4 Ways to Set Your Volunteers Up for Success

Volunteers are as essential to your nonprofit as donations. Without volunteers, many organizations would be unable to fulfill their purpose. An interesting  Google study revealed valuable information that can help nonprofit organizations better manage their volunteer team in preparation for the next fundraising season. Whether you have two or twenty, your volunteers’ ability to work well as a team can significantly impact whether your next fundraising event is a success or a failure. 

Follow these four tips to help ensure your volunteer team works together effectively, with passion and with purpose. 

Make Every Team Member Count 

Make it a priority to listen thoughtfully to every member of your volunteer team. Open and respectful communication is the foundation of a strong, motivated group. While it’s perfectly acceptable—and often necessary—to appoint a team leader or volunteer coordinator to help guide efforts and maintain organization, it’s equally important to cultivate a sense of balance and inclusivity within the team dynamic. It is crucial to both morale and collaboration efforts that you foster an environment where each person feels heard and valued. 

Encourage open dialogue during meetings, offer anonymous feedback opportunities, and regularly check in with individuals to gauge their feelings about their roles. Acknowledging and appreciating each volunteer’s contribution—no matter how big or small—goes a long way in building trust and ensuring long-term commitment. When people feel valued and respected, they are more likely to take ownership of their responsibilities. 

Identify Each Team Member’s Best Trait 

Every member of your volunteer team brings something unique to the table, and recognizing those individual strengths is key to building an effective and energized crew. Some volunteers may thrive in behind-the-scenes planning—coordinating logistics, managing schedules, or troubleshooting potential issues—while others might be more outgoing and excel in front-facing roles, such as checking in registrants, greeting guests, or assisting with crowd flow. Others still may shine when given hands-on, task-driven assignments that keep the event running smoothly. 

Send your volunteers a user-friendly online survey before the event, keeping the questions relevant and straightforward—asking about experience, preferences, comfort levels with various tasks, and availability. This shows your team that their experience and input matters, and also provides you with valuable insight into how to assign roles in a way that leverages each person’s strengths. 

With this information in hand, you’ll be able to build a well-balanced, high-functioning team where every volunteer feels confident, capable, and valued in their role. The result? A rock-star squad that works together seamlessly to create a smooth, successful, and memorable event for everyone involved. 

Prepare Your Team 

Equip your volunteer team with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed by providing them with comprehensive training and coaching videos. Make these resources easily accessible by hosting them on your website and sending them directly via text for quick, on-the-go viewing. Cover key topics such as event logistics, guest interaction, emergency protocols, and troubleshooting common challenges. By preparing your volunteers before, during, and after your event, you empower them to handle any situation with ease and professionalism. 

Turn Your Volunteers into Digital Ambassadors 

Empower your volunteer team to become passionate ambassadors for your cause by providing them with the tools to create their own mobile-friendly, peer-to-peer fundraising pages. This allows volunteers to take ownership of fundraising efforts, expanding your campaign’s reach and furthering their connection to your mission. These peer-to-peer pages allow volunteers to share their unique story and draw in supporters from their own networks. 

Provide your volunteers with easy access to a streamlined sign-up process and a toolkit that includes campaign branding, messaging guidelines, logos, and visuals. These branded assets ensure consistency while still allowing room for creativity and personalization. Each volunteer can customize their page with photo, a message about why they support your organization, a fundraising goal, and more to help promote their campaign on social media. 

These personalized fundraising pages become a reflection of the volunteers themselves—authentic, relatable, and powerful. This gives volunteers an (accurate) sense that they are actively driving the mission forward. This can turn a one-time volunteer into a long-term champion for your cause. 

When you take the time to understand what each individual brings to the table—whether it’s leadership, organization, people skills, creativity, or technical know-how—you can place them in roles where they’ll feel confident, capable, and inspired to give their best, building a motivated and impactful team. 

But it doesn’t stop there. Listening to your volunteers—really listening—creates a culture of mutual respect and trust. It makes your team feel valued, heard, and appreciated, which, in turn, leads to greater engagement, enthusiasm, and long-term commitment. Pair that with thoughtful, hands-on training and the use of modern, mobile-friendly tools—like digital sign-ups, scheduling apps, and on-the-go video tutorials—and you’ve created an environment where volunteers are not only prepared for success but excited to be part of something meaningful. 

Empowering your volunteers in this way shows them the impact they can make personally—not just during a single event or campaign but throughout the entire year. Whether they’re fundraising, raising awareness, supporting logistics, or welcoming guests, volunteers who feel supported and empowered are more likely to step up as leaders, encourage others to get involved and serve as ambassadors for the cause within the community. 

By creating a team culture that prioritizes preparation, recognition, communication, and the innovative use of technology, you’re not just organizing a group of helpers—you’re building a connected, purpose-driven community. One that can elevate your mission well beyond the fundraising season and create a lasting, year-round impact for your organization and the people you serve.