Be Clear and Plan Ahead
As you plan an activity that relies on volunteers, be clear with your needs. Ask yourself these questions to increase event volunteer sign up.
- How many helpers do I need to meet my needs?
- Will participants be busy the whole time?
- Are some jobs easier than others? Will the more difficult jobs have a shorter time commitment?
- Do I want assistants to be busy or relaxed?
- Do I have a specific role for people, or will they help with whatever needs develop during the shift?
Make it easy
Post your volunteer schedule on TimeToSignUp to increase volunteer sign ups. A TimeToSignUp sheet will allow volunteers to see the jobs that need to be done and the time slots that are available. This allows everyone to sign up quickly, with each person knowing what he/she will be doing during your event. Also, you and the volunteers can easily check the sign up sheet to make sure all roles are covered. You can print the sign up sheet (TimeToSignUp provides nicely formatted PDF versions of the sign up sheet template) to post at the event.
Show appreciation to your volunteers
Show appreciation to your volunteers! This includes before, during and afterwards.
Before the occasion, provide clear instructions so volunteers know where and when to report.
During the event, meet the needs of your volunteers. Make sure they have all of the supplies that are needed to complete their shift. Serve them so that they can serve at the event. Thank them for being there.
Third, follow up after the event with a thank you. TImeToSignUp makes it easy to send each volunteer a thank you email. TimeToSignUp provides a template that you can customize. TimeToSignUp helps with all aspects of organizing your event, but remember – your event would not be the same without the help of your volunteers!