How to get volunteers for my charity

To recruit charity volunteers you need to:

  • Write a job description that clearly defines the role
  • Allow candidates to send an application from your website
  • Post your volunteer job on a local job board

Let’s dig into each of these in a little more detail.

Writing a charity job description

For all organisations, finding the right people can be tough. It’s no longer enough to post a vague job role out there and expect the applications to come flooding in. Particularly, in the non-profit sector that often attracts younger people, the job must satisfy them on a deeper, personal level.

Write a volunteer job spec that outlines the volunteering role but instead of making it about how they can help you turn it upside down and focus on what benefits the volunteer will get out of it. Who will the role help? What are the perks? Is it flexible? Can the role count towards some formal qualification?

Millennials in particular see volunteering as a “very important obligation” and are demanding more from their professional and personal lives that past generations, so your charity recruitment efforts must be aspirational and take these goals into account.

Enable candidates to apply on your website

Many charity websites unfortunately lack this relatively basic functionality, but it’s very important to enable candidates to send their application from your website. When viewed in the context of your website, candidates get a feel for what your charity is about. They can move between pages, each giving them more reasons to volunteer.

And by keeping your charity recruitment campaign on your own website, you also save costs associated with posting on job portals.

Recruit on job portals

If you need a volunteer quickly, using a job board can be very handy. There is usually a cost involved (although you may receive a charity discount) but the size of the marketplace means you’ll have instant access to a pool of volunteers. In terms of charity recruitment websites, here’s where to find volunteers for your charity:

BONUS TIP: Once you’ve posted your volunteer job on your website or listed it on a job portal, make sure you share it regularly on social media!