extra paid work in order to help them out during the rising cost of living.
Convenience: Many people have busy schedules and cannot commit to regular, fixed volunteering hours. Adaptable volunteering options allow them to contribute to a cause they care about in a way that works with their schedule and lifestyle.
Diverse opportunities: Adaptable volunteering often includes a wider range of activities, such as remote volunteering or micro-volunteering opportunities that can be completed in short periods of time.
Skill-based opportunities: Flexible volunteering often allows volunteers to use their specific skills and expertise in a way that fits with their interests and strengths.
Personal satisfaction: Volunteers who have the freedom to choose when and how they volunteer may feel more in control of their experience, leading to greater personal satisfaction and a sense of fulfilment.
Social impact: It allows organizations to tap into a wider pool of volunteers who may not be able to commit to traditional volunteering opportunities, leading to greater social impact and community engagement.
Overall, the flexibility of volunteering can be a win-win for both the volunteer and the organization, as it allows for a greater level of engagement and contribution from volunteers while meeting the needs of busy schedules and lifestyles. So if you are an organisation that is struggling to recruit and retain volunteers, maybe consider offering flexible opportunities to volunteers.
How to create flexible opportunities with TeamKinetic
At the end of adding an opportunity, you are given the choice to list your opportunity as a flexible or individual session. A flexible opportunity is when you need a volunteer for a certain role but it’s not always on the same date when it’s needed. Meaning you have the date you want the volunteering role to be completed but you are flexible about when the volunteer attends.
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Not only is communication crucial to enable you to build relationships with your volunteers but it also helps with retention. Contact with volunteers is vital for boosting their engagement, satisfaction, and overall effectiveness in supporting the organisation’s mission.
Why is communication important?
Maintaining motivation: Keeping in contact regularly helps volunteers feel valued and appreciated, which can increase their motivation and commitment to the organisation.
Building trust: Effective communication builds trust between the organisation and its volunteers, creating a positive and supportive environment.
Understanding expectations: Regular contact helps ensure that volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities, which can prevent confusion and mistakes.
Improving performance: Regular feedback and coaching through communication can help volunteers improve their skills and performance.
Resolving conflicts: Keeping in touch with volunteers provides an opportunity to address and resolve any conflicts or misunderstandings that may arise.
Promoting collaboration: Communication helps encourage community and collaboration among volunteers, encouraging them to work together towards common goals.
How can we help you to communicate with your volunteers?
Using technology to communicate with volunteers makes it easier and more convenient for both parties to connect, exchange information, and coordinate activities. This can save time and effort compared to traditional methods of communication, such as phone calls or in-person meetings.
With TeamKinetic you can keep in close contact with your volunteers at all times. There are a range of customisable automatic emails and other ways you can contact them using system notifications, or SMS texts.
By using SMS texts you can remind your volunteers if they have a session coming up, or other important reminders such as letting them know if their criminal check is due for renewal. There is also a higher chance of your volunteers seeing your text messages over email as not everyone checks their emails regularly. Using TeamKinetic to send SMS texts makes your life and the volunteer’s life a whole lot easier. It is also important that when contacting a volunteer it comes from a person rather than an anonymous call or message. That person could be a volunteer manager, who volunteers can trust and view as an expert.
Check out this video below for more information about using TeamKinetic to communicate with your volunteers.
Key Takeaways…
It is not always manageable to keep in close contact with your volunteers. With TeamKinetic you can automate your emails or texts so that you never forget to keep in close contact, this enables you to build relationships and trust with every one of your volunteers.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
This week is National Student Volunteering Week so it only seems fitting to discuss Keeping Gen Z engaged as volunteers. Research by Oxfam reveals that Gen Z is the most generous in donating their time to charity, followed closely by Millennials.
Around 63% of respondents up to the age of 25 said they have volunteered for a charity in some way compared to 55% of Millennial respondents. The British Heart Foundation has also published research that shows that people aged between 16 and 24 are more likely to have volunteered for charities than any other age group.
Gen Z are keener to volunteer than other generations because they are very socially conscious and want to positively impact their communities. Volunteering allows them to contribute to a cause they believe in directly. Due to the decrease in volunteers because of Covid-19, older generations are not returning to volunteering. So how can we continue to recruit Gen Z and keep them engaged in volunteering?
Keeping Gen Z Engaged
Feedback
Gen Z values feedback. In a blog post by Volunteer Strategies, it was suggested that an effective strategy for keeping Gen Z engaged was providing them with frequent ongoing feedback. This eases the pressure of an end-of-year review for the volunteers and keeps them updated on how their performance is throughout the year. Gen Z wants to hear feedback on their performance and impact on the organisation as they want to make sure they are making a difference, they want their volunteer work to have meaning and to see the results of their efforts.
Technology
Utilising technology can keep Gen Z engaged, as Gen Z are tech savvy they prefer using technology for communicating. When informing them about their roles, you can contact them using our system. With TeamKinetic you can use automated emails, SMS texts and system notifications to always keep in close contact with your volunteers.
Social Connections
Gen Z volunteers may be more engaged knowing that they will be making friends from their volunteering efforts. Volunteering provides opportunities to meet new people and form relationships with those who share similar interests and values. It’s less daunting going into doing something you’ve not done before knowing you’ll make friends whilst doing it. Alternatively, you could promote to Gen Z volunteers that they can bring their friends along too, this way they aren’t doing it alone and will feel more comfortable.
Making A Difference
Gen Z are very socially conscious and want to make a positive impact in their communities and know that they are directly making a difference. Volunteering allows them to contribute to a cause they believe in directly. Gen Z wants their volunteer work to have meaning and impact so allow your volunteers to see the results of their efforts. Highlight the impact that their volunteer work will have and how it will help others.
Key Takeaways…
Due to the decrease in volunteers because of Covid-19, older generations are not returning to their volunteer roles. Therefore we need younger generations such as Gen Z to be fully engaged in volunteering to better retain them. By providing feedback, utilising technology and emphasising the impact they are making on the organisation they can become better engaged.
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New data from Charity Finance Magazine’s ‘Charity shop survey for 2022’ reveals that there has been a decrease in charity shop volunteers since the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of volunteers at charity shops in the UK has fallen by 24% since 2019. People who took part in the survey said that they have struggled to operate as usual due to volunteers not returning to their roles once the restrictions lifted. How can retail volunteers be successfully recruited in 2023?
Successful Retail Volunteer Recruitment
An example of successful and efficient volunteer retail recruitment is an idea which came from Dorothy House. Dorothy House provides compassionate care and support for people in our community with life-limiting illnesses. They have 25 high street shops that sell pre-loved items which provide a large part of their income. Dorothy House have shared its success in recruiting volunteers for retail.
After the pandemic, Dorothy House found that many of their volunteers decided not to return or felt they were no longer able to continue volunteering. At the end of 2019, they had 674 volunteers however in 2022 this decreased to just 470 volunteers. Dorothy House started by reorganising its volunteer team in 2022 and engaging with its retail team to see what they felt was needed. They ended up recruiting a deputy shop manager from one of their shops to be their Retail Volunteering Support Officer. As the shop manager already worked in a Dorothy House shop they were able to understand the challenges and how crucial retail volunteers are to ensure their shops are running efficiently.
Their approach was to visit all 25 of their shops to access their needs for volunteer recruitment. They supported them with in-store recruitment such as putting up posters in the local community and identifying potential sources of volunteers. The managers for each shop were worked with closely so they could create their own ongoing plan for recruitment. The outcome of this is that Dorothy House has now achieved a net gain of a hundred extra volunteers since March this year.
Other Strategies To Successfully Recruit Retail Volunteers:
Attending community events and connecting with potential volunteers in person. This can include fairs, festivals, and other gatherings where you can set up a booth or table and talk to people about your volunteer opportunities.
Utilising word-of-mouth marketing. Encourage current volunteers to spread the word about opportunities to their friends and family.
Developing clear and concise job descriptions for volunteer positions, including responsibilities and expectations.
Having a clear and easy application process encourages people that it is a quick and easy process to become retail volunteers.
Offering perks for volunteers such as discounts, special offers, or early access to new products.
Being open to feedback and adjusting the recruitment strategy accordingly.
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Volunteering is promoted to volunteers to give them purpose, improve their mental health and develop social skills. Volunteers might go into the experience with high expectations and hope that it will change their life forever. However, volunteering may not always be the experience people expect it to be. If volunteers don’t receive the right support from their volunteer managers or the organisation they are volunteering for then they might feel isolated and disappointed with their experience.
Volunteers may have different expectations depending on the organization and the specific role they are volunteering for. These expectations may vary from person to person and from one organisation to another. It’s a good idea to talk with potential volunteers about their expectations before they start volunteering.
Some common expectations Volunteers may have are:
Clear communication and expectations from the organization, including the volunteer’s role, responsibilities, and the organization’s goals.
Flexibility in terms of scheduling and location.
A supportive and positive environment.
Recognition and appreciation for their time and contributions.
Fair treatment and respect.
A sense of belonging and community.
Safety and good working conditions.
Reimbursement of expenses if necessary.
What Do Volunteer Managers Expect From Volunteers?
It’s possible that some volunteer managers may have expectations that are not realistic for volunteers to meet. However, it’s also essential to note that volunteer managers often have a wide range of responsibilities and may need volunteers to take on certain tasks and responsibilities in order for the organization to function effectively. Some common expectations Volunteer Managers expect are listed below.
Positive attitude and willingness to work as part of a team.
Willingness to learn and take on new tasks.
Flexibility and adaptability to changing circumstances.
Willingness to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Compliance with health and safety regulations and procedures.
Good communication skills and ability to work with different people.
It’s important for organisations to have clear and open communication with volunteers about their expectations, roles and responsibilities before they start volunteering. This can help ensure that volunteers understand what they can expect from the organisation and what the organisation expects from them, and can help prevent any misunderstandings or disappointment.
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Reach Volunteering have created a campaign to celebrate the humanity that exists in the world. Reach Volunteering is the leading skills-based volunteering charity and the UK’s single biggest source of trustees for the voluntary sector. Their vision is to create a world where people come together to create a thriving, fair and sustainable society.
Reach Volunteering are encouraging people to #ChangeTheStory. Millions of people in the UK volunteer their time to help others, creating a better society. As a volunteer you can change the story and create change and inspire others to do the same.
The Common Cause Foundation Human Values
Values help determine what is important to us and shape how we interact with other people and the more-than-human world. Values are important influences in many aspects of our lives. They also influence how we act on issues that affect the world around us. Research from The Common Cause Foundation found that 74% of us hold compassionate values as the most important. Yet 77% believe that everyone else holds selfish values as the most important. The misperception of other people’s values holds us back from tackling society’s challenges.
How You Can Help To #ChangeTheStory
Every day in the UK, people are acting on their compassionate values through volunteering. People need to see this and celebrate and encourage it. Both volunteers and organisations that involve volunteers can take part in helping to spread the message.
Talk about the #ChangeTheStory campaign with other volunteers, your friends and people around you to encourage them to participate.
Volunteers can share their reasons for volunteering, this can inspire and motivate others to volunteer. Reach Volunteering have suggested posting a video to social media explaining your volunteer story.
Whether you are a volunteer, or an organisation that involves volunteers, you can spread the message and post promotional content on social media using #ChangeTheStory until the end of January 2023.
If you are already a volunteer, keep doing what you are doing. You could also find new places to volunteer and encourage your friends and people around you to do the same.
As a volunteer, you can share your expertise with a charity that aligns with your values. You can find new opportunities here.
As an organisation that involves volunteers, you can become a campaign partner which involves promoting the campaign and seeking quotes from your volunteers to share. You can email Reach Volunteering here to get involved: changethestory@reachvolunteering.org.uk
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After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s not uncommon for volunteers to lose their enthusiasm and drive. As a result, it’s important to find ways to re-engage your volunteers and get them excited about volunteering again. So how can you start re-engaging volunteers after a break?
First of all, you should define the problem. Volunteer engagement isn’t always easy, especially if your organisation has had volunteers take breaks from their terms of service. But if you identify exactly what the problem is, it’s easier to come up with solutions tailored to you and your volunteers.
Secondly, you should set goals before you start. If your goal is to have more effective volunteers who stay longer than [x] months at a time, then that should be reflected in all aspects of their experience with your organisation. Starting with their onboarding process, through to training sessions and regular check-ins or evaluations.
Remind them of their impact
One way to reengage your volunteers is to focus on the impact that their work has on the organisation and the community. Remind them of the difference that they are making and the reasons why their contributions are so valuable. You can also highlight any recent successes or achievements that the organisation has made, and how your volunteers played a key role in making those achievements possible.
Feedback for a volunteer left via TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system.
Through TeamKinetic, you can reward volunteers through HourTrades, custom reward badges, or simple ‘Thank you’ communications.
Offer exciting new opportunities
Another way to reengage your volunteers is to offer them new and exciting opportunities to get involved. This could include working on a special project or event, taking on a leadership role, or learning a new skill. By providing your volunteers with fresh challenges and experiences, you can help them stay engaged and motivated.
You can also try to make the volunteering experience more enjoyable and rewarding for your volunteers. This could include providing regular recognition and appreciation for their hard work, offering flexible scheduling options, and creating a supportive and inclusive volunteer community. By creating a positive and engaging volunteer culture, you can help your volunteers feel valued and connected to the organisation.
With TeamKinetic, you can utilise our many opportunity creation options to create something that stands out to your volunteers and will help them feel excited about getting back into volunteering with you.
Reach out individually
Finally, consider reaching out to your volunteers individually to check in with them and see how they’re feeling. If you can put together a list of disengaged volunteers, you may want to consider asking them if there’s anything specific you could do in order for them to return. Perhaps they need more support than other volunteers with similar roles, or maybe they just need some time away from volunteering altogether.
This can be a great opportunity to listen to their feedback and address any concerns they may have. You can also offer support and guidance to help them overcome any challenges they may be facing. By showing that you care about your volunteers and their well-being, you can help them feel more engaged and motivated to continue volunteering.
TeamKinetic’s search filters allow you to find those volunteers who seem to be disengaged. Reaching out to them directly can help them feel valued and like their work for you makes a real difference.
In conclusion, re-engaging your volunteers after the holiday season is crucial for the success of your organisation. By focusing on the impact of their work, offering new opportunities, creating a positive volunteer culture, and providing individual support, you can help your volunteers regain their enthusiasm and continue making a difference.
