Nonprofits focus is on their mission. With many nonprofits being understaffed and underfunded, keeping track of data points becomes overwhelming.
Even though nonprofits may begin to accumulate large amounts of data about their volunteers and others involved in their organization, many still fall short to make good use of the information.
Every organization accumulates a large amount of information about its volunteers over time. This information should not be thrown into a pile and left for someone else to sort through later. Ensuring the data is being used/collected correctly is quickly becoming the “new” funding source for many nonprofits.
Here are some tips on how a nonprofit can use its volunteer data to get funding from various sources:
Use the Volunteering and Civic Life in America research available
Nonprofit organizations can use the Volunteering and Civic Life in America research to make their case. Volunteering and Civic Life in America report demonstrates that volunteering makes a difference is essential for nonprofits who depend on volunteers to accomplish their missions. This is especially important when getting funding from government agencies or private donors.
Government agencies and private donors want proof that your organization’s program will generate results. If they give you money, they expect positive changes due to their dollars. One way to show how your program is effective is through statistics about volunteerism rates and trends. Not only do you need numbers, but you need specific numbers that relate directly to your mission and methods (e.g., number served, number successful).
Use real numbers when making funding requests
Nonprofits need to calculate the number of volunteers they use for every paid staff member when making funding requests. This is important because it makes their case more robust and shows that the nonprofit manages its money.
Volunteers are more likely to be called on when there’s a disaster or an emergency. Still, many people don’t understand that nonprofits depend on them to function daily. Therefore, using real numbers in their funding requests clarifies that volunteers are essential pieces of their team.
The more volunteers a nonprofit has, the better their case is for getting grants and other funding.
Nonprofits that don’t realize the importance of using volunteer numbers when making funding requests risk losing their grants and will have to find other ways to get money for their programs. This is because they’re not showing a strong case for why they need or deserve cash differently from the other competitors after the same funding.
For example, instead of basing your case on the number of paid staff members, a nonprofit might say, “Our CEO coordinates teams of volunteers consisting of 10 volunteers/program for our three different programs.” This way, they use real numbers to prove that they need funding.
Although nonprofits are free to try other methods of applying for grants, using volunteer numbers is the best way to make their case.
Use Your Data To Show Your Worth
Nonprofits need to use data that they already have on their volunteers to show the grantors that they are worthy of investment. Nonprofits often forget that they possess the knowledge and resources to create a report for grantmakers that clearly outlines what impact volunteer programs have in their communities.
Grantors, who are overwhelmed by applications, want easy-to-read reports that convey the impact of the work of the nonprofit. Their needs are to see a direct link between their programs and measurable outcomes, so if you can provide this information in your proposal, it will set you apart from others who cannot.
The application process has a lot of competition. Still, if you can show a clear connection between volunteer engagement and positive community impact, you will have a better chance of securing the funding.
If you cannot provide this information, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your organization does not have an impact but rather an added hurdle to overcome when applying for grants. Using the Altruize app, you can overcome this hurdle by using it to keep a record of your volunteers’ activities. You can then present this data to potential funders.
Use volunteer numbers to demonstrate the need.
Nonprofits can use the number of volunteers and the number of people they serve to gain funding by demonstrating their scale. Even so, they have to be careful not to overextend themselves or have this backfire on them.
Many nonprofits use a common tactic by listing how many volunteers they have on their website alongside their service numbers. Hence, it is apparent how many people they are directly helping. Often this is paired with the number of lives that their services have improved. To stress the scale of impact they have on a particular community.
To prevent this from backfiring, it’s essential for nonprofits to list the volunteer numbers and service numbers and stress how much time they have for each project and how many projects they can handle at once. If a nonprofit is listing its volunteer numbers, it doesn’t help them have a large number of people if they don’t have an equally large amount of time or resources.
Nonprofits must be honest with their donor bases to increase trust and transparency, which can help their donor bases better understand where their money is going and how to help.
Conclusion
Nonprofit organizations are more successful at acquiring funds when they use their volunteer data to help them convince the funding sources. The more activities your organization can list on future funding proposals, the easier it is for funders to understand how important funding your nonprofit will be to continue your mission. Don’t forget to cite the trends in volunteerism that makes it worthwhile.
When you have new opportunities or need to improve old programs with money, put your volunteer data to good use and secure that funding.
References
https://www.altruize.com/ Schedule a DEMO
Volunteering and Civic Life in America: Volunteering Hits Five-Year High (2011). Retrieved from https://ncoc.org/news/volunteering-civic-life-america-volunteering-hits-five-year-high/.
Chambre, S.M, (2020). Has Volunteering Changed in the United States? Trends, Styles, and Motivations in Historical Perspective. (Volume 94, Number 2). Baruch College, City University of New York. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/708941
School Of Public Policy, DoGood Institute. (October 2018). Where Are America’s Volunteers? A Look at America’s Widespread Decline in Volunteering in Cities and States. Retrieved from https://dogood.umd.edu/sites/default/files/2019-07/Where%20Are%20Americas%20Volunteers_Research%20Brief%20_Nov%202018.pdf
