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Volunteers are the backbone of any endurance event.
From operating water and aid stations to directing participants along the course, volunteers provide essential support that keeps everything running smoothly.
You invest time and effort in attracting participants to your event who are excited and committed. Building a strong and dedicated volunteer team requires the same time and effort.
The key is to recruit volunteers effectively and deliver an experience that makes them want to return year after year.
However, doing that isn’t always simple. That’s where we can help. Below we’ve outlined eight strategies—four for recruitment and four for retention—for finding and keeping volunteers for your endurance event.
How to recruit volunteers for your endurance event
By utilizing the right resources, you can find great volunteers and establish a solid volunteer base that you can rely on year in and year out.
Here are four strategies you can use to recruit volunteers:
1. Leverage your existing volunteer network
The first place to start when recruiting volunteers for your endurance event is your existing network of former volunteers. Tapping into this knowledgeable group is one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your event operating smoothly.
Start by emailing your past volunteers with personalized invitations to join your team. Your email should express appreciation for their previous contributions, emphasize what their continued support means to the success of the event, and encourage them to bring friends or family members who might be interested in volunteering.
What if you’re organizing an endurance event for the first time? You’ve probably participated or volunteered in one before so reach out to friends, acquaintances, and contacts you made. Ask about potential volunteers who can help make your first-ever endurance event a success.
Once you build a loyal volunteer base, remember to stay in touch consistently so they always feel involved with your event. Keep your volunteers informed about upcoming events, new opportunities, and any changes to your event.
A strong relationship with your volunteer base will boost the chances that they return and spread the word about their positive experience with potential new volunteers.
Pro tip
Create a referral program that rewards people for successfully recruiting new volunteers for your endurance event.
2. Activate Your Board’s Power to Recruit
Board members are an important part of your endurance event. Why not include them in the volunteer recruitment process, as well?
Not only are board members personally invested in the success of your event, but they’re often well-connected in the community.
Use these connections to your advantage. Leverage your board members’ networks by encouraging them to invite their friends, colleagues, and contacts to volunteer.
Lean on your board members to identify potential volunteer groups in their professional circles. Employees from your board members’ companies or people who are part of community organizations they are involved with can easily become the foundation of your event’s volunteer base.
With board members involved, you can expand your reach to find potential volunteers far beyond what you could do alone.
Don’t hesitate to engage your board members in volunteer recruitment. It demonstrates a united front that shows potential volunteers the commitment to success at all levels of your event.
Pro tip
Ask board members to host recruitment events or meet-and-greet sessions where you can introduce potential volunteers to your endurance event and its mission.
3. Turn Sponsors into Volunteer Recruiters
Event sponsors are invested in the success of your endurance event. Your sponsors benefit directly when you deliver an unforgettable experience for your participants.
This makes them an invaluable resource for volunteer recruitment.
Companies often organize corporate social responsibility programs encouraging employees to volunteer for community events. Your event’s sponsors might be ready and willing to support your endurance event with a significant number of volunteers.
It never hurts to ask. Contact current event sponsors and see if they are open to promoting your volunteer opportunities within their organizations.
Make it as simple as possible for your sponsors. Provide promotional materials that your sponsors can easily incorporate into emails, social media posts, and newsletters aimed at staff.
By leveraging these existing partnerships, you can effectively increase your volunteer base with people more likely to be enthusiastic and committed to your event. You can also strengthen relationships with your sponsors, arguably your most important partners.
4. Create a Volunteer Hub on Your Event Website
A dedicated page on your endurance event’s website that is a comprehensive resource for potential volunteers is essential for recruitment.
There are four must-haves for your volunteer page to be the most effective.
Firstly, and most importantly, your volunteer page must be easy to find on your event website. Place it prominently in the main navigation bar of your home page so potential volunteers who land on your website know exactly where they need to click right away.
Secondly, make it simple for potential volunteers to sign up for your event by only collecting essential information. A complicated, drawn-out sign-up process will discourage users faster than you might think—it can take just seconds for a potential volunteer to abandon a signup.
Next, provide detailed descriptions of roles, lay out expectations for volunteers, and be clear about the required time involved. This will help ensure your volunteers are satisfied with their overall experience during the event.
Finally, tell potential volunteers about the cause or mission they’ll support if they join your event. Does your event benefit a charity? Lay out how volunteering helps. Is your event committed to keeping young people active? Explain to your volunteers why it matters to you.
If you’d like to include additional content on your volunteer page, consider testimonials from past volunteers or a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section that answers common queries about volunteering.
You should also regularly update the page with new information that’s important to your event’s volunteers.
Pro tip
Use Race Roster’s Volunteer Management feature to easily create a volunteer page with a simple sign-up form, custom questions, assignment selection, and custom waivers.
How to retain volunteers for your endurance event
It’s always easier to bring back former volunteers for your endurance event than to find new ones. That’s why you should prioritize strategies for retaining volunteers.
Here are four strategies you can use to retain volunteers:
1. Provide Clear Communication and Expectations
Clear communication is the foundation of successful volunteer management.
When your volunteers fully understand tasks and expectations, they can focus on contributing effectively. This will result in a more positive experience and a greater likelihood of returning for future events.
Here are small yet effective ways you can set clear expectations for your volunteers before and during your endurance event:
Before Your Event
- Offer orientation sessions that thoroughly explain roles, responsibilities, and event logistics to volunteers.
- Provide volunteers with a clear schedule that includes arrival times, breaks, and end times.
- Keep volunteers informed with regular updates via email or a volunteer portal about any changes or important information.
During your event
- Give volunteers an easy way to ask questions or get assistance, such as a designated volunteer coordinator.
- Pair first-time volunteers with experienced volunteers to help people new to your event learn the ropes faster and confidently.· Check in with volunteers throughout your event to ensure everything runs smoothly and any potential problems can be nipped in the bud.
Consistent, clear, and open communication with your volunteers will help you prevent misunderstandings and ensure that your volunteers feel supported and valued.
2. Recognize and Reward Volunteer Contributions
Maintaining your participants’ enthusiasm and commitment is key to the success of an endurance event. The same is true of your volunteers.
Volunteers give their time and energy without expecting anything in return. Going beyond their expectations by showing your appreciation can make a significant impact.
You can start with simple but powerful gestures that go a long way with volunteers.
Publicly acknowledge them during your event with shout-outs during announcements, a thank-you speech, and by highlighting their efforts on social media.
You should also consider going above and beyond with appreciation gifts or incentives—tangible rewards that will enhance your event’s volunteer experience.
Create special event merchandise exclusive to volunteers. Ask your event sponsors to provide gift cards, coupons, or athletic gear for your volunteers. Implement a rewards program where volunteers earn points or perks for continued service.
Recognizing your volunteers boosts their morale and builds a connection to your event. When volunteers feel that connection, they’ll stay engaged and return for future events knowing their contributions are noticed and valued.
3. Gather Feedback from Volunteers—and Act on It!
Recognizing and rewarding volunteers is crucial for maintaining their enthusiasm and commitment.
Listening to volunteers and acting on their feedback is a powerful way to demonstrate that you value their input and are committed to improving their experience.
Post-event surveys are the best and most efficient way to gather feedback from your volunteers. You can use a service like SurveyMonkey, which offers a free tier, or Google Forms to create your volunteer survey.
When putting together your survey questions, focus on gathering feedback on various aspects of the volunteer experience, including communication, support, and overall satisfaction.
In your survey, make it clear to your volunteers that their opinions are vital to the success of future events and encourage honest feedback by ensuring anonymity. If necessary, give your volunteers an incentive to complete the survey, like being entered into a draw to win a prize.
Next comes implementation. We can’t stress enough the importance of implementing feedback for volunteer retention. If you’re running a post-event volunteer survey (and you should be), take the time to analyze the results and identify areas for improvement.
Share any improvements you implement in a dedicated email to show your volunteers that their feedback led to tangible changes. This will show them that you’re responsive and care about their experience with your event.
By actively listening and making adjustments based on feedback, you build trust and loyalty with your volunteers.
Pro tip
After creating your post-event survey, deliver the link easily to your entire volunteer team using the Race Roster email campaign tool.
4. Foster a Sense of Community Among Volunteers
When your volunteers feel part of a close-knit community, they’ll be more likely to stay engaged and committed to your event.
If possible, designate a small portion of your budget for social events and gatherings where volunteers can connect outside the endurance event setting.
Building a strong sense of community among volunteers can be as simple as arranging a kick-off dinner, a pre-event game-planning session, or a post-event appreciation party.
You can also set up a volunteer network or online group where volunteers can stay in touch, share tips, and support one another throughout the year.
Creating opportunities like this for your volunteers to share their experiences, stories, and challenges helps foster a deeper connection to the cause and each other.
Don’t overlook the impact of the small stuff. Simple gestures like providing volunteers with special lunches and snacks beyond just pizza and bananas can also make a big difference in morale.
Establishing an environment where volunteers feel part of something meaningful will motivate them to continue contributing and encourage others to join them next year.
Final Thoughts
Attracting and retaining volunteers is all about delivering a positive experience that connects strongly with your endurance event and its mission.
Your volunteers are vital to organizing a successful event so take the same care with them as you do with your participants.
If you invest time and effort into your event’s volunteer experience, you’ll build a dedicated team to support your events for years.
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