Strategies for Transforming Non-board Volunteers Into Donors

3. Engage your volunteers in focus groups to determine their awareness of your mission and interest in becoming a donor to your organization. Find out how they want to be treated and solicited. Create a leadership committee and/or advisory group to launch a fundraising project aimed at attracting new volunteer/donors.

4. Keep volunteers well-informed and connected to your organization through orientations that contain information about your mission, clients served and how your funds are raised. Update volunteers on recent projects and initiatives through newsletters, e-mail updates and news releases. Volunteers need to be kept informed about how and why you are fundraising.

Nonprofit organizations should never underestimate the giving power of a volunteer who is knowledgeable about and committed to the mission of the organization.

Norma S. Gindes is the director of voluntary initiatives at the United Hospital Fund. She can be reached at ngindes@uhfnyc.org