Helpers Love Helping
Helpers love to help —have you noticed?
If your nonprofit is like any of those I've known and worked with, you probably field several inquiries each week from servant-minded people looking for ways to lend a hand. It's no wonder! Helping literally makes us feel good.
(While writing this post, I stumbled upon the term Helper's High —a phrase for that uplifting, even euphoric, feeling people experience after performing an act of kindness.)
Facilitating opportunities for individuals to give of their time and talents is a wonderful, meaningful way to engage the community, reach new supporters, and enrich existing donors' experience with your organization. For this reason, many nonprofits employ a volunteer coordinator whose primary responsibilities are to recruit and manage volunteers.
On a related note, the very existence of numerous nonprofits depends on volunteer-driven assistance. Organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The American Red Cross, food pantries, animal rescue shelters, and countless others rely on volunteers to function efficiently.
But what if your nonprofit isn't innately suited to hands-on help (e.g. a law firm working to overturn wrongful convictions or a suicide hotline)? Rest assured there are ways for you to engage volunteers beyond envelope stuffing and document shredding.
An organization close to my heart that does an exceptional job of attracting community participation is Texas Advocacy Project (TAP) which offers survivors of domestic violence free legal services —from phone advice to complete client representation. Essentially, TAP is a nonprofit law firm which, on the surface, does not lend itself to much non-professional legal help. Over the years, however, TAP has developed, with intention, volunteer-driven campaigns to extend and strengthen its ties across the community. For example, TAP's Hope for the Holidays invites individuals to help fulfill holiday wishlists of 10 survivors (former clients) and their children while supporting their transition from a home of violence to one of safety.
Keep in mind, volunteer-driven events need not be confined to the holiday season. For instance, The Project also hosts Handbags for Hope and Backpacks for Hope —both of which have grown exponentially since inception.
In closing, there is incredible upside in creating volunteer-driven campaigns that bolster community engagement with your nonprofit. If you'd like a professional thought partner to guide and encourage you in this capacity, drop me a line.
“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
~Chinese proverb