Summary and Top Tips from the Focused discussion | Communicating effectively with volunteers.
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Created by Debbie Ambrose Last updated 10 days ago Tags:
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Debbie Ambrose
12 August 2024 at 9:00am
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22 August 2024 at 8:29am
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Thank you for this - very interesting. Would be useful if there were an option to print this off to share with colleagues. Apologies, if l'm missing where it is.
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Debbie Ambrose
22 August 2024 at 12:43pm
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@Jennifer DeeringHi Jennifer, Thank you for your message. Unfortunately we do not have the facility on our website to print from a Forum entry. However, I can suggest two options. Either take a screenshot or send the web page link to your colleagues.
Summary and Top Tips from the Focused discussion | Communicating effectively with volunteers.
Hope this helps
Debbie
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7 August 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this lively and interesting conversation. Our guests were split into two groups and below is a summary of both conversations.
Please feel free to continue the conversation or ask questions on this Forum thread.
Methods of communication
Many of you have noticed that the number of people not able to use electronic communications has reduced. The assumption was that most of those not using technology will be of an older generation, but this is not always the case. One guest commented that her two oldest volunteers were far more tech savvy than herself.
Confirm with the volunteer at the interview stage which method of communication they would prefer. There will still be a few that prefer to be contacted by telephone or post.
Emails are the most common method. However:
Top Tip: If it is urgent or important use tracking and request a received or read receipt. This can also be useful if there are safety concerns for a volunteer who has missed a shift.
MailChimp is commonly used for newsletters and is a good way of monitoring how many of the emails are opened and if there are links, which are the most popular.
WhatsApp is a useful app for small groups but there are GDPR and monitoring concerns, so some organisations will avoid using this.
Top Tip: It is possible to set up a WhatsApp group that can broadcast only.
Devolved Communication
For those who have volunteers managed within teams, encourage the team manager to
communicate in the way that works best for their team.
How many times should you contact a volunteer before removing them from your database?
A common issue is volunteers who stop attending shifts without any kind of notification. Trying to find out if they wish to put their volunteering on hold for a while or stop altogether is not always straightforward.
“Please note if we do not hear from you, we will need to inactivate your role with us due to the length of absence from active volunteering in line with our local policies.”
“It comes to a point where you're spending so much time with the people who are not here that you're not helping the people who are here and they're the ones that deserve our support.”
Return of equipment, badges and uniform
Another exercise that some found very time-consuming.
Suggestions included:
Volunteer surveys and reviews
Volunteer experience