Old-school methods of building a volunteer program are quickly being replaced by efficient and effective technological processes. In fact, we've done some checking around and came up with six good reasons why more and more organizations are embracing technology to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers.
1. You'll achieve better reach.
With the right volunteer management tool, your organization will reach more audiences -- and that means more potential volunteers. There are all-in-one communication apps on the market which allow you to launch multiple social media campaigns, send out mass emails, and message internally and externally.
2. Automated processes will make your volunteer program more efficient.
You'll save time and money by implementing automated processes to cover basic recruitment measures, evaluation procedures, and retention strategies. At the same time, you'll free up your volunteer coordination staff so that they can address other issues. For instance: You can send out automated schedule reminders, weather and safety updates, recruitment messages, performance criteria, and links to tutorials and evaluation forms -- and that's just for starters.
3. You will build a polished and professional brand image.
Your brand will take on a sophisticated, up-to-date look as you use new technologies to retain, recruit, and engage volunteers. And because so many volunteers are tech-savvy, your automated volunteer recruitment and retention strategies will be all the more appealing to them.
4. Your organization will continue to attract younger demographics.
In fact, the teenagers, twenty-somethings, and thirty-somethings of today are accustomed to using all things digital in every aspect of their lives. With the right technology, you will attract focused, tech-savvy students, recent college graduates, and Millennial professionals that are eager to volunteer remotely or on-site. And since all of these groups have encountered educational technology in some form, they respond positively to online training tools and adapt to new technologies quickly.
5. You will build a volunteer community around your brand.
Digitized communication methods enable you to provide your volunteers with online access, the ability to give feedback, and a means for communicating preferences. Furthermore, you'll build an online community of team members that will keep your volunteer program at "top of mind." Once your volunteers feel experienced, confident, and involved, they may even become brand ambassadors that actively recruit and convert their friends to volunteer through your organization.
6. You will track all aspects of volunteer involvement.
The right technology helps you build an effective and scalable volunteer database. You'll track attendance and performance, match interests and qualifications with roles, and keep tabs on volunteer training and performance. By doing so, you'll be able to direct new volunteer opportunities more efficiently.
InitLive is the industry leader in volunteer management software. Recruit, engage, and retain your volunteers at a mass level using InitLive's all-in-one communication and data storage systems. Click here to watch a demo now!
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