How to Turn Your Holiday Volunteers into Year-Round Supporters

1. How to Turn Your Holiday Volunteers into Year-Round Supporters www.galaxydigital.com

2. During a season most often associated with family, food, and gifts in abundance, many well-intentioned individuals want to share with those who need a bit extra. But for nonprofits, volunteer engagement tends to wane by spring, and filling needs becomes increasingly challenging. So, how do you turn those once-a-year volunteers into long-term participants? First and foremost, retaining volunteers starts with a positive experience. Here are some ways your organization can make the most of the seasonal rush, connect with your volunteers, and keep them coming back!

3. Welcome During the holidays, it can seem like standard practice goes out the window. But don’t forget to welcome new volunteers as they register for the holiday opportunities. Reaching out not only lets your volunteers know that you’re grateful to have them on board, but it can also initiate engagement. You can set up an automated message to welcome new registrants. You can customize your automated message so your welcome email feels just a warm as a personal greeting. If you’re using a holiday initiative, you can give your customized message some festive flair! Make it Seasonal volunteers are more likely to return if they have a positive experience with your organization from the outset. In part, this means making registration simple and painless. Here are a few simple Connect features that will help you streamline your registration process so that your volunteers can focus on what’s important . . . volunteering! Welcome newcomers newcomers Make it easy easy

4. Holiday Initiative: volunteers to explore and register for all your holiday-related opportunities. Volunteers can discover new interests and causes that will keep them engaged with your organization! Spotlights: other specific opportunities you think users will love. This cuts down on search time for all those users visiting your site. Check and it logs volunteer hours automatically. It’s super helpful during the busy months; you won’t have to approve hours later, and volunteers can watch their impact accrue in real time! Holiday Initiative: Your platform’s holiday initiative feature makes it easy for Spotlights: Your Connect site allows you to “Spotlight” your holiday initiative or Check- -in Kiosk: in Kiosk: Use the new check-in kiosk at your volunteer events. It’s quick,

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