Engaging Volunteers: Key Takeaways from MAVA

By Holly D. Daniels

The Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) convened leaders from the Northwest and West Central regions for a district meeting; this resulted in three key takeaways that were simply too important not to share!

These takeaways not only highlight the strategies that can enhance volunteer involvement but also emphasize the collective wisdom and shared experiences that emerge when passionate individuals come together.

By implementing these insights, you can strengthen your volunteer networks and make a more significant impact in your community. Let's dive in.

1. The Importance of Checking In with Volunteers

At the meeting, volunteer leaders were asked to consider the following prompt: "Share about a great relationship with a volunteer."

One volunteer engagement leader shared a story of a retired legal secretary who came to volunteer because she was new in town. She was placed in a role, but when the volunteer coordinator checked in with her, the coordinator realized that she’d been stuck in a little room working on projects alone, and she was about ready to quit.

Instead, the coordinator offered her a different role in the senior companion program. That check-in was pivotal—the volunteer was finally able to shine. She stayed in the role for four years and became a lead volunteer!

2. Measuring Success; Valuing Stories

How do we measure success?

Traditionally, volunteer leaders focus on:

• The number of volunteers
• The number of hours volunteered

But what if volunteers aren’t showing up? How do we demonstrate our value to organizations? Can we think outside the box?

Consider these internal metrics:

• Cultivating a staff culture that values volunteer contributions
• Counting how many paid staff engage volunteers in their work

This article from Sue Carter Kahl provides more ideas on creative counting.

Additionally, we should emphasize the quality of the volunteer experience, not just the number of hours.

Questions to consider:

• Can we survey volunteers to see if they understand their impact?
• Can we empower them to share their stories on social media?
• Do they know the hashtag to use when they post?
• Is there an official "story depository" for sharing stories online or in-person that everyone is aware of?

3. Checking Assumptions

Sometimes we make assumptions about the issues or causes that people will or won’t care about, based on their political affiliations (for example, nature preservation).

In the meeting, volunteer leaders challenged one another to set aside stereotypes and seek to uncover what volunteers really want to do.

We all have biases. We need to recognize and set aside our preconceived notions about who might support the efforts we are encouraging.

Fostering a Thriving Volunteer Environment

In conclusion, these discussions highlight the importance of connection, creativity in measuring success, and understanding our assumptions about volunteers.

Let’s continue to foster an environment where volunteers can thrive and feel valued!