In a recent post we talked about how virtual volunteering is an excellent way for people to make a difference. This time, we are sharing a few ideas on how organisations can make the most of this trend.

If you are an organisation offering people online volunteering opportunities, you’ll surely have a list of tasks. Before publishing them online, think about the following points. They can help you attract talent and make the programmes successful.

• Stress on the project goal and outcomes. It’s great to list out what you want people to do, but remember to tell them why they need to do it. How will their efforts help? Will it make learning easier for children in the rural areas? Will it create awareness about a life-threatening disease? This will increase motivation and give people a sense of working towards a goal.

• Offer rewards. We don’t mean monetary rewards here. Just have simple features like rating and peer reviews. Or establish delivery standards and give the volunteers recommendation letters based on the quality of their work. Or based on the work done, invite them to conferences and talks. Keep them interested.

• Connect with institutes. Try working with schools and colleges, or even with companies. They often have room for such programmes, and online opportunities may be more appealing to their students and people as it does not involve travel. See if you can associate with a company’s corporate social responsibility activities.

• Identify star performers. It worked in school. It works here too. Highlight the efforts of good volunteers. Put up their profile on your website, interview them for your magazines, and acknowledge their efforts at your annual meeting.

• Continue to communicate. Even after the volunteer has completed the task, keep the communication alive. Send updates about the project, or talk about new openings that you have. This will not just earn you goodwill but also ensure better brand recall.

Remember, even if it’s for a noble cause, you are asking people to spend their time and energy, just as they would for paid work. So, show that you appreciate their efforts and keep them motivated.