Category: Volunteer Management Page 3 of 12

How Can AI Help Volunteer Managers?

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On 5th April 2023

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

Artificial intelligence solutions are changing the world of business with new AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT. The chatbot has the ability to increase efficiency and productivity and has the potential to make your life as a volunteer manager a whole lot easier. AI can be a valuable tool for volunteer managers in various ways. 

It can help with recruiting volunteers 

ChatGPT can be used to engage with potential volunteers and answer their questions about the organisation, opportunities, and requirements. This can help with the recruitment process to provide a more personalised experience for potential volunteers. It can also help volunteer managers identify the most suitable candidates for a particular volunteer role.

Describing roles and opportunity descriptions 

Define the requirements of each volunteer role, including the skills and experience needed, the time commitment required, and the role’s location.

How useful can ChatGPT be?  

Below I have tested out some ways that you can use ChatGPT which with some minor edits made here and there to cater the answers to your organisation can save you a lot of time. 

Firstly, ChatGPT could help with writing recruitment material like examples of questions to ask volunteers during the recruitment process. You can cater the question for the specific role you are interviewing the volunteer for and then just like that a list of 15 adequate questions to ask your volunteer!

Question asked: “What are a list of questions I could ask during a volunteer interview for the role of a charity shop assistant?”

The response that was generated: 

  1. What inspired you to apply for a volunteer role as a charity shop assistant?
  2. What previous experience do you have in retail or customer service?
  3. How do you handle difficult customers or situations?
  4. What skills do you think are important for this role?
  5. How would you describe your communication skills?
  6. Can you describe a time when you demonstrated teamwork and collaboration?
  7. What is your availability and commitment to volunteering?
  8. How do you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively?
  9. What are your expectations from volunteering at a charity shop?
  10. How would you describe your approach to fundraising and promoting the charity shop’s mission?
  11. Are you comfortable working with cash and handling financial transactions?
  12. How would you respond if you noticed a colleague or customer engaging in unethical or inappropriate behaviour?
  13. What do you know about the charity or cause that this shop supports?
  14. How would you respond to a donation that is not in a saleable condition?
  15. Are you comfortable with standing for extended periods of time and performing physical tasks, such as lifting and carrying items?

We all know the importance of recognising the hard work of volunteers and it’s important to show you appreciate their hard work. So I then asked ChatGPT to write me a thank you letter which can be sent to a volunteer to acknowledge their efforts. Again with some minor edits to cater towards the role and your organisation, it’s quite a sufficient letter. 

Questions asked: “Put together a thank you letter for a volunteer who has completed charity shop work”

The response that was generated:

On behalf of [Charity Shop’s Name], I want to express our heartfelt appreciation for your hard work and dedication as a volunteer. Your time and effort have made a significant impact on our organization, and we could not have achieved our goals without your support.

Your commitment to serving our customers and ensuring that our shop operates smoothly has not gone unnoticed. You have demonstrated a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and excellent communication skills throughout your time with us.

Your contributions have helped us to raise much-needed funds for our charity, and your efforts have enabled us to continue providing support to those in need. Your enthusiasm for our cause has been contagious, and your kindness and compassion have touched the lives of many.

We are so grateful for the time you have given to us, and we hope that you have found the experience to be rewarding and fulfilling. We would be honoured if you would consider volunteering with us again in the future, as your presence would be greatly missed.

Once again, thank you for your invaluable contributions to our organization, and for being a part of our mission to make a difference in the world.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Charity Shop’s Name]

Lastly, I tried asking the bot to write me a role description. Writing role descriptions can be time-consuming so knowing that ChatGPT can write you a generic role description is valuable. 

Question I asked: “Can you create a role description for what a charity shop volunteer might do?”

The response that was generated:

Role: Charity Shop Volunteer

Overview:

As a charity shop volunteer, you will play a vital role in supporting the day-to-day operations of the shop and helping to raise funds for our charity. You will work alongside other volunteers and staff members to ensure that the shop runs smoothly, provides excellent customer service, and generates revenue to support our charitable mission.

Responsibilities:

Greet customers and provide a friendly and helpful shopping experience
Assist customers with their purchases, answer questions, and provide information about our charity and its mission
Sort, price, and display donated items, ensuring that they are clean, in good condition, and meet our quality standards
Manage the shop’s inventory and restock shelves as needed
Operate the cash register, handle cash and card payments, and reconcile daily sales
Ensure that the shop is clean, organized, and safe for customers and volunteers
Assist with other tasks as needed, such as social media marketing, fundraising events, or donation pickups

Requirements:

A commitment to our charity’s mission and values
Strong communication and customer service skills
Ability to work well in a team and follow directions from staff members
Attention to detail and the ability to sort and organize donated items effectively
Comfortable handling cash and using a cash register
Ability to stand for extended periods and lift or carry items up to 25 pounds

Benefits:

The opportunity to support a worthy cause and make a difference in your community
Gain valuable retail and customer service experience
Meet new people and work as part of a friendly and supportive team
Develop new skills and knowledge related to retail operations, inventory management, and fundraising

Time Commitment:

We ask for a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week, ideally on a regular schedule. However, we understand that schedules may vary and can be flexible to accommodate your availability.
Training and Support:

We provide comprehensive training on all aspects of the role, including customer service, cash handling, inventory management, and safety procedures.
You will be supported by our staff members and other volunteers, who will be available to answer your questions and provide guidance as needed.

Key Takeaways…

Overall, AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT can help volunteer managers save time, increase efficiency, and improve the effectiveness of their volunteer programs. With some editing to cater towards your organisation, using ChatGPT can create a good starting point for writing opportunity descriptions, recognition letters and interview questions. However, it is important to also use your own expertise and not rely completely on AI as it may not always be accurate.

If you have any other ideas for how ChatGPT could help the workload of volunteer managers, have a go for yourself and test them out then tweet them to us @TeamKineticUK

If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not take a look at us? You can start a FREE trial over on our website or book a demo! 

 

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

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What Qualities To Look For When Recruiting A Heritage Volunteer

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On 29th March 2023

In Heritage & Culture, Volunteer Management

When recruiting volunteers, quality may be better than quantity. Volunteers that are a better fit for your heritage organisation will be more effective than lots of volunteers that don’t have qualities that suit the organisation. To be an effective and impactful volunteer, certain qualities are essential in helping the success of the organisation. 

A passion for heritage

A suitable heritage volunteer is passionate about history, heritage, and cultural preservation. They should understand the importance of preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

They are likely to be very knowledgeable about the subject and share their understanding with others encouraging people to get involved. If your volunteers have a strong interest in what your organisation does they are more likely to be productive and efficient in their work as they are enthusiastic about the organisation’s goals.

Reliability 

Reliability is crucial when recruiting volunteers. If your volunteers don’t show up on time or cancel with no warning then it will have a big impact on your organisation. 

Heritage volunteering requires a significant commitment of time and effort. A reliable volunteer is someone who shows up on time, is responsible and follows through on commitments. This is particularly important in the heritage sector, where volunteers may be tasked with valuable artefacts.

Ensure when recruiting the volunteers you clearly state the hours they will need to commit to. 

Flexibility 

Heritage volunteering often involves working in dynamic and changing environments, and volunteers need to be adaptable to changes in plans or unexpected situations.

An adequate heritage volunteer is open-minded and willing to learn. They understand that cultural heritage is constantly evolving and changing, and are open to new ideas and approaches. They are also willing to take on new roles and responsibilities to fill in for others if necessary. 

Interpersonal skills

A sufficient heritage volunteer has strong interpersonal skills and is able to communicate effectively with a diverse range of people, including other volunteers, staff, and visitors. This also means they will be able to share their knowledge and expertise with others. 

Organisational skills

Volunteers need to be organised so they arrive for shifts on time without needing a reminder. However, if you do want to give your volunteers an extra prompt to ensure they remember their shifts TeamKinetic allows you to 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. 

Overall, volunteers with sufficient qualities can bring significant benefits to your heritage organisation. Therefore, it is important for organisations to recognise and value the qualities that volunteers bring and provide them with opportunities to grow and develop these skills.

 

If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not take a look at us? You can start a FREE trial over on our website or book a demo! 

 

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 G2, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Heritage Volunteer Strategy

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On 22nd March 2023

In Heritage & Culture, News & Views, Volunteer Management

As mentioned in a previous blog, one of the challenges heritage organisations face is a lack of volunteer strategy across heritage organisations.

A report from The Heritage Volunteering Group, states that 45% of heritage organisations in the UK depend on volunteer work that is critical to their operations but 40% of them have no volunteering strategy.

Volunteers make a significant strategic contribution to heritage organisations, delivering results that support the organisation’s ambitions around community engagement, diversity and inclusion. To achieve this, leadership teams need to become more engaged with the strategic development of volunteering. In the report, they make a key recommendation that volunteer engagement, and support for volunteering, needs to become more strategic.

Writing a strategy 

A volunteer strategy is simply a strategy your organisation writes that shows what you want to accomplish with volunteering and how you are going to achieve it. The report from The Heritage Volunteering Group suggests that as a heritage organisation, you should develop a strategy as it will help with your volunteer engagement. 

Your approach to volunteering is key to include in your strategy. To access this, create a questionnaire for your current volunteers so you can collect evidence to help you access your approach. Questions to the volunteers could include what the organisation could improve on, why they got involved in volunteering for the organisation, skills gained from volunteering or reasons for continuing to volunteer. This research can help you to create an accurate aim of volunteering within your organisation. It can also help you produce an effective and engaging volunteering programme. 

Ensure to include in your strategy how volunteers will contribute to your organisation’s aims and how your organisation plan to recruit and support them. Include the missions that your organisation want to aim for with the help of volunteers. This could be promoting inclusivity and diversity within your volunteer programme. One of the aims of The Royal Parks volunteer strategy is to create learning opportunities for volunteers to provide expert training which will help to support volunteers.

A final key point to think about is how your organisation plans to deliver the strategy. Include an estimation of how long the strategy will take to be delivered and then review your strategy on an annual basis so you can respond to challenges and trends your organisation might face.

Some good examples of a volunteer strategy are from The Royal Parks and George House Trust, which will provide you with plenty of inspiration for your strategy.

 

If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not take a look at us? You can start a FREE trial over on our website or book a demo! 

 

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 G2, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

The Importance Of Volunteers To Help Preserve Heritage Sites

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On 15th March 2023

In Heritage & Culture, News & Views, Volunteer Management

We currently work with several heritage organisations such as The Pankhurst Trust, The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester Museum and more! It’s important to manage your heritage volunteers efficiently as they play such a vital role in the preservation of heritage sites. 

Why preserving heritage sites is necessary 

Economic Importance: Heritage sites can drive tourism, providing economic benefits to the surrounding community. Heritage sites attract many visitors helping the organisations to run.

Environmental Value: Many heritage sites are also natural wonders, featuring ecosystems and landscapes. Preserving these sites helps to protect and show the importance of the environment.

Historical Significance: Heritage sites offer us a chance to look at the past, helping us to understand our history. These sites help create a memorable experience for visitors and allow people of all ages to learn about historic events.

The importance of heritage volunteers 

Volunteers play a crucial role in preserving heritage sites for a variety of reasons.

They can help to promote heritage sites and increase public awareness. People can become ambassadors for heritage sites, providing tours and sharing information with visitors. This can help to raise awareness of the site’s history and can encourage more people to visit and support the site. 

Many volunteers are passionate about history and cultural preservation and can use their skills, knowledge and expertise to help protect and preserve heritages. Volunteers can engage with communities, creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn about and appreciate history. 

Volunteers can assist with the maintenance and upkeep of heritage sites. These sites require regular cleaning, repair, and restoration work, and the help of volunteers can be valuable in ensuring that these tasks are completed.

How can TeamKinetic help you manage your heritage volunteers

TeamKinetic can help make managing your volunteers easier within your heritage organisation. With our system, you can recruit more volunteers than ever before, fully customise your site and volunteer registration, communicate with your volunteers efficiently, and more!

Our current customers at The Whitworth Art Gallery have been using our system for over two years now. Fiona Cariss, Volunteer Manager at The Whitworth has said: 

Quote from Fiona Carris, Volunteer Manager at The Whitworth. Reads "We chose TeamKinetic as they're a local organisation to our gallery and already supply the volunteer system for Manchester City Council's volunteering opportunities. The Whitworth is in partnership with Manchester Art Gallery, along with Manchester Museum, so it means in the future we could look at sharing our volunteers and opportunities across the partnership through TeamKinetic."


If you would like to try out our system for yourself you can start a FREE trial today or book a demo! 

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 A Volunteer Management System Can Help Heritage Challenges

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On 1st March 2023

In Heritage & Culture, News & Views, Volunteer Management

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

 

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 G2, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Flexible Volunteering – Why Is It More Appealing To Volunteers?

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On 22nd February 2023

In Volunteer Management

What is flexible volunteering?

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.  

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.

Effective Communication With Your Volunteers

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On 15th February 2023

In TeamKinetic Features, Volunteer Management

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.
Communication with volunteers

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:

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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.

Engaging Gen Z Volunteers

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On 8th February 2023

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

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. 

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.

Retail Volunteer Recruitment

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On 1st February 2023

In Charity, Hospice, News & Views, Volunteer Management

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.

 

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

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Volunteer And Volunteer Manager Expectations

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On 25th January 2023

In Volunteer Management

Volunteer Expectations – Do They Expect Too Much?

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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