Coordinating Volunteers With Automated Calls & SMS Text Messages

Personnel can be a tricky thing to keep straight in any organization. This is even more true when dealing with populations of volunteers — who are often on inconsistent schedules and may not have a specific go-to person for information, but are often vital to organizational function.

Coordinating Volunteers With Automated Calls

Automated calls that reach all volunteers at the same time can be beneficial in communicating volunteer opportunities, dates, instructions, and even appreciation for past help. There are several ways that phone calls can help. Some of the reasons that work so well include that fact that they are:

• Personal. While volunteers may report to a different point person each time they serve, a consistent voice over time — even just over the phone — can help build trust and continuity. This could encourage volunteers to stick around longer, and may aid organizations in directing volunteers cohesively.
• Planned. With DialMyCalls, phone calls don’t have to be made live. The sender can record the message in advance. This ensures that the message isn’t late or forgotten, and that information is always conveyed precisely when it needs to be.

• Responsive. Even a recorded phone call doesn’t have to be one-way. Those who answer the call, or even call back, have the opportunity to respond to simple questions with a short recording or the selection of a key. They can even be rerouted to speak to a live representative. This makes sure your volunteers have a channel through which they can ask questions or address concerns, which is important in keeping volunteers happy and conveying appreciation for what they do.

Coordinating Volunteers With SMS Text Messages

Texts can also be a good option to reach your volunteers and make sure everyone is on the same page. Some of the reasons they work so well include the fact that they are:

• Permanent. Information sent in a text message is saved within the message itself. Of course text messages can be deleted, but until they are, the information isn’t going anywhere. This allows recipients to look back on these messages later if they forget information, and saves staff members from fielding as many calls from volunteers who don’t remember a date, time, or other bit of information.
• Instant. Americans almost always have their phones nearby. While it can be difficult to answer calls during a conversation, in a noisy environment, or when the caller is frazzled, reading a text message is much easier. Sending volunteer reminder texts makes it more likely that the volunteer will receive the information quickly.
• Shareable. Especially if you’re in a position where you’re recruiting new volunteers, text messages can be beneficial because recipients can forward them to others. This allows information to spread more quickly, even amongst volunteers making sure that others received the message. Additionally, texts can be used to share links, maps, and pictures with more information.