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How-to guide · for nonprofits
How to recruit volunteers for your nonprofit
Updated September 2026
To recruit volunteers, define the role, then ask people you know, by name, to do one task at a set time. Keep sign-up under two minutes, confirm within a day, and thank people so they come back.
Define the actual role before you recruit
Write down what you need done, how many hours it takes, and whether it's one-time or ongoing. A vague “we need help” gets vague results; “two people to set up chairs Saturday 8–10am” gets sign-ups. A volunteer job description template gives you the parts to fill in.
Ask people directly
A personal ask works. In the last national survey to ask (BLS, 2015), 41.2% of volunteers said they got involved with their main organization after being asked. Start with your board, current volunteers, and donors, and ask by name.
Offer small, specific commitments first
Some people won't sign up for “ongoing” but will do a two-hour shift. Lead with short, well-defined tasks and let people opt into more once they've had a good first experience.
Go where your people already are
Post in local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, church bulletins, and school newsletters. List roles on Idealist, which now includes VolunteerMatch. Posting a volunteer opportunity there is free. Match the ask to the crowd.
Make signing up take under two minutes
Each extra form field is one more reason to stop. Use one simple sign-up link that shows open shifts and collects only a name and one way to reach them. If someone has to email you and wait, they may not. The free volunteer sign-up sheet template has the four fields that matter, on paper or as a form.
Recruit through your current volunteers
Your best volunteers know people like them. Ask each one to bring a friend, and make it easy by giving them the link and a sentence they can forward.
Respond fast and confirm the details
Reach out within a day of someone signing up. Send the date, time, address, parking, what to wear, and who to find. Silence after sign-up leaves first-timers unsure they're needed. For the reminders that follow, see seven fixes for volunteer no-shows.
Thank people and ask them back
Say thanks the same day, in person or by a short note. Tell them what their work accomplished, then invite them to the next thing. A volunteer who comes back already knows the drill, which saves you a first-day walkthrough.
Ember Volunteers
Ember Volunteers gives you one shareable sign-up link. Volunteers pick a shift and get a confirmation by email, the shift reminders you turn on go out by themselves, and checking people in records their hours. Unlimited users on every tier.
Sources: BLS, Volunteering in the United States · Idealist, VolunteerMatch is now part of Idealist. Read 27 September 2026.