Why Every Nonprofit Needs a Volunteer Tactical Plan (Even If You’re Doing It All Alone)

Let’s talk about something I see all the time in early-stage nonprofits:

You finally get someone to say yes.
Yes, I’ll help.
Yes, I want to volunteer.
Yes, I believe in your mission.

And then…

They show up once.
Maybe twice.
And then they disappear.

No explanation. No feedback. Just—gone.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been there, and I’ve talked to hundreds of nonprofit founders who’ve been there too. The good news? It’s not just you. The better news? You can fix it.

Inside this month’s Founder’s Society Momentum Kit, we’re giving you the tools to stop volunteer drop-off and start building a system that supports your mission—on repeat.
👉 Join the Society to get the full Toolkit, Masterclass, and AI Prompt

They’re Not Ghosting You—They’re Disconnected

We often assume people disappear because they’re flaky or not committed.
But most of the time, that’s not it.

Volunteers leave because:

• They didn’t have a clear role.

• They didn’t feel like their help mattered.

• They didn’t feel connected to the bigger picture.

It’s not a reflection of your mission—it’s a reflection of the experience.

And I’ll be honest—I’ve worked in organizations that begged for help, only to turn people away because “that task is already someone else’s.” I’ve also been the board member who gave hours every month with zero acknowledgment.

People don’t need confetti and parties.
They need clarity. They need structure. They need to be seen.

💎 The Founder’s Gem

Volunteers don’t stay because they love your mission. They stay because they know exactly where they fit.

A tactical plan isn’t just about managing volunteers—it’s about connecting them to the work in a way that feels personal and purposeful.

Without that? You’re just hoping people stick around.

With it? You’re leading with intention—and building something that lasts.

What a Volunteer Tactical Plan Actually Is

You don’t need a 40-page strategy binder or a weekend retreat to create one.
You just need a system that:

✅ Ties your volunteer work directly to your goals
✅ Helps you plan when and how help is needed
✅ Makes onboarding, delegation, and follow-through easy
✅ Gives people a reason to come back—and a role they can own

In this month’s Society Masterclass, we walk you through how to build a 1-Year Volunteer Tactical Plan that answers:

• What are we trying to accomplish with volunteers this year?

• What projects will help us get there?

• What needs to happen each quarter?

• Who’s responsible for what?

• What resources (time, money, training) do we need to make it happen?

It becomes your roadmap, your onboarding guide, and your leadership tool.

And the best part? You can reuse it every year and tweak as you grow.

Even If You’re Solo—This Is Where You Start

I know what you’re thinking:
“That’s great, but it’s just me.”

Even better.

This plan helps you stop spinning your wheels, stop chasing every fire, and stop forgetting what you said “yes” to. It keeps your time, energy, and help focused.

One founder I worked with used her Tactical Plan to build just one thing: a simple onboarding process. It wasn’t perfect. But two months later, she had three trained admin volunteers—all because she had something to hand them.

📥 Want to Build Yours?

Inside the Founder’s Society, you get everything you need to go from reactive to ready:

• 🎓 Masterclass: Powered by People – How to Build Your Volunteer Plan

• 📄 Volunteer-Aligned Tactical Plan Template

• 🤖 Bonus AI Prompt: Turn your notes into a polished doc for your board, funders, or team

• ✅ Volunteer Recruitment Checklist and Appreciation Email Templates

• 📊 Bonus Metrics Tracker (Annual Members)

If volunteers keep slipping through your fingers—this is how you keep them.

👉 Join the Society now to get the full May Momentum Kit

Let’s build something sustainable—together.