We must remember that the motivational factor for your volunteers (from board members
to phone-a-thon callers) is different from that of a weekly paycheck.

By: Michael Hlady

Whether you are conducting the most modest of “grass-roots” campaigns, or a worldwide record shattering initiative, volunteers will play a tremendous role in the overall outcome. A misconception and problem that fundraisers and nonprofits alike make is once you have professional counsel (a fact that I hope by now we all realize is essential but one that will not be overly discussed here) everything just happens. Nothing could be further from the truth. A successful conclusion will only be reached if the fundraisers and the nonprofits work hand-in-hand as a team sharing their strengths. Just as importantly, each must defer to the other’s skills when applicable. There is a reason you hired a professional, but it is equally true that fundraisers are not all-knowing deities. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces Indians clearly illustrated this point by offering us a succinct and realistic strategy for life (and in our case for our campaigns): “Alone, a man is able to move rocks – but together we can move mountains.”

An unfortunate reality that comes immediately into play is that even though your volunteers are dedicated to both your nonprofit and to your cause, they are not paid employees and therefore must be treated with “kid gloves.” This treatment, however, cannot be provided at the sake of the campaign. Your challenge is to create accountability without alienation. We must remember that the motivational factor for your volunteers (from board members to phone-a-thon callers) is different from that of a weekly paycheck. They are there to feel good about themselves, to make their world a better place, to be “in with the in crowd”, and yes to have fun. If it ever becomes a laborious, burdensome, uncomfortable situation you will soon find yourself losing volunteers at a rate that will rival those trying to flee a burning building. Moreover, all you have accomplished in the end is burning down your campaign. The question then becomes how do we keep our volunteers excited and interested while at the same time keeping the campaign on course?

Think of the training of your volunteers as a solicitation in itself. Education is the first step. Everyone must understand and accept that they are the key to success. Every time I meet with volunteers, I make the statement that without them there is no campaign. Eventually they understand and a symptom of this consciousness is that they begin to stop by the office, or call you on the phone to ask if there is anything else they can do for the campaign. A pitfall to avoid is to just do it for them. If your volunteers do not complete an assignment, (reviewing a prospect list for example) remind them of the importance of their input. Then, sit down with them and review the assignment together. Two things will happen: first, they will do the work and subconsciously realize that their input is valuable; second, your relationship with them will strengthen. Another component of the educational process is to make sure they understand the campaign plan as well as the methodology and psychology behind what you are doing and why it is being done this way. For example, once they understand that a request from them as a fellow community member is drastically more credible than that of a professional fundraiser, they will become better volunteers.

Now for the fun: I will reiterate that if it is not enjoyable, your volunteers will not return. In today’s “fast-paced” 60 hour work week nobody will return to a meeting that is unproductive, boring, or hostile. You professionals remember, “We are paid to be there, volunteers are not, it is not their job so do not make it like a job.” Run contests, give away prizes, have food and most importantly keep the agenda concise. We all fall into the trap sometimes of thinking that what we say is much more important and earth shattering than it really is. If your volunteers stay after the meeting, great, but there is no reason why any meeting should ever last more than 45 minutes to an hour.

Set up your meetings well in advance, leave nothing to chance, provide, and review speaking notes with each person on the agenda. You, the professional, will have a part in the agenda but you should not dominate the meeting; encourage someone on your committee act as moderator. It is obvious that the person acting as moderator must work well with you and have the ability to keep the meeting moving. Your role is to run the contests and to keep the volunteers on track. This is your time to use games to explain and illustrate what you know to be critical ingredients (average gift, rate of participation, strong personal follow-up, et cetera). Everybody loves a contest!

Here is an example of a contest that I like to use to keep volunteers motivated and teach them important campaign techniques. Split your volunteers into teams giving them names that are appropriate to your location and to your campaign. Set a goal for the game, one that I like to use is that of a horse race where the objective is for each team (horse) to clear as many “jumps” as possible. Jumps are awarded for things that are important for success, the team with the highest average gift may get two jumps, or full attendance at a meeting will give one additional jump to the team.

As I noted, this is the part of the agenda that you control, so use this time to give bonus jumps through correctly answered trivia questions. The questions that you ask will actually teach the volunteers fundraising techniques and psychology. Picture a room full of volunteers where you pose the question: “What do we do with the pledge card after the solicitation?” Inevitably, (we hope) someone will answer: “Do not leave it behind, bring it back with us when we make our follow up visit to get the commitment.” I think that is worth a jump or two, don’t you? You can then ask the volunteers: “Why?” By the end of this part of the game all of your volunteers will understand a little bit more about the importance of maintaining the integrity of the request. What you will see will certainly amaze you—groups of powerful, well-respected adults fighting for jumps in order to win a relatively nominal prize. In most of my games, framed certificates are awarded to the winning team and they are invited to a special dinner with the head of the nonprofit. Use anything that you think is fun to motivate your volunteers. Trust me, experience dictates that no one is too “high-brow” to enjoy a good game.

Earlier you read that fundraisers are not all-knowing deities. I speak now to my fellow fundraising-consulting brethren: remember, “Pride cometh before the fall.” We as professionals (consultants and development officers) should realize that teamwork is essential. Development officers have a wealth of institutional information that can be of benefit to the consultants. It is vital that development professionals, both permanent staff and outside counsel, work hand-in-hand to develop and implement the campaign plan effectively and efficiently.

In closing, remember that no man is an island unto himself. Also, use the talents of the volunteers you assemble. For example, if one of the team members is a newspaper writer, ask them to read the materials and provide any suggestions. To steal a quote from a current, but somewhat unknown politician (as well a current client), Dan Foley, Montgomery County, Ohio Clerk of Courts: “To achieve true success you have to be able to look to those who know the answers to your questions and not be ashamed to ask them for their help.” I encourage you to reach out to your volunteers and ask for their help!