How to write volunteer opportunity descriptions

The following guidelines will help your organization attract volunteers with the right profile and interest to support your organization’s development initiatives:

Title

Choose a title that clearly mentions the task you wish the volunteer to perform and, where possible, the development topic. For translations, be sure to include the required languages in the title. For example: “Translate HIV/AIDS brochure from English into Kiswahili”. This will enable volunteers to instantly discern whether they are interested in finding out more about this task.

Task description

Make your task description clear, detailed and concrete. Volunteers will be in a better position to judge whether or not they have the required profile before they apply. This will help ensure that volunteers complete the task to which they commit themselves.

Additional information (optional)

Specify deadlines, assignment duration, benefits for volunteers, the type of support you will provide and any other information that volunteers should be aware of before they apply.

Background information

Provide details on the project to which the volunteer will be contributing and describe how their contribution will integrate with your organization’s objectives. This will allow volunteers to decide whether or not they are interested in supporting your organization in a particular task.

Objective

Clarify how your organization will use volunteers’ contributions and what you aim to achieve. Volunteers are eager to contribute to human development. If you tell them how their support will impact on your organization’s development initiatives or benefit the communities you serve, you will receive more applications from qualified volunteers.

Requirements (optional)

Provide details on the skills, knowledge or experience your organization’s ideal volunteers should have in order to perform the task. This will enable volunteers to submit more targeted applications, making it easier for you to select those with a suitable profile.