How Your Nonprofit Organization Can Benefit From Virtual Volunteering

Chezuba
May 27, 2022

With the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 and the subsequent lockdown that was enforced, the nonprofit sector went through one of its most challenging times yet. Nonprofits were pushed to rethink how they communicate with patrons, employees, volunteers, and the general public as a result of the social distancing norms in place. According to an SSRI study, 13% of NGOs have staff who now work from home, and 82% have digitized some or all of their programs and services. Digitization of the nonprofit sector is only said to expedite and expand from 2021 onward.

Virtual volunteering is one of the best resources to aid a nonprofit in carrying out its functions. As virtual volunteering can be done from anywhere in the world, and gives individuals a chance to put their skills to good use, most people are now opting to volunteer virtually. 

As a nonprofit in a rapidly changing world, keeping up with trends can be challenging. Especially when running an NGO comes with its own set of concerns. Here are a few ways in which virtual volunteers can help your nonprofit organization.

  1. Transitioning to a digital mode

All of the important engagement and conversations take place online these days. For starters, there are internet tools to make administration more convenient but these tools are always updating and changing. The web's capabilities today are little compared to what nonprofits and fieldwork could do twenty years ago. Your NGO may still do a lot more for your purpose with the correct tools and the vastness of the online world. By onboarding a virtual volunteer to help set up your website, develop an app or with any other IT support, you can solve a lot of your technological problems quickly.

  1. Fundraising

One of the toughest challenges a nonprofit has to overcome is fundraising. The Nonprofit Leadership Council survey also concluded that fundraising has been an issue. To raise funds and engage with people, nonprofits are now forced to rely more on their website, social media, and email marketing.

You can incorporate your online fundraising activities by utilizing your website. Your organization's website can be used to collect online donations, increase your subscribers, and gain followers on social media accounts, among other things. To create a  website with built-in donation features, online forms, and social media live streams you can engage a virtual volunteer.  Your team will find it easier to handle your online fundraising events if they have experienced hands-on-deck helping at the back end.

  1. Training your staff

As a nonprofit, you will keep having to cope with daily tasks and affairs that might lead you to miss out on key advances that will help your organization thrive. Most nonprofits also find it difficult to recruit staff and sometimes they might not be well equipped for the job but due to a lack of applicants, one might end up onboarding them. 

Consider training sessions for your staff and yourself. This will help you learn new skills, gain industry knowledge and expand your knowledge horizons. You may also seek out help in carrying out research and finding new ways to engage your donors or help and support the beneficiaries of your organization. You can always onboard a volunteer to assist you. They will help you save a lot of time and with their expertise will be able to come up with fool-proof solutions to your problems.

  1. Internal and external communication

Organizations face unique issues managing workers and communicating time-sensitive information when employees work from home. Internal and external communication, such as with funders, can suffer if frequent meetings and informal discussions are not held.

With the use of annual reports, regular email updates, and social media posts, you can keep all your stakeholders informed about your progress. You can also make use of audio-visual technology such as short promotional videos, reels, or podcasts. This will help put your data into a more consumable and engaging form. You take the help of virtual volunteers to create such content and help your audience engage with your organization better. 

Virtual volunteers can aid your organization in numerous ways as they grant your organization access to a community of skilled professionals with a philanthropic mindset ready to help your cause to the best of their abilities. 

Partner with Chezuba to gain access to volunteers from within your community and across the globe to help your organization help all its beneficiaries and reach all its goals. With 120,000+  volunteers signed up with us, your nonprofit can avail the best talent with Chezuba. 

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