Soapbox Engage Blog

Social media is one of the most widely used modern communication channels, and your organization may already use several social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. As a volunteer coordinator, you can use social media for a strategic purpose: volunteer recruitment and engagement.

If your nonprofit struggles to recruit volunteers, you’re not alone. Double the Donation’s volunteer statistics report states that over 60% of nonprofits consider volunteer recruitment to be “a big problem.”

Your nonprofit can combat these challenges by leveraging tailored tools like a nonprofit volunteer management platform that integrates with popular social media platforms. This empowers you to quickly share volunteer opportunities. Using your tools, you can also analyze your volunteers’ interactions with your organization to discover what content motivates them to lend a helping hand.

Beyond a strong technological foundation, we’ll explore six social media best practices for connecting with volunteers and maximizing recruitment.

Table of Contents:

1. Show your volunteers (and their impact) in action.
2. Maintain a professional, unified image.
3. Create volunteer-exclusive groups.
4. Adjust your content and message to each platform.
5. Make it a two-way conversation.
6. Post volunteer shout-outs to show appreciation.

1. Show your volunteers (and their impact) in action.

From limited free time to lack of confidence, different barriers discourage people from volunteering. Prospects might be worried they don’t have the required skills or that their individual support won’t make a difference for your mission.

These audience members want proof that your nonprofit needs them and that their actions matter. Use your social media accounts to highlight your volunteers and their specific accomplishments. This can provide the reassurance that first-time volunteers need to make the leap and sign up.

Share posts such as:

1. Videos and pictures of volunteers in action. Whether your volunteers are building a house, cooking meals for seniors, or planting trees, take photos (with their permission) and share them on your social media pages. This helps new volunteers understand how they can contribute.


2. Volunteer impact summaries. Share the results of volunteer projects. For instance, post about how volunteers packed 40 backpacks full of new school supplies for local students. Doing so shows prospective volunteers that getting involved will make a tangible difference in the community.


3. Corporate volunteer opportunities. Some volunteers can take their impact further with their employers’ support. Corporate volunteer grants allow eligible employees to earn grant funding for the nonprofits where they volunteer. Promote volunteer grants by explaining how these programs work and directing prospective volunteers toward online tools they can use to look up whether they qualify.

During visually interesting volunteer projects, livestream on Facebook or Instagram for an on-the-ground look at your volunteer program. Interview volunteers, talk about your mission, and answer audience questions to persuade curious potential supporters to sign up to volunteer.

2. Maintain a professional, unified image.

Just because social media is seen as a casual, off-the-cuff communication channel doesn’t mean your strategy should be spur-of-the-moment. When your volunteer program has a strong, unified brand, you present your nonprofit as a professional organization.

Establish your brand identity on social media by using:

• Images: People are drawn to social media posts that include images. In fact, Facebook posts with images receive 2.3x more engagement than those without. Find photos that capture emotion and display your mission in action. Also, ensure infographics use your brand colors and logo.


• Videos: Create professional videos featuring your brand colors and uniform fonts throughout. Include captions for hearing-impaired individuals and people who watch with the sound off.


• Tone: Tone refers to the language you use in your written content. If your volunteer program was a person, your tone would be your personality. Whether you’re seeking to be a formal information source or strike a warm, familiar tone, maintain a consistent tone throughout your posts to create a cohesive brand image.

Establish your brand strategy by creating a style guide. This document records all of your brand choices, ensuring that even if multiple people post from your social media accounts, you present a unified front.

3. Create volunteer-exclusive groups.

Facebook has the most users of any social media platform, so it’s worth taking a special look at this channel. In particular, Facebook Groups are popular for creating communities of like-minded individuals.

Create a volunteer group for your supporters to get to know one another and learn more about your organization. Doing so will foster a more engaged volunteer base that interacts with your organization daily.

Post updates about your volunteer opportunities, and make group membership exciting by offering perks such as free merchandise, coupons for local businesses, giveaways, and other incentives.

Encourage group members to share your posts about volunteer opportunities with their personal networks. As Galaxy Digital’s volunteer recruitment guide states, prospects are more likely to trust recommendations from their friends, families, and colleagues.

Your volunteer groups are also a place to promote unique types of volunteer opportunities. For instance, along with volunteer grants, you might also discuss VTO. VTO (volunteer time off) is a corporate philanthropy program where companies give employees paid time off specifically for volunteering. These programs are reasonably widespread, so ask your Facebook Group members to check if they qualify and encourage their friends to check as well.

4. Adjust your content and message to each platform.

Avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach to your social media posts. Each platform is unique, so your content on each channel should be too.

For instance, consider the following aspects of each social media platform:

• Instagram is photo and video-focused. Eye-catching images do well, and you can add links to valuable pages, such as your volunteer registration form, in descriptions.


• Facebook is popular for text posts, photo albums, videos, livestreams, Events, and Groups. Compared to other social media platforms, Facebook can accommodate long-written content, making it the go-to platform for stories, news reports, and other text-based content.


• TikTok is fully video-focused and heavily influenced by trends. Videos tend to be no more than a few minutes long, meaning this platform is best used for short updates and promotions.

Post different content on each platform to develop a multichannel strategy. This approach allows you to reach different segments of your audience. For instance, your younger audience might prefer Instagram, while your older audience prefers Facebook.

5. Make it a two-way conversation.

Your social media strategy shouldn’t just focus on communicating to your audience members, but also with them. Social media interactions should be a two-way street that leaves the door open for volunteers to contribute feedback, ask questions, and share their experiences.

Showing volunteers you care about their feedback increases satisfaction and loyalty. Plus, planning volunteer opportunities with feedback in mind can boost attendance. Past volunteers will be more willing to return if they know the experience will appeal to their interests and preferences.

Use social media to send short surveys after each volunteer opportunity to assess participants’ satisfaction levels and ask questions about their experiences, from check-in to the actual work.

6. Post volunteer shout-outs to show appreciation.

Your volunteers help your organization advance its mission. Therefore, your volunteer engagement strategy is not complete without thanking your volunteers for all the hard work they do.

eCardWidget’s guide to volunteer appreciation suggests a few recognition strategies, including:

• Posting online shout-outs. A little public recognition not only helps volunteers feel appreciated but also can get others interested in your nonprofit. Tag volunteers in your shout-outs so they can share your post with their own followers.


• Giving gifts. While volunteers don’t expect compensation for their efforts, a few small gifts can make them feel like a valued part of your organization. Give them branded merchandise, like t-shirts and water bottles, or take your volunteers out to lunch on behalf of your organization. These opportunities not only recognize your volunteers but also make for great photos you can post on your nonprofit’s social media accounts.


• Sending eCards. eCards are digital greeting cards that add an extra spark to the classic thank-you message. Spice up your thank-you emails by adding visually appealing, fun, heartwarming, and branded images. Pair your eCards with custom messages that shout out each volunteer’s unique contributions. Recipients can even share the eCards on their social media accounts!

You can also choose a top volunteer each month to win a special prize, such as a free t-shirt or coffee mug. Then, post a photo of them posing with their reward. Ultimately, you want your volunteer appreciation efforts to be memorable and special, ensuring volunteers return to your organization's opportunities again and again.

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Social media is an effective, inexpensive marketing channel for engaging and growing your volunteer base. With the right strategies, you’ll keep your social media pages active and volunteers interested in your latest opportunities. Remember, you should find a volunteer management system that facilitates social media integration and survey creation, allowing you to manage your social media strategy and other volunteer management activities all under one roof.