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7 Reasons to Invest in a Volunteer Program

Volunteer Program
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Your services, fundraising campaigns, and even day-to-day operations of your nonprofit can depend on volunteers.

An estimated 30 percent of Americans or 77.9 million people reported they volunteered for an organization or association.”

AmeriCorps published survey

So, if people want to volunteer, the key to garner willing volunteers is to:

  • Communicate your needs
  • Share your “why”
  • Make it easy

While all nonprofits know they need volunteers, investing time and energy into building a program can naturally fall by the wayside. As you look to recruit and retain volunteers, a best practice is to put a strategic volunteer program in place.

You may be asking, “What’s the benefit to me, the nonprofit?” Let’s dive into it!

First, let’s start with the basics — what are the top reasons to invest in a volunteer program? We’ve got you covered. A dynamic volunteer program:

  1. Creates ambassadors for your mission. Volunteers spread the word in your community and increase your community engagement. They can advocate for you with their friends, family, and local and state legislatures. Provide your volunteers with messaging so they can share their “why” on social media and by word of mouth. One pro tip shared by Points of Light is to provide a digital badge to add to your volunteer leaders’ email signatures.
  2. Develops new funding sources. The line between a volunteer and donor should be fluid, not separate. A 2014 study by Fidelity Charitable found that 83% of volunteers report supporting the same nonprofits with their donations. Don’t silo your volunteers and your donors!
  3. Reduces your operating costs. According to the Independent Sector, the value of a volunteer hour was estimated at $28.54 in 2020. Since payroll is often the largest expense for a nonprofit, volunteers provide essential support to your cause with minimal costs to you.
  4. Increases the quantity and quality of your programs and services. It’s a win-win situation for professional development and your lengthy project list! That list will be met by an eager, talented volunteer, and your volunteer will improve their professional skills at the same time.
  5. Maximizes your limited staff resources. We’re sure there’s been a few items on your wish list that you’d love to check off if you had more resources, like being open on holidays or offering more services to your community. Volunteers can fill in those gaps! Maybe they are looking for ways to give back over a holiday, or they may have the connections to develop a new service opportunity for you.
  6. Increases your diversity and brings in new ideas. Although your nonprofit may always strive to diversify or get out of the “we’ve always done it this way” rut, you may not meet the potential of those goals with your staff. Volunteers can provide unique perspectives, different experiences, and even that spark of excitement that comes with a new idea.
  7. Minimizes volunteer turnover. Just like staff onboarding, volunteer onboarding takes time and money. If you recruit and onboard well with easy-to-access opportunity matching, training, and tracking mechanisms in place, your volunteers will be well on their way to a successful experience. Build on that by learning more about your volunteers’ interests and skills, and they will feel seen and appreciated. An upfront investment will pay off in years of dedicated service.
Are you convinced? If so, it’s time to take the next step of how to start putting a volunteer program into place. Then you can scale your volunteering as your nonprofit grows!

Here are our 5 fundraiser-approved steps to developing a bullet-proof volunteer program.

Step 1: Quantify your current volunteer impact.

Gather data on number of volunteers, hours and skills contributed.

Measure the return on investment (ROI) including your program cost and total estimated volunteer value (# of volunteer hours x est. volunteer wage per hour). You can even take it a step further and consider the monetary savings to the community when volunteers provide the service or in-kind donation versus a private provider (e.g. number of children tutored or trees planted).

Step 2: Educate your staff and board on the benefits of volunteering.

Share your ROI and other data with your executive team and board and garner to get them on board. Recruiting, onboarding, engaging, and retaining your volunteer base will be much smoother when you have their support.

Step 3: Purchase or build a volunteer management software system.

Track volunteer hours, record your volunteers’ information, and create reports. Your software/tracking system should include a personalized volunteer dashboard where they can track their hours and volunteer services provided, demonstrating to them their impact in real-time.

Step 4: Develop a plan for recruitment, training, and growth opportunities for your volunteers.

Share the plan with your current volunteer leaders and solicit their feedback before rolling out to the community.

Step 5: Make the case for even more investment in your program next year.

Give insight into how your efforts to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers positively impact your mission and your bottom line.

Spotlight

House of Ruth Louisville

House of Ruth is a nonprofit organization that strengthens lives for those with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1992 by eight friends, four of whom were Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, House of Ruth was incorporated to meet the local service needs of women and children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. The service population has since expanded to include men living with HIV/AIDS, and the lives of more than 1,100 people, including nearly 300 children, and 700 households each year.

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Qgiv Unveils Strategic Vision for AI Fundraising Solutions

GlobeNewswire | October 19, 2023

Qgiv, a leading provider of fundraising technology solutions, announced its strategy for embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning across the platform with its latest set of features, Fundraising Intelligence by Qgiv (Fundraising IQ). This collection of tools is designed to empower nonprofits and fundraisers to maximize their impact by simplifying day-to-day tasks. Simultaneously, Qgiv has joined Fundraising.AI’s Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to promoting ethical and responsible use of AI in the nonprofit sector. Qgiv will join the Fundraising.AI steering committee, a collaborative of industry leaders, nonprofits, and AI experts to help establish ethical principles to guide the deployment of AI use in the nonprofit industry. "AI has been around for many years, but only recently has it become available for more consumer-based applications. Our goal is to connect nonprofits with the power of AI, responsibly and ethically, to help them achieve their full fundraising potential and further their missions," said Todd Baylis, CEO of Qgiv, Inc. "The release of Fundraising IQ and our commitment to the Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising is only the beginning—our hope is that AI-driven solutions can help reduce burnout among fundraisers by automating manual tasks and ultimately improve the giving experience." Fundraising IQ represents a significant leap forward in the fundraising industry, equipping nonprofits with cutting-edge AI, data science, and machine learning tools to enhance their fundraising campaigns, donor engagement, and overall efficiency. Launched and soon to be released features that fall under Fundraising IQ include: Dynamic Giving Amounts:Fundraising IQ leverages machine learning to analyze donor data and suggest dynamic, personalized donation amounts to donors to increase conversions. Generate Emails with AI:Qgiv’s Fundraising Content Assistant uses AI to help nonprofit teams craft peer-to-peer emails in seconds, freeing up time for fundraisers to focus on building meaningful relationships with their donors. Auction Item Recommendations:Organization’s using Qgiv’s auction tools can maximize their revenue and save time with suggested starting bids and bid increments to optimize performance. Automated Campaign Improvement Suggestions:Fundraising IQ continuously analyzes campaign performance, and will soon provide real-time benchmarks to help organizations optimize their fundraising efforts for maximum impact. AI-Generated Fraud Protection:To protect nonprofits from fraud and mitigate card testing, Qgiv has adopted an AI-enhanced fraud protection system that detects bots and malicious card tests. This automated security measure has resulted in a 97% drop in card testing on Qgiv forms. “We view the rise of AI in technology, and launch of Fundraising IQ, as an exciting opportunity to help busy nonprofit teams raise more for their missions. As we look towards the future, Qgiv clients can expect to see more time saving, AI-powered solutions implemented within the platform,” said Chris Morata, vice president of product at Qgiv. Inc. About Qgiv Qgiv, Inc. is a leading digital fundraising platform empowering 20,000+ nonprofit fundraisers to raise money for their causes while keeping costs low. Through online giving and event registration forms, text fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and auction events, Qgiv provides a full suite of fundraising solutions that integrate with industry-leading CRMs and email providers to provide a personalized giving experience for donors. Founded in 2007, they now serve more than 6,500 nonprofits in the US and Canada who have collectively raised over $3 billion using Qgiv’s platform. Qgiv is known for their free, award-winning customer service, customizable platform, and flexible pricing. Qgiv is committed to helping people fulfill their passion to make a difference for others by equipping fundraisers with tools and educational resources to advance their knowledge and move their missions forward. About Fundraising.AI Created in 2020, Fundraising.AI is a fully independent collaborative that supports individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector to understand and promote the development and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. Fundraising.AI’s Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising, establishes the first set of guidelines for individuals and organizations looking to responsibly integrate AI practices into their fundraising efforts. During the past year, a diverse group of more than 90 thought leaders and subject-matter experts contributed hundreds of hours to the creation of the Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising. Through collaborative learning, research, and best practice sharing, Fundraising.AI aims to ensure that AI is utilized ethically and effectively to advance charitable missions.

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Fundraising

Blackbaud Expands Peer-To-Peer Solutions with New Mobile Capabilities

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, is doubling down on its investment in the peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising space - one of the most significant and rapidly growing sectors for fundraising today - with the next evolution of Good Move™, its activity-tracking mobile app. The development will transform the app into a powerful mobile participant center for Blackbaud TeamRaiser®, enabling a streamlined experience for participants and self-service functionality for social impact customers. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a vital component of the philanthropic landscape, and we are committed to providing innovative solutions that empower organizations and individuals to make a difference," said Sudip Datta, chief product officer at Blackbaud. "The new capabilities within Good Move represent our ongoing dedication to supporting the peer-to-peer fundraising community. We look forward to the positive impact these enhancements will have on the fundraising efforts of organizations globally. Good Move, which launched in 2023 as an activity-tracking mobile app designed for TeamRaiser, has been a game-changer in the world of fundraising, allowing organizations to create custom wellness events that go beyond traditional walk, run and cycling. With Good Move, participants can record various activities, from pickleball to water sports to mindful minutes and more. With this significant upgrade, customers will now have the ability to adopt a mobile app experience for events where activity-tracking is not applicable. Organizations can now create campaigns that focus solely on fundraising, without losing the "gamification" experience and P2P tools needed to sustain engagement. Customers can also now seamlessly attach Good Move-powered capabilities to existing TeamRaiser events from their TeamRaiser administrative portal. This self-service model streamlines event management, saving organizations time and resources while enhancing their fundraising capabilities. For information on new capabilities in TeamRaiser and Good Move, attend the next Blackbaud Product Update Briefings, November 14-16. Registration opens October 13. For existing TeamRaiser customers interested in learning more about the new Good Move capabilities, please contact your Customer Success Manager. For any organization not already a TeamRaiser customer that is looking to further understand the power of TeamRaiser and Good Move, please click here. About Blackbaud Blackbaud is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud's essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud's solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies, Quartz's list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes' list of America's Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries.

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