By Jordan Hannan

It can be tough to accept the fact that you might not be the perfect candidate for a leadership position or volunteering opportunity, and long-term volunteers and permanent employees at nonprofits experience the same gravity; though appreciative of the efforts of everyone who has contributed to the cause, lasting and talented volunteers are truly the heart of a charity’s mission. They define and spread the culture of your organization, and their connections with those they serve are the defining factor in the success of the nonprofit. For this reason, it is vital that every organization seeks out passionate volunteers and creates an environment for them to succeed in. We’ve designed the most effective way:

Expand your promotional projects. Get the word out about your latest events and movements. Not only is this essential to the expansion and future funding of your organization, it will also attract new volunteers. We tend to disregard the fact that nonprofits require marketing, but it will positively impact every aspect of your charity, most importantly being the quantity and demographic of your volunteers. For example, depending on how you market, you can reach younger or older age groups (such as through the use of social media as opposed to traditional ads or word of mouth). By working with a variety of different people and groups, you gain a better understanding of who can best represent your charity. 

Consider your organization’s mission. With a newly broadened web of connections to enthusiastic volunteers, find whose passions align most effortlessly with that of your nonprofit. Your advertisements will have attracted the attention of a variety of people for endless reasons--interest in your work, a need for service hours, parental or peer pressure, or a personal connection to the cause. By getting to know your volunteers as you work, it will become clear who would benefit your project through a long-term or paid position. 

Take a look at the daily tasks you need filled. Not every nonprofit needs the same roles filled, but each charity has a variety of moving pieces, and many of these positions go unnoticed. For the Food Bank or Diaper Bank of NC, an organized and task-oriented person is essential, but empathetic and extroverted volunteers would thrive best at Durham Nativity School and Miracle League. However, even within these organizations, there are endless opportunities for your volunteers to immerse themselves in the project, no matter what their skillset is--accountants, coordinators, and managers to name a few . 

Finding the “perfect volunteer” sounds like an impossible task, but it’s actually just finding the perfect position for your passionate and caring volunteers. 

By Jordan Hannan

On October 16th, 2002, my sister was born three months premature. Kaitlyn weighed in at two pounds and twelve ounces, small enough to be held in the palm of our dad’s hand and wear his wedding ring past her elbow. For two months, she awaited the daily visits from our parents to her incubator at Duke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before she could finally come home that winter. 

Kaitlyn’s next trip to the Duke NICU took place more than fifteen years later; she began visiting babies and families during the Christmas season. Kaitlyn provided the hope parents needed during the holiday season, proving their ability to leave the hospital with a healthy, complete family. It was clear how greatly she impacted the parents she interacted with, but I doubt they realized just how much they affected her, too. She consistently returned with a new perspective: gratitude for the doctors, staff, and benefactors of Duke Children’s and compassion for every family that’s walked those floors. 

Every time you volunteer, you have the chance to leave with a new perspective, and all it takes is a willingness to participate and an openness to learn from those around you. But how exactly can service change your mindset? 

• You are able to view your own life with a heightened sense of gratitude. Getting caught up in a routine, especially as the new academic year is starting, tends to keep high school students thinking only of themselves. Due dates, athletics, and part-time jobs take up the majority of your brain space, leading you to get caught up in your own world. However, by spending an extended period of time helping others, especially in a place where work and other commitments are inaccessible, you can take a moment to notice all of the overlooked blessings in your life. 
• You build a connection with a particular cause. Whether you are already involved in a given charity or not, every service event has the potential to become your new passion. By exposing yourself to various causes, you just might find your new go-to service opportunity or donation location. 
• You interact with a variety of other volunteers. An often overlooked aspect of service is the interaction and later connection with the volunteers themselves. Just by asking why they chose to serve at that particular nonprofit can spark personal conversations, opening your eyes to the variant beliefs and backgrounds of the people you work with, enabling you to be a more compassionate person in the future. 

Find your next opportunity for growth at Triangle Cares.

By Jordan Hannan

With the continuously rising pressures of honors and AP classes, standardized testing, and college applications, the academic life of a high school student can be quite isolating, filled with solitary study and individual results. The adolescent mindset is stuck in this self-serving culture, and high schools are looking for impactful ways to connect students and form a supportive community. Sporting events, school dances, class celebrations, and team dinners might feel like the right addition, but the perpetuation of this dilemma, despite this common conclusion, proves its fruitlessness. Our solution? An emphasized student outreach program.

The difference between the effects of a class picnic and a team volunteering day might seem negligible at first glance: a group of students doing something unique to their normal activities while having fun as a community. However, serving others has lasting positive effects, while the memories of a luncheon are already fading. 

• Service builds connections. Whether it is a group of freshmen who have never met or a close-knit soccer team, working together to help others will spark new connections. Combining teamwork, communication, and trying new things, outreach programs allow students to strengthen their interpersonal and problem-solving skills, which are difficult to teach in a classroom setting but intrinsic for life. 
• Service spreads social awareness. While many educators discuss current events in class, these issues feel far away if not acted upon. When fully immersed in the solution to poverty and hunger in the area, students get a better understanding of just how real these situations are, and they are better educated on how to continue combating them. Similarly, when exposed to a variety of nonprofits, teens are given the opportunity to find a new passion or continue working at and donating to similar charities. 
• Service gives your life purpose. During the busiest times of the school year, high school students can get caught up in the cycle of their overscheduled lives. While the reward of an A on an assignment eventually loses its meaning, the visible impact of volunteering continues to affect others far longer. By incorporating community service into your life, you also add fulfillment and gratitude.

But how can high schools implement student outreach programs? 

• Encourage each organization within the school to have a service day. Clubs, athletics, student government, and academic teams could all use new and engaging team building exercises. By finding a nonprofit related to your activity, more genuine and valuable connections are formed between the students, service, and the impacted community. 
• Provide student leadership opportunities. High school students are always looking for things to add to their college resumes, and leading service projects would be a great inclusion.
• Switch up your charities regularly. Add variety to the volunteer opportunities by continuously finding new partners. Not only will this engage the students, it will also expand the high school’s impact by diversifying and increasing the communities they reach. 

Let us help you get started! Triangle Cares connects volunteers and nonprofit organizations; check out our website to find charities to partner with for your student outreach program.