How to Motivate Volunteers in an Organization

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE VOLUNTEERS IN A CHARITABLE ORGANISATION

There is no doubt that every organization needs their shareholders to keep helping towards the growth of the company. Therefore, in a charitable organization, it is very necessary that the managers help volunteers get motivated and happy so that they can continue helping such organization. (Shari, 2012).Volunteers, just as the name suggest are those people who desire to work towards the growth of a company, not for  profit sake, but rather get involve for the goodness of their heart, while also developing themselves through such help. There are various ways by which managers or companies can motivate volunteers in a charitable organization, and they include the following.(Shari, 2012).

• Healthy bodies and mind: This one very important aspect of motivating your volunteers. Just as the proverb says “Health is Wealth” Therefore, if your volunteers feel healthy both in mind and their body, then they are able to provide more input but physically and mentally towards the cause of the job. Therefore, breaks during work, health seminars and advising them on proper health dieting can help motivate your volunteers, as they see your concern about their own wellbeing.
• Respect: In motivating volunteers in charitable organization, where they are not expecting money or any physical reward in return, then respect is very necessary. In this case of volunteering, managers should show respect to their volunteers in whatever they do. Respect could come in showing gratitude towards such individual’s effort, positive comments or a form of acknowledgement.
• Regular meeting: There is no better way to see that volunteers have a say in some of the jobs to be done in a charitable organization. Therefore, meeting with them on regular basis to discuss project or concerns with them, listen to their views, respond to their feedbacks, will reinforce their behavior and they will be motivated towards helping the organization.
• Be accessible: Volunteers are willingly to work in a charitable organization in which the managers and the employees are accessible. Therefore, you have to be accessible and approachable to the volunteers so that they do not keep a far distance from you, because you are tyrant or you act as some sort of lord over them. Been accessible and keeping an open door, allow them contribute positively, and not hoard their knowledge for the growth of the firm.
• Be accurate and detailed: Volunteers want to improve the growth of the company, but they still need to have directions as to how to do their job. Therefore, information that is provided should be accurate, detailed, though concise, to help the volunteers carryout their work.
• Personal growth: It is true that they are working towards the growth of the company or promoting quality human life, but they are also interested in self growth. This implies that they are engaging in such volunteer so that they can improve their skills, interest or career. For example, a volunteer in a school organization is teaching to help improve the children, but also to advance their own career in either teaching cause or become a good professor. Therefore, volunteers can be motivated by allowing them also develop themselves while doing the job.
• Recognition of Service: There is nothing good as recognizing one’s effort towards a job. Volunteers want to feel that their effort is been appreciated and also seen. Therefore, a little thank you from the company motivates them to want to continue rendering the help.
• Build community: Volunteers will always be motivated in an environment that encourages relationship between each other. This implies that days should be set out for volunteers and the company heads to interact, know each other, get entertained and not just working every time. This form of humor keeps them motivated that they are loved, everyone wants to engage with people, and therefore, a good sense of community is important to motivate the volunteers.
• Flexibility: Been flexible and not too rigid both in behavior and company structure is needed to motivate volunteers to stay in a charitable organization. Therefore, charitable organizations can motivate volunteers by having them take a little break off work, to attend to their personal and health needs. This helps to keep them motivated, rather than working all day and night and no form of break or leave.
• Lead by example: This is the last aspect of motivating volunteers, which is very needed to allow volunteers want to stay and not leave. Therefore, all the points raised above are imbedded in the act of leading by example to the volunteers. In this case, you can give directives and assignments; however, you need to also be involved in working with the volunteers, to get the job done. They are much different from your employees, who are been paid, therefore, they should not be pushed around like slaves. Lead by example, and you see volunteers always feeling positive and happy towards their volunteering activity in the charitable organization.

In conclusion, every company, particularly charitable organization need volunteers to help advance their mission and vision, while attracting potential investors to the company. However, it is not what they can do for the organization that keeps their retention, but what they know you can do for them, keeps them reinforcing their behavior. Therefore, organizations should value and treat their volunteers as they will want to treat their employees, because, no company can achieve anything by itself, so volunteers are very much needed in charitable organizations.