April is National Volunteer Month, where we recognize all individuals who give their time and energy to their communities. From cleaning up public spaces to delivering food to the sick and elderly, volunteering impacts our daily lives in hundreds of ways. Their efforts are commendable and selfless and will always be essential to the fabric of society. Volunteers also inspire others to follow in their footsteps and contribute to innovative ways of doing so, such as microvolunteering.
The Rise and Ease of Microvolunteering
The most common reason people don’t volunteer is the time commitment. This is one of the reasons microvolunteering has become a growing trend over the past 15 years. Instead of long-term or unknown commitment lengths, volunteers are asked to complete small but necessary parts of larger projects that usually revolve around benefiting a non-profit or charitable organization.
A Planned Approach to Maximize Benefits
Once you’ve decided on implementing a microvolunteering approach for your organization, plan out the details. You must ensure that you have tasks prepared to fit the mold of microvolunteering, which means they are easy to explain, won’t require much time to complete, and there is no ongoing commitment once the task is completed.
Volunteers want to know or see the results of their efforts. Therefore, you must be prepared to offer some statistics, graphics, photos, or even short videos that illustrate how they have helped to make an impact. A great way to do this is by sending volunteers text messages and emails or linking them to social posts. Not only will they see how they have contributed, but it will also help keep them engaged in the project and possibly entice them to share these on their own social platforms, drawing more attention to your cause.
Ways You Can Incorporate Microvolunteering into Your Cause
You can add microvolunteering to your events and projects in many ways. They often revolve around things that can be done online, over the phone, or close to home. Here are a few ideas:
- Collecting goods for a set amount of time
- Offering rides to stores or doctor’s appointments
- Walking dogs
- Making a donation
- Re-sharing on social media
- Setting up or taking down a venue
- Making phone calls
- Helping to publicize an event
- Delivering food to those in need
- Planting a tree
- Helping to clean up a public space
- Providing creative skills (writing, photography, editing) for an event
Volunteers are Vital to Every Community
Without the efforts of volunteers in any capacity, our communities would suffer greatly, and organizations such as EAC Network would not be able to provide all of our services and programs. We cannot effectively assist those in need without our volunteers, and we can never lose sight of that. Microvolunteering on its own or incorporating elements of it into your current programs is a trend in the right direction. Finding new ways to reward, engage, and possibly attract volunteers is a goal that all should share.
Get Involved with EAC Network
We are indebted to all of our past and current volunteers and always need additional support. Whatever level of commitment or availability you can offer will always be welcomed and appreciated.
Reach out to get involved and make a difference with EAC Network today!
