Category: Volunteer Management Page 2 of 12

TeamKinetic has over a decade of experience working in the volunteer management sector. In these blogs we offer our insight and hope to shed light on new tips for volunteer managers everywhere.

With a main focus on digital solutions, we’ll take you through best-practice advice for volunteer management and operating in the third sector as a whole.

A Fresh Look at Digital in Volunteer Management

This post was written by Gethyn Williams

What role can digital play in effective volunteer management in 2024? 

That’s the question under consideration by TeamKinetic and the Association of Volunteer Managers as they embark on an exciting initiative – the creation of a new Toolkit for Digital in Volunteering – helping Volunteer-Involving Organisations to adopt the digital tools and approaches that are right for them.

Digital technology has for many years played an integral role in volunteering, whether through scaling up how we advertise our opportunities online, streamlining the onboarding process or improving how we communicate with our volunteers.

Sometimes a new advance in technology comes along and has a dramatic, instant impact, revolutionising our approach and unlocking fresh value that we couldn’t have previously imagined.

However, at other times it can feel as if digital evolves under its own agenda, developing functionality that may or may not address the challenges we face in real-world volunteer management. 

Helping volunteer-involving organisations to ask the right questions and adopt the digital technologies that best meet their needs, on their own terms, is the purpose of this new Toolkit.

Why now?

No-one steps in the same river twice

Heraclitus, 500 BCE

That change is our only constant may be a well-understood idea, but in recent years the volunteering landscape seems to have changed more rapidly and dramatically than at any point in recent history. 

The impact of the Covid era has deeply affected both who volunteers and their expectations, perhaps permanently. Initiatives such as the Vision for Volunteering encourage us to recognise this and adapt our approaches, or risk losing more volunteers as these trends continue.

Coupled with this, we are living through a period of huge social change, impacting further on people’s propensity and willingness to volunteer, testing well-founded but increasingly outdated approaches to recruitment and retention.

So what role can digital technology play in helping us cope with these transitions? 

You’ve probably looked at digital options for your programmes many times in the past – but given that technological development also moves at pace perhaps now, given the change we’re experiencing on all fronts, is a great time to look again at the role digital plays in your operation.

What’s in the Toolkit?

TeamKinetic’s mission has always been to enable volunteer-involving organisations to make the most of digital’s potential, so the questions this Toolkit need to answer should come from you – the leaders in volunteering.

And whilst we can anticipate some of the big areas we should probably include, such as:

  • How do we prepare for the impact of AI? 
  • How can digital help us be more inclusive? or 
  • What exactly is open data and its potential?  

…there’s no better way of getting to the heart of an issue than by listening to our customers and the challenges they are facing, in their own words. 

After all, a question well-stated is a problem half-solved.

How can I get involved?

So if you’d like to help shape the Toolkit, or there’s a particular digital angle you’d like it to address, we’d love to hear from you. You can:

Complete our poll – four short, multiple-choice questions that will help us understand your priorities better. You can access the poll here: https://forms.gle/8qJDzbyxuLuSTEHp6

Send us a message telling us what you’d like to see, in your own words.

Or, if you’re a member of the AVM there’s an opportunity to join a roundtable to explore the Toolkit’s structure and content, currently scheduled for the 21st of November. Stand by your inboxes for further details.

Thanks for reading 🙏

Notes and Further Links 

The Digital Toolkit will be a resource owned by and developed for the Association of Volunteer Managers and its members. 

Its creation is sponsored by TeamKinetic and will be built by Gethyn Williams, an independent volunteering strategist, working closely with partners and taking input from AVM members and wider stakeholders. 

We anticipate the release of the Toolkit in Spring 2024.

Conducting Volunteer Interviews

Volunteer interviews are often a crucial step in the volunteer recruitment process. It is here that you can really get a sense of a person and their suitability for your organisation. However, conducting volunteer interviews is different to paid role interviews! Whether the potential for volunteer impact is small or big, volunteer interviews must be thoughtful and selective. 


Interviewer Responsibilities

As an interviewer, it is your responsibility to lay the groundwork for a productive volunteer interview. Volunteer interviews are usually more informal than interviews for paid roles and are conducted for the purpose of getting to know the candidate as opposed to checking credentials. If necessary skills or requirements are entered in TeamKinetic, only suitable candidates will be invited to interview. 

Remember that interviews are a two-way process. First, briefly outline the volunteer role and your organisation. This helps to put the interviewee at ease and affirms the focus of your discussion. Candidates should be given the opportunity to ask questions of their own in response to the information you have provided. A keen interest in the role and your organisation is always a positive!


Potential Questions

The informal nature of volunteer interviews can make it more difficult to select and sort volunteers. Having some core questions that structure the interview will make it easier to identify your chosen volunteer/s. Here are some question categories and examples to guide you when conducting volunteer interviews:

Personal

  • What motivates you? 
  • Do you prefer working independently or collaboratively?
  • What do you like to do in your free time?

General

  • Do you have any personal connection to our organisation?
  • What attracted you most to this volunteering opportunity?
  • What other volunteering experience do you have, if any?

Situational

  • What would you do if you were faced with an unhappy patient/customer/etc?
  • If you felt that someone in your team was behaving inappropriately, what would you do?
  • Describe a volunteering situation that would require you to be empathetic.

Volunteer Selection

Use your checklist of core questions for each interview to ‘score’ interviewees. In combination with your personal impression and wider discussions that took place, a scoring system in response to specific questions ensures your interview process is fair. More broad observations you can make include:

Interviewee Green Flags

  • Confident responses
  • Referring to examples in their answers
  • Genuine personality
  • Admitting weaknesses
  • Knowledge of the organisation

Interviewee Red Flags

  • Vague responses
  • Unclear intentions
  • Not prioritising values
  • Lack of knowledge about the organisation

Interview Tips for Volunteers

Make sure that you have an understanding of the organisation that you wish to volunteer for. Knowing the purpose of the organisation will guide you towards being the best volunteer you can be! 

Your interviewer wants to know that you will enjoy your role. Therefore, demonstrating enthusiasm for a voluntary position is particularly important. Your enjoyment and sense of purpose will be your primary motivators.

Ask questions! When researching the organisation, take note of the things that you would like to hear more about. Equally, feel free to ask any questions when the interviewer describes the role and organisation. This will show that you are interested and proactive.


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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Post-Pandemic Volunteering: Lessons and Opportunities

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on every aspect of our lives, including the world of volunteering. As a result, there are valuable lessons to be learned and new opportunities to be seized with post-pandemic volunteering. 

So what are these lessons? What can we learn from the pandemic and how can we explore emerging opportunities for post-pandemic volunteering?

Resilience and Community Spirit

The UK yo-yo-ing in and out of lockdowns created a new kind of resilience and community spirit that many neighbourhoods may not have seen before. Those who were able to help their vulnerable neighbours were happy to do so, from befriending to shopping deliveries, the power of individuals coming together to support one another was highlighted during this time. This renewed sense of community can continue to inspire and drive volunteering efforts in a post-pandemic society. 

These small acts of service during the pandemic have shed light on the power of micro-volunteering. Perhaps people now realise that they can volunteer and help their communities without long-term commitments. This perception of volunteering as a long-term commitment may have deterred people in the past due to busy lifestyles and other obligations. Micro-volunteering allows people to get involved and improve their communities in a way that works for them.

Remote Volunteering and Virtual Engagement

One of the significant adaptations during the pandemic was the rise of remote volunteering and virtual engagement. This shift presents new opportunities for volunteer engagement – especially for those who may face challenges in the form of geographical or physical limitations. 

Remote/virtual volunteering is accessible, inclusive, and again, allows for more micro-volunteering opportunities. Offering volunteering opportunities that are remote opens you up to a new, wider range of potential volunteers. Remote volunteering gives flexibility, not only to volunteers but to the opportunity providers too.

Health and Safety Considerations

The COVID-19 pandemic brought health and safety to the forefront of our collective consciousness. We learned valuable lessons about the importance of implementing proper health and safety protocols in all walks of life, including volunteering. These protocols protect both the volunteers and the communities they help. 

As we continue to navigate a post-pandemic world, these lessons will guide us to create safer environments for volunteers to do the work they love and improve the well-being of everyone involved. Prioritising health and safety considerations in volunteer programs can create an environment that protects volunteers, beneficiaries, and the wider community. 

Reimagining Volunteer Roles and Skills

During the pandemic, traditional volunteer roles were re-evaluated and re-purposed to dynamically meet the needs of local communities. COVID-19 prompted people to learn new skills and adapt. The shift to remote communication caused many people to learn how to use digital technologies for the first time – something that will no doubt be handy in the years to come. It has also opened the door for new volunteering opportunities centred around aiding people use these technologies who may have difficulty on their own.

The adaptability of people during this difficult time is admirable. The ever-changing world in which we live is likely to throw up new challenges again, but we can be confident in the population’s ability to adapt and respond in order to help their community.

Mental Health and Emotional Support

One big impact of the pandemic and lockdown was a rise in social isolation. People who lived alone were suddenly separated from society. To combat this, we saw a large increase in befriending services, with people giving their time to regularly contact someone within their community to combat those feelings of isolation.

Aside from that, the pandemic also took a toll on mental health generally. It highlighted the importance of taking care of your mental health and the need for good access to mental health services. Incorporating mental health resources and prioritising emotional well-being within day-to-day volunteer programs is now crucial. This approach not only enhances the support available to volunteers but also allows them to better serve and empathise with those they assist, building a better community.

You can do this by:

  • Regular training for all volunteers about mental health awareness
  • Providing resources and information about local services they can use
  • Peer support networks
  • Regular mental health check-ins
  • Promoting open conversations about mental health

Continually evaluating the resources you provide to your volunteers is also essential. Remember to keep everything up-to-date and relevant to make the best impact!


Enjoyed this blog? Why not join us at our 2023 Conference, where we take a look at the changing world and its potential impact on volunteering. You can get your ticket now for the low price of £10!


Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Sports Organisations: Inspire Volunteers

For many community sports organisations, volunteers are their lifeblood. Despite their reliance on volunteers’ commitment, skills and enthusiasm, 70% of sports groups and clubs report a shortage of volunteers. As sporting activities and opportunities are in full swing during the summer, there is no better time for your sports organisation to inspire new and existing volunteers. Debunk the ‘sporty’ stereotype, raise awareness of opportunities, and hop on the back of events.

Badminton England use TeamKinetic to manage their volunteers and events.

Not ‘Sporty’? Don’t Worry!

Engaging volunteers as a sports organisation is achievable when opportunities and messaging align. Volunteering can be intimidating when prospective volunteers are unaware of what an opportunity entails. TeamKinetic allows for detailed descriptions to be included on every opportunity. This way, your volunteer criteria are more likely to be met because volunteers are aware and reassured. 

Equally, a lack of confidence in their physical abilities is something that many people experience. This Girl Can found that 48% of women are worried that they are too unfit to be active this summer, and 40% are worried about being good enough at the activity. If your sports organisation is looking to expand your volunteer reach, ensure that your opportunities specify expectations. Transparent, inclusive messaging is an opportunity for your organisation to inspire those who do not typically consider themselves as ‘sporty’. Without pressure to perform, volunteers can enjoy the benefits of exercise. 

“You don’t have to be great at sport, or have always played it, to volunteer. Unless you’re doing a really technical role, like refereeing, you won’t need any specialist knowledge. If there’s an interesting club or event near you, go along and ask if you can help – chances are they will be delighted to see you.” 

Jennie, Sport England.

Your organisation can also offer a multitude of roles that do not involve physical activity. For example, spectator services. This way, those who want to ease into a sporting environment, or are unable to participate for whatever reason, can be welcomed and included.

Raising Awareness

Beyond identifying skill gaps, knowing how to fill them can be challenging. Do not forget to approach your current volunteers, especially if knowledge of your organisation would be desirable for the given role. Approaching existing volunteers is of benefit to both your organisation and volunteers because it helps to maintain the volunteers’ interest and sense of contribution. Once again, it is crucial to be transparent about what an opportunity entails. Especially in the context of sports, do not assume that volunteers are willing or capable of participating in all aspects of your organisation. 

When looking to inspire new volunteers, TeamKinetic is ideal for reaching those who can bring particular skills to your organisation. With TeamKinetic, your organisation can be linked with brokerage sites such as Do-it, Volunteering Scotland or Volunteering Wales. Linking with the UK’s national volunteering database Do-it, for example, allows opportunities to be promoted across a very large audience.

Make the Most of Events

Whether you’re a community sports organisation or a larger-scale sports organisation, you can jump on the back of major sporting events. Such events do not need to be related to the same sport as your organisation in order to unify, inspire and attract volunteers. It’s all about showcasing the power of sport. Local, low-cost involvement with major sports events helps to publicise your organisation. Don’t hesitate to shout about your small-scale events on social media, this can only raise awareness of your organisation!

Events you could consider organising include watch parties, taster sessions and tournaments. Your organisation could also consider partnering with other local sports organisations to celebrate major events. This is a great chance for volunteers to meet and for your organisation to seek out new volunteer-involved opportunities.

Upcoming events this summer include:


You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Prioritising Volunteer Feedback

Harnessing volunteer feedback is a cornerstone of successful volunteer management. When using TeamKinetic, it is a requirement for volunteers and providers to leave feedback before logging hours. Collecting or offering feedback needn’t be viewed as a chore or an unnecessary formality. By prioritising volunteer feedback, your organisation can improve its opportunities and reach.


The Value

Volunteer feedback is valuable for the following aspects of your volunteer engagement process: 

  • Recruitment – Once volunteers have been onboarded, the opportunity for feedback enables your organisation to improve the recruitment experience for subsequent volunteers. In doing so, your organisation’s volunteer base will widen.
  • Recognition – Giving your volunteers feedback is an essential aspect of any volunteer engagement strategy. Volunteers who are freely giving their time deserve to feel valued and appreciated. 
  • Reassurance – To avoid volunteers beginning opportunities and leaving, visible feedback before onboarding provides clarity. In being transparent, your volunteers can be reassured that they will feel comfortable and capable during an opportunity. 
  • Retention – If they are unsatisfied with one opportunity experience, a volunteer is less likely to volunteer with your organisation under different opportunities. Addressing feedback so that opportunities can be improved upon aids volunteer retention. 

Collecting Feedback

A systematic collection of feedback is essential if data is to be successfully interpreted and implemented. Some effective methods for feedback collection include:

  • Satisfaction scales
  • Suggestion boxes
  • Recommendation likelihood 
  • Surveys

On the TeamKinetic system, Thumbs Up feedback works for volunteers and providers. Thumbs Up feedback makes saying thank you or reporting any issues that have occurred during volunteering quick and easy. Your organisation can also create unique digital rewards and recognition OpenBadges for your volunteers. Feedback can be sent to specific volunteers or volunteer groups via TeamKinetic’s inbuilt email function and mobile messaging.

Take Time to Survey

Volunteer surveys are a thorough method for collecting feedback. Receiving written as well as numerical data makes feedback more personal and specific. This may take more time to record and analyse, however, as a result, there is more scope for meaningful feedback implementation. Survey questions often aim to understand volunteers’ perception of your organisation, how likely volunteers are to continue volunteering with your organisation, and particular likes and dislikes. Due to the customisable nature of surveys, your organisation can ask whatever questions you feel will be beneficial for your organisation. With TeamKinetic, your organisation can link external surveys to opportunities. For example, a SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics survey.


Implementation

Feedback is only useful if it is put into practice. Equally, volunteers will be motivated to provide constructive feedback when they know their feedback will be prioritised. Implementing feedback makes your volunteers feel heard, and improves your organisation’s reputation and overall productivity.

TeamKinetic’s feedback features including Thumbs Up feedback, external surveys and integrated messaging make collecting and circulating feedback simple. Your TeamKinetic site can be regularly updated to reflect any changes that have been made in response to feedback.


You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Inclusivity is a Necessity: Enabling Volunteers with Disabilities

Having a learning or physical disability should not be a barrier to volunteering. However, the 2023 NCVO Time Well Spent report found that due to both practical and attitudinal challenges, volunteers with disabilities are less satisfied than volunteers without disabilities. In reality, it is often those who would receive the greatest benefit from volunteering who are least likely to be able to take part. Through increased understanding and inclusivity, this can change. 

Understanding your volunteers

  • Make your volunteers welcome by providing opportunities that showcase their strengths. Many skills, such as befriending, do not rely on being physically capable.
  • Like understands like. Utilising volunteers who can empathise with those going through similar experiences is invaluable for both your organisation and your volunteers.
  • In a world that is often inaccessible and unpredictable for people with a disability, building the confidence and trust of volunteers with a disability is vital. Your organisation can be a safe space for those who feel excluded elsewhere. 

Active opportunities

For those with a disability, leading a healthy lifestyle is still a priority. Sport England cites low confidence and a lack of appropriate opportunities as contributors to high levels of inactivity among the disabled community. However, TeamKinetic users British Blind Sport and UK Deaf Sport exemplify the growing possibilities for sportspeople with disabilities. As bid for by British Blind Sport, the upcoming International Blind Sports Federation World Games is set to be an inspiring occasion. If carried out in a way that is accessible, volunteering is a brilliant way for people with disabilities to be active both physically and within their community. 

Online opportunities

For those who are less able to take part in physical activity, online volunteering is the perfect way to get involved. Since Covid, the amount of organisations offering online volunteering opportunities has risen, and it looks like online opportunities are here to stay. Alongside a low satisfaction rate amongst volunteers with disabilities, the Time Well Spent report concluded that there is no reduction in online volunteer satisfaction as opposed to in-person. This is great news for organisations with a tighter budget, reduced staff, and, importantly, volunteers with additional needs.


TeamKinetic for inclusivity

We have developed a keen understanding of the need for any solution to be inclusive and accessible. All TeamKinetic’s work adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA), and we have undertaken real-world user testing with the Glasgow Disability Partnership and British Blind Sport. There are several features on our volunteer management system that accommodate volunteers with disabilities:

  • TeamKinetic is compatible with Screen Reading software. 
  • All volunteers can disclose their disability when registering and can update this at any time.
  • Volunteer managers can manually add volunteers to an opportunity if volunteers are unable to do so themselves.

As this post has highlighted, inclusivity must be prioritised. If you have any suggestions as to how TeamKinetic can become more inclusive, please comment below or get in touch with alex@teamkinetic.co.uk


You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

How You Can Measure Volunteer Impact

It’s important to measure your volunteer impact so you can see the difference your volunteers are making to your organisation. You can also look for any improvements that might need to be made to your volunteer programme. Below we have shared some ways you can measure volunteer impact!

Hours Logged

One of the most straightforward metrics is tracking the number of volunteer hours. This metric provides a baseline understanding of the time invested by volunteers.

With TeamKinetic, volunteers are able to log their hours. They may also be able to use them in exchange for HourTrade vouchers, and they’ll receive a new Achievement Badge for every milestone of hours! By logging hours, volunteers are able to keep a record of their volunteer journey and volunteer coordinators can see the progress each volunteer has made.

Surveys and feedback forms

Collecting feedback from volunteers through surveys or feedback forms allows you to gain insights into the volunteer experience. By using our volunteer management system, volunteers are able to leave feedback on opportunities. This can help you understand what needs to improve within your volunteer programme and make any adjustments to your opportunities.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Share inspiring stories of how your volunteers have made a difference in communities. These stories could be shared on your website, newsletters or social media. By sharing these it provides evidence of the impact created.

Volunteer exit interviews

When volunteers decide to end their engagement with your organisation, you can conduct exit interviews to understand their reasons and gather feedback on their experience. This information can help identify areas for improvement and enhance volunteer retention. This can also help you improve your volunteer programme because you can help avoid these problems in the future.

Volunteer self-assessment

Create surveys specifically designed for volunteers to assess their personal growth, skill development, and satisfaction levels. These surveys can provide valuable feedback on how the volunteer experience contributes to their own lives.

To measure your volunteer’s impact effectively you could opt for using a volunteer management system. With TeamKinetic you can see real-time and detailed analysis of your volunteer programme with easy-to-read graphs and tables, view feedback from your volunteers to help you make improvements and use custom reporting tools to get the specific data you need! 

Sign up here for a free trial today or book a demo!


You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

4 Reasons Why Celebrating Your Volunteers Is Important

We hope everyone had a great Volunteers Week 2023! We’d like to remind everyone that celebrating your volunteers is just as important all year round and not just during the annual week of Volunteers Week. In this post, we’ve shared 4 crucial reasons why celebrating and recognising your volunteer’s hard work and contributions is vital to do all year round. 

It inspires others

When the public witness the celebration of volunteers’ hard work it can encourage, inspire and motivate them to also volunteer. Publicly acknowledging volunteers through social media platforms or newsletters, not only highlights their achievements but also acts as a powerful recruitment tool.

Acknowledging their efforts

By recognising their commitment, you validate their contributions and make your volunteers feel valued. This recognition not only boosts their self-esteem but also inspires them to continue their work with even greater enthusiasm.

Increases retainment 

Celebrating volunteers’ hard work is a crucial factor in volunteer retention. When volunteers feel appreciated, they are more likely to be more engaged and continue to volunteer for your organisation. Motivated volunteers are also more likely to help achieve the organisation’s goals. 

Personal development

Celebrating your volunteers can provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth. By praising your volunteer’s efforts they can gain confidence, see how their skills have developed and the contribution they’ve made to their community. These experiences can contribute to their personal growth and supply them with more experience which may be their motive for volunteering.


If you struggle to remember to recognise and celebrate your volunteer’s effort, opting for a volunteer management system may help! Within the TeamKinetic system, there are various tools to reward your volunteers such as customisable Achievement Badges or our unique HourTrade vouchers which allow volunteers to exchange logged hours for rewards. You can start a FREE trial today over on our website or book a demo today!

If you need some ideas for how to celebrate your volunteers we have some ideas here!


Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

Helpful Hints For Volunteer Retention

It can be challenging to retain volunteers, as they may have other commitments or lose interest over time. In this blog post, we will share some top tips for volunteer retainment, which can help you keep your volunteers engaged and committed.

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate 

Be responsive and easy to get hold of if a volunteer needs you. If it’s hard for them to communicate with you online or in person, it won’t keep volunteers engaged and might put them off from volunteering for your organisation in the future. 

If consistent communication with your volunteers is currently something you struggle with then why not opt for a volunteer management system like ours? With our volunteer management system, you can keep in close contact with your volunteers at all times. Within our system, there are a range of customisable automatic emails and you can use system notifications, and SMS texts to remind volunteers about their shifts. 

2. Show your appreciation 

Volunteers want to feel that their work is making a difference. Recognise their contributions publicly, and show appreciation for their efforts. This could be as simple as a thank-you email, a shoutout on social media, or a small party. It’s important to celebrate your volunteers all year round but with Volunteers Week just around the corner, this would be the perfect time to show them some appreciation. We have some ideas for how to celebrate your volunteers here.

3. Always ask for feedback

Seek feedback from volunteers about their experiences and use this feedback to continuously improve your volunteer program. This could include making changes to the volunteer onboarding process, offering new opportunities or roles, or addressing any concerns.

Within our volunteer management system, you can receive volunteer and opportunity feedback. This way you can regularly be informed if there are any problems with your volunteer programme and improve these issues. 

4. Create a community 

Create a community of volunteers. Volunteers are going to be more inclined to continue volunteering for your organisation if they have made new friends. Within our volunteer management system, we have opportunity chat rooms that help volunteers maintain strong relationships.

5. Provide opportunities for growth 

Offering opportunities for growth and development can help retain volunteers in the long run. This could include external training courses or leadership roles within the organisation. Proposing these opportunities to volunteers will mean they will be more likely to continue to volunteer for your organisation as they are gaining new skills and experience which might be their motive for volunteering. 

Interested in speeding up your volunteer registrations and reducing administrative burden? Why not start with a volunteer management system? With TeamKinetic you can start a FREE trial today over on our website or book a demo!


Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

How You Can Use ChatGPT To Celebrate Your Volunteers

Volunteers Week 2023 is just around the corner. If you’re struggling for new innovative ways to celebrate your volunteers this year, no need to worry. With the use of ChatGPT we’ve put together some ideas which you can use to recognise your volunteer’s hard work. 

It’s important to recognise your volunteer’s hard work during this week of celebration. However, it’s understandable that not every volunteer manager has time to write each volunteer personalised thank you messages. As these responses are created with a chatbot, they aren’t personalised to individual volunteers. Yet it can be helpful to know that ChatGPT can produce some adequate ideas.

ChatGPT can create a good starting point for recognition messages if you enter accurate details from the work the volunteer did. If you are stuck for ideas on where to start, you can use these responses as a starting point and alter details to make them more specific to your volunteers. If you are very eager to show recognition to all of your volunteers but are struggling to manage your time this could be a potential option for you. 

Create personalised messages 

You can use ChatGPT to create personalised messages to recognise your volunteers for their hard work. Simply provide some basic information about the volunteer, such as their name and what they did for your organisation, and ChatGPT can generate a message that expresses your appreciation. As you can see from the response below, ChatGPT has created an impressive thank-you letter. 

We asked ChatGPT: ‘Can you create a personalised thank you message for a volunteer called Olivia who worked hard to make creative window displays and was very helpful to customers in a charity shop’

Response generated:

“Dear Olivia,

I just wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for all of the hard work and dedication you’ve shown as a volunteer at our charity shop. Your creativity and attention to detail in designing our window displays have truly made a difference in attracting customers and raising awareness for our cause.

Additionally, your helpfulness and kindness towards customers have not gone unnoticed. You always go above and beyond to ensure that our visitors have a positive experience in the shop, and your warm demeanour has left a lasting impression on many.

Thank you so much for all that you’ve done for our organization. Your contributions have been invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful to have you as a member of our team.

Best regards,

[Your Name]”

Create social media posts 

ChatGPT can help you create engaging social media posts to celebrate your volunteers. You can provide some details about the volunteer and their contribution, and ChatGPT can help you create a post that highlights their efforts and encourages others to get involved. As you can see in the response generated below, ChatGPT has created an adequate social media caption that you could post to social media channels such as Facebook or Instagram with a photo of the volunteer. 

Here’s what I asked ChatGPT: ‘Can you create a social media post thanking a volunteer called Jenny for her hard work volunteering at a food bank’ 

Response generated:

“Today we want to give a big shoutout to one of our amazing volunteers, Jenny! 🎉

Jenny has been working at our food bank to help us serve our community. She has been instrumental in everything from sorting donations to assisting clients and ensuring that our operations run smoothly.

Jenny’s hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. She brings a positive attitude and a willingness to help with whatever needs to be done. Her warm and friendly personality makes her a favourite among our clients.

We couldn’t do what we do without the support of volunteers like Jenny. Thank you so much for all that you do for our food bank and our community. You truly make a difference, and we are grateful to have you on our team. 🙏”


Interested in speeding up your volunteer registrations and reducing administrative burden? Get started with our volunteer management software today! With TeamKinetic you can start a FREE trial today over on our website or book a demo!


You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

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