If you run a small charity with few or no staff, you know how challenging it can be. With little funding or resource, you are often handling every aspect of the charity and in areas that require specific skills or knowledge such as HR, marketing or finance.
Getting to grips with these areas of work without the necessary know-how can take up valuable time and resource. That’s where volunteers can help. Here, we look at how a volunteer can help your small charity:
1. Building capacity and capability
Volunteers can help you with those tasks or projects that you don't have the time or expertise to do yourself. They can provide valuable skills and resource in areas such as HR, marketing, finance or digital, freeing up your time so you can focus on your mission and goals.
They can support you in a number of ways from building websites to creating marketing strategies, conducting research or designing new systems and processes. They can also help you recruit other volunteers or trustees to support your work.
2. Innovation
Volunteers can bring new ideas and approaches, helping you think outside of the box and challenge existing ways of thinking. With a different perspective and years of experience in their field, they can help you find innovative ways to solve problems, deliver services or reach your audience. Volunteers are often passionate and motivated about what they do, and will be keen to share their knowledge and skills.
3. Advocacy
Recruiting a volunteer from the community you serve is a great way for your small charity to stay relevant and ensure that its users are truly at the heart of your service. A volunteer can help you form a connection with your community, help you understand its needs and extend your reach. There would be no bigger advocate for your cause!
If you want to work with volunteers who can help you grow your small charity, we can help. We match volunteers with professional skills with charities who need their support. We also provide guidance and resources to help you make the most of your volunteer experience. Find out more.