Membership Hack: Call for Micro-Volunteers

How to hack it? Whenever it needs volunteers, the National Society of Genetic Counselors quickly posts a message to a digital forum found on its members-only community  (opens in a new tab). The group keeps NSGC members informed about small ad-hoc and micro-volunteering opportunities.

“We have a highly engaged membership, but you want to harness that engagement and excitement in a productive way,” says Executive Director Meghan Carey. “This forum has allowed us to find some really fantastic people.”

Why does it work? Each call for volunteers gets pushed to members with clearly defined objectives. The post outlines the expertise or skill level needed and the amount of time it will take to complete the task.

What’s the bonus? New members are automatically added to the volunteering discussion forum, and Carey says it’s been an effective way to engage members early and retain them beyond year one. “In the past year, we’ve had an increase in our member retention,” she says. “Our main goal is to make our members feel like volunteering is ready when and if the moment is right for them.”

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