The strongest resource of a non profit is his people. You might not have a lot of money, and you might not be able to hire the most professional people in each position for your organization but you have your people!

The volunteers in a non profit organization are more important than costumers to a business, but because they dont create an income for us we sometime tend to forget about them. But if you’ll learn to use your website wisely you’ll find it easy to build, grow and maintain your volunteers database that will donate money or hours to your organization and will help you spread your agenda.

Think of yourself – what makes you feel closer to an idea to an organization?
The strongest thing is the effort and time you invested in it but no one starts there. We all begin to approach something by getting more information about it, to feel part of it and in the last stage to invest in it.

So what should you do?
You should supply information about your organization, making the person feel updated and on top of things.
You should create a sense of community and you should award the people that approach you with gratitude and a feeling of home.

How can you do that?
There is no better, cheaper and faster way than the web. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, forums, a Youtube channel  are all great instruments but I’ll begin with the simplest and easiest step – building a list.
The idea is very simple:
* You create an optin form on your website (a form where a person enters his name and email)
* You offer free information for a person who signs up.
* You keep this person updated once a week or two weeks with more updated information.
* You make him/her feel part of something big with a lot of people.
* You show him/her that you appreciate people who invest time or money in your mutual cause.
* Give him/her chances to participate and add their input.

In no time you will see your list grows and more people coming forward suggesting to ho help and invest time.

Example:
UNT is an NGO who wishes to reduce violence in schools around the country. It got a website and it uses Aweber (my recommended and favorite email marketing and newsletters software. Aweber got videos that will guide you in building your list in no time) and offers the complete free shocking report about violence in schools facts and stories.

People subscribe to their list and get their report and every 2 weeks UNT sends them an updated about late violence stories, activites of the organization and people who contributed to their monthly project.
The last issue was about Sarah that dedicates 4 hours of her time every week to go to schools and recruit children to be the non violence watch in their school and to publish the names of children who acted wrong and those who acted good all around the school. In the newsletter they also got a button with a link to their site – offering you to see who is active in your area and to join their project.
If you’ll join you’ll receive a personal kit with everything you need in order to make a change in a school next to you.
UNT also arranges meetings in diffrent locations and collects money as a donation.
Its pretty simple to build your volunteers database – just do it and is you’ll have questions I’m here for you.

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