Future-Proof Volunteer Engagement with Online Volunteer Opportunities
The Top Line:
Are you wondering if online volunteer opportunities are something you should offer more of (or at all)? The short answer is yes.
Online volunteer opportunities offer flexibility for busy supporters, expand your volunteer base, and tap into a global network of skilled individuals—many of whom are already comfortable with remote work. It’s also a smart way to help your organization grow digitally and stay current with today’s tech.
In this article, you’ll explore key data on online volunteerism and get practical tips for creating your own virtual opportunities.
Read on to Discover:
Google Volunteer Search 2018-2023 – “Volunteer Opportunities”
Google Volunteer Search 2018-2023 – “Online Volunteer Opportunities”
Design Online Volunteer Opportunities with Human Motivation in Mind
10 Tips for Designing Online Volunteer Opportunities
Join the VolunteerPro Membership Community
Online volunteer opportunities are an excellent way to engage skilled volunteers, to become digitally mature, and to stay up to date with today’s technologies.
Virtual volunteer projects can be designed to help you assess and choose a volunteer management software system. You can develop email automations to build relationships while you sleep. They allow you to develop a better volunteer recruitment webpage, improve your Google search rankings, deploy and analyze volunteer survey results, and more.
But before we get any more into designing online volunteer opportunities and roles, let’s kick this off with a few stats to help you decide.
Given the recent decline in active volunteers reported by AmeriCorps (a drop of seven percentage points from 2019 to 2021), it may feel like communities are no longer interested in volunteerism. But Google data reflects another story.
In the United States, over 22,000 people (about the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) search Google each month for volunteer opportunities (33,100 globally). About 13% seek online volunteer opportunities specifically (16% globally).
- Keyword: Volunteer Opportunities – Approximately 22,200 searches per month in Google (8,043 mobile and 14,157 desktop searches) and 33,100 globally
- Keyword: Online Volunteer Opportunities – Approximately 2,900 searches per month in Google (696 mobile and 2,204 desktop searches) and 5,400 globally
Google Volunteer Search 2018-2023 – “Volunteer Opportunities”
Five years of search data related to “volunteer opportunities” in general reveal a dip in 2019-2021 and a consistent uptick in overall volume in 2023 (Google Trends notes an improvement in their data collection as of January 1, 2022).
In other words, people continue to search online to find opportunities to serve their communities. There has been no drastic downswing in interest.
Google Volunteer Search 2018-2023 – “Online Volunteer Opportunities”
While search volume for “online volunteer opportunities” is lower, it also reveals a consistent upward trend when compared to the previous four or five years, as well as a surge during 2019-2020.
In other words, as organizations reduced the opportunities to volunteer in person, people sought online volunteer opportunities to replace them. And while interest is not as high as it was during the height of the pandemic, interest has remained higher in general.
So, if you wonder whether there is a market for volunteering and online volunteer opportunities, there most certainly is.
The question then becomes – how can you tap this market of volunteer talent?
For more on how one VolunteerPro member integrated online volunteer opportunities into her strategy, check out Blazing a Trail for Virtual Volunteer Opportunities HERE>>
Design Online Volunteer Opportunities with Human Motivation in Mind
Let’s start with a basic framework of what motivates us, and then see how we can apply it to engaging the online volunteerism community.
Science tells us that human motivations have changed over time. Today, experts believe these key things motivate us in the workplace, regardless of age or generation.
Daniel Pink, in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, names three main drivers of intrinsic motivation. (Intrinsic motivation comes from within, versus extrinsic motivations that come from rewards or punishments.) These can also be translated to the volunteer environment.
- Autonomy
- Self-directed
- Task, time, team, and technique
- Mastery
- Making progress
- Challenges matched with our abilities
- Purpose
- Related goals
- Beyond self-interest
- Pursuing on own terms
In addition, the VolPro team would add Belonging or Relatedness to this list
- Connection with others
- Using the technology of the time
- Feeling accepted and part of the “in group” not the “out group”
Furthermore, psychologist Frederick Herzberg researched employee satisfaction in the 1950s and 60s. He found there are “hygiene factors” or other requirements that may be needed before motivation occurs in the workplace. These also translate to an online work environment.
- A place to perform work (or a platform online – a “there” there)
- Acceptable work environment (not treated like a cog in the machine)
- Positive team culture (feeling acknowledged, keeping it positive, etc.)
Include these key ingredients when designing a satisfactory workplace and role. More importantly, include them when volunteers work remotely.
Wondering how to recognize volunteers from far, check out Volunteer Appreciation Ideas for Remote Volunteers HERE>>
10 Tips for Designing Online Volunteer Opportunities
Below are ten tips for designing online volunteer opportunities that work for your organization and are irresistible to remote volunteers.
- Tip #1: Take the Upwork approach
- Tip #2: Design for team and individual roles and goals
- Make sure everyone understands the goals and aims for their role
- Also, make sure they know how their work contributes to the organization’s overall success
- Tip #3: Have clear and detailed deliverables
- When you don’t share clear outcomes with your team, they likely veer off in different directions that don’t contribute to what you are trying to accomplish
- Develop a clear scope of work for the project – freelancers understand this way of communicating
- Tip #4: Request a preliminary discovery call
- Like all volunteer recruitment, you can take time to ensure the role is a good fit for both you and the prospective volunteer
- Catchafire offers “Explore Calls” where you can ask a question and talk to an expert with no obligation – these are helpful when figuring out how to scope out a project
- Tip #5: Give Volunteers a Say
- Explain how your team will work together, using a participatory decision-making process
- Agree upon team goals that are achievable and make sense
For more on setting up online volunteer opportunities for success, check out Your Weekly Plan for Managing Virtual & Remote Volunteers HERE>>
- Tip #6: Help build their portfolios
- Promote your online volunteer opportunities as a way to gain experience
- Let them know that you’re OK with them adding their work to their portfolio and that you are willing to write professional references at the close of a successful project
- Tip #7: But also, be clear on minimum qualifications
- Not everything needs to be entry-level – don’t be afraid to require specific skills or experience
- Pinpoint the software or tech skills they must have and what they can learn on the job
- Tip #8: Promote healthy boundaries and balance
- Encourage remote volunteers to keep a productive work-life balance and let them know they are NOT expected to check email when they are off duty
- Refrain from sending texts to volunteers unless they agree or in case of an emergency
- Tip #9: Let volunteers know they will also have access to social interaction with peer volunteers
- Even though they are working remotely, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to connect and network!
- Set up fun social or co-working events from time to time
- Set up a Slack workspace or group chat that volunteers can log into and check when they return to duty to see what’s happened while they were off
- Tip #10: Begin and end with gratitude, even in the position description and recruitment post!
- Call out wins and successes in every email, interaction, event, etc.
- Thank people for going above and beyond, and recognize the effort
As you can see, many of the principles for effective volunteer management in person also apply in the online context, with a few nuances.
As with all volunteers, but particularly with remote ones, be sure to constantly point back to the mission and how their work fits in. This ensures they continue to feel like an important part of your mission, even if they aren’t interacting with people on site.
For more on how to build a powerful sense of team in online volunteers – check out Volunteer Nation Episode #018 How to Use Slack to Strengthen Volunteer Teams HERE>>
Join the VolunteerPro Membership Community
VolunteerPro Membership is the #1 online community where leaders of volunteers learn, connect, and act. As a member, you will enjoy access to a large digital library of downloadable content, training, templates, and worksheets, live monthly training and workshops, and a strategic roadmap to develop your volunteer program through our proprietary system, The Volunteer Strategy Success Path™.
Here are just a few of the training resources you’ll find on volunteer recruitment inside the community:
- Your Volunteer Offer: What to Say & Where to Place It (Video)
- Re-energize Volunteers with “Welcome Back” Events (Video)
- How to Use Facebook Groups, Pages, & Posts to Engage & Mobilize Volunteers (Video)
- and (Curriculum)
- Annual Volunteer Recognition Plan Budget Worksheet (Download)
Monthly and annual membership options are available. Click HERE to learn more and get started today!
Final Thoughts on Future-Proof Volunteer Engagement with Online Volunteer Opportunities:
Online volunteer opportunities are a smart, flexible way to engage more supporters, tap into global talent, and strengthen your organization’s digital capacity. By understanding the data and applying practical tips, you can create meaningful virtual roles that meet today’s volunteer expectations and future-proof your engagement strategy.
