How to Inspire Students to Volunteer

This content was originally published on VolunteerMatch.

Volunteering is more than spending one’s time actively participating in selfless acts or activities that benefit other people—it has a greater impact on society as a whole. Volunteers are of great help to the community as they immerse themselves in a pool of opportunities, and these opportunities are just one reason why we need to encourage more students to volunteer.

Here are some reasons why it's important to encourage students to volunteer for your cause—try using some of these reasons in your next recruitment campaign to inspire more young people to volunteer.

By volunteering, students develop life skills and become well-rounded individuals.

Starting young provides an opportunity for students to learn and grow into valuable members of society. They develop life skills as they get immersed in activities that are outside of their comfort zones. They become socially aware and learn to appreciate their life and value what they have.

Volunteering helps students become competent and employable, making it easier for them to meet their learning objectives.

Volunteering serves as a training ground for honing students’ skills, giving them an edge over those who do not have any volunteer experience. Encourage them to join volunteer programs during school breaks or over the summer.

Employers seek volunteer experience from fresh graduates.

Employers prefer hiring fresh graduates with volunteer experience because it shows commitment and a sense of responsibility. Volunteers are reliable, selfless, responsible, and willing to do more than what is asked—even without monetary compensation. These are qualities that employers look for when hiring fresh graduates.

Now that we've outlined a few of the benefits of volunteering, it's time to consider how to recruit more students to volunteer for your cause.

How to Inspire Students to Volunteer: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Define the purpose

Defining the real purpose of why they should volunteer is a great way to motivate students. They must understand the real impact of volunteering when they read your role description so they know how their actions are making a difference.

2. Allow them to be independent

Grant student volunteers full autonomy for their choices and decisions. Encouraging independence can help students feel like they are trusted, and by human nature, the more trust is placed in a person, the more responsible they become.

In practice, this may look like having students design social assets or pick the colors for an upcoming marketing campaign. Let them figure out how to organize their materials instead of telling them how you would do things (unless, of course, they need guidance on knowing where to start).

3. Empathize with them

Most of the time, adults forget to empathize with youth. When one doesn’t feel understood, they will never try to understand. If they are not up to volunteering, don't be discouraged. Try to understand where they are coming from and maybe both parties will agree to compromise. Sometimes, empathy is all it takes to motivate

4. Lead them by example

Always walk your talk. Kids, especially teenagers, may not be the best at listening to parents or elders. Yet, they may begin to imitate the actions of adults. If they see adults put their passion to good use, they may be inspired to do the same.

5. Provide fun learning activities

Some students think that volunteer work is boring, tiring, and requires too much time and physical strength. Fun is one of the best motivators. Add fun to your volunteer opportunity by incorporating games and competitions.

6. Provide positive feedback and recognize their efforts

Feeling unappreciated is the best way to kill motivation, especially when you are doing something that is making a difference. When you tell people you appreciate what they do, they tend to do more of it. Recognize their efforts and they will work harder.

Universities and educational institutions can show their appreciation for student volunteers’ efforts by giving them extra credit.

About the Author | Nicole Boyer is a web designer and contributing blogger for several websites. She is dedicated to making this world a better place. Nicole believes that by helping each other we can go much further.