Your Volunteers Aren’t Just Helpers - They’re Advocates Waiting to Happen

bethany6152
Nov 18
5 min read

If I had a dollar for every time a nonprofit leader told me, “We just need more meaningful things for our volunteers to do,” I’d finally be able to buy the fancy olive oil I keep eyeing at the co-op.

Here’s the truth we’re not saying out loud:

You already have the most powerful engagement tool sitting right in front of you. It’s called advocacy.

Not the scary, jargon-filled, Capitol-bound version people imagine. I mean advocacy as in: helping volunteers understand the issues, why they matter, and how to use their voice. Most organizations dramatically underestimate how perfectly advocacy aligns with what volunteers already believe and want to contribute.

Let’s break it down.

Volunteers Aren’t Just Helpers - They’re Believers

Volunteers show up because something about your mission speaks to them. They sort donations, shelve books, clean up parks, serve meals, mentor kids, guide museum tours, answer phones, and do a thousand small tasks that keep community life running.

They’re here because they care.

And when people care? They want a voice, not just a shift.

This is the moment where advocacy becomes a natural extension of their service - not an add-on, not a separate category of work, and definitely not something reserved for policy experts. Advocacy gives volunteers the opportunity to speak to the issues they witness up close and to support solutions in a more systemic way.

The 4 Nonprofit Superpowers (and the One You’re Underusing)

I talk a lot about the “4 Nonprofit Superpowers,” and the last one is always the most underestimated:

Nonprofits have access to people who care and are motivated to act.

That is your volunteer base.

Your volunteers already understand the mission; they already see the impact; they already feel connected.

What they often lack is permission and direction to use that energy in ways that influence change. Advocacy is how you activate this superpower - by giving people who care deeply a pathway to act deeply.

Why Advocacy Is a Perfect Volunteer Engagement Strategy

One of the biggest misconceptions about advocacy is that it’s complex, political, or something separate from “real work.” But when done well, advocacy is simply another way volunteers live out their commitment to your mission.

It works because:

It deepens purpose. Volunteers want to know their time matters; advocacy shows them how much it matters.
It’s accessible. Most actions can be done from home in minutes.
It builds belonging. Being invited into the “why” of the work creates a stronger sense of investment and community.
It keeps people engaged longer. Volunteers who advocate often stay more connected and give more generously.
It empowers rather than overwhelms. In moments of “What can I do?”, advocacy gives them something real to do.

Advocacy doesn’t replace volunteer tasks. It enriches them.

And a Little Training Goes a Long Way

Here’s where many organizations stumble: they go straight from “We need to do more advocacy” to “Let’s send the volunteers an action alert.” That’s skipping the most important step.

Volunteers need to be primed. They need training that:

Explains how advocacy connects to your mission.
Makes the connection explicit, even if it feels obvious.
Shows why their voice matters.
Provides context: “Here’s what’s happening and why it affects our work.”
Normalizes advocacy as part of service, not a separate lane.

If volunteers understand the why, the what becomes clear and actionable.

Advocacy is intimidating for many people - even seasoned volunteers. The good news? A tiny bit of training solves goes a long way.

The Bonus of Volunteer Lobbyists

And here’s the part lots of folks don’t realize:

Volunteer lobbying does not count toward your organization’s lobbying limits.No tracking. No timesheets. No compliance headaches. None of it.

Lobbying limits are based on money spent by the organization, not the time volunteers give. Staff time to prep and prepare still counts, but volunteer time is completely exempt. This alone removes a huge barrier for organizations who want to engage volunteers in advocacy but fear they’ll “cross a line.”

Your job isn’t to turn volunteers into policy analysts; it’s to demystify the basics and help them feel confident. That includes:

showing them how to build a relationship with their lawmakers
walking them through the basics of preparing for a meeting
teaching them how to tell a simple, effective story
giving them clear talking points and messaging
letting them know you’ll support, prep, and guide them every step of the way

A tiny bit of clarity goes a very long way.

Coalitions: Your Advocacy Short-Cut

And you don’t need to create advocacy content from scratch. If you're part of a coalition (and you should be), you already have partners who are:

tracking legislation
identifying priorities
drafting calls to action
translating issues into plain language

Your job is simply to adapt that information for your volunteers, make it relevant to your mission, and prepare your people to act.

If you're not part of a coalition, identify your “source of truth,” the organizations doing strong policy work in your field—and use their public-facing resources as your guide. Or give them a call and let them know you have volunteers to engage.

This is how you build advocacy into volunteer engagement without adding on too much extra labor.

Where to Start (The Realistic Version)

If you're ready to engage volunteers in advocacy, here’s your practical, doable plan:

Write one sentence explaining how your mission connects to advocacy.
Prime volunteers by introducing that connection in your communications or volunteer trainings.
Use coalition resources or trusted partners for calls to action and policy analysis.
Offer simple, confidence-building training.
Start small: one clear, accessible action aligned with your mission.
Invite volunteers to share stories - these stories are advocacy gold.
Normalize advocacy as part of your volunteer program.

No policy shop required. No government affairs department needed. Just clarity, consistency, and the courage to trust your volunteers with more than tasks.

The Bottom Line

Your volunteers are already advocates - they just haven’t been invited to step into that role yet.

Advocacy isn’t an extra burden; it’s an extension of purpose.

And it might be the most powerful volunteer engagement strategy you’re not using.

How Snyder Strategies Can Help

If reading this has you thinking, “Yes, we should be doing this… but where do we even start?” you’re not alone. Most nonprofit leaders know advocacy matters—they just need a clear, manageable way to fold it into volunteer engagement without adding another heavy lift to staff workloads.

That’s where Snyder Strategies comes in.

I help nonprofits build practical, mission-aligned advocacy programs that fit their capacity and meet their volunteers where they are. Whether you need help crafting your mission-to-advocacy message, designing simple volunteer training, developing internal workflows, or figuring out how to leverage coalition partners, we can build a roadmap that works for you.

You already have people who care deeply about your mission. My job is to help you activate that power—confidently, strategically, and sustainably.

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