The volunteer conversion rate is a crucial metric that is receiving more attention and scrutiny we highlight how to improve your recruitment strategy
How many people who apply for your volunteer opportunities actually go onto work or fill a shift?
Your volunteer conversion rate is a key metric that is receiving more attention. Organisations are increasingly focusing on this measurement as it provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of their volunteer recruitment strategies.
Volunteers play a critical role in making events and fundraising possible. Even within well supported organisations there is a concern over volunteer recruitment numbers so it’s essential that volunteer programs offer a top tier experience.
Some organisations may not see this as an issue as they receive plenty of interest from the general public to support their cause or event but that just makes this even more important they have a good volunteer conversion rate so they aren’t spending too much time on those who won’t end up completing a shift or opportunity.
Calculating your volunteer conversion rate is a straightforward process. All you need to do is count the number of individuals who completed or started a shift and divide that number by the number of individuals for apply for your positions then multiple that by 100 to give you your conversion percentage.
Example: 20 shifts started DIVIDED BY 100 applications received x 100 = 20% Conversion rate
Once you’ve worked out your volunteer conversion rate how do you know if it is good relative to the other programs.
In conversations with charities, nonprofits, and sports event organisers, Rosterfy has delved into the realm of conversion rates and goals. Many volunteer programs we've engaged with typically see a conversion rate ranging from 15-20%, with aspirations set at reaching the coveted 30% mark.
It took one inspired change and the right volunteer management software platform for a London based children's literacy skills charity to improve their conversion rate from around 10% to above 30% on volunteer applications to active supporters.
When you discover their program also requires several rounds of mandatory training, background screening and interviews it makes that achievement really noteworthy.
Volunteers at Literacy Pirates are referred as crew mates. Their after-school program is supported by these dedicated people who offer their time towards improving the learning skills and confidence of children.
The team at Literacy Pirates made a discovery that significantly adjusted the course of their program and at first it might have seemed obvious but only by paying attention to the details allowed them to find this out - they moved a majority of the onboarding, screening and training to the end of the application process and started with the mission.
Utilising Rosterfy provided them with enhanced program visibility, pinpointing bottlenecks in the application process and identifying stages where applicant drop-off was highest. By strategically saving the 'good content' for the end and front-loading the process, they successfully secured greater commitment from their volunteer applicants.
There are plenty of ways your whole program can benefit from having an improved application conversion rate. Even improving it by just 10-15% can have a lasting effect on your ability to raise funds or fill event shifts.
An improved conversion rate will:
There is a good reason why volunteer programs are looking to improve their conversion rate of people who apply for volunteer positions and then go on to complete a shift and quite simply it’s because every hour invested in someone who has applied is either a benefit to the organisation or wasted time.
Every email you send, every chaser for personal details, every background check completed, every online training session started or promotional pack sent out to a person costs time and money.
If you’re not concentrating on improving your volunteer conversion rate then your fundraising isn’t going as far as it can towards your cause, or your event isn't effectively managed to ensure a world class experience.
The Volunteer Application Funnel represents the journey individuals embark on, from initially discovering volunteer opportunities within your organisation to ultimately becoming engaged and active volunteers.
The key to improving your volunteer applicant conversion rate is to ensure every touch point in your volunteer journey is engaging, your communication is clear and content is delivered at timely moments.
There are tools you can use to effectively manage volunteer applications and these will improve the effectiveness of your Volunteer Application Funnel, these include:
You can find out how to create a more effective Volunteer Application Funnel with this on-demand webinar you can watch at any time - click here to view
Rosterfy is used by nonprofits, charities, sporting federations, local governments, and more to better manage their volunteer programs by improving how they can recruit, screen, train, and retain volunteers.
Our market leading technology helps you create an engaging experience throughout the whole lifecycle of your volunteer journey.
Book a call today.
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