How To Ensure Successful Volunteer Training

Your volunteers will be some of the most important people in attendance at your event. Non-profit events are predominantly staffed by volunteers. Volunteer training helps ensure that your big day runs smoothly and according to plan. Perhaps most importantly however, they will act as the face of your organization and event. They will be the first people your guests come into contact with when they arrive, and be the go-to point of contact for any questions - and there are always questions! 

Recruiting your volunteers is only the first step, and sometimes this alone can cost considerable time and resources - so what do you do next to ensure a return on this investment? How do you turn a bunch of bodies in a room into the champions of your organization on event day? This is where a strong volunteer training program comes into play and why volunteer training is important.

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Step 1: Onboarding your volunteers

Ensure that your volunteers are adding value to your event by providing the tools they need for success during volunteer onboarding. 

Tip: Conduct your training in the week prior to the event. You will want everything to be fresh in their minds so that a quick recap on event day is all that they need to spring into action! 

There are 3 key areas of information your volunteers should know:

General Knowledge: Ensure your volunteers know who you are and how to talk about you!

• Background: Why does your organization exist and what is your mission?
• Goals: What is the purpose of this event and how does it relate to your mission? 
• Impact: What outcome will your organization achieve if the event reaches its goals?

Event Knowledge: Ensure your volunteers know what the event will look like and how to answer questions about it!

• Schedule: Volunteers should know the run of show and when certain key elements of the event be taking place, such as when food will be served, when the live auction will begin and when the silent auction will end, so they can relay this information to attendees.
• Logistics: Volunteers should be taken on a facility tour and ensure they can answer guest questions about parking, event check in, seating, restroom locations and any other common questions that may be asked.
• Personal need-to-knows: Ensure that your volunteers know when they should check-in, anything they need to bring with them, dress code, who their go-to staff member is for questions or emergencies, and anything else that they should know in order to be prepared.

Role Knowledge: Ensure that each of your volunteers has been assigned a specific job role and is trained in how to do it!

• Training Call: Jump on a call with your volunteers in the week leading up to the event and walk them through their individual job roles. Provide demonstrations using the event platform and encourage them to ask questions. Record this so that your volunteers can review and practice.

• Written Training Materials: A document or email distributed after the training call can be a great reference tool to visually reiterate the training you have just done
• Day-of recap: Gather your volunteers together once they have all checked in, to run through a quick refresher of their training. Make sure they all feel confident in their roles!

Step 2: Engage & Excite

Volunteers who are confused about what they are supposed to be doing are less likely to be engaged in their roles - the good thing about training pre-event is that they will arrive with a purpose! All you need to do is keep them engaged and fired up. 

Your pre-event volunteer recap is a great time and place to do this. Make sure to give them all a warm welcome, make them feel valued, and get them excited about the event they are about to be a part of! Encourage them to ask any final questions and fill them with confidence.

Step 3: Follow Up

A thank you goes a long way in delivering a positive volunteer experience! Volunteers who feel genuinely appreciated and valued are able to walk away with a stronger commitment to your organization. Building lasting relationships with your volunteers is going to leave them far more likely to volunteer again, and make recruitment that much easier the next time around! 

Make sure to follow up post event to communicate impact, whether this be in person, in a written letter or email, or even with a special volunteer appreciation event or meal.

Breeze through Volunteer Training with Event.Gives!

Volunteer training is a crucial aspect of organizing successful fundraising events, and Event.Gives provides an exceptional platform to support this process. With our intuitive interface, customizable training resources, and exceptional customer support, Event.Gives is a powerful tool for empowering volunteers to achieve fundraising success. 

Whether it's creating engaging training materials or providing expert guidance, Event.Gives has everything you need to ensure that your volunteers are well-equipped to execute your fundraising events effectively. By investing in volunteer training with Event.Gives, you can take your fundraising efforts to the next level and make a significant impact on your cause! 

‍Book a call with our Expert Customer Success team today!