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To sustain their missions and impact, nonprofit organizations must proactively recruit the next generation of volunteers.
Leveraging social media, offering flexible commitments and providing meaningful, skills-based roles can help to attract younger volunteers. These strategies align with the preferences and values of younger generations who often seek convenience, purpose and opportunities for personal growth in their volunteer experiences.
Below, 20 Forbes Nonprofit Council members share actionable steps nonprofits can take to engage and inspire the next generation to become a committed volunteer base for the future.
1. Engage With Colleges And Universities
Nonprofits should engage with college- and graduate-level students by participating in their capstone and career development programs. These opportunities will allow organizations to have a presence on campus and be introduced to students as they plan for their post-graduate lives. - Ramik Williams, KAVI (Kings Against Violence Initiative)
2. Offer Micro- And Skill-Based Volunteering Programs
Offer micro-volunteering and skill-based volunteering programs, opportunities and ambassador programs. These will allow younger generations looking for opportunities to develop their skills and gain experience that can enhance their resumes. It will also attract those who prefer short-term, flexible volunteering commitments that can be completed in small increments of time. - Hari Prasad Josyula, IPMA USA
3. Add Youth To Your Board
Include the next generation as part of your leadership by adding youth to your board. This can help you understand the next generation's perspective and leverage their insights to develop strategies that would resonate and tap into their networks to recruit volunteers. - Scott Dolan, Excelsior University
4. Show How Their Contributions Can Make A Real Impact
Focus on building authentic connections with the next generation by showing how their contributions can make a real impact. Engage them directly through social media and generously listen to their motivations and personal stories. By doing so, you can highlight how volunteering aligns with their values and offers opportunities for growth, ensuring their involvement feels purposeful and rewarding. - Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, Vuslat Foundation
5. Meet The Next Generation Where They Are
To connect with the next generation of volunteers, it's essential to meet them where they are. Providing opportunities to connect with other volunteers who have shared experiences and values is critical. Also, flexibility is key. Offering volunteer opportunities that align with diverse schedules is important to attract busy young adults. - Dena Trujillo, CRISIS TEXT LINE
6. Make It Easy To Become An Ambassador
These days, people want to be more than a paycheck. They see problems in the world and want to be part of the solution. We must make it as easy as possible for them to become an ambassador. From social media toolkits to sharing stories of the real lives they're changing, we must meet people where they are with meaningful opportunities and clearly articulate how their time translates into impact. - Paula Schneider, Susan G. Komen
7. Use Social Media Tools And Watch The Response
Equip the next generation of volunteers with easy-to-use social media tools so that they can be digital ambassadors. Then, watch to see who leans into the cause—they're the ones who are ready to step into larger roles, including your board. After all, when someone sees their generation reflected in leadership positions, they are more likely to engage. - Laura MacDonald, Benefactor Group
8. Leverage Student Ambassadors
Leverage the power of student ambassadors. These students serve as a pivotal bridge between an organization and the larger community and can help attract the next generation of volunteers. By empowering student ambassadors, nonprofits can tap into the energy and enthusiasm of their peers and establish authentic connections within their community. - Dan Mantz, Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation
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9. Get Into The Community
We've started taking our board and leadership team out into the communities we want to be more connected to. Rather than trying to "extract" volunteers to serve on our board or committees, we've spent time learning authentically within Orange County's diverse communities. Many of the people we have met in that process have been drawn to our mission and have come on board to be part of our work. - Shelley Hoss, Orange County Community Foundation
10. Offer Skills-Based Opportunities
Motivated by a deep sense of purpose, young people are savvier than ever about distinguishing between performative and transformative acts of volunteering. Offering skills-based volunteering opportunities, where they donate their professional and personal expertise, is the best way to engage them because they will value the tangible, deeper support it provides to nonprofits and communities. - Leila Saad, Common Impact
11. Provide Mission-Aligned Opportunities
Offer volunteer opportunities that align with your mission. Our organization provides community-based services as alternatives to out-of-home placements. One tool we offer program participants enables a partner company's employees to share information about their jobs during lunch meetings, Zoom calls and other group volunteer settings. - Gary Ivory, Youth Advocate Programs Inc.
12. Allow Younger Stakeholders To Work With Older Peers
Find a strategy to afford younger stakeholders a chance to join older peers in being the “hero" of the organization's story. As younger stakeholders become stewards of the organization's mission, they will have ownership in the organization's future and their involvement will provide a foundation for institutional knowledge. - Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation
13. Build Programs That Align Their Priorities With Your Needs
To attract the next generation of volunteers, we have to understand their priorities and build programs that align their priorities with our organization's needs. Younger volunteers prioritize opportunities that are flexible, timely, in short-duration, inclusive and have a connection to environmental and sustainability challenges. Consider using apps, social media, videos and storytelling in the process. - Tom Ulbrich, Goodwill Industries of Western New York, Inc.
14. Get Children Involved
Get young families involved by creating ways for young children to engage with the organization. Their parents will become involved and perhaps volunteer with their children. You can do this by working with schools or after-school groups to conduct clothing or food drives, for example. - Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc.
15. Foster Cross-Generational Volunteerism
As a youth-serving organization, each youth we mentor is the next generation of volunteers. Part of their mentoring experience is experiencing their mentor as they volunteer. We foster leadership as part of our mentoring programs in the hope that our current "Littles" become the next generation of "Bigs" one day. We intentionally work to foster cross-generational volunteerism. - Erin Davison, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana
16. Consider How You Talk To Volunteers
Reconsider how you talk about volunteers. Younger volunteers, just like younger donors, want to know the difference they're making and how the work ultimately impacts the organization, community and larger system. Paint that picture of impact clearly and reinforce it in your thank you messages. Give volunteer roles titles to make them feel more real and meaningful, such as outreach volunteer. - Matthew Gayer, Spur Local
17. Create A Volunteer Pipeline
Creating a pipeline of fresh volunteers is a step to ensure the sustainability of your nonprofit. When board membership doesn’t change or leaders are recycled, it's a sign of the nonprofit's decline. You want your nonprofit to survive for generations, so cultivating and engaging those younger volunteers and building a strong pipeline should be a priority for everyone within your organization. - Victoria Burkhart, The More Than Giving Company
18. Build Collaborative Networks
Leverage collaboration by building networks. Present research opportunities, data analyses and other work together to identify areas of impact and consensus. - Kirsten Wegner, Modern Markets Initiative
19. Honor Volunteers' Time And Privacy
To inspire younger volunteers for nonprofits, honor their time and privacy. They seek meaningful experiences, so ensure your organization operates efficiently. Celebrate their contributions genuinely without making them feel like a token or spectacle. Through the planning of conscientious, intentional volunteer opportunities, nonprofits can make their volunteer journey joyful and impactful. - Randy Wong, Hawaii Youth Symphony
20. Consider Recruiting Experienced Senior Citizens
Recruiting the next generation of volunteers could mean recruiting experienced senior citizens. They'll bring strong experience and connections to the table. Conduct a full assessment of your organization's value proposition for volunteers and determine ways you can adjust what you offer to meet volunteers' needs. - Michael Bellavia, HelpGood
