Campaigns can effectively build visibility and align messages in addition to the transformational funds raised for the organization’s mission.
But campaigns also provide a reason for people to start or increase their involvement. According to CASE’s 2024 Alumni Engagement research, institutions reported engaging an average of just 1.2% of their contactable alumni through formal volunteer roles. Campaigns offer a natural opportunity to extend that reach, inviting alumni and other supporters into meaningful roles that deepen their connection to the institution and create pathways for future involvement. With intentional strategies, campaigns can expand an organization’s network of advocates, deepen relationships, and build long-term engagement.
In campaign work, time is spent focused on motivating donors. Whether that is about the compelling vision for where the organization is headed, the clarity and sense of shared objectives in the defined goal, or the sense of community formed when supporters work alongside peers with common interests, these same factors that motivate donors are motivating to volunteers.
Flip the Approach
Instead of starting with the roles and responsibilities you need to fill, start with the people you want to engage. Consider what the individuals care about, what will feel meaningful and authentic to them, and what relationships, expertise, and experiences they bring to the opportunity. From here, think about what approaches will feel meaningful to them.
To capture that motivation, be more inclusive in the roles and responsibilities you have for campaign volunteers. Those who solicit on the organization’s behalf are often sought after, but ambassadors who can share the organization’s mission with their networks or conveners who can host gatherings and bring people together are incredibly important as well. Advocates who amplify messages through their own words and connectors who introduce organizational leaders to prospective supporters are also needed.
Remember that volunteers are more effective and authentic when they use their own words. Give them clear content to share, including:
- Philanthropic priorities
- Compelling stories of impact
- Talking points rather than scripts
- Conversation starters
- Specific ways someone can become involved
The goal is to give every volunteer the tools to be comfortable and confident enough to become an advocate.
Start Early.
When planning your campaign, identify prospective volunteers and invite individuals into conversations about priorities and vision. During the leadership phase of the campaign, engage volunteers as connectors, hosts, and early advocates. As you move towards the public launch, expand the volunteer network and equip them with stories to share and ways to participate. During the public phase, create opportunities for volunteers to share progress, celebrate milestones, engage their networks, and recruit others.
Use the campaign as a starting point but plan beyond when thinking about a volunteer and engagement pipeline. Data confirms that those who volunteer and financially support an organization increase both volunteering and gifting when both actions happen concurrently.. A campaign can simultaneously build a philanthropic pipeline and an engagement pipeline.
To ensure your organization is actively building a volunteer base for the future, start to measure more than fundraising totals in your campaign. Consider tracking:
- New volunteers engaged
- Introductions generated by volunteers
- Events or conversations hosted
- Prospects engaged through volunteer networks
- New donors influenced through volunteer activity
Campaigns accelerate fundraising, help bring about message alignment, and highlight mission impact. They should also build stronger relationships, generate more advocates, uncover new volunteer leaders, broaden networks, and result in a larger community invested in the organization’s future.
Instead of only asking ourselves, “How can volunteers help us achieve our campaign?” consider also asking, “How can this campaign help us build out our next generation of volunteers, advocates, donors, and leaders?” Shifting this question means we can turn volunteer engagement from a campaign tactic to a core part of the campaign’s long-term investment.
