Why do Volunteers Stay?

It’s not enough to attract talented individuals to your organisation. When your turnover rate is high, you must spend extra time trying to recruit and train replacements, wasting your resources and decreasing your NFP’s effectiveness. The following strategies will help you improve your volunteer program and increase your retention rate.

Offer rewarding work

Many nonprofits spend a lot of time, effort and money to find and onboard volunteers only to give them tasks to complete that many consider to be “busy” work. Your volunteers don’t just want to be helpful – they want to do work that matters!

Look for ways to give your volunteers meaningful work, and, always connect their performance and the results to the impact they are helping your organisation achieve in your community!

Give them the training and tools they need to perform well

One way to guarantee that your volunteers will be unhappy and tempted to leave is to make their environment as difficult as possible. Your volunteers need training, guidance and coaching to help them develop the skills that they need to perform well. In addition to education, show your volunteers that they matter to you and that you respect them, by giving them all the tools, equipment and resources that they need, especially when it comes to software, hardware and IT.

Using outdated equipment and apps not only slows down your processes and increases the chances of errors, but it will also frustrate your volunteers and increase the chances that they look for opportunities to volunteer that are less stressful.

Express your appreciation

Do you thank your volunteers for their work and effort on a regular basis? Do you have an established means of thanking them for exemplary performance that is both public, and, heartfelt? Have you considered offering your volunteers perks and benefits, such as partnering with third-party businesses to give them discounts and small gifts that show your appreciation? Everyone likes to see their hard work acknowledged, and, rewarded! Keep your volunteers excited about the help that they provide your organisation and its beneficiaries by establishing a rewards and acknowledgement program for your volunteers so that you both show, and tell, each one just how much their work matters!

Follow up

One of the most common reasons that volunteers leave an organisation is that they don’t feel that their opinions matter. Encouraging open dialogue, and, asking for feedback on a regular basis, shows your volunteers that you value their input and advice. It’s also an excellent way to gain insight from the front lines, so you can identify potential issues quickly and develop “real world” solutions that work!

Sit down with your volunteers regularly and talk with them about their performance. Ask them if there is anything that you can do to make it easier to complete tasks. Ask for feedback about your program and ask them to suggest steps that you can take to make volunteering a more enjoyable and rewarding experience. Don’t forget to thank them for their suggestions and ask them to return and consider volunteering with your NFP for the long-term!

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How to Become a Volunteer Treasurer

Are you already interested in a specific cause, or directly involved in a nonprofit’s activities? If so, becoming a volunteer treasurer is likely to be very easy. If the position is currently open, and you already have a background in accounting or finance, all you will likely have to do is simply volunteer to serve!

Recruiting for this position is notoriously difficult for many nonprofits. Some nonprofits might post the position on websites that help connect volunteers with nonprofits that are looking for people with specific skills and backgrounds. Other times,  the executive director or board members will reach out to their circle of contacts to find a good candidate. When this happens, you might not even have any experience, or even formally apply for the spot,  but find yourself “drafted” into the position by the board.

Before applying for, or accepting, the position the first thing that you should ask yourself is whether you have what it takes to be a great treasurer.

Are You Organised?

One misconception about the job is that you must be a licensed accountant, or, come from a background involving banking, or even bookkeeping, to be successful in the role. This common misconception simply isn’t true. What you will need, however, is the ability to think logically. You will also need to be very detailed oriented, and able to perform your duties is a very methodical, step-by-step manner. It will also help if you are good at math and performing calculations and can be depended upon to handle cash.

Are You  Dependable and Trustworthy?

Can your nonprofit count on you to do your best to fulfil the role? As a volunteer treasurer, you are an officer of your board, and will have the same the fiduciary responsibilities shared by all board members. You and every other board member are responsible for ensuring that your nonprofit operates in a legal, financially sound and sustainable manner and that all your actions are to serve your NFP’s core mission and benefit the public good.

Will You be Comfortable in the Role of Watchdog?

The treasurer is responsible for the oversight and protection of their nonprofit’s finances. Many times, in a small nonprofit, you will be responsible for the management of all areas of your NFP’s finances. This means that you will handle the cash, write the cheques, disperse funds, track and record transactions, and take steps to secure your NFP’s financial documents and other important information. There may also be other duties such as creating the budget, reporting before your board about the nonprofit’s financial health, and ensuring that your NFP is meeting all of it’s required regulatory obligations such as filing super and calculating GST among others.

In larger NFPs, you may have a finance committee and staff members to assist you in your role, but ultimately the burden and responsibility to see that everything is done legally and according to your nonprofit’s internal charter, bylaws and policies, rests squarely on your shoulders.

Can You Act as a Detective When the Need Arises?

Ideally, the outgoing treasurer will meet with you before you begin your duties, and all your nonprofit’s past records will be presented in a straightforward, accurate and organised manner. This often isn’t the case. Before your arrival, your nonprofit may have experienced mismanagement, turnover or other upheavals, so you should be prepared to use your analytical and organisational skills to uncover errors or even deliberate malfeasance. You should be prepared to make corrections and update your NFPs accounts and other records. While some mistakes can be attributed to human error, others may be the result of planned actions by those inside or outside of your organisation. You will be expected to use your critical thinking skills to help uncover activities that carry the risk of loss and take steps to reduce these risks and secure your NFP’s finances.

Can Your Board Count on You to be a Wise Counsellor?

One of the most important functions of the treasurer is to present financial information to the board in a way that is both accurate, and, easy for board members and other stakeholders to understand. You will need to be prepared to make regular reports on the NFPs finances to the board. You will also need to make yourself available to answer questions about the past, present and expected future status of your nonprofit’s finances. You should also be prepared to use this information and experience to assist in your board’s strategic planning sessions and provide your perspective and opinion when important decisions are being made that will impact your nonprofit’s financial stability.

While some of these responsibilities can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially to novice treasurers, take comfort in knowing that Admin Bandit is here to support you. Our software has been created with your needs especially in mind and is designed to help walk you through the steps of many of the duties that you will need to perform to fulfil your role. Getting started is fast and painless. Give our 55-day trial a chance today, at no charge to you,  to see how quickly and easily you can manage your nonprofit’s finances!

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Be Collective – An Innovative Free Volunteer Software

Several sites exist that seek to match volunteers with opportunities. What sets Be Collective apart from these other platforms is its additional useful features that transform it from a simple volunteer search engine into a social portal for positive change. The following overview describes how organisations and individuals can use it to increase their impact.

How Does Be Collective Benefit Volunteers?

It’s a social media channel that’s free for everyone to use. It makes it easy for volunteers to find volunteer positions based on their skills, passions, background, experiences, availability and location. It also gives users the chance to meet new people who share their interests.

When volunteers create a profile, they can apply for positions, as well as host their own events to increase support for their nonprofits. Be Collective also allows individuals to message directly with those who share their concerns on the local, regional, national and international levels, bringing together people from all over the world and encouraging them to work together to make a genuine difference.

Both individuals and organisations can use the channel to build their social reputation so that it’s easier than ever to gain real-world experience solving difficult problems while also gaining recognition for your hard work to strengthen communities. Not only does this help volunteers learn new skills and enhance existing ones, but it also allows individuals to be able to demonstrate and verify the experiences that they have gained through volunteering, further strengthening their career opportunities in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sector.

Users can connect with the causes that they care about, as well as other organisations, so that they can see their group memberships at a glance and share it with others to increase support for their favourite causes.

How Be Collective Benefits Nonprofits, Social Enterprises and Other Organisations

Be collective makes it easy for NFPs to manage their volunteer program. Not only can nonprofits list their opportunities for volunteering, but the platform allows users to allocate social credit to individual volunteers so that they can be recognised for completing specific tasks and rewarded for continuing to volunteer over the long-term.

Communicating with individuals and groups is easier, as automated features make it easy to send and receive alerts, notifications and custom messages that improve the flow of information between the organisation, single or multiple locations, and individual as well as groups of volunteers.

The site also features robust analytic tools so that NFPs can track engagement throughout their volunteer program at every level, so that its easier to spot trends and take actions to bolster support for the cause. Users can also customise lists and folders so all the information that they need to administer their program is easy to access.

Unlike many other social media channels, the platform puts privacy permissions directly in the hands of its users, so that each individual user has control of how their personal information is used.

Harness the Full Power of Your Events and Activities

Both individuals and organisations can use the platform to improve their storytelling so that it garners more attention for their work. Users can upload documents and even bring the entire recruiting processes online. Verification of hours worked, tasks accomplished, the giving and receiving of feedback, and issuance of references, can all take place directly from this platform. The system even makes it easier to ensure that shifts are completely covered with notifications of shortfalls so that everyone involved can pitch-in to help, without duplicating their efforts. Volunteers can also use this feature to help them keep track of their shifts and avoid scheduling conflicts so that they can better manage their time.

Who Created Be Collective?

The platform is sponsored by the Wise Family of the Wise Foundation, the creators of the Body Shop and the same people who funded the Big Issue in Australia. The site has been actively used by individuals and volunteers in Victoria and New Zealand, and popularity for the program is spreading throughout the country. Just as LinkedIn can be thought of as a professional networking platform for employers and job seekers, Be Collective can be viewed in a similar way, with the added bonus that it’s designed specifically to highlight philanthropic activities. It can help call attention to some of society’s most significant issues, and bring together everyone in an effort to discover and implement real solutions to benefit everyone and encourage greater volunteering in the country.

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How to Maximise Single Volunteer Events

One of the hottest trends in volunteering today is single day events. Australia Day and National Volunteer Week are two of the many annual events that inspire thousands to help others by donating their time, energy and talents to others! This type of volunteering allows people that are passionate about your cause to act on your behalf for a very short span of time. While single day events are very popular now, even donating as little as a a day, or just a few hours of time, can provide a significant boost to NFPs!

Like other forms of volunteering, one-day events raise awareness about the needs in your community and help your NFP make a real difference! Use these tips to make the most of these events!

Divide the Work

To make the most of a single day, and a crowd of volunteers, you will need to divide the workload up into a series of specific tasks. Divide your volunteers into teams, and have a member of your staff lead each group to help them stay on top of their tasks for the day.

Manage Work and Teams with Event Apps

Use event apps to help you keep track of the number of tasks, and hours, worked by individuals and groups of volunteers. In addition to making it easy to keep up with the contributions made by your single day volunteers, many apps will sync with social media channels, making it easy to give shout outs and offer recognition for work, and, issue challenges to others to pitch in, do their part and join in the fun!

Create a Sense of Belonging

Help your volunteers get into the spirit of things by giving participants a specially themed t-shirt or other swag that commemorates your single day service event, and helps them feel a part of your organisation and its community!

Connect Your Volunteers to One Another and Other Opportunities

Create a member directory, or, provide an online forum where volunteers can connect with one another and your organisation long after the event is over. By giving your volunteers a way to keep in touch, you further strengthen your bonds with them and your organisation, and help them feel more engaged with one another and your work, which is crucial to convincing them to volunteer again and continue supporting your work.

Know the Why

Want to keep your single day volunteers coming back for more opportunities to support your organisation? Discover their “why.” There is a reason why each volunteer chooses to donate their time to a specific cause, and it’s your job to learn this reason. Once you know it, you are more able to create a customised program that helps each volunteer meet this specific need.

It could be something simple like altruistic leanings and you are simply the closest nonprofit to their home, or, it could be something personal, such as sharing something in common with a founder, or, even one of your service recipients.

Whether someone has volunteered for just one day, or even for a longer period, once you know someone’s reason for volunteering, take the time to save this information in their volunteer profile. Mark this alongside their contact information, and list of skills, talents and preferences. This way, you can make them aware of new opportunities to volunteer with your organisation in the future, as well as be able to best match them to tasks and duties should they continue their support.

Give them a Purpose

To remain motivated throughout the day, volunteers need work that is meaningful to them. Help them stay energised by giving them a sense of purpose. Look for ways to connect tasks to the mission and help them keep the bigger picture top of mind. When assigning tasks, let your volunteers know precisely how that task benefits your service community.

Don’t Bore Them!

Avoid pigeonholing your volunteers into one or two repetitive tasks that they do over and over. Look for ways to add variety and spontaneity to their activities. Of course, there will always be tasks that are routine and that must be done more than once. However, you can help your volunteers break up the monotony.

Set Measurable Goals

All of us work harder, and better, when we have something to strive towards. That’s why its so important to give your volunteers a clearly defined, realistic goal at the start, even if they will be with you for only one day!

Don’t Forget to Say Thanks!

Once your volunteer has completed their work for the day, don’t forget to express your gratitude! In addition to saying thank you in person, post a list of your volunteers on your website, along with the results of their work! One way to show just how much work you were able to accomplish by having everyone join in and take part is to shoot some video or take candid pics of your volunteers in action. Be sure to capture clear before and after shots to show just how much difference was made during your single day of service event to encourage others to join in next time!

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Nonprofit Software To Help Your NFP Grow

A nonprofit’s ability to thrive and grow can be directly tied to how well its board of directors performs their governance and oversight role. It requires a plethora of information from multiple sources to meet this fiduciary duty. Recording, tracking, organising and presenting your organisation’s data in a form that is accurate, easy to understand, relevant and actionable as well as secure and available at a moment’s notice is critical to fulfilling this role and is one of your volunteer treasurer’s most important duties.

If you want your NFP to grow, then your organisation must enable your treasurer to be able to perform these necessary functions. The easiest, most cost-effective way to do this is to back them up with robust, fully-functional software that’s specially designed to meet their needs.

More than the Sum of its Features

There are many brands of accountancy software on the market that enables users to complete a host of bookkeeping tasks; but, most of them are filled with generic forms and processes that can be customised for the for-profit or non-profit sector. Admin Bandit breaks the mould because it has been designed to be used by volunteer treasurers. It is a powerful suite of tools that enables you to manage the NFP’s finances and makes it easier to monitor the health of the nonprofit. Thanks to Admin Bandit, you can give your board actionable information, that informs their decisions and helps them take the steps that are necessary to strengthen their organisation so that it can flourish and grow in a sustainable manner.

Software that Benefits You!

Admin Bandit is easy to set up. In fact, in less than 2 minutes you can be up and running, tracking your bank account transactions, issuing receipts and invoices, and monitoring your expenditures. Creating the annual budget has also never been easier, as it allows you to import last year’s data. All your records are kept in the cloud, so that it stays up-to-date, secure, and accessible, around the clock, every day of every year.

While its ability to record and track information, and produce a host of reports is great, one of the best benefits it provides is that it makes it easy to keep track of your NFP memberships and donations. This way, you can keep up with who has paid their dues, and take action to increase engagement, and prevent lapses in membership. By tracking donations, you can keep an eye on who has made a gift to your nonprofit, when it was made, and its size, along with other key demographic information for your donors. Not only does this allow you to measure the effectiveness of your fundraising campaigns, but it also enables you to segment your donors and conduct further research. You can then adjust your messages accordingly to encourage your existing donors to increase their support by signing up for recurrent monthly giving, or take it a step further and become major donors and key supporters of your cause.

All these benefits are available to you and your nonprofit when you make the decision to empower your volunteer treasurer and give them this tool that will increase their productivity and improve your ability to guide your nonprofit into greater opportunities for growth!

Check out this list of features, to learn more about how Admin Bandit software can improve your nonprofit’s efficiency and effectiveness and sign up for the free 55-day trial to see for yourself how easy it easy to stay on top of your nonprofit’s financial health and well-being!

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Volunteer Treasurer Survival Guide

There’s a reason why it’s typically difficult for nonprofits to find candidates to fulfil the role of treasurer in their organisation. The responsibilities that come with the job can truly be daunting since there are so many duties that you must perform well and on time.

The following guide is a brief overview of five of the most essential tasks and duties new treasurers should perform when they take on the position.

Meet with the Previous Treasurer

It’s beneficial to the new treasurer when the prior one is available to go over the accounts with them and answer crucial questions, such as the reasoning behind specific actions that they may have taken. If the previous treasurer is unable to meet with you personally, ask them to at least provide you with a list of the essential details that you will need to perform your job well, such as your NFP’s passwords.

Realise That You Are Much More Than a Bookkeeper and Gatekeeper

While it is your responsibility to see that accurate and secure records of your NFP’s transactions are made and maintained, this doesn’t mean that you must do all of the tasks yourself. Delegating these duties to a staff member, or outsourcing them is perfectly fine, and is typically necessary for medium to large-sized NFPs. Software suites such as Admin Bandit also automate many of these processes, including many of the budgeting processes and reports that you will need to produce.

While oversight is a crucial function of your role in helping your NFP manage its finances, you should not forget that another critical responsibility is to act as a full partner and adviser with the other members of your board. You should always be on the lookout for ways to provide them with pertinent, actionable information that they can easily understand.

Establish Good Internal Financial Practices and Controls

Establish a practice of meeting with your board at least monthly, so that they are current and fully informed about the status of your NFP’s finances. In addition to advising the board of upcoming revenues and expenses at the meeting, make it a practice for the board to discuss planned expenditures before they occur, and establish controls so that purchases must be approved by you prior to disbursal of the funds.

Keep in mind that you should always have documentation on hand to support any disbursements that you make from your NFP’s funds, so always ask for invoices and receipts to justify your nonprofits purchases and other expenses.

Begin Budget Planning Early

While you should take the prior year’s budget into account when planning your next annual budget, keep in mind that needs, funding and other factors frequently change. Be aware that it can take several weeks to a few months to round up all of the data that you need to create a realistic model and forecast of your NFP’s budget for the coming year. Therefore, begin budget planning early, and ideally at least three months before the the start of your next fiscal year.

Don’t Forget About Annual Reports, Taxes and Other Legal Obligations

From VAT to GST, there are many tax filings and payments that your NFP is responsible for each year to meet its legal obligations and maintain its designation as an NFP, Charity or other status. Create a calendar and set alerts and reminders to help you keep important dates at the top of your mind.

Other key activities that you will need to complete before the end of the year include an annual report to your NFP board, and usually an audit by an independent third party. Make sure that you include these events on your calendar and schedule plenty of time to ensure that they are accurate when completed and filed promptly.

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How To Manage Your Time While Volunteering At An NFP

Working or volunteering at an NFP can be a time-consuming task. It can feel like there are not enough hours in the day to get through the to-do list, let alone come up with creative ideas for fundraising activities. So what can you do to make the most of your volunteer hours?

Create a workable system

You will need to come up with a system so you can use the time you have to the best of your advantage. Organise everything so you can find it quickly; make lists, create folders, manage a diary – whatever works for your particular job or project. The better organised you are, the easier it will be to manage your time effectively.

Stop procrastinating

Often when things get busy, it is easy to spend time worrying about the mountain of paperwork or the number of items on the to-do list. The trick is to tackle them one at a time. Cross an item off the list and move on to the next one. Don’t spend your energy worrying about things – just do what needs to be done when you have the time.

Work from home where necessary

Sometimes working from home is in your best interests when you have a long or complex task to do. It can mean you can work on it in your own time without interruption, reporting back to the office as necessary. It may not work for all projects, but it could help when you are time limited and could save on much travel time between locations.

Break projects down into mini-tasks

If you are overseeing a big project, then it is often easier to bring things down into workable chunks. Plan your day so you can work on one project to completion. Then move onto something else and repeat. This will take much of the stress and overwhelm out of the work day and minimise time wastage from switching from task to task.

Avoid checking emails and messages first thing

Emails and messages can cut into your day. Try to get out of the habit of checking your emails as soon as you arrive at the office. Start working on your to-do list and save the message checking until mid-morning or mid-afternoon when you feel like you need a break. Add an automatic reply which states you will respond within a 24 hour period, so you don’t feel rushed to answer immediately.

Give yourself a break

You are only human, and you cannot do it all TODAY. Burnout will be no good for you or the NFP you are volunteering for. Do what you can, when you can and be happy with that. And if the NFP is struggling to get through the tasks set, then it may be time for them to look for an extra pair of hands to help you out. While challenging work is good for the soul, self-sacrifice will do you no good at all.

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Impact Awards Now Open

Pro Bono has just called for nominations for Pro Bono Australia’s 2016 Impact 25 awards.

These awards are designed to recognise this year’s most influential people working to make the world a better place.

In our world, there are many dedicated people who work really hard for the benefit of their charity or NFP, usually for little to no recognition. Others have a higher profile, but work diligently, day in and day out, for their cause.

One of the 2015 Impact 25 Awards winners was Rosie Batty, tireless campaigner against domestic violence. There were more than 280 people nominated from a diverse range of professions and 13,000 votes were cast to select the winner.

To win, the nominee must embody the four core values sought: integrity, initiative, foresight and collaboration.

Who will you nominate?

Take a good look around at the people working with you. Consider your paid staff but also remember your volunteers. Rarely will any of these people be considered for an award despite their achievements. Impact 25 is the award that wants to change that; to bring attention to the people who deserve recognition.

You may nominate up to three people and be sure to include your reasons for the nomination.

Nominations close 14 November.

You can find out more about the awards here and make your nominations here.

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How Volunteering Can Boost Your Career

If you have considered volunteering for the charity you support, you probably have one or more reasons to do so. While one of the most common reasons why people become volunteers is to try and make a difference by committing their time, helping a charity offers many other benefits – meeting new people and making friends, spending your time in a pleasurable manner (especially if you volunteer to do something you enjoy) and, of course, gaining valuable experience, all of which can help significantly boost your career.

When it comes to volunteering in a field that is closely related to your area of study or work, the experience you gain can be crucial for finding a job or progressing in your career. While you are not usually getting paid for your hours of volunteer work, it is still a serious, relevant work that will boost your experience, provide you with knowledge of the particular industry and with lots of insight into how things are done.

Of course, volunteering is often about working in team – a skill every employer will appreciate. However, while excelling at team work, volunteers are often expected to be responsible on their own, and to learn to be self-organised, initiative and motivated. Volunteering can teach you all that – after all, it will be your part- or full-time job for a certain period of time, during which you will be expected to apply your relevant knowledge to the ongoing tasks and projects and to do your best in what you have decided to help with.

In addition to teaching you transferable skills and providing you with extensive knowledge and experience, volunteering can also help you make important connections – both within the field you plan to work in and in other fields. Have in mind that when applying for a job, you will usually be asked to provide one or two names who can write a reference upon request. Therefore, if you perform well at your chosen NFP or charity, you might easily find that well-known specialists in the area you are working will be happy to give you a reference because they have worked with you on a certain project and are satisfied with your work. Remember that well-established professionals and leaders in their field often spend some time volunteering or working pro bono, so being a volunteer yourself might help you meet such people and turn them into important connections.

All in all, volunteering can really boost your career. It can provide you with the necessary work experience and knowledge to improve your CV, meet you with people who can guide you and help you progress in your chosen field, and teach you valuable skills like time-management, self-organisation and discipline. However, have in mind that, in order for volunteering to be a useful and enjoyable experience, you will need to like what you are doing – so choose wisely. When choosing an organisation to volunteer for and your role within it, think if it is what you actually want to do and if you will be able to do your best while spending your time at it. If not – maybe you need to spend more time looking for a volunteering position. Happy volunteering in 2016!

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Volunteering Ideas For The Holidays

The “holiday season” is almost upon us and while many are looking at it with enthusiasm, many are also wondering how they’re going to spend this time.

There is also often an overwhelming desire to give at this period of the year, but there is only so much that can be done in the way of purchasing goats for relatives, or donating dollars to the deserving.

Whatever your reason for doing so, there are plenty of ways to give back to the community, without emptying your bank account.

Many not for profits and charitable organisations close over the holiday period, and others remain open, but are short staffed as employees and volunteers are taking some time to spend with their families.

Depending on what it is you want to do, or whom you want to support, there is likely to be a lot of opportunity for you.

Rather than wait until you’re bored (or broke!) to decide to do something, get in early. Starting now will give you the opportunity to visit the organisation, receive an orientation, and learn a bit more about what they’re doing.

Call the places you know of to see what they have available. Places like The Salvation Army are likely to need support during the festive season and will have something for you to do. Other locations like hospitals, Meals on Wheels, or nursing homes will likely appreciate some additional hands. Whether it is to help with services or chat with clients and patients, your presence will be appreciated.

Small NFPs may also be looking for some assistance. They are also likely to appreciate someone with skills in a certain area. It may be helping them to get their administration sorted, or their office organised for the new year.

Do a Google search and start looking for places, or connect with those you know. Ask them what it is they need and work out what it is that you can offer them that will be in both your best interests.

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