Mary, Author at Lamp

Volunteer recruitment involves getting people to give their time and skills to your nonprofit without payment.
In times of economic uncertainty, volunteers become even more valuable but recruiting them can be challenging.

This guide offers practical strategies for recruiting dedicated volunteers during difficult times.

1. Target the Right Audience

In the same way, you would create a donor profile, your nonprofit also needs to create an ideal volunteer profile. Identify individuals or groups that will enjoy volunteering at your organization. According to Sterling Volunteers, 83% of volunteers contribute to a cause they care about.

Identify the demographics, motivations, and interests of your ideal volunteers.
Focus your messaging to attract people who resonate with your cause.
Use existing data to understand who’s most likely to join and stay.

Tip: It’s easier to recruit people who are already interested in your cause.

2. Strengthen Your Branding and Communication

Volunteers often choose organizations based on how they present themselves. Branding helps with volunteer recruitment by inspiring a sense of belonging and commitment.

Send encouraging messages regularly.
Highlight your mission and values in volunteer materials.
Use your branding to reflect empathy, inclusivity, and impact.

Consider tools like a smart nonprofit CRM to streamline communication and engage volunteers.

Tip: Start small. Even a weekly volunteer email can go a long way.

3. Use Digital Platforms for Volunteer Recruitment

Online platforms make it easier to connect with people who care. Use your social media platforms to:

Share volunteer opportunities.
Post behind-the-scenes content to show impact.
Highlight volunteer testimonials.

Tip: Which platform is your nonprofit most active on? Start there.

4. Partner with Local Groups

Collaborate with schools, businesses, churches, and community centers to reach new people. These partnerships will connect you with trusted, high-potential volunteers

Offer group volunteer days.
Ask partners to share your recruitment posts.

Tip: Community partners can amplify your voice and expand your reach.

5. Use Forms When Recruiting Volunteers

Use interest forms and questionnaires to:

Learn what potential volunteers are good at.
Match them to the right roles.
Discover hidden talents that could benefit your organization.

Tip: Intentional placement saves time and increases efficiency.

6. Conduct Orientation and Set Clear Expectations

Orientation helps volunteers feel prepared and confident from day one.

Share your mission, tasks, and team structure.
Clarify roles and responsibilities.
Set mutual expectations and workload boundaries.

Tip: Clarity builds confidence and long-term commitment.

7. Offer Flexible Opportunities to Potential Volunteers

Flexibility is key to attracting volunteers today. People want to help, but they have busy lives. Offer a variety of ways to get involved:

Micro-volunteering: These are small, remote tasks with short completion times.
Events and campaigns: These are great for newcomers or occasional helpers.
Ongoing roles: Perfect for those ready to commit more time.

Tip: The more options you give, the more volunteers you’ll get.

8. Be Inclusive and Accessible

Make volunteering open to all. Age, race, background, or ability shouldn’t be a barrier.

Offer roles that suit different age groups.
Use accessible and inclusive language.
Foster a welcoming culture where everyone can thrive.

Tip: Inclusivity increases your team’s diversity, skill set, and productivity.

9. Engage Potential Volunteers on a Personal Level

Every volunteer is different. Get to know their strengths, preferences, and weaknesses.

Ask how they prefer to help.
Check in regularly.
Offer roles that match their growth goals.
Encourage and empower your volunteers through regular recognition and support.

Tip: When volunteers feel seen, they will stay.

10. Motivate Potential Volunteers

People volunteer for different reasons. Understand and use these reasons as motivations when recruiting volunteers.

Students or new graduates: Offer testimonials, reference letters, or certificates.
Professionals: Highlight networking and skill-building opportunities.

Tip: Motivated volunteers will become your biggest advocates.

11. Get Feedback and Act on It

Your volunteers have valuable insights. Regularly ask for feedback through:

Simple surveys
Casual check-ins
Feedback forms

Tip: When you listen and improve, volunteers trust you more.

12. Share the Real Impact

Share stories of the impact and benefits previous and current volunteers make at your nonprofit.

Tip: Stories create connection. Statistics create credibility. Share both.

Are you ready to strengthen your volunteer program?

You don’t need a perfect system—just the courage to show up, take one step at a time, and try the simple strategies above.

Use Lamp software to make it easy to share impact results with volunteers and donors.

Are you looking for a steady source of income for your nonprofit? This guide is for you. Recurring donations have increased by 144% in recent years. So this is the perfect time to build a program that helps donors give consistently.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and sustain a recurring donation program that strengthens relationships and secures long-term funding.

What Are Recurring Donations?

Recurring donations are donations that donors commit to giving to an organization regularly. It can be monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Why Do Recurring Donations Matter?

Let’s look at the benefits of recurring donations:

Steady income: Your organization will have a steady flow of revenue.
Higher lifetime value: Recurring donors are more loyal and have a lifetime value of about 8 years.
Smarter planning: Predictable revenue means fewer surprises and better budgeting.
Stronger connections: It helps you build relationships with your donors.
Lower fundraising costs: It’s more cost-effective to keep donors than to find new ones.
Convenience: Donors love how easy and stress-free it is to give automatically.

How to Build a Recurring Donation Program That Works

Here are key strategies for building a strong recurring donation program.

Identify Your Ideal Recurring Donors

Not every donor will commit to making recurring donations. Focus your efforts on the people most likely to say yes.

Create a Recurring Donor Persona

Start by reviewing your current donor base:

Who is already donating monthly?
What do they have in common?

Look at:

Demographics: Age, location, income, and education
Psychographics: Beliefs, interests, values
Giving behavior: Frequency, donation size, preferred payment methods

Prospects to Pay Attention To:

Volunteers: These are people already giving to your cause
Event attendees: They have a genuine interest in what you’re doing
Engaged subscribers: These are people who read your emails

Build Relationships First

Personalized outreach is key. Show donors you see and value them.

For volunteers and first-time donors: Start by building a genuine connection. Then, share how ongoing support creates a consistent impact
For event attendees: Tell them stories about how consistent giving can change lives
Be flexible: Let donors choose the amount, frequency, and payment method

Ask at the Right Time

Timing matters more than you might think. Here are some best moments to invite a recurring donation:

After a positive experience, like an inspiring event or campaign
During year-end campaigns and GivingTuesday, when people are more receptive
Reach out to donors after initial donations, when they’re still eager

Remove Any Roadblocks

Make it easy for donors to say yes.

Add recurring giving options on all donation forms
Use trusted payment processors like Stripe or PayPal
Offer suggested monthly donation levels with impact statements
Show the benefits of recurring giving

Keep Your Recurring Donors Engaged

After getting recurring donors, keep them connected using the following strategies:

Communicate

Talking to your recurring donors won’t scare them away. Tell them how their gift is making a difference through:

Monthly updates: Share stories, photos, or quick wins.
Personal thank-you messages: Express constant gratitude.
Annual reports: Send them reports on progress and goals so they can see the bigger picture.

Build a Community

Your donors want to feel like they belong to something meaningful.

Offer:

Exclusive events like virtual Q&As or behind-the-scenes tours
Small, personal touches, like a handwritten thank-you or birthday message
Public or private recognition, when appropriate, to honor their generosity

Promote Your Recurring Giving Program

Even the best recurring donation program won’t grow if no one knows it exists. Here’s how to spread the word:

Craft Compelling Messages

Focus on the impact of their ongoing gift. Paint a picture that helps them feel like they’re going to make a difference.

For example

Instead of: “Support our work.”

Try: “It takes a $25 monthly gift to clothe a family of 3.”

Use Many Channels

Reach out to donors where they are:

Email campaigns: Share impact stories with clear donation CTAs.
Social media: Show the real-life results of consistent support.
Website: Use pop-ups or banners to nudge visitors toward recurring giving.
Live events: Mention recurring giving as a powerful next step for attendees.

Use the Right Tools to Streamline Your Efforts

The right tool can take the stress out of creating and managing a recurring donation program.

Consider using Lamp, a trusted fundraising CRM software that makes it easy to:

Accept one-time and recurring donations
Send automatic receipts and personalized thank-you
Track donor relationships and giving habits
Build a strong, connected donor community
Access insights to make smarter decisions

Track the Right Metrics to Grow Your Program

To have a powerful program, you need to know what’s working. Pay attention to the following metrics:

Total recurring revenue
Donor retention rate
Average gift size and frequency
Payment failure rate
Upgrade frequency (how often donors increase the amount they give).

Use these insights to refine your approach and expand your program.

How to Handle Common Recurring Donation Challenges

Recurring donation comes with unique challenges. Here’s how to address them:

Payment Failures

This happens when cards expire or payments decline.

Make the payment process simple and stress-free.
Use payment systems that retry failed payments.
Send a gentle message to ask donors to update their payment info.

Donor Fatigue

This is when donors are no longer interested or don’t trust your organization anymore.

Prevent this by:

Being transparent about how you use their donations
Sending thank-you messages after each donation
Sharing the latest stories and updates
Hosting engaging events that carry them along
Keep the focus on the impact they’re making

Recurring donations aren’t just another revenue stream. They’re the foundation for long-term impact and financial resilience.