As a volunteer manager, it is important to keep your volunteers up-to-date and in the loop with important information regarding your organization. Communication is also a key step to project management and it should be an essential step in every service project planning steps. What is the best communication strategy for your organization?

Check out our communication suggestions below and decide which one will work best for you!

1. Social media: Our culture is increasingly becoming more reliant on technology. This heavy reliance makes a social media strategy essential for any emerging business, including the nonprofit sector. If your organization can secure funds to make a social media team possible, it will be worth every penny! Your organization can use social media to communicate important event dates and details, new resources, service projects, nonprofit news, and project tips. Social media can help your organization market itself at a low cost, which will help your organization attract a new audience.
2. Newsletters: A great way to keep your volunteers informed is to publish a frequent newsletter. Newsletters can contain a variety of information including upcoming projects, organizational news, and volunteer spotlights. Your organization can save money by distributing these newsletters via email lists. The best way to begin compiling email lists is by collecting personal volunteer information on project days.
3. Telecommunication: Utilizing cellular phone technology is another way to reach a large number of volunteers without taking a lot from your annual budget. Choose a text-messaging program that volunteers can opt into to receive organizational updates and service project information.
4. Volunteer orientation: Prior to service projects, assign times for volunteer training/ orientation. At volunteer orientation, inform your volunteers about your organization’s mission and purpose, important information regarding the upcoming project (attire, transportation, specific requests), and explain project expectations. Allow volunteers to give input and meet organizational staff and other volunteers.
5. Volunteer resource guide: Publish your organization’s volunteer resources online for volunteers to access, when needed. These guides can serve as information for volunteers who wish to plan their own projects. These guides should communicate every necessary detail for volunteers so that they know what to expect at each planning and execution step.

 

Project communication is essential to the success of your project. Make sure that you make this step a priority within your organization. As you can see there are many different communication tools that your organization can use that do not cost a great deal of money. It is important for your organization to choose a communication tool that will fit your organization’s style.

How does your organization communicate with its volunteers? We would love to hear your tips, insights, and questions in the comments section below!

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