Today we’re sharing tips on securing volunteers at your next fundraiser with help from our sponsor, VolunteerSpot. You can read on to find out our success at our most recent Fall Festival fundraiser.
As I’ve mentioned, over the past few months I’ve worked on the committee to plan and run the Fall Festival at my children’s school. Over the span of 6 months we worked hard at finalizing all of the details about the festival, including how to secure volunteers for the various game booths, food booths, and more. From the beginning we knew that our volunteers would make the event a success.
And they did! From the parent volunteers who manned the booths, to the church volunteers helping to sell raffle tickets, to the teacher volunteers who helped sell tickets and everyone else in between. Our event was a success because of those supporting and helping run it. Along the way we learned a lot about what we did right, what we did wrong, and how to make next year amazing.
Tips On Securing Volunteers At Your Next Fundraiser
1. Make It Easy –
It all starts with signing up volunteers. And that needs to be easy. Early on into our planning our Volunteer Coordinator set up a VolunteerSpot account and was able to set up shifts for all volunteers for each day of our festival. We were able to share the link via email, posters, social media and our website to allow volunteers to choose a shift and sign up. It also allowed us to keep track of each volunteer and send them reminders before the event. Plus? It’s easily accessible on mobile and desktop!
2. Have A Point Of Contact –
At the event we printed off our volunteer list from VolunteerSpot and as volunteers came to the event they checked in with our Volunteer Coordinator 10 minutes prior to their shift start. By having the Volunteer Coordinator share her contact information (email) with the volunteers, she was able to field questions, pass along information, and create a smooth and easy experience for all. She was also a friendly face to check in with at the event. For those who were new to volunteering at the event, they didn’t have to search for yet another person they might not know when they arrived.
3. Give Clear Instructions –
Communication really is key so we would also give the volunteers a run down on how each booth was running and if we ran into anything in the previous shift. Along with checking in, each volunteer was given written instructions on what was expected and how the area they were in was being run. We not only had clear signage at each booth sharing how to play each game but also instructions for the volunteers on how to take care of game tickets coming in as well as what prize tickets to give out.
4. Provide Childcare –
One bit of feedback we had received in years past was that our parents could not volunteer their time because they lacked the proper childcare for their shift. So this year we reached out to the preschool staff to ask if they were willing to provide childcare at the event. Not only would we be able to help our parent volunteers, but we were also able to market our preschool to potential families looking to send their little ones to our school.
5. Thank Your Volunteers –
After any fundraiser, there’s nothing more powerful than a heartfelt, handwritten note. Now while it may sound like a lot of work, thanking your volunteers personally will let them know just how important they are to your cause and how much you appreciate them.
