October 2, 2025

Episode #182: The 8 Game-Changing Policies That Make Volunteers Say WOW!  

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson builds on her previous conversation about harmful volunteer policies by introducing eight transformative strategies to attract and retain passionate volunteers.  

From creating a welcoming environment and offering flexible commitments to tailoring screening to risk levels and delivering engaging, bite-sized training, Tobi covers practical ways to elevate your volunteer program. She also highlights the power of real-time recognition, fostering volunteer autonomy, supporting volunteers through life events, and maintaining vibrant alumni networks. 

Tune in for actionable insights that will help you energize your volunteers, cultivate loyalty, and create a culture of appreciation and engagement! 

Policies – Episode Highlights 

• [00:27] – Recap of Episode 181: 8 Policies Hurting Your Mission 
• [01:03] – Game-Changing Volunteer Policies 
• [03:38] – Policy 1: The Red-Carpet Welcome 
• [05:11] – Policy 2: Choose Your Own Adventure 
• [06:54] – Policy 3: Right-Sized Screening System 
• [07:58] – Policy 4: The Netflix Model of Training 
• [13:13] – Policy 5: Autonomy and Mastery Framework 
• [14:55] – Policy 6: The Recognition Revolution 
• [16:03] – Policy 7: Flexibility First Mindset 
• [17:39] – Policy 8: The Alumni Network Advantage 
• [20:00] – Final Thoughts and Implementation Tips 

Policies – Quotes from the Episode

“If you have an easy system, there’s a way to keep track of this and volunteers can take a pause or choose a from a variety of opportunities. The wow factor is that people feel supported as whole human beings, not just volunteer labor.”  

“There’s a ripple effect when we start to focus on the volunteer experience and improving it. When volunteers have wow experiences, they become your best recruitment tool. People start clamoring to volunteer with you instead of avoiding your calls.” 

Helpful Links

• Volunteer Management Progress Report  
• VolunteerPro Impact Lab  
• Volunteer Nation Episode #181: The 8 Volunteer Policies That Are Killing Your Mission  

Contact Us

Have questions or suggestions for the show? Email us at wecare@volpro.net.

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Episode #182 Transcript: The 8 Game-Changing Policies That Make Volunteers Say WOW! 

Tobi: Hey friends, welcome to another episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast. I’m your host, Tobi Johnson, and we are talking part two of a conversation. I started in episode 181, which was all about the eight volunteer policies that are killing your mission. I talked about all the things that need to be. Changed how we need to evolve into new ways of doing business. Some of our tried-and-true ways of doing business are really hurting us in today’s world. 

They’re damaging our missions and so, or our ability to reach our mission, so they need careful consideration. So, this week I want to talk about the eight game changing policies that make volunteers say, wow, so I wasn’t going to let you hang without solutions this week. I want to provide those solutions. So, in episode 181, I shared eight specific policies that are silently sabotaging your mission. 

And I just want to review them here. So, they are policy number one, the terrible first impression. So not making sure volunteers feel welcome, and I gave examples of ways that plays out policy Number two, the communications black hole.  people reaching out, expressing interest, and never hearing back policy. Number three, the FBI level screening process, and I pointed out, let’s ensure that our screening processes meet the level of risks that volunteers are bringing, or that role is bringing. Policy number four, the marriage contract commitment. So, asking people to sign their lives away. It ain’t working anymore, y’all. 

Policy number five, death by PowerPoint. When our training, presentation slides, curriculum, whatever it may be, is just old school, we need to update it. We need to give people bite-sized learning, digestible learning. People are just not going to read that 50-page volunteer manual. They’re just not going to policy. 

Number six, the micromanagement trap. Not giving people enough say in their work policy. Number seven, the recognition vacuum. Lots of ways this plays out. Sometimes it’s just doing a single recognition event once a year or giving people very generic appreciation versus. Tailored appreciation for each volunteer, both informal and formal. 

And then policy eight, the exit interrogation, making people feel guilty for leaving our organizations. Why should we do that? We should be grateful about everything they’ve given to us. So today I want to flip the script completely. Instead of policies that push people away, what if your policies brought them to you like a magnet and made volunteers excited to tell their friends about you? 

That’s what I want to talk about today. To this end, I’m giving you eight specific policies that create raving fans instead of frustrated volunteers. So, let’s get started. I’ve got eight for you today. Action steps, ideas. Let’s get started. So, policy number one, the red carpet. Welcome. So, what if the policy were, again, whether in writing or just the way you do business, that every prospective volunteer got a personal response within two hours, not two days. 

So how it might work, an auto reply with individual eyes, touch, and specific next steps. That is easy to do. If people are completing an interest form and they’re giving you their first name and their email address, you can have an autoresponder and have it include their first name in the subject line of the email, as well as the salutation of the email. 

What about that? Suddenly, they already feel like they’re being spoken to like a real human being. How about a staff member or volunteer leader calling them within 24 hours with some enthusiasm. How about getting a welcome packet with insider information? Maybe a small, branded gift or a what to expect fact sheet? 

What about a buddy assignment before they even arrive at your organization? What about that? So, the example might be an animal shelter that’s. Sends new volunteers a photo of quote unquote their dog, that they’ll be walking complete with the dog’s story. How about that? That gets people excited and showing up. 

The wow factor is that people feel chosen and special before they even start, and that’s how we want our volunteers to feel. If you are having a problem with folks ghosting, you try some of these. Strategies. Let’s look at policy number two, the Choose Your Own Adventure approach. The policy is that multiple commitment levels are offered with no guilt and no pressure. 

So how would this work A one-time event? With volunteers that can dip their baby toe into involvement and let them kind of figure out is this right for them? And making sure you speak to them at the event. Reflecting on the activity, the meaning, the impact, and what else they’d like to do at your organization. 

Seasonal commitments like summer camp, holiday programs, et cetera, where it makes it. Easy for volunteers to commit in a timeframe that’s doable for them. What about project-based roles with clear start dates and end dates so people really know they’re not just signing their life away or traditional ongoing roles for those who want them. 

And so, I know many of you have traditional ongoing roles that need volunteer staffing. Figure out ways for them to work through a cycle and then take a break and decide whether they want to continue. An example might be a food bank with a quote unquote volunteer menu, an hour, three hours, monthly, or ongoing options. 

I think that’s cute. A food bank with a volunteer menu. See how I’m doing that? All right. The wow factor. Is that people feel empowered to choose what fits their lifestyle instead of being forced into your schedule. And that goes along with training as well. We’ve got to offer training on days that volunteers can come. 

When staff say, well, we’re not available on weekends, well, you’re going to lose out on volunteers that can only be available on weekends. Policy number three. The right sized screening system. The policy is that the screening intensity matches the actual role risk. You might even color code them like green, yellow, and red. 

So how it might work, green rolls. Maybe all you need is the name and the emergency contact info for jobs like event setup, stuffing envelopes, et cetera, maybe yellow rolls. You need a basic application and reference, and perhaps if they’re working with adults or handling money, maybe red roll is you need a full background check if they’re working with children or other vulnerable populations. 

The example might be a museum with color-coded volunteer badges showing the screening level completed, or some way that volunteers know they’re part of whatever team. The wow factor is that people appreciate the logic and don’t feel like they’re joining the FBI or CIA to sort donations, right? So, we really want to make people not feel like we don’t trust them. 

Policy number four, the Netflix model of training. So, the policy is that we offer bite-sized engaging training that volunteers can complete on their own time. Now, the key here is bitesize. If you have boring training or training, that’s long and you’re expecting volunteers to carve out three hours. 

In an evening to go through it, a module that’s not chunked out, that is not easy to consume in smaller bites, your volunteers likely may not complete it, and so you want to make sure you might have 10-minute video modules instead of four hour marathons. You might have in interactive scenarios and quizzes. 

You might have mobile friendly content that they can watch on lunch breaks. You might have in a volunteer community like we do at Volunteer Pro for, we have pop-up communities for our courses, and we have our volunteer Pro Impact Lab community, our membership, where folks can interact really easily with one another, ask questions, and feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. 

You can also offer just in time training so that people can learn what they need to learn when they need to learn it. So maybe not requiring people to do it all upfront, especially if they’re not going to use it right away. The example might be that a hospital auxiliary with five-minute training videos, volunteers watch at home, followed by hands-on practice once they get on shift or when they come to part two of the orientation training. 

Here’s the deal and the wow factor here. People feel respected for their time and retain the information that’s being trained when it’s designed well and when we’re asking people to drink out of a fire hose. And believe me, I’ve trained many of those events in the past. People are not. 

Retaining that training information. They are just not retaining it. Once people’s eyes glaze over, the game is done, the brain is oversaturated, and so we’ve got to make sure that we’re making it easy and fun. I also like to use platforms and communities that offer a leaderboard, that volunteers can have friendly competitions with one another and can cheer each other on. 

So, there’s lots you can do. Now, the platforms and learning management systems and online communities are so much easier and so much more affordable than they used to be. That it’s the way to go. Let’s talk. I’m just going to review what I’ve shared so far as our policies. Policy number one is the red carpet, welcome policy. 

Number two, the choose your own adventure approach, policy number three, the right size screening system, policy number four, the Netflix model of training. Now I’ve got four more. Positive, proactive policies that will keep volunteers coming back and supporting your mission. So don’t go anywhere. We will be right back after the break. 

VOLUNTEER PRO IMPACT LAB 

Hey, are you looking to upgrade and modernize your volunteer program? Or maybe you’re building one from scratch and you’re just not sure where to start. If so, we’ve got the perfect resource for you. The Volunteer Pro Impact Lab, having built several direct service programs from the ground up, I know that it doesn’t happen by accident. 

It’s a clear process that takes careful attention with a focus on impact. In the end, you need a system in place that’s clear. Standardized efficient, and that gets results. In addition, and maybe this is the most important, you need a volunteer program design that directly contributes to your organization’s most critical goals. That’s where the Volunteer Pro Impact Lab comes in. When it comes to effective volunteer engagement, our bespoke volunteer strategy, success path model, which is the heart of our resources and strategic advising. We’ll help you transform your volunteer strategy from fundamental to a fully mature what’s working now approach and all in less time. 

With our online assessment, you’ll quickly gain clarity on precisely where to focus your efforts, and we’ll provide recommendations for the exact steps needed. For sustainable growth, regardless of how large or small your organization is or what your cause impact area or focus is. Our program development and implementation support model will help you build a strong foundation so volunteerism can thrive at your good cause. 

If you’re interested in learning more, go to volpro.net/join and we’ll share how to get started and what’s involved. 

Okay, we’re back with my list of volunteer policies that will wow your volunteers, and we talked about lots of good stuff to do before the break. I want to offer you four more ideas. 

So, policy number five is the autonomy and mastery framework. So, this policy creates clear outcomes, flexible methods to meet them, plus growth opportunities for our volunteers. So how does this work exactly? Well, when you’re giving people a little bit of extra instead of micromanaging, giving them some extra autonomy. 

You are sharing things like here’s what needs to happen versus, here’s exactly how I want to do you to do this step by step. Now for some of volunteer roles, for example, when we’re doing some type of medical procedure or doing intake, some type of social service where we want to do something precisely the same way. 

There are times when that is required, but a lot of times there it isn’t. It isn’t required, so we want to make sure we’re giving people the big picture and allowing them some choice in how they get there. Skill development pathways within different volunteer roles are another way to help people, master skills, leadership opportunities, and cross training. 

And volunteer mentorship programs where experienced volunteers can train up new ones, can give people a little bit more. Ability to lead a little bit more appreciation and pride in their work but also gives people some autonomy. The example might be a literacy program where volunteers can progress from tutoring to training other tutors to program coordination. 

And the wow factor is that people feel trusted, and they see a future in their own development, not just being a widget that’s completing a task. Just don’t want people to feel like widgets. Policy number six, the recognition revolution. So, in this policy recognition happens in real time, not just annually at your annual recognition event. 

How it works is that you may send weekly thank you texts highlighting specific impact you might have, social media spotlights, of course, with permission from volunteers, showing them an action. You might create impact reports because of your three hours last week, 47 families got meals, so you’re really breaking down how their contribution makes an impact. 

You might set up peer-to-peer recognition systems where volunteers can nominate each other for awards. An example might be that a youth center posts volunteer spotlights on Instagram stories with actual kids saying Thank you again. With their permission, and in this case, with their parents’ permission. 

It could also be kids just signing or drawing, uh, thank you cards. So, lots of ways to do that. The wow factor is that people see their impact at once and feel genuinely appreciated. All right, let’s do policy number seven. The flexibility first mindset. So, the policy is that life happens, and we work with it instead of against it. 

We understand that volunteers have complicated lives and that ha they have busy lives. So how it this would work is the life happens policy with easy pause and restart options. So, making sure that people can purposefully stop and continue versus ghosting you. Family volunteering opportunities with child friendly roles or childcare provided remote volunteer options for home bound supporters and people with disabilities, seasonal volunteers being welcomed back with open arms. 

These are all ways to be flexible in the ways that. People can contribute. An example might be that an environmental group has a hibernation policy where volunteers can go dormant for up to six months and return with no questions asked. The key here is to have a policy in place and to help volunteers take pauses. 

In an easy way so that you’re also keeping track of the active volunteers that you have. It’s not an anything goes where you’re not sure who’s active and who’s not. That’s not helpful to you when you’re trying to plan for your capacity. But if you have an easy system, there’s a way to keep track of this and volunteers can take a pause or choose a from a variety of opportunities. 

The wow factor is that. People feel supported as whole human beings, not just volunteer labor. And your final policy, the Alumni Network Advantage, the policy is that once a volunteer, always part of the family. So how it might work is you have an alumni newsletter with updates and special invitations. You might have a former volunteer referral program with recognition. 

You might have alumni only events and behind the scenes access, and you might have Easy Pathways back for Boomerang volunteers. So, all kinds of ways to keep volunteers in the loop. And of course, you, these can be opt-in so people can see, yes, I want to be part of it, or no I don’t. So, an example might be a nonprofit that invites former volunteers to their annual gala as VIP guests, not just donors. 

The wow factor is that people become lifelong ambassadors because they never really leave your organization. They just find new ways to support it. These are fantastic policies. I’ll repeat the last four I mentioned. Policy number five, the autonomy and mastery framework where we are creating flexibility for our volunteers. 

Policy number six, the recognition revolution that we are combining both formal and informal recognition policy. Number seven, the flexibility First mindset. We have a life happens policy. We’re. Allowing volunteers to be active, step away and come back. And then policy number eight, the alumni Network Advantage, where you’re once a volunteer, you’re always part of the family. 

So, these are all in alignment. With the challenges or the policies that are were that I shared in episode 180 1, they’re the mirror opposite. So in Volunteer Nation, episode number 181, the eight volunteer policies that are killing your mission. These policies are the mirror opposite, and they’re offering an alternative to those policies that I mentioned in the last episode. 

So, these two episodes together are helpful for you to think about those. We’ve done it always this way. Policies, or this is just how we do it. Policies that may be harming you and giving you some alternatives for ways to change those and replace those. Just remember this. That these policy changes cost very little but create enormous goodwill. 

Happy volunteers will stay longer and do better work for you. And word of mouth recruitment is the most effective way you can attract volunteers that are dedicated to your mission. These policies often attract higher quality volunteers as well, and minor changes in policy can spark tremendous changes in your volunteer culture. 

There’s a ripple effect when we start to focus on the volunteer experience and improving it. When volunteers have wow experiences, they become your best recruitment tool. People start clamoring to volunteer with you instead of avoiding your calls, but don’t try to. Implement all of these at once. Pick the one that excites you the most or pick the one that addresses your biggest volunteer pain point right now, this week, for example, ask three volunteers what would make your experience here even better. 

Their answers would tell you which policy to tackle first, and you can validate that you’re moving in the right direction. Yeah, just remember volunteers chose you. These policies. Make sure they keep choosing you and bring their friends along too. So, I hope this part one and part two, episode 181 and 182, I hope they’re really helping you think about the way you go about business when you’re engaging volunteers. 

If you like this episode, we will also link to part one of this two-part series so that you can listen to both if you, in case you missed that earlier one. And if you find this helpful, share it with a friend. Of course, as always. We love ratings and reviews. It helps us reach more people and we love those five-star reviews. 

If you’re interested and ready to hear another bit of inspiring advice, I hope you’ll join me. Same time next week on The Volunteer Nation. Have a fantastic rest of your week and thanks for listening.