Our Partners
Keeping Volunteers Informed
WRAP’s small experiment in bridging a communication gap
Working within Linn County in Iowa, around Cedar Rapids, the Wheelchair Ramp Accessibility Program (WRAP) builds custom wheelchair ramps and stairs. This small, volunteer-powered nonprofit has 65 committed volunteers and is supported by a single staff member and a working board of 12 members. Together, they’ve completed more than 1,000 projects since 2004.
Volunteers provide the labor for construction and installation and help with obtaining building permits and connecting clients to financial assistance. A few other volunteers, along with the board, help with the operations and administration side of things.
The Challenge
WRAP realized through the SEE cohort that they needed a more consistent environment for sharing information. Their existing communication methods were more informal and had started to become a challenge as the organization continued to grow. They had typically shared information sporadically and did not have an up-to-date mailing list that accounted for everyone. Volunteers were unsure of when to expect communication, and information didn’t always reach everyone, which led to moments of frustration and misunderstanding. One element that contributed to the communication gap was the team structure. Most volunteers worked in small, autonomous teams, so sometimes groups were unaware of other WRAP projects or aspects of the organization.
“Based on feedback and questions we heard from volunteers, data gaps were present; we recognized that we were not helping them round out their mental model of WRAP. They weren’t able to have a solid understanding of what was going on throughout the organization, or what to expect next.”
As the team explored the challenge and narrowed in on the different types of communication essential to their organization’s success, they began to notice that they were operating with incomplete feedback loops. For example, when WRAP sent an email, if a volunteer did not act on the information in it (like signing up for a project or replying to the message), they had no way to judge if the content was valuable to them.
Living in a community filled with individuals dedicated to helping neighbors in need, the organization was continuing to grow, so they wanted to “find a way to work smarter, not harder, so that everyone [could] be on the same page and help deliver the mission.” WRAP wanted to fill the communication gap so that volunteers could access the information they needed, but also to provide opportunities to deepen their engagement and make connections beyond their assigned project groups.
Volunteers build a ramp together on the Day of Caring.
The Small Experiment
As their first experiment, WRAP decided to test out sending a weekly email to all volunteers. They even came up with a catchy name for it: the Monday Morning Minute (MMM). The team wanted the email to stick to a predictable schedule so that volunteers knew when to expect it, and they kept messages brief so that it didn’t take a lot of time and mental bandwidth to read.
The Monday Morning Minute email included:
The schedule of projects for the week
Three quick-read tidbits including success stories, special projects, current challenges, and additional ways to connect with other volunteers
Volunteers’ Birthday Announcements
A “Did You Know?” knowledge-check section, sharing a bite-sized piece of information about WRAP, and
A request for feedback, comments, suggestions, and likes/dislikes regarding the MMM emails
Although their experiment focused solely on written communication, it touched on multiple informational environments.
Written: documenting the information important to volunteers
Digital: when needed, emails included links for people to explore at their leisure
Temporal: one weekly, quick and concise message worked well for volunteers
Social & Cultural: nurturing the social culture of the close-knit teams, they included birthdays, celebrations, and accomplishments of volunteers
The Results
In addition to asking for feedback within the emails, the WRAP team visited build sites to talk with volunteers. Responses were positive, and included statements like the following:
“I like that it lays out the week ahead… lets us know about some special stuff…”
“I read it, I use it, and I appreciate it.”
Another volunteer commented that they’d like to hear occasional financial updates, so acting on that feedback, they added a “financial snapshot” with revenue streams and donation opportunities.
In their own words, WRAP said that “Filling the information gaps has helped volunteers feel more informed, well-equipped, and competent in their roles and overall efforts to deliver the mission. ALL volunteers of WRAP: Board Directors, ramp builders, project designers, interns, marketers, grant writers, volunteer leaders, mentors, and trainers are benefiting from this new, concise, yet robust informational environment.”
Seeing the success of the small experiment approach during the cohort, WRAP continues to consider ways of implementing small experiments as they grow their organization, acting on ideas and suggestions gathered from volunteers. They see potential for the SEE framework to reshape other environments in the future, such as policy changes or the physical environments that their team navigates.
Notes from reDirect
Does your organization have communication gaps with volunteers, staff, board members, or the public? If this story inspired you to try your own small experiment, we’d love to hear about it!
Remember, there’s no strict formula for a small experiment, and no “right” answer that works in every situation. In other words, sending a weekly update email may not be the ideal solution for every challenge, so what will your next step be?