Volunteers often serve as the backbone of your fundraising event. Nonprofits (especially small-medium nonprofits) rely heavily on those volunteer resources to execute the event and other aspects of their program. Let’s highlight for a minute what volunteers often do for an event.

1. Volunteers run the check-in table. It seems simple (and when organized it is) but THIS is the very first moment your guest experiences your event and, for some, your nonprofit. Remember the saying about first impressions? Yes, it is in the hands of a volunteer.
2. Volunteers gather and arrange auction items. Volunteers scatter themselves throughout your community asking for donations on your behalf, interfacing with business owners, decision makers and ultimately donors to your auction.
3. Volunteers handle PR. Many nonprofits delegate social media and in-kind PR to a volunteer. Small - medium nonprofit events typically have a PR/Social Media committee. As strategic as PR is to an organization and an event, a small - medium nonprofit does not have the capacity to execute and needs this human power. Even larger nonprofits outsource this function to a volunteer when they (i.e. staff) feel ill-equipped to manage or direct social media.
4. Volunteers handle event setup and cleanup.
5. Volunteers manage donation stations, auction checkout and a variety of financial, donor-centric moments.

Target the Right Volunteers

As strategic as volunteers are to an event and the nonprofit, the volunteer recruitment typically begins with a signup sheet. As nonprofit staff, we toss a signup sheet out at board/committee meetings and allow volunteers to self-select. Let’s just be honest, some volunteers are perfect at the check-in table while others are really better serving in roles that don’t interface with donors. The Apple store would never allow people to self-determine who stands at the front door and welcome customers and nor should nonprofits.

Volunteer-power is strategic to your organization and your fundraising event.  Here are steps to strengthen this process.

Recruit the Right Volunteers

1. Recruit Strategically. Assess your volunteers jobs and write down the attributes of people who will function best in those roles.  The volunteer roles are too important to leave it to a signup-sheet process. Proactively ask the best people to fill those roles so that you can leverage each person’s highest gift.  Once you have a core group of qualified volunteers in each section, then you can open the remaining spots to the sign-up sheet process if necessary. Consider including the attributes in the description of the job on the signup sheet.
1. A special note here -- do not put a negative person or the ‘complainer’ at the check-in table. We’ve worked with and actually taken over a check-process from a volunteer who was so negative that it was impacting the entire guest experience. If the volunteer is uncomfortable and does not want to be there, get them out. It’s too important and we all have well-intentioned volunteers who have bad days.  
2. Train. Volunteer training is so important. In addition to providing information about the functional aspects of the job, training needs to include information about your cause, notes about customer service and how to be donor-centric. All volunteers need to have a copy of the event Run of Show. They will serve as your guest’s point of contact with the event and need to be prepared to answer many questions.  
3. Designate a Volunteer Coordinator. Recruit a staff person or experienced volunteer to serve as the coordinator. This person needs to be well-versed in the cause, functional aspects of the event and connected to event communication.  Their jobs is to support the volunteers in a way that makes the volunteer experience smooth and pleasant which will lead to good retention.
4. Identify volunteers. During your event, there should be a way for guests to easily identify a volunteer (this is also helpful for volunteers to easily recognize each other).  A t-shirt, pin, hat - anything that can be in common and identifiable.  

Retain Your Volunteers for the Long-Term

1. Inspire. Remind the volunteers regularly of how their contribution matters to your cause. Odds are that your volunteer’s commitment is rooted in a passion for your cause. It’s easy to forget in the ‘fog of events’ but always include a story about your cause in volunteer emails and meetings so the they remember that the sometimes small tasks they carry out have a big impact on the mission.  
2. Treat volunteers as donors. Their volunteer experience will impact future giving to your organization. Oftentimes, volunteers turn into donors. In addition, having committed volunteers for the long-term will cut down on training overtime, thus saving you time and money.
3. Fun. All of the people involved are strategic to your event and organization. Their human-power is valuable and you need them to return. How? Make it fun and be thankful. Fun is relative but this can include the following (a) make training fun by including wine, food, ice breakers and time for volunteers to interact, (b) host a volunteer thank you event, (c) reward volunteers with a special opportunity - perhaps a local publication will provide you with an in-kind ad that you could use to publicly thank your volunteers, (d) recognize volunteers at the event and highlight those who have been involved for a long time -- perhaps you can introduce a 5 or 10-year volunteer award.