This guest blog was authored by Kelly Cristaldi, Sr. Marketing Manager, Golden
Did you know that volunteers are 10x more likely to donate financially to a cause they’re already involved in and passionate about?
What would it mean for your nonprofit if suddenly, you received two times the amount of contributions all from your volunteers? We’d have to guess that would be life-changing for your mission!
Thankfully, it’s easier than you’d imagine to transition your faithful volunteers into financial contributors to your cause. All it takes is a little bit of planning, personalization, and engagement to make it happen.
What is a volunteer-to-donor journey?
A volunteer-to-donor journey is a responsive and pragmatic approach to stewarding volunteers into becoming donors. This journey certainly doesn’t occur overnight, but with intention and commitment, it can yield high results for a nonprofit.
The volunteer-to-donor journey has several stages, each representing opportunities to engage with volunteers in meaningful ways.
What are the stages in the volunteer-to-donor journey?
The volunteer-to-donor journey follows six important steps, each building upon the momentum from the previous step. It can be broken down into:
- Recruitment: This is the first interaction many will have with your organization. Recruitment is an opportunity to communicate the organization’s mission, introduce the value of volunteering, and set the stage for further engagement.
- Onboarding: Once recruited, volunteers need an effective onboarding process that helps them understand their role, provides training, and explains how their contributions tie into the organization’s overall goals. This is a crucial touchpoint where nonprofits can begin building relationships that will last beyond their first volunteer shift, supported by strategies to engage volunteers and donors effectively.
- Engagement: As volunteers become more involved in the organization, engagement activities such as regular check-ins, progress updates, and recognition are essential for maintaining their connection. During this phase, you should focus on fostering emotional and personal ties to the mission.
- Cultivation: Cultivating volunteers into potential donors happens when organizations offer them opportunities to deepen their involvement. This could include leadership roles, invitations to special events, or personalized communications that showcase the impact of their volunteer work.
- The ask: This is the point in the journey where organizations formally request financial contributions from volunteers. Timing is critical—you should wait until volunteers are fully engaged and have demonstrated an understanding of the organization’s needs and mission.
- Stewardship: The final step is ongoing stewardship, where nonprofits continue to nurture the relationship with volunteers who have become donors. Acknowledgment of donations, updates on the impact of contributions, and continued engagement are all part of keeping these individuals invested in the organization for the long term. The need for accurate measurement is critical, which can be accomplished with a system like Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.
Tailoring the journey for different volunteer profiles
Volunteers, like donors, are not a homogenous group. They each have their own reasons, passions, and beliefs for wanting to volunteer with your nonprofit. It’s critical to keep that in mind when you’re building out your journey.
We recommend breaking down your volunteer base into distinct groups, or personas, and modifying the journey to fit their persona.
For example, if you want to steward and engage with those who have routinely volunteered with your nonprofit for several years, you may want to start with the engagement step. Begin adding them to frequent, routine email communications your organization sends to donors to familiarize them with financial-driven projects they may not know about.
Key takeaways
Creating a volunteer-to-donor journey is imperative for any nonprofit organization. Organizations can better foster connections, inspire confidence, and increase engagement and trust by cultivating a relationship with volunteers, stewarding the relationship to your mission, and building a more profound relationship with your cause.
By mapping unique journeys and maximizing the various donor personas, nonprofits can create meaningful experiences and achieve sustainable growth.
Remember that the volunteer-to-donor journey is an ongoing process that requires continuous adaptation and refinement. By embracing change and personalized approaches, nonprofits can cultivate long-lasting relationships with their supporters and make a positive impact on the causes they care about.
Take the next step: Download the volunteer-to-donor blueprint
Mapping out the volunteer-to-donor journey is essential for maximizing the potential of your volunteer base. By identifying key touchpoints, segmenting your volunteers for more personalized engagement, and creating a map that guides them from recruitment to donation, you can convert more volunteers into lifelong donors of your cause.
In our blueprint, you’ll gain access to insights, a step-by-step guide, and walk away feeling equipped to implement this strategy at your nonprofit.
Let’s get started! Download the blueprint today and take the first step toward transforming your volunteer program.
Partners in service
Fíonta and Golden partner to help nonprofits like yours maximize the impact of volunteer engagement. Together, we provide the tools, strategies, and expertise needed to seamlessly transition volunteers into lifelong supporters. Contact Fíonta today to learn how we can support your mission and help you achieve lasting growth.