Every charity has that group of eager and enthusiastic volunteers who want to help in any they can. But you are not sure where to assign them.
Any job that they are ideally suited to perform is occupied and they lack the qualifications for any task they want to do. So what is the answer? Perhaps you should consider training them to become Ambassadors for the organization.
In this chapter of “FUNDRAISING DOs & DON’Ts”, we will explore why and how energetic volunteers are ideally suited for playing the Ambassador role in cultivating relations with donors and stakeholders.
DO train, orient and support available enthusiastic volunteers to serve in an Ambassadorial capacity. Relatively new and peppy volunteers who haven’t yet found their place within the charity are excellent candidates to get conversations started with supporters.
Being an effective Ambassador does not require one to be extroverted, possess strong marketing skills, or have a deep knowledge of the organization and its history. Qualities that ARE important include empathy, compassion for others, and a willingness to learn more about the non-profit and its work. Most important, Ambassadors must possess great listening skills to learn as much as they can about a donor’s interests, wishes, values and giving abilities.
The main role of the Ambassador is to ensure that new donors, volunteers and in-kind supporters are thanked and aware of the positive change their gifts have made in the lives of the people who benefit from their organization’s programs. A major objective is to make new donors and prospects feel welcome. Ambassadors should encourage donors to reflect on their involvement, provide feedback, and ask questions. A huge goal is to identify what aspect of their charity’s work resonates the most with each supporter.
DON’T expect Ambassadors to engage in advanced cultivation activities or request donations from donors and supporters. Ambassador volunteers usually lack the essential experience, command of the organization’s case for support, or longstanding rapport with donors to perform such tasks.
Trusting the stewarding of relationships with major donors and key stakeholders with novice volunteers who are unacquainted with the finer details of the charity’s work and impact can have disastrous consequences for its support base.
Passionate long-term supporters most often prefer to liaise with veteran volunteers with established track records as champions for an organization’s mission and vision, Appointing an inexperienced volunteer as their main conduit to the non-profit may be perceived as an insult and prompt them to withdraw all forms of their support.
Focus should be directed primarily on helping entry-level donors to embark on their respective donor journeys. Examples of Ambassadorial activities that achieve this objective is calling or emailing donors after special events, conversing with supporters at Annual General Meetings and open houses, and sending “thank you” messages to first-time gift-makers to peer-to-peer appeals.
Ambassadors must also feel assured they will receive the necessary support they need from staff and others as they seek to transform casual donors into invested stakeholders. Helping donors discover the magical difference their generosity achieved is the first sacred step charities take towards building a sustainable base of support.
It is paramount they have the right volunteers in place to serve as each donor’s initial liaison to the organization. It is equally crucial they take every precaution to ensure they are successful. The communities they serve are counting on it.
