Advocacy

Advocacy (in volunteer management): Promoting the importance and value of volunteers.

Volunteer advocacy

The art of promoting the significance and benefits that volunteers bring to organizations. It highlights how volunteers enhance community engagement and drive positive outcomes.

What is volunteer advocacy

Volunteer advocacy refers to the processes and efforts aimed at highlighting the vital role of volunteers within organizations and communities. It isn’t just about shouting from the rooftops how great volunteers are; it’s about strategically positioning them as essential partners in achieving your mission.

For example, while you may celebrate Volunteer Week with a big event, true advocacy is about integrating volunteers into your organization’s long-term plans and public narrative. It’s about showcasing their contributions in newsletters, social media, and reports to stakeholders.

But beware – it’s not about making volunteers feel like mere numbers on a statistics page. It’s vital to focus on their stories and personal impact, engaging with their journeys and motivations. Another important aspect is emphasizing recognition—volunteers love to feel appreciated for their efforts, so don’t forget to celebrate their contributions.

Communicating this value not only helps in sustaining current volunteer efforts but can also attract new volunteers who resonate with your mission. Remember, volunteer advocacy is also about educating your community, government, and funders on how crucial volunteers are to rising to the challenges we face today.

Best practices

Always highlight specific volunteer stories to personalize your advocacy efforts. Use these anecdotes in materials to illustrate their impact.
Align your advocacy messages with your organization’s goals, making it clear how volunteers help achieve those objectives.
Engage volunteers in your advocacy efforts; their voices and experiences will resonate more authentically. A workshop where volunteers share their experiences can create powerful testimonials that motivate others.

Most common pitfalls

One common pitfall is failing to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers; this can lead to disengagement.
Remember, neglecting proper training leads to frustration, and frustrated volunteers may not stay around long.
Avoid focusing solely on the organization’s needs instead of incorporating the voices of the volunteers. They need to feel like true partners, not just helpers.

How we can help

Zelos Team Management is a simple volunteer management app that gives you great data-based insights for your volunteer program. This way you can easily recognise the contributions your volunteers are making. With our live communication features, you can easily gather additional feedback and volunteering stories for your advocacy efforts.