The way people find opportunities has changed—your volunteer recruitment strategy should, too.
Volunteers extend an organization’s impact, bringing valuable time, talent and expertise to the mission. Recruiting the right people takes a clear, intentional strategy.
People have more choices about where and how they give their time. They want opportunities that align with their interests, fit their lives and make a meaningful difference. That means volunteer recruitment needs to do more than get the word out. It needs to give people a compelling reason to get involved.
Increasingly, that first impression happens online, whether through a Google search, Instagram Reel, LinkedIn post or email.
For nonprofits, hospitals and human services organizations wondering how to recruit volunteers, success starts with understanding who you want to reach, showing why their involvement matters and making it easy to take action.
Understand What Motivates Today’s Volunteers
Before asking where to find volunteers, start with a more important question: Why would someone choose to volunteer with your organization?
The answer will be different for everyone. Some want to give back to their community or support a cause they care about. Others are looking for social connection, professional experience or a way to put their skills to work. A retiree, college student and corporate professional may all be strong prospective volunteers, but they are unlikely to respond to the same message.
Think about who you are trying to reach and consider:
- Their interests and skills
- Their availability and preferred time commitment
- What motivates them to get involved
- Where they spend their time online
- Whether they are looking for a one-time opportunity or an ongoing role
Then make the impact clear. “Volunteers needed” focuses on your need. “Give two hours and help provide meals to local families” shows prospective volunteers what their time can make possible.
The NH Center for Nonprofits recommends a similar approach: tailor the ask to individual motivations and reach specific people or groups rather than relying on a broad request for help.
Meet Prospective Volunteers Where They Are
Once you understand who you want to reach and what motivates them, the next step is showing up where they already spend their time. A strong volunteer recruitment strategy uses the right mix of channels for each audience.
- Facebook: Local groups, events and community stories
- Instagram and TikTok: Short videos, behind-the-scenes moments and volunteer stories
- LinkedIn: Professional and skills-based opportunities
- Email: Past volunteers, supporters and existing contacts
- Volunteer platforms: People actively searching for ways to get involved
- Earned media: Share newsworthy volunteer stories, event recaps and group photos with local newspapers, TV stations and community publications to extend your reach beyond your own channels
In New Hampshire, Volunteer NH connects people with service opportunities statewide while providing resources to help organizations strengthen volunteer engagement.
Digital tactics do not have to replace traditional outreach. Local TV, community organizations, schools, faith communities and word of mouth can still be effective. Volunteer events can also create earned media opportunities: a strong group photo paired with a short recap, community impact statistic or human-interest angle may be useful to local news outlets looking for positive community stories. The strongest strategy is not about being everywhere. It is about being in the right places for the people you want to reach.
Show What Volunteering Really Looks Like
Once you reach prospective volunteers, help them picture themselves getting involved. Authentic stories and visuals can show not only what volunteers do, but what the experience feels like.
Feature real volunteers, real interactions and real impact. Short-form video, candid photography and first-person stories can bring the opportunity to life through content such as:
- “Why I volunteer” testimonials
- Day-in-the-life videos
- Volunteer takeovers
- Behind-the-scenes moments
- Event recaps
- “What can you accomplish in two hours?” features
The goal is to communicate more than the responsibilities of a volunteer role. Show the people, purpose and impact behind it.
New Hampshire organizations are investing in this approach. In 2026, Volunteer NH awarded grants supporting a targeted social media recruitment campaign for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and Vermont and professional social content for Strawbery Banke Museum, along with investments in photography, websites and volunteer communications.
Big Brothers Big Sisters focused on making mentoring feel approachable, directing prospective volunteers to information about the time commitment, support and steps involved in becoming a Big. Strawbery Banke paired recruitment content with specific ways to get involved, from special events and historic gardens to archaeology and other museum activities.
Compelling content can inspire someone to get involved. What happens after they click is just as important.
Make It Easy to Say Yes
Generating interest is only part of the job. A confusing application, slow response or unclear onboarding process can quickly lose a prospective volunteer.
Consider the entire journey:
Is your volunteer page mobile-friendly? Are roles and time commitments clear? Is the application longer than necessary? Does someone know what happens after they submit it?
Technology and volunteer management systems can help streamline scheduling, onboarding and training, communication and tracking. But the objective is simple: remove unnecessary friction between someone’s interest and their ability to contribute.
Flexibility matters, too. One-time events, micro- volunteering, skills-based projects and virtual opportunities can give people ways to participate that fit their schedules and interests.
Recruit With Retention in Mind
The strongest answer to how to recruit and retain volunteers is to think beyond the initial sign-up.
Provide useful training, communicate consistently, respect volunteers’ time and show them the real impact of their work. Ask for feedback and create opportunities for volunteers to build relationships with each other and your organization.
A volunteer who has a meaningful experience may become much more than a repeat participant. They can become a recruiter, advocate, donor or long-term champion of your mission.
Digital tools can help you reach more people than ever. But successful volunteer recruitment ultimately comes down to creating an opportunity worth noticing and an experience worth coming back to.
Looking to reach and engage more of the people who can move your mission forward? EVR can help build a digital strategy that turns awareness into action.
