Applied Project management Methodologies to Create a Volunteer Engagement Guide for New Hope Nonprofit Organization's Volunteer Program

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) rely on volunteers to sustain operations and fulfill their missions, yet many realize persistent challenges in recruiting, training, and keeping them. New Hope Compassionate Ministries (NHCM), a nonprofit organization in Alaska, has struggled to attract and keep volunteers for inventory and restock days—limitations that directly impact its ability to combat food insecurity. This project applies structured project management methodologies to find and address NHCM’s volunteer engagement gap. Through mixed-methods research, including surveys and interviews, the project analyzes current volunteer recruitment and retention practices to uncover underlying barriers. Findings inform the development of a Volunteer Engagement Guide designed to improve recruitment strategies, streamline coordination, and strengthen volunteer commitment. Using project management tools and techniques, NHCM will establish a sustainable volunteer training and feedback system that fosters ownership, transforms volunteers into active stakeholders, and enhances the organization's capacity to serve the community effectively. This initiative shows how project management principles can be adapted to nonprofit contexts to drive lasting operational impact.