Satisfaction is at the heart of engagement. Keeping your volunteers happy and inspired ensures that they are motivated to perform their best each day. It also makes it more likely that they will continue to volunteer over the long-term, as well as refer others to your organisation. Satisfying your team comes down to learning what they “really” want and giving it to them.

The following ideas will help you build a strong team that enjoys working together and giving their best effort to meeting the needs of your organisation and community.

Get Started on the Right Foot

When you bring new volunteers on board, it’s important that you start things out right! Make them feel welcome and simplify the onboarding process so that it’s not too overwhelming at first. Make sure that you provide training and set clear expectations so your volunteers can perform their best. Offer opportunities for new recruits to mingle with established staff and long-term volunteers so they feel welcome and know how important they are to your nonprofit and its work.

Give Them Meaningful Work

No one enjoys performing tasks that seem pointless. Always make a point to show your volunteers exactly how their actions are contributing to your cause, and take the time to illustrate the impact that can be made by even simple acts. Mix up their tasks so they don’t feel discouraged or bored with their workload.

Encourage Growth

Offer your volunteers opportunities to learn new skills, including those that may not relate directly to their specific position  to help develop your talent pool and encourage their personal development. As your new volunteers become more adept at performing their duties, encourage them to take on more significant roles, with more challenges, within your organisation to allow them to strengthen their commitment to your organisation.

Build Camaraderie

Don’t wait until the annual awards banquet to offer your volunteers an opportunity to socialise and be recognised for their dedicated work. Throw office parties and other celebrations throughout the year to give your volunteers a chance to meet and greet each other as well as others connected with your organisation. Host a potluck, take your team out to lunch, or invite everyone out for drinks after work. This will give everyone a chance to unwind and get to know one another as people. If your break room or other facilities are equipped with appliances, you can even cook a meal together!  Have each volunteer bring in a specific ingredient and let everyone participate in the preparation of the meal to strengthen your team’s sense of community.

The more that you facilitate the formation of friendships, the easier it will be for your volunteers to cooperate and work together, and the more fun it will be for everyone! It’s up to you to help your volunteers to feel a part of your organisation’s family!

Another way that you can foster communication and bond development is to create a members-only directory for volunteers, so that everyone has access to one another’s contact information and can stay in touch when they are away from their NFP duties. Don’t forget to encourage the use of technology and social sharing so that your volunteers can more easily connect with one another as well as your nonprofit and its mission.

Don’t Forget to Say Thanks

Everyone likes to be recognised for their commitment and effort. Offer your volunteers verbal praise every chance that you get. Use your social media channels to acknowledge your top performers publicly on a daily or weekly basis.  Create a video with candid shots of your volunteers in action to help you show them just how vital they are to your community. Partner with corporate sponsors and other third parties to offer your volunteers perks and rewards for giving their time and energy to your organisation. Regardless of which methods you choose to show your gratitude, make sure to say thanks, and say it often, so that your volunteers feel that their work matters to your community and you, personally!