Tips to keep volunteers coming

Illona Bray, J.D., in her article talks about her tips for keeping volunteers coming back. They are as follows:

1. Tap Into Volunteers' Motives

2. Tell Volunteers What You Expect

3. Make Volunteering Convenient

4. Make Volunteering Fun

5. Show Appreciation

I try to remember these anytime I am creating any type of program or event for my volunteers. Of these 5, I believe that my program does a really good job with 4 of them. My volunteers are motivated by their positive experience at JMU during undergrad, their desire to see the University grow, and their interest in staying connect to what's currently happening on campus. I have outlined the expectations I have for Chapter Leaders in their training documents but am working on this project to improve what those things are as well. Volunteers get to plan fun events, such as baseball games, picnics, and happy hours. Lastly, I give out awards and gifts to the chapters every year at the annual Madison Alumni Conference. The part that is not done super well by my program is making volunteering convenient. The reason I have not done a great job with this part is because 1. I work for a University that requires paperwork, redtape, and lots of hoops that need to be jumped through before something can happen and 2. Because there is only one of me for 80+ volunteers, there have to be some things that the volunteers take on alleviate the amount of work it would require for me to make it convenient for everyone.  For example, I require a document filled out every time a chapter leader needs money to come out of their chapter account. I've had complaints that this document is not convenient to use, but it is the exact form our auditors need to see every year, and there is necessary for all of those account allocations. Rather than simply submitting the receipt to me, chapter leaders must also fill out the form so that I know why the funds are coming out and I know who they are going to. The other option would be for me to then get the receipt, and email back and forth with the volunteer about what the funds are for, who they go to, etc., which can take days. Not only does this save time, but it also saves energy. In that way, I don't believe that volunteer roles can always be convenient, because there are things that have to be done in order to keep the volunteers moving forward.