7 Ways to Increase Donations by Stewarding Volunteers

Volunteer Toronto is an incredible resource for people looking to volunteer and organizations looking for volunteer engagement support in the City of Toronto. I had the pleasure of working on their Grassroots Growth team a few years ago and enjoyed opportunities to collaborate with their staff through volunteering at TAVA. Earlier this month, they asked me to contribute an article on engaging volunteers with financial donations. I was honoured and had so much fun working on this piece! Thank you, Cara, Director of Strategic Communications, for the opportunity and for being a great editor!

Check out the excerpt below and visit info.volunteertoronto.ca/volunteerdonors for the full article with my seven recommended tactics!

"To be frank, volunteer stewardship requires time and money. But it's well worth it. Think about how effective a development team would be if they were asked to fundraise “off the side of their desks” or without a Customer-Relationship-Management tool? Similarly, organizations engaging with volunteers should plan for volunteer engagement resources and capacity. Otherwise, you stand to lose out on potential donors who are essential for driving your mission forward, especially right now.

It's important to remember, though, that contributing time or money is a very personal decision. After all, volunteers and donors are people. Their lives, schedules, financial commitments, priorities, and interests change. When in doubt, ask if a supporter is interested in donating or volunteering, then note and respect their decision."