Three Ways Your Non-profit can show Volunteers you value them

For many non-profit organizations managing volunteers makes up a significant portion of operations. Especially for organizations that do building projects or host events, volunteer relations and retention is some of the most important work that you do.  

“We can’t thank our volunteers enough!”  

“Our volunteers make all of this possible.” 

These phrases are the stars of thank-you speeches and newsletters across many organizations, and it's true! Without volunteers, non-profits wouldn’t be able to fundraise and engage the communities they work with nearly as effectively.  

But, if you manage, recruit or organize volunteers, you know the effort that goes into keeping up with that valuable volunteer base. With a user-friendly Customer Relations Management System (CRM software) and CRM tools such as an automated marketing platform, your job will become more streamlined, allowing you to reach higher instead of just keeping up.  

1. Volunteer Management 

CRM systems are a practical, efficient and organized way to manage your volunteers. But choosing a contact management software that suits your needs is no small task! Many organizations use Excel spreadsheets or a custom CRM that are very limited in their capabilities.  

While Excel might store your contact data, it can be difficult to use your data to its full potential after it has been entered into the sheet.  

You know volunteers are at the core of your work, so show them how you value their time and contributions by elevating your volunteer data collection methods and gathering data effectively so that you don’t have to ask the same questions and fill out the same forms over and over again.  

2. Tracking Volunteer Hours 

Volunteers come to you for many reasons; student service requirements, work experience, retirement projects, and (of course) because they all believe in what you do! 

No matter the reason, tracking your time is important data collection practice for you and your volunteers. How can tracking hours help your organization? 

• You’ll know how many volunteer hours projects of certain types need. By collecting data about projects, your organization can project what will be needed in the future for like projects. You’ll also be able to use your data and reporting features to make a case to your Executive Director and board for more volunteers in the future! 
• No more lost paper forms and tracking sheets! If you have volunteers with an hours requirement, you’ve likely experienced the crumpled paper chart that gets passed back and forth to track their hours.  

With many integration options, you can use HubSpot and time-tracking software to keep all your volunteers’ hours seamless and do away with the crumpled form exchange. 

3. Communicating with Your Volunteers 

Communication with your volunteers can take hours out of your day. What if you could automate your email communications and deliver a personalized touch with pertinent information?  

The good news is you can! 

HubSpot Marketing Hub has many customizable features to create the perfect emails and workflows for your ever-growing volunteer list! 

HubSpot for Non-Profits Pricing 

Lucky for the non-profit sector, HubSpot offers special pricing for eligible organizations meaning that your organization can get started for 40% less than for-profit companies!