 Welcome to joining us. Hello to another episode of the nonprofit show. It might be afternoon, it might be evening, whenever it is of you watching this episode, but we're glad that you're here. I'm Jarrett Ransom, your nonprofit nerd. And today we have with us Sarah Gage. And Sarah joins us as director of training and partnerships at Give Effect. We connected at AFP Icon, so the Association of Fundraising Professionals Icon Conference in Las Vegas. But Sarah, you're joining us from Atlanta. So I'm so thrilled to have you here to talk to us about critical NPO volunteer tracking. So stay with us. We wanna remind you who we are. Julia's taking the week off, we wish her well. I'm Jarrett Ransom, your nonprofit nerd, CEO of the Raven Group. And we are honored to have the continued support and investment as well as their trust from our amazing sponsors. So thank you to Bloomerang American Nonprofit Academy, Fundraising Academy at National University, Bee Generous, your part-time controller, staffing boutique, nonprofit thought leader, as well as the nonprofit nerd. Right around Christmas time, we're gonna hit our 700th episode and we have to give kudos to these amazing sponsors that keep us growing and going and growing and going even further. So thank you to our sponsors. And thank you to all of you that keep watching our episodes. You can find our recordings on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, as well as Vimeo, but wait, there's more. We're also in podcast form. So you can listen to the nonprofit show wherever you stream your podcast. And today is gonna be one of those you're gonna want to save because it is a very important conversation. Again, welcome to Sarah Gage, Director of Training and Partnerships at Give Effect. Welcome, Sarah. Hi there, thanks so much for having me. Absolutely, tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit about Give Effect. Sure, so I am an Atlanta native in the past 15 years have been in the nonprofit sector for the better part of those 15 years is working directly in nonprofits, more in a leadership capacity and development and as well as operations. So enveloping a big part of that is volunteerism. And in addition to that, I moved into a role at Give Effect, which seemed like a very natural fit as I was looking to be less front facing shockingly. I know, but after so many years in the nonprofit sector and wanted to just have a little bit more variation and work with a variety of nonprofits. So Give Effect allowed me to do that because Give Effect is a 10 system software built explicitly for nonprofits. So the kind of magic behind what Give Effect does is the intersection of all of our various departments that we have within a nonprofit entity. So volunteering, your development, communications, marketing, programs, all that wrapped into one software. And of course initially thinking about how beautiful that is as a user, right? Coming from that side of things as, oh, this just makes things easier. In addition to that, there's so much power behind that data. And so that's something that was really brought to light for me by working kind of with technology a little bit more in this capacity. I love that. And I felt like we hit it off. So no pressure, Sarah, but when we met in Vegas, I was like, this woman gets it. She understands like the holistic approach of fundraising and nonprofit engagement. So thank you for joining us. I know that you had a big life event. So we had to wait to get you on us because we pre-booked you for this date, like six months ago, I think it was. But really excited. So let's jump into this because we have quite a few viewers watching live. And I know many people are gonna watch this episode later. Talk to us about the benefits and the value of a volunteer experience. Absolutely. So when we're thinking about the volunteer experience in general, the easier we can make it for volunteers and also forget about how easy we can make it for our volunteer managers and volunteer coordinators. With that, we're gonna have more repeat volunteers, less staff turnover. So huge, huge bonuses on both sides. So when we're thinking about that, first of all, more than two thirds of volunteers look for opportunities online. So thinking about how visible we are, is that can people find us easily? And then as far as the actual experience itself really starts from that initial finding you, finding the nonprofit, it's so beneficial for the volunteer to have a seamless process. And with that, a seamless process and meaning easy sign up, helpful reminders, ease of the onsite check-in. And then there are so many deterrents on the opposite coin of that. If it's a multi-step process for sign up, something a bit arduous, maybe it's paper, I gotta show up and do it that way. And some of us do also, we have a multi-step process because we have requirements like background checks or courses that we need to take. Think exactly those things that need to happen depending on the population that we're serving, that sort of thing. But there are still ways where we can really condense that and make it as easy as it can be. So those deterrents for volunteers and kind of being repeat or even starting up with you are things of that nature, multi-step process, getting famed after signing up. Like now you have my email and I get everything your organization sends out even though it may not speak directly to why I'm involved. And then also I think like the... I think that's a great point, Sarah. I just wanna jump in there because I feel like often, we're like, oh, we got them. Here's someone interested in our organization and let's put them on our email list and send them everything in the kitchen sink. And really that's not what they asked for. So I appreciate you commenting on that. Oh, thank you. And it really has to do with something we might get into a bit deeper is, you know, storing those relationships with our volunteers and how we really need to focus in on why they're here. What's their motivation for being here? And let's focus our communication in that regard. Not only that, but also their communication preference. Do we know if they like text messages or emails or phone calls or carrier pigeons? You know, however they like to receive their information are we giving it to them in a way that works for them? So other than just what the information is the manner in which that we're sending it. So, you know, with those and for the nonprofit professionals who are managing volunteers and that is such a big endeavor. You know, we've got so many folks out there who are, you know, not only it could be, you know 50 volunteers a day. It could be hundreds of volunteers a day. It could be events with, you know huge amounts of volunteers. So if it's not like a, you know repeated everyday kind of kind of instance. So the more repeat volunteers that we have obviously the better it is for us. Less manual work is always so nice, right? And then data, the data points not only for just what we've talked about here in order to maintain our volunteers by, you know, communicating with them in a way that they enjoy but also forecasting and targeting communication of the nonprofit needs based on the volunteer availability and the tasks that are needed. So having data and knowing what days are you available? When do you prefer to come? What shift? What kind of job do you like to do? If I have that information I can easily query it and then send a communication out saying, hey everyone, you guys are all available on Saturday and we kind of, you know, are lacking this thing. So that to say, you know when you're thinking about the volunteer experience is really I think essentially those pieces are what comes to mind kind of first and foremost. But then when we think also about just the the impact of a volunteer and we're really talking about the dollar value of a volunteer just, you know, I think in the last two years we've been right around this like $29 per hour for volunteer time. Incredible, right? So volunteers contributing over $200 billion in value to U.S. communities is massive. It is, it is so massive. And I want us to move into also how we might also take that volunteer time and monetize it but conversion, right? So how do we take them from a volunteer? Maybe that's their entry point into a donor. What does that look like? So volunteers are two times more likely to give their time and money than non-volunteers. Two times more likely. Two times more likely. I love that. We love stats here. Data is sexy. Oh, I'm so glad because of such a data. Because you got it. I love the stats. We bring it. Such a data head. So, you know, it, well, because it really creates a picture of what's important. And when we're focusing on things that are important like converting volunteers to donors, knowing that, you know, people often think volunteers donate their time because they may not have the monetary backing or expendable income to donate monetarily. That absolutely can be true 100%. There's also been something we'll talk about as far as being able to tap into that network as well. But for those when we're talking about monetary giving and that conversion, knowing that volunteers are more likely to donate. In addition, we couple that with the fact that majority of volunteers are involved in just one organization. Over 70% of volunteers are involved in just one organization. So, you know, if you have a volunteer, you've got them. They are invested in you. And so being, by being invested in you at their time, it's an easier conversation than getting brand new donors who aren't yet involved with your organization for whatever reason. Yeah, yeah. So. Great input. You know, I work with a lot of clients across the nation but one of the things I love to see, Sarah, is when a volunteer makes a gift and often they're significant sizes. And, you know, I feel like maybe organizations cut themselves short in that arena thinking, oh, well, they give up their time. We can't ask them to give up, you know, of others, but they're already bought in. So 70%, again, another fun fact, our data, right? So 70%, you said volunteer at one organization and that is fan-tastic. What about the feasibility of stewarding these relationships? Like talk to us about that. Our time goes by so quickly. And I know that we wanna talk about so much in this 30-minute episode, but talk to us, yeah, about the feasibility of stewarding these relationships. So it really depends on kind of the data that you have. So if you've got, you know, the paper applications or you've got something online where you're getting information about your volunteers either when they apply to become a volunteer or that's something that you do on site, maybe an orientation, is understanding their motivation. And that's often not something that we put on an application, is what brings you here, you know, but if this is something we can have a conversation around when they, you know, when we first are able to greet them, whether it's on the phone or in person, is understanding their motivation for coming. So if it's recognition of service, if it's they want something challenging in their life, if it's personal growth, if it's skill development, are we meeting that need? And as we continue to be able to provide them with, you know, more and more of what motivates them and kind of fill that bucket, then we're going to certainly, you know, be able to kind of continue to store that relationship, provide them with those additional challenges, give them that recognition that they seek and deserve. And, you know, if we know that they're interested in X, let's offer them more opportunities to do that. Right? Or X, yeah, more X, I'm curious, how do you collect the data of their Y? Like, what motivates them to give up their time? If it's not on like the intake form, does that come through just conversation? It certainly can. So I see a lot of this happen exactly. If it's not in intake form, if it's often if you, when you know you have your first time volunteers, you know, people who are new to your organization, that's a great time obviously to get in touch with them. So if it's a phone call just to say, we're so glad that you're coming or we're glad that you came. It gives you, it was something onsite that you didn't get to actually interact with them. But a lot of organizations have orientations where it's a lot of organization giving information, what to expect, what to bring, you know, maybe a small bit of training or something like that. It's a great time to also get information outside of what you've already acquired. So, you know, and it's also a nice way to open things up and an orientation like that too and have that sense of community. I like that so much. One of the things I know I talked to clients about is, you know, birthdays, because that seems to be a really hard data point to receive from donors, volunteers, the like. So what are some of those other data points that you might recommend that we inquire about, knowing that we might not get 100%, right? But like, what are some of the other questions so that we can steward these volunteers and donors in a great way? Absolutely. I think one of the best pieces of data that one can gather is their connection to some, is it someone in the organization, someone who, how'd you hear about us almost, right? Something of that nature, what brings you in today? And that's, and sometimes it could be it was court ordered or it was required for my school or whatever it is, right? And we know why they're there. Great, okay, let's move on to the, how can we foster that even more? But you're right, even something like birthdays, we get that a lot on the, typically more so on the volunteer side because we may need, you know, there may be a different kind of consent option for minors and things like that. So typically as a data point that we'll get on the volunteer side and also can have some recognition for that. Something else that can be beneficial if your system technology does this is collecting data on how they've also been involved in your organization. Being a volunteer may not be the first time they've been involved. They could have been on your mailing list. They could have come to an event that you had and said, wow, this is, you know, really love their mission and I'd like to be more involved. So, you know, there are also opportunities there again to store that relationship and say, hey, volunteer, thank you so much for your X amount of hours that you've provided with us. We'd like to give you this, you know, promo code to use to buy a ticket on our next event. And so you're also then crossing them over into that fundraising area as well. Oh, that was a huge nugget. I love that one. And I feel like we're moving into recognizing the untapped potential of the volunteers. And many of them, as you said, you know, do you become pretty substantial donors? The other thing I see often, Sarah, is they become ambassadors. So they actually helped to raise a lot of money as well. But where else might we consider recognizing our untapped potential of the volunteers? A couple areas that I have seen that are just like, oh, I actually hadn't considered that because I don't think of them on the donor side is when you think about, again, that kind of conversion aspect is well screening. And well screening your volunteers. Now, it doesn't have to be everyone, maybe you, you know, pick in a certain way. But if you're able to well screen on your volunteer data, that is certainly where we found some untapped potential in being able to have the right ask. And again, you know, we go back to, you know, you referenced this Jarrett where, you know, some of them are biggest ambassadors, absolutely, especially with peer-to-peer. So using not only, not just using my bank accounts because there's not a whole lot in there to help you guys out. However, I have a huge coterie, huge circle of friends and a huge, huge network and I reach out to those folks and say, hey, you know, maybe it's a team that I've created and I'm sending that out and it's got my name on it and people are investing, you know, in this cause that I've selected because they can see I'm personally connected to it. And now there's so much technology to back that, that it's, you know, well beyond just like, you know, posting something on social media, the actual, you know, platforms that are there are very, very helpful for that. So I can put my personal spin on it that really speaks to my crowd. Meanwhile, just bring in those dollars in and not only just the dollars, but then an opportunity to continue to store those relationships as well. And then with the pandemic, you know, things really shifted in the volunteer world over the past few years. So virtual volunteering really became more of a thing. Like let me think about what you can do other than coming here. What are some other ways that I can engage you? Went from 17 to 29% during the first summer 2020, yeah. So since 2020, we actually have 85% of nonprofits reporting that they've almost doubled their volunteers. Oh my gosh. Talk to us a little bit. We don't have too much time here, but talk to us a little bit, Sarah, about how we might be able to engage in a new way with volunteers virtually. And I've got to say, like I even have a hard time with that. I believe in it 100%, right? But I fall short on the projects in which we might be able to, you know, ask participants to help with. So what are some successes that you're seeing in the virtual realm of volunteerism? I just, thanks for asking because I did actually just see a great example of this recently and it was having, asking folks to the Habitat for Humanity that does a very big, like virtual auction and was in person, has gone virtual, has gone hybrid, you know, all the various things, right? And what they asked of their volunteers, there are so many skills that they have outside of what they may do with the organization, right? People are so talented. And so the house can say, hey, if you could just like grab something from your thrift store or the restore or whatever, put your personal touch and spin on it and submit it to our auction for sale. And people come up with the most incredible things. And even people that are not necessarily, you know, there's so many things that you can do. It's not just, you know, have to be necessarily very artistic or crafty or what have you because that's really not me. And I would, you know, but looking at something, you see them like, oh, well, that's genius. That's such a great idea, you know? So it's like upcycling. So it was a double benefit that, you know, they're upcycling, you know, garbage and being creative. And, but then also assisting the organization with that. So they have all these auction items that they didn't have to then go out and get. And so also honing in on their other skills, it's also just more and more of that sense of community and value, you know? I love that creativity there. One of the suggestions I gave, we had a woman reach out to us, she's a paralegal. So she was really only available nights and weekends, which is when this client typically doesn't receive, you know, volunteer help, but she mentioned she was bilingual. And I was like, ding, ding, ding, ding. You know, we need so much help turning our collateral into a Spanish speaking form because we live in Arizona and that's, you know, English, Spanish. And so she was able to assist with that. And, you know, that was a huge opportunity when you think of other languages that your constituents in your community speak, you know, I even had her because we have a clothing boutique, you know, create labels and things in Canva, again, all virtual, but English and Spanish so that we could label our clothing boutiques in a way in which the clients, right, were able to associate with in their native language. So I just, I'm always looking for new volunteer opportunities, especially in that virtual space because there's so many people that want to give and we just have to give them that opportunity. Absolutely. Yeah. Tell us a little bit about give effects because we nerded out hardcore in Vegas. But I wasn't even feeling 100% but that didn't matter. We were still like a hundred, a hundred miles per hour nerding out. Tell us a little bit in the remaining time, Sarah, about how give effect is, you know, a platform to harness this data and information when it comes to volunteering. Sure. So yeah, you're absolutely right. You even sound like a totally different person compared to when we first got together. Yes. I was like very stuffy then for those of you that are like, oh my gosh, what was up with Jared? So give effect essentially is, was created honestly to do a little bit of what we're chatting about, right? To be able to get a full picture of who a person is, not who a donor, who a volunteer, who a person taking part in your programs, but all of those things because some people really do all of those things. And too often that data is trapped and siloed in different software systems. And without doing a lot of importing and exporting and manipulating a lot of data and spreadsheets, it's hard for us to really understand where to go with that. So give effect was created in a 10 system solution. So inclusive of volunteering, moves management, communications, grant management, all of your everything donor, everything fundraising, event side. So that way all of your data is coming into the system that was built together. So not like with APIs and things like that connecting systems, it was built to do this. So for that reason, I can go into the system and say, I want to everyone who volunteered over 10 hours, who came specifically to this other event and who opened our last two emails because I want to now send them in very specific to them, right? And so we can do things like that. Data is just so, so powerful. Too often it is just kind of there and there's a holding cell for it called a CRM but there's not a whole lot we're really doing with it. And there's just so much untapped potential if there's nothing you can really do with that data. So that's essentially what give effect does. Yes, there's automation, it brings everything in but it's also what are you gonna do with it and push out? Yeah, absolutely. And we can't find this untapped potential unless we find that data and use the data for that. So I just, I love what it provides give effect being the it in that sentence. I love what give effect provides the services. I love your passion in this, Sarah. So for those of you again that are watching or listening either live or recorded, Sarah Gage at give effect. And Sarah's on LinkedIn. I always like to give a shout out for those of you that are active on LinkedIn, find her there. There's so many good things happening. And as we wrap up one of the questions I like to ask Sarah is if you had a crystal ball, which I'm sure you do it's just sitting right here. Yeah, I'm right there just dust it off, polish it up. What is 2023? Cause we're in Q4 right now of 22. What does 23 look like by way of volunteers? Like what are you kind of forecasting in this crystal ball? Well, we are expecting because lots and lots of survey data. Again, I know I'm such a data head. The more we talk, I'm like, wow, I'm such a loser in this regard, but a nerd. We're just nerding out together. Post pandemic. So as we've been doing a lot of research through this past couple of years again a lot of things that were unprecedented in the volunteer area, 73% of Americans think that volunteering will be more important after the pandemic. And that's to say that even though only 36% of Americans participate in volunteer activities pre pandemic almost three quarters of people think that it's gonna be even more valuable after. So that to say, I feel like every year since 2020 we're seeing more and more and more. So I think that it's definitely a positive outlook. But true, definitely people are still there's a lot of the virtual component and I'm so glad that you brought that up so much in our conversation today because the increase of participation in virtual volunteering correlates with providing those opportunities. So it's really a matter of can people find you and are you offering things that kind of meet their needs and that motivational aspect. And with that, there's a lot of success to be had in our communities and our nonprofits. I love that. Well, you heard it here first. The four cats for volunteerism in 2023 is looking positive. So much hope for that. And Sarah Gage, thanks for joining me, my friend, my nonprofit nerd friend. I'm gonna have to get you a pair of these glasses or maybe I gave them to you in Vegas. I don't know, but. I know, I absolutely am going to, I have to get them out. I was like, oh, is it too much? Is it too? No, it's never too much. I always love it. But yeah, we, mine are a little dirty, but we're all here to nerd out absolutely. So Sarah, thank you and thanks to give a fact for giving of their service by way of you to be in this conversation with us today. So thank you so very much. And again, to our sponsors that keep these conversations possible and alive without them, we wouldn't be able to have the conversations like we just did with Sarah from give a fact. So shout out to our friends at Bloomerang American Nonprofit Academy, Fundings and Academy at National University, be generous, your part-time controller, staffing boutique, nonprofit thought leader and the nonprofit nerd. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing us these conversations day in, day out, coming up on 700th episode in December. So just next month. But Sarah, we are so grateful to have you here on the show in our community, in our world helping to do more good. So thank you for saying yes. Thanks, Jared. Yeah. And we'll have to have you back on because there's so much that give a fact does that we could learn from and I would just love to have more of you especially those super sexy data facts. Those are always good things for us to pull in. But again, thank you for your time and for your nerdiness. And for you that joined us live or recorded. We invite you to stay well so you can do well and we'll see you back here tomorrow. Thanks everyone.