We’ll break these ideas down into volunteer roles for individuals, companies/groups, and youth and families!
For individual volunteers:
With the right support, individual volunteers can make a big dent in your organization’s marketing or fundraising needs, and a lot of it can be done virtually and on their own time.
Volunteer Role ideas include:
1. Social Media Content Repurposing Specialist: 📷 We’re always looking for solid social media content, am I right? This volunteer helps take your existing content (e.g., blogs, videos, or reports) and repurposes it into new formats like infographics, bite-sized social posts, or short-form videos.
2. Community Ambassador Volunteer: 📢 These magical volunteers act as “ambassadors,” representing your nonprofit at local events, recruiting other volunteers, or facilitating outreach efforts. Volunteers make excellent ambassadors for your cause in the community, extending your reach by tapping into their own networks of friends and future supporters!
3. Research Volunteers: 🔎 They gather ideas for funding opportunities, research programs that are working in other regions, or perhaps even research local government leaders who might become friends to the cause.
4. Digital Advocacy Coordinators: 💻 These volunteers organize and run advocacy campaigns online. This could include mobilizing others to sign petitions, send emails to legislators, or amplify causes on social media. Great for organizations focused on advocacy and public education!
5. Advisory Board Member: 👥 Have you ever wished you could build a great pipeline of candidates for your Board of Directors while tapping into the collective wisdom of your volunteers? Forming an Advisory Board may be the answer. This is a non-voting group of volunteers who bring diverse backgrounds and skills to offer new insights to your work.
For groups (especially corporate groups):
We often consider hands-on activities for groups of volunteers, but what about using their skill sets?
Everyone has some talent to offer, and corporate groups especially loooooove to use employees’ professional skill sets for their social impact program (Back in the day in my own nonprofit, we partnered with over 100 companies to facilitate volunteer projects – I’ve seen this in action!)
Volunteer Role ideas include:
6. Volunteer Focus Group: 💬 Not unlike the Advisory Board, a focus group provides insights, but usually on a one-time basis about a specific initiative or topic. Maybe you’d like honest feedback about how potential donors might react to a new program, or how people might respond to your new logo. Focus Group volunteers provide structured feedback on program designs, communications, or new digital tools through virtual focus groups or surveys. (Plus – This is a great gateway opportunity for volunteers for deeper engagement later!)
7. SEO or Website Audit Volunteers: 🌐 Suited well for a marketing or website company looking for ways to give back. These volunteers would assess how easily your nonprofit’s website could be found online, and suggest ways to improve its visibility, accessibility, and usability.
8. Pro Bono Consulting Volunteers: 🕴️ Great for engaging law firms, marketing groups, human resources professionals, and more! In my experience, these volunteer groups are awesome when you need things like a crisis communications plan, a staff expansion strategy, a review of your legal risks, and more.
For families and youth volunteers:
I know, not every nonprofit is set up to be able to effectively host and supervise youth volunteers. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to galvanize the next generation to start learning about and loving your cause early on!
How about some DIY volunteering?
DIY volunteer roles are great options if you don’t have capacity to manage more in-person volunteer, or just want to expand your reach.
Pro Tip: Create a DIY Volunteer Guide / Toolkit with all the logistics information, downloads, or details a family or youth volunteer would need to equip volunteers to act autonomously. Here’s a GREAT example from the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Volunteer Role ideas include:
9. Supply Drive Leader: 📦 Pretty simple. Volunteers are provided with a list of supplies your nonprofit needs, and any instructions on how and when to drop off what’s collected. This is often done with food drives, school supply drives, clothing drives, you name it!
10. Do-At-Home Project Volunteer: I’ve seen volunteer opportunities inviting families to bake cookies 🍪 for the Ronald McDonald House, create cat toys for animal rescues, and more! Volunteers can be asked to get their own supplies – just provide a shopping list.
11. Awareness Party Hosts: 🎉 This is when volunteers organize informal educational sessions in their homes, schools, or libraries to spread awareness about your nonprofit’s work. How about a student-led workshop for their classmates about the issue your nonprofit addresses?
What do you think? Has your nonprofit or social impact project tapped into the power of volunteers in other creative ways?
Hit reply and let me know!
