What kind of volunteer information is important?

A nonprofit’s fundraising efforts would probably be unsuccessful without its dedicated volunteers. These personnel are extremely important and the information an organization has on them should be used to further volunteer engagement. Through proper volunteer management, a nonprofit can increase the value of each person who chooses to donate a portion of their time. Here is some volunteer data all nonprofits should track:

Personal info
When a volunteer registers, a nonprofit should make sure to get his or her name, address, telephone number, email and any other relevant contact information. It should also attempt to find out the volunteer’s availability and shift preferences. This information will make it easier to identify volunteers who can help the nonprofit at a later date.

Additionally, it is smart to find out the skills and abilities of a volunteer. When an organization knows what a person is capable of, it can use him or her in a more efficient manner. This will ensure people are completing tasks they’re good at, but also something they actually want to do. According to VolunteerMatch, nonprofits need to make sure volunteers feel needed and appreciated. There is no better way to do this than to utilize the skills and competencies people already have.

A record of volunteer work
Nonprofits that keep a record of volunteer activity have the ability to ensure no single volunteer is contributing too much. Just like a regular job, volunteers can experience burnout, especially if your nonprofit works in an emotionally demanding environment. To keep everyone fresh and positive, they need to have plenty of time for other activities and endeavors. Properly handling this in a volunteer management system will help keep everything on file.

Additionally, people often volunteer their time because of other obligations. For example, their employer requires all employees to have a certain number of community service hours, or a student needs some volunteer experience on their record. A detailed record of the work people do will help them prove their service.

Volunteer aspirations
While keeping track of what a volunteer is good at, wants to do and has done is important, nonprofits need to also manage personnel’s aspirations. Nonprofits should provide volunteers who want it with the opportunity to learn new skills and abilities. You should consistently ask them if they would like to take on a new challenge or work in a new department.