{"id":11577,"date":"2023-10-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/?p=11577"},"modified":"2023-10-06T12:11:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T16:11:06","slug":"how-to-organize-volunteers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/how-to-organize-volunteers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Organize Volunteers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/how_to_organize_volunteersc.jpeg\" alt=\"Woman holding a sunflower\" class=\"wp-image-11579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/how_to_organize_volunteersc.jpeg 680w, https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/how_to_organize_volunteersc-480x480.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 680px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you need to organize volunteers for an upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/organizing-tip-event-planning-101-planning-large-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">event<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you interested in having a smooth and seamless experience for both yourself and your helpers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking the time to properly organize volunteers is a win-win situation for everyone involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only does your group get the assistance they need, but your volunteers have a rewarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/productive-volunteer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"How to Be a Productive Volunteer\">volunteer session<\/a>, and the people, cause, or area you are serving receives sufficient help and attention.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s not bad for a little bit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/4-things-everyone-should-know-about-planning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">planning<\/a>, now is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, you&#8217;ll find a few helpful tips to make organizing volunteers a piece of cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you have these tips on hand the next time you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/organizing-tip-event-planning-101-how-organize-layout-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">plan an event<\/a> with volunteers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Determine your goals.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you recruit your very first volunteer, it\u2019s important to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/3-simple-ways-to-work-towards-your-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">determine the goals<\/a> of your event or function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What specific goals do you need to reach?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you need to raise money for a family in need? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paint a graffiti-plagued building in your neighborhood? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clear out an abandoned lot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a moment to write your goals down for future reference, as these will directly influence how you instruct your volunteers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Break your goals into smaller tasks.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like any large project, it\u2019s easier to reach a goal by breaking it down into smaller steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Review your goals for your volunteers and break them down into clearly defined and compact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/scheduling-tasks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"What to Keep in Mind When Scheduling Tasks\">tasks.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more precise you can be, the better. You want people to easily understand what they need to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, in the case of painting a building with graffiti, you might have the following tasks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Pick up trash in front of building<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sweep sidewalk building<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set out tarp, primer, paint, and rollers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prime building<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paint building<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clean up tarp, primer, paint, and rollers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Make a point to assign individuals to work on <em>one specific task <\/em><i>at a time<\/i>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This reduces the amount of confusion when it comes to getting things done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> When they have finished working on that task, they can proceed to work on another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also make sure the tasks you come up with can be physically completed in the time allotted for your volunteers, be it thirty minutes, or three hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Determine how many volunteers you\u2019ll need.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using your goals and tasks as a guide, calculate how many volunteers you\u2019ll need for your project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may need to take some time to determine numbers of volunteers, given the amount and type of tasks on your list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way of going about this, is to review past volunteer events to get a sense of how many people you will need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve finished calculating how many volunteers you need, you can then start the recruitment process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also let potential volunteers know exactly what type of help you will need, as in, \u201cWe need 10 people to help us paint a building on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have resources ready before volunteers arrive.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you have all of your volunteer related resources in place before your volunteers arrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want to make sure you don\u2019t waste a moment of their time! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This might mean arriving an hour or more in advance of your volunteers, but it will be worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything will be in place and your volunteers can get to work right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what items should you set up or have in place? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You could arrange a volunteering registration station or area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you have detailed instructions or pamphlets, as well as tools, supplies, equipment, and materials at the ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start on time.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s extremely important you start your volunteer project on time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you have a sparse turnout at first (which may be the case), don\u2019t wait for more people to show up before beginning your volunteer project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why? Well, this is a direct insult to those who arrived on time and are ready to volunteer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, everyone\u2019s time is precious. Why should these people be punished for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/time-management-tip-how-to-stop-arriving-late-to-those-nearby-appointments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">arriving on time<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best thing you can do is honor your volunteer\u2019s time, by starting on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Give clear and simple instructions.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Assign volunteers the tasks you developed earlier. Make sure you give clear, simple and specific instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last thing you want to do is confuse your volunteers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need to take a few moments to provide step-by-step instructions, so be it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s far better to have well-informed volunteers, than not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also let volunteers know who is in charge of the project, so they can ask questions, or seek assistance, if they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Show recognition.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, it\u2019s important to thank your volunteers for their time and effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They gave up time in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/3-ways-know-your-schedule-overbooked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">busy schedules<\/a> to help you out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s only fitting that you let people know their work is appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter how you thank people, but it\u2019s important you do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You could give your thanks along with a hearty handshake, write thank you notes or cards, or list people\u2019s names on a monthly newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i>How about yo<\/i><em><i>u? <\/i>Which of these tips resonates most with you? <i>J<\/i><\/em><i>oin the conversation and leave a comment below!<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you need to organize volunteers for an upcoming event? Are you interested in having a smooth and seamless experience for both yourself and your helpers?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[142,16,1166,18,19,91,488,489,490,130],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11577"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11577"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25971,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11577\/revisions\/25971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}