Think Small: An Introduction to Microvolunteering - An Association Management Company

January 2019 – Lauriane Lebrun, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Recruiting volunteers is a serious challenge for many nonprofits. According to the Stanford Center on Longevity, over 90% of Americans want to volunteer, but only about 25% actually do. The reason? Lack of free time and/or unwillingness to commit to a schedule.

Of course, nonprofits NEED volunteers. But how to convince the too-busy, commitment-wary 65% of would-be volunteers to help out?

One up-and-coming solution involves thinking about volunteers on a smaller scale – and, no, that doesn’t mean recruiting toddlers or expertly-trained puppies to get things done for your organization. Even if it sounds cute.

Microvolunteering opportunities are short, no-commitment tasks that can collectively make a huge impact on a nonprofit. Each task takes about an hour or two to complete at the most, and can often be worked on independently, from the comfort of one’s home or office. Some examples include:

Giving a presentation or hosting a workshop
Serving as a booth attendant for a short shift during an event
Writing a blog post
Providing proofreading or graphic design services
Dropping off flyers
Canvassing or attending a phone banking night

“Thinking small” in terms of tasks can lead to an increase in volunteer numbers. Since many hands make light work, the benefits of microvolunteering include increased productivity, happier volunteers, and a more-consistent support network for the organization.