Sense of Purpose: Volunteering Handbook Ch5

Chapter 5: Sense Of Purpose

From: The Practical Volunteering Handbook for School and Club Volunteers

Volunteers with a sense of purpose are happier, more engaged, and more likely to continue their involvement. Regularly communicating your organisation’s key message and goals helps reinforce the importance of volunteer efforts and fosters a strong sense of belonging and motivation. This chapter will explore the significance of creating a sense of purpose and provide strategies to communicate your mission effectively.

Understanding the Value of Volunteering

Volunteering is often undervalued because people don’t realise the extent of the work involved. Tasks such as event planning, financial management, marketing, and leadership require a high level of skill and dedication. Recognising and communicating the complexity and importance of these roles is crucial in fostering a sense of purpose among volunteers.

Emphasise the Impact of Volunteering

Volunteering provides numerous benefits, not only to the community but also to the volunteers themselves. People volunteer for various reasons, including the desire to support a cause, make a difference, meet new people, and develop new skills. Highlighting these motivations can help volunteers see the value in their contributions.

Communicating Your Key Message

Your organisation’s key message is the combination of your purpose and goals. This message should be consistently reinforced in all communications with volunteers. Here’s how to define and communicate your key message effectively:

• Define Your Purpose and Goals: Clearly articulate why your organisation exists and what it aims to achieve. This foundational step helps volunteers understand the bigger picture.
• Link Volunteer Efforts to the Bigger Picture: Every time you thank a volunteer, relate it back to your core purpose. For example, instead of saying “Thank you for your help,” say “Thank you for helping to support the school to be the best place possible for our kids.”
• Consistent Communication: Regularly remind volunteers how their contributions fit into the larger mission of the organisation. This can be through newsletters, meetings, social media, or personal conversations.

Creating a Sense of Purpose in Practice

Here are some practical strategies to create and maintain a sense of purpose among your volunteers:

• Showcase Achievements: Highlight the impact of volunteer efforts by showcasing what has been accomplished. This could be through newsletters, social media posts, or at meetings.
• Celebrate Successes: Regularly celebrate milestones and successes, both big and small. Recognising the achievements of volunteers reinforces their importance and keeps them motivated.
• Personal Stories: Share personal stories and testimonials from volunteers about their experiences. This helps to humanise the work and shows the real-life impact of volunteering.
• Involve Volunteers in Decision-Making: Giving volunteers a voice in the planning and decision-making processes can make them feel more invested in the organisation’s success.
• Provide Feedback and Appreciation: Regular feedback and appreciation are crucial. Ensure that volunteers know their efforts are noticed and valued.

Inspiring Words for Encouraging Volunteers

When addressing potential volunteers, it’s important to speak from the heart and share personal experiences. Here are some inspiring ideas gathered from our community:

• Be Enthusiastic and Personal: Share your own positive experiences and the friendships you’ve formed through volunteering. Enthusiasm is contagious.
• Highlight the Impact: Tell a good news story that demonstrates the value of volunteering. Make it clear how their involvement can make a difference.
• Be Inclusive: Assure parents that your organisation has an open-door policy and is inclusive of everyone’s ideas and contributions.
• Acknowledge Different Contributions: Emphasise that every bit of help counts, whether it’s a couple of hours or more. Everyone’s situation is different, and all contributions are valuable.
• Connect with Values: Talk about the values you hope to instil in children and how volunteering can positively influence their development.
• Break Down Barriers: Make volunteering less daunting by breaking tasks into smaller, manageable parts and encouraging people to bring a friend.

Examples of Emphasising Purpose

To further illustrate how to communicate the value of volunteering, consider these rephrased roles:

• Instead of “I’m on the Fete Committee”: “I plan and coordinate a community event that is the highlight of the school calendar, involving hundreds of volunteers and raising significant funds for our school.”
• Instead of “I’m on the Fundraising Committee”: “I map out a yearly event calendar and coordinate efforts to raise essential funds for school resources, building community and raising the school’s profile.”
• Instead of “I’m the Treasurer”: “I manage all financial matters for our organisation, ensuring that we have the funds needed for key resources and activities.”
• Instead of “I’m the President”: “I lead a team dedicated to making our school the best it can be, working closely with the principal and community to support various initiatives.”

Conclusion

Creating a sense of purpose among volunteers is essential for maintaining engagement and motivation. By consistently communicating your organisation’s key message and linking volunteer efforts to the bigger picture, you can foster a strong, committed volunteer base. Remember, the value of volunteering goes beyond the tasks performed—it’s about building a community, making a difference, and experiencing personal growth. With these strategies, you can inspire and retain volunteers who are passionate about supporting your mission.