Here’s an interesting problem that can occur in the nonprofit space: you have a healthy volunteer list and engagement but not enough volunteer opportunities. Subsequently, you risk having this excited group of supporters losing enthusiasm for your organization.
We recently had a great conversation with a nonprofit partner that ran into this snafu. They have a really strong volunteer base, but due to the pandemic, the number of volunteer opportunities they were able to provide was dwindling. They were concerned about losing the momentum that they had gained over the years and potentially discouraging their supporters from continuing to participate in their programs.
They weren’t sure how to keep stakeholders engaged if they were unable to bring them together to support the organization as they have in the past.
This is a valid concern! In the past, their volunteer base was inspired to take action and support the organization through donations of time during in-person events. With in-person volunteer opportunities on hold, how could the organization keep stakeholders engaged?
That’s what’s really great about the Audience Engagement Cycle. It always provides opportunities and guidance on ways to re-engage your stakeholders.
Yes, the typical engagement might be in-person volunteering for your organization. But what if stakeholders could help in other ways?
In this particular scenario, we looked at the Inspire phase of the audience engagement cycle for inspiration. What if you could encourage everyone in your sphere of influence to help move your organization forward by becoming advocates for your cause?
Encourage your stakeholders to share your mission via social media. Get them to reach out to their friends to find new financial donors. Give them opportunities to share their story through blog posts, videos, or stories that can then be shared online. Your volunteers have seen on the ground floor the work that you have done and can become champions spreading your story through their own personal experiences.
By asking stakeholders to leverage their voices and share their experiences with their network, you can keep them engaged while other, in-person opportunities to assist are throttled back or completely on-hold.
Make it easy for your fans to spread the word by creating materials they can share, drafting recommendations for content to post on social media, and supplying easy-to-post items for them to use on the channels where they are active.
Remember, you and your volunteers are building an ongoing relationship that goes beyond just the time they put in at your event. They are your frontline when it comes to procuring new stakeholders and donors. Keep the conversation going, keep them engaged, and ask them to share your mission.
If you are needing some help crafting messaging or want to better engage your stakeholders, check out my new book, Mission Uncomfortable, for FREE, out now.
