How to Manage Volunteers: 5 Essentials

Managing volunteers is no easy task. Volunteer coordinators are only successful when the event is clearly defined, well-discussed, and all volunteers understand what their roles are. In this article, we’ll run through 5 essential must-knows for volunteer coordinators and managers. Let’s dive in! 

1. Communication is Key

Clear communication is the foundation of any volunteer program. Relying on group texts or last-minute phone calls can quickly turn into confusion. People miss updates, show up at the wrong time, or simply don’t know what’s expected.

A good system should make it easy to keep everyone informed before, during, and after an event. With Golden’s communication tools, coordinators can centralize all volunteer communications in one place. That means:

• Sending reminders and updates through email, SMS, and push notifications.
• Tracking responses and conversations without switching apps.
• Creating branded, consistent messages that build trust.

When communication is streamlined, volunteers feel supported and confident, and you avoid the stress of chasing down details. PS, the Golden app is available on iOS and Android! 

2. Delegate by Strength

Volunteers come with a wide range of skills and personalities. Some thrive at greeting participants, others prefer behind-the-scenes logistics, and a few might love taking photos to capture the day. Matching people to tasks they’re good at not only boosts effectiveness but also makes the experience enjoyable.

Using a platform, like Golden, helps coordinators understand volunteer preferences and assign roles accordingly. Volunteers can also specify their preferences directly within their profile on Golden. With these types of notes taken into account, it ensures everyone feels useful and engaged, which leads to stronger participation and happier teams.

3. Recognize and Appreciate

Recognition is one of the most powerful tools for volunteer retention. People don’t volunteer for the applause, but showing appreciation makes them feel valued and motivates them to return. Without it, even the most enthusiastic volunteers may drift away.

Recognition works best when it’s woven into the entire volunteer journey:

Before the event

Welcome messages, prep emails, or a personal note can set a positive tone and make people feel excited to contribute.

During the event

Take moments to highlight individuals or teams who are going above and beyond. Even a simple thank you at check-in can create a warm atmosphere.

After the event:

Follow up with a thank-you email, text, or even a short video message. Share stories and data that show the tangible impact of their time—such as meals served, trees planted, or hours logged.

Golden makes this easy by providing templates for quick thank-yous and by automatically capturing data you can use to show results. For example, instead of just saying “thanks for helping,” you can say, “Your three hours of service helped us serve 150 families.” Specific impact feels more meaningful than general praise. PS: you can even automate this with the help of Golden’s built-in AI.

And don’t underestimate the power of public recognition! By highlighting volunteers on your website or social channels, not only will they feel proud, but they will also inspire others to get involved when they share or repost their own experiences too.

4. Track and Measure Impact

Volunteers often want to know: Did my time make a difference? Being able to answer that question clearly is crucial for keeping them engaged and for showing the value of your program to funders, partners, and community members.

Traditionally, tracking volunteer hours and outcomes have been recorded by messy sign-in sheets, spreadsheets, and forgotten forms. Golden simplifies this by automating much of the process:

Time tracking

Volunteers can check in through the app or web with one tap, while GPS and timestamps ensure accuracy.

Task completion

Coordinators can assign tasks and track whether they were completed, giving a fuller picture of impact beyond just hours.

Dashboards

Real-time dashboards make it easy to see engagement trends, demographics, and participation levels at a glance.

This data is useful in several ways:

• It helps you refine your program by identifying what’s working and where more support is needed.
• It creates ready-to-go reports for funders and board members, saving hours of admin time.
• It strengthens volunteer retention, since you can share personalized impact summaries that connect their time to meaningful outcomes.

For example, instead of saying “We had 50 volunteers last month” you can say “Together, you contributed 200 hours that resulted in $5,000 of service value for the community.” 

That kind of storytelling keeps volunteers motivated and stakeholders impressed.

5. Stay Flexible and Organized

If you’ve ever managed a large volunteer event, you know that scheduling can feel like solving a puzzle with pieces constantly moving. Volunteers get sick, new people sign up last minute, and sometimes entire shifts need to be rearranged. The key is to stay flexible while keeping the overall structure intact.

Golden’s scheduling tools give coordinators the ability to:

Plan ahead

Create recurring or one-time shifts and set role requirements in advance.

Give volunteers autonomy

Let them sign up, swap, or cancel shifts directly, which reduces back-and-forth emails and saves you time.

Send automatic reminders

Reduce no-shows by making sure everyone has the right info at the right time.

Adjust in real time

Live dashboards show you where you might be short on coverage, allowing you to make quick changes without scrambling.

Flexibility also improves the volunteer experience. For example, someone may not be able to commit to a full-day event but could help for a few hours. By making scheduling adaptable, you open the doors for more participation. Volunteers feel empowered when they can manage their own availability, rather than waiting for instructions.

When scheduling is organized and responsive, coordinators spend less time putting out fires and more time focusing on creating meaningful, smooth-running experiences for everyone involved.

Manage Effectively with Golden’s Volunteer Management Software

Great volunteer management is all about balance, clear communication, smart delegation, meaningful recognition, accurate tracking, and flexible scheduling. When those pieces come together, volunteers feel supported and your programs thrive.

Golden’s volunteer management software gives you the tools to make that balance easier. From automated communications to real-time tracking and flexible scheduling, everything you need to manage volunteers effectively is in one place.

If you’re ready to spend less time juggling logistics and more time creating meaningful volunteer experiences, Golden can help.

Schedule a demo today!