This post is tip #9 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. For many volunteer roles, specific (and often times in-depth) training is required. Rather than making the training just another hoop young volunteers have to jump through to actually get volunteering, create a training program that is bigger than the volunteer opportunity. Sometimes,… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: August 2012
Use technology to collaborate with Millennial volunteers online #27MVE
This post is tip #8 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. Collaboration and brainstorming doesn’t have to happen at a set time and place, in person, on walls with flip chart paper and post it notes. In order to work with young peoples’ busy (and often inflexible) schedules because of work,… Continue Reading
Engage young volunteers across the organization #27MVE
This post is tip #7 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. Previous posts in this series have mentioned bridging out beyond events, education, and social media as roles for Millennial volunteers. If volunteering for young people is often a means of career exploration, organizations need to offer volunteer opportunities across the… Continue Reading
Don’t dump social media on young volunteers #27MVE
There are a few types of volunteer roles for which organizations commonly recruit young volunteers. While social media may be one of the ones that is explicitly recruited for, often social media sneaks onto the plates of Millennial volunteers. Imagine an event committee. The event needs to be promoted, and the marketing person decides that… Continue Reading
Avoid this when naming volunteer roles for young people #27MVE
Assistant. When creating a volunteer role aimed at young people, don’t use this word in the title. Screw organizational hierarchy – if your title is “coordinator”, don’t just focus on role names that sound “beneath” you. Using “assistant” trivializes the role and can create a mindset that this person is someone that be sent all the… Continue Reading
The importance of references to Millennial volunteers #27MVE
In almost all volunteer role descriptions that I create, one of the benefits for the volunteer that I list (among other like contributing to a cause, connecting with good people, gaining experience in area XYZ) is the provision of a letter of reference (upon request) after successful completion of the role. For many Millennials, volunteering… Continue Reading
Blend activism with volunteerism to keep young people engaged #27MVE
This post is tip #6 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. Many volunteer roles filled by young people put them on the front lines of an organization. In some cases this can help connect them to the organization’s mission, but in many cases, it many lead to feelings of total disconnection… Continue Reading
How to address “I don’t know how” as a reason for not volunteering #27MVE
This post is tip #5 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. According to the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, and for reasons that many people in the nonprofit sector are dumbfounded by, a major reason why young people don’t volunteer is that they don’t know how. For some Millennials,… Continue Reading
The first question to ask new #Millennial volunteers #27MVE
This post is tip #4 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. During the recruitment process, or shortly thereafter, be sure to ask the following question of new young volunteers: What do you want to get out of this experience? Some people may assume that a new line on the old resume… Continue Reading
Nonprofits should incubate external initiatives by #Millennials #27MVE
This post is tip #3 in the 27 Tips for better Millennial volunteer engagement series. Millennials (usually of the university student variety) are often involved in initiatives related to sustainability, homelessness, international development, social justice, etc. as a part of student clubs, classes, or other. Some of these initiatives fit perfectly with your organization’s mission.… Continue Reading