Independent Sector reported that the value of a volunteer hour in 2021 is $28.54, and that figure continues to climb. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way organizations recruit, manage, and engage volunteers, and many nonprofits, just like yours, have transitioned to offering virtual volunteer opportunities for supporters.

Offering virtual volunteer opportunities allows your organization to utilize the skill-set of volunteers while eliminating or limiting face-to-face contact. Even if your nonprofit needs face-to-face volunteers to achieve its mission, now is still a great time to consider adding virtual volunteer opportunities for tasks such as administrative support, marketing, volunteer management and fundraising.

According to Forbes, virtual volunteerism shows no sign of slowing down, even after the pandemic has subsided. Creating a strategy for virtual volunteerism, now, will help your nonprofit prepare for the future and the changing expectations of volunteers. If your organization is investing in a virtual volunteerism strategy for 2021 and beyond, here are four strategic tips for recruiting and engaging remote volunteers.

Having the right technology solutions in place is essential when deploying a virtual volunteerism strategy. How will your organization promote, recruit, register, train, communicate with and engage virtual volunteers? Is there a software solution that can make the process easier and more streamlined?

These are questions to consider when exploring technology to support your virtual volunteer initiatives. One technology solution that your organization may want to consider is volunteer management software. Volunteer management software can be used to recruit, manage, and engage virtual volunteers and data can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection.

by Angela E. White, CRFE, Johnson Grossnickle and Associates

Life is full of opportunities and challenges, and we certainly faced our share in 2020. However, not everything we’ve gone through in the last year is negative. There are some lessons learned we may want to keep — opportunities to capitalize on in the future. It is important to learn from each challenge so you can prepare, mitigate, and more easily turn the next challenge into an opportunity. That’s called resiliency. It sounds easy — but let’s be honest, it isn’t.

Resiliency is the ability to recover from a setback, adapt to new challenges, and keep going in the face of adversity. In a nonprofit, as a staff or volunteer leader, one of the best tools to foster resiliency no matter what is thrown at your organization — internally or externally— is a strategic plan, which:

During a recent JGA webinar, I shared six tips to help you create a resilient organization by building resiliency into your strategic planning:

1. Prepare for the unexpected. Include learning sessions at the beginning of your strategic planning process to provide the knowledge you need to make your organization more resilient.

a. Acknowledge internal and external threats,

b. Consider different scenarios and plans,

c. Stay informed about trends, and

d. Identify lessons learned.

2. Concentrate on the customer experience: For nonprofits to be resilient, it is important to think about who your core “customers” are and who your potential “customers” might be as you think about implementing your mission and opportunities for growth.

a. Provide excellent customer service,

b. Help your customers (constituents, donors, etc.) make their lives easier,

c. And anticipate their needs.

Find meaning in the data webinar on June 10 from 10 a.m.-noon. Learn to clean gathered data, analyze tables in Excel and develop and interpret clear, impactful charts. Presented by SAVI Data Literacy. Cost: Free. Register

Diversify your donors: How to attract Hispanic donors webinar on June 10 at 2 p.m. Learn ways to connect with Latino supporters and build strong ties. Presented by Chronicles of Philanthropy. Cost: $69. Register

2020 Giving trends: A look at the Giving USA 2021 Annual Report on Philanthropy for 2020 webinar on June 16 at noon. Hosted by Johnson, Grossnickle & Associates. Cost: Free. Register

Make decisions with data webinar on June 24 from 10 a.m.-noon. Participants will learn how to use critical data skills for more effective decision-making. Presented by SAVI Data Literacy. Cost: Free. Register

Philanthropy, nonprofits, and faith webinar on June 30 from 3-4:15 p.m. Nonprofit participants will learn how to best operate from their deepest values, and make meaningful connections with their stakeholders. Presented by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. Cost: Free. Register

Frame the problem webinar on July 8 from 10 a.m.-noon. Before using data to inform decisions, it’s important to identify goals and determine how data can help in the process. Presented by SAVI Data Literacy. Cost: Free. Register

Volunteers are needed for a workday at Oliver's Woods on June 9, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Join Central Indiana Land Trust with trail maintenance and invasive species removal in beautifying the nature preserve along the White River. More

The Glow Up Projects needs volunteers for its Juneteenth Social on June 19. Individuals will work at the networking event by assisting attendees from 3-9 p.m. Complete the interest form

For more information adrians@whelhaus.co

Central Indiana Community Foundation Mental health care: One size does not fit all.

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