Different charities have different objectives, but they often share the fact that they rely on people getting involved to make the kind of difference that they’re looking to. Whether this means an act of volunteering, or simply interest and financial support will depend on your situation, but if you’re struggling to get people involved, it might also mean that you’re struggling to take the action that you want to.
Your ability to get people involved might often rely on effective marketing, but it won’t always, and strengthening all aspects of your approach can not only help people to become aware of you, but also help you be a more appealing option to those who are offered the chance to help.
Raising Awareness
The first thing that might well come to mind is simply making yourself known. People can’t jump on board with what you have planned unless they know you exist, so the obvious answer is one of effective marketing. However, for many charities, the funds aren’t going to be readily available to lead the kind of marketing campaigns that you want, and the process of acquiring this funding might seem like a hopeless paradox, as it would mean higher amounts of interest.
However, that might not be your only option, as you could potentially get free advertising on Google with the right grant. It’s an option worth exploring, as being viable for qualification could help to put your problems here to bed.
Connection to a Bigger Issue
A lot is going on in the modern world, and increased exposure to the prevailing issues of the time means that many people are acutely aware of what’s going on in the world – with an apparent inability to help do anything about them being a cause for despair. Tying your cause to bigger issues can make it feel like you’re the answer that they’ve been looking for – a dedicated effort that can help to fight back against the overwhelming sea of negativity they see so often.
This is going to be easier for some charities than others. If you’re in the environmental sector, that speaks for itself, but the biggest, most headline-inducing issues aren’t the only issues, and there will always be room for support for issues like mental health.
Scheduling
If you are a charity that looks to get people involved through methods like active volunteering, you might be hitting a wall by feeling as though you’re doing everything right, but still not seeing the kind of attendance you’d expect. If this is the case, it’s worth investigating your scheduling, as the placement of your events might not be at the most convenient time.
Of course, they might be scheduled as such as it’s the most convenient time for you, but looking at the typical availability of the groups that you’re targeting most might help to illuminate a more convenient time. If volunteering is a core component of what you do, bumping it up on the priorities might show people that you’re serious about connecting with them.