Volunteer Involvement
Volunteers as fundraisers
The governance board holds fiduciary duty - duty of care, loyalty, and obedience - and sets policy; staff execute. Beyond the board, volunteers serve as solicitors, ambassadors, connectors, campaign cabinet members, and advisory council members. The exam expects you to know the volunteer management cycle: define the need and write a real job description, recruit against it, train, deploy, recognize, and evaluate.
Making volunteers effective
Volunteers raise the most money when they ask peers - people in their own giving range and social circle - for a specific amount, with a staff partner handling logistics, materials, and follow-up. Peer solicitation works because the ask carries social proof; it fails when a volunteer is handed a list of strangers or a prospect whose capacity dwarfs their own network.
Board expectations
Most organizations expect 100 percent board participation in giving, because funders and foundations ask. A give-or-get policy is common but should fit the organization's culture and be enforced consistently. Board members should also open doors, not just write checks.
Traps
- Assigning volunteers prospects with no linkage to them.
- Skipping training and assuming enthusiasm substitutes for preparation.
- Expecting volunteers to do data entry, receipting, or research.
- Sharing confidential prospect information without a confidentiality commitment.
- Confusing board governance with staff management.
Rule of thumb
Never ask a volunteer to do something staff would not do well themselves without being asked twice. Pair every volunteer solicitor with a staff partner, a named prospect, a specific amount, and a scheduled debrief.
Worked example
A board member is reluctant to solicit. Instead of pushing, map their network: they sit on a foundation board and belong to a trade association. Ask them to host a small cultivation gathering and make introductions - a connector role that fits their comfort and still moves prospects.