have the privilege of being part of the San Diego Half Marathon and Mammoth Half Marathon “Leads” team. The team is almost entirely comprised of volunteers, each who has a pretty hefty responsibility for the aspect of the races they are in charge of.

This year will mark the 7th Annual San Diego Half Marathon & 5K, where we will host almost 8,000 runners throughout the weekend. The race has consistently received rave reviews from the running community for its organization and heart.

In the last seven years alone, the organization, which operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3), has donated over $350,000 to local charities and community service projects. Again, this is through the dedicated efforts of an almost entirely volunteer-led team. Seriously, no one gets paid, not even the Race Director, except for three of us who work part-time as contractors or consultants.

The volunteer-led culture of this organization is both unique and a challenge. It certainly is not the norm. Organizations who deal with as many “customers” directly, and who are able to operate so wisely, are rarely led by volunteers. So what makes San Diego Half Marathon special? Without a doubt, I know the answer.This is a passion project. Not a profit project.That may sound intuitive, because I’m sure that most nonprofit Executive Directors that you meet are very passionate about their cause. They have to be, because unless they are the size of a United Way or Salvation Army, they are probably receiving a very modest income. And by definition, they have businesses who aren’t making a profit.

But the difference that I’ve seen with this San Diego Half Marathon team is that it’s not just the Race Director who is passionate–it’s the entire “Leads” team. Seriously, these people (I include myself in this group) have caught the vision and are running with it (pun intended) in the best way possible. They demand excellence for their areas, work hours long after their day jobs and family duties have ended, and truly care about the cause. They know the races primarily exist to give back, and secondarily (behind the scenes) are to share the love of Jesus, and they are going to make sure that happens to the best of their abilities.

So here are some things you can do to start inspiring your version of “Leads” to be your organization’s best advocates.

1. Set the vision and share it often

As an Executive Director, or even Marketing Coordinator, you might know the vision of your organization, but does everyone on your team? They probably know goals about who you want to reach and how many you want to serve, but do they truly understand the why? At every team meeting and event, reiterate the reason  your organization exists.

2. Give away responsibility

This sounds counterintuitive and can certainly result in some failures, but through trial and error, you can find a core volunteer team dedicated to carry out your mission. Giving people a sense that they own part of your dream can be empowering to them and can bring in fresh ideas that you may never have had on your own.

3. Care about your clients

This seems silly because of course a nonprofit should care about its clients. But I’m not talking about a minimum level of courtesy. We try to serve the runners above and beyond what they are used to from similar businesses (which are almost all for profit organizations putting on races). The sense of responsibility and the value placed on the runners engages the Volunteer Leads team even more because they want to see people valued and respected. They themselves feel valued and respected as volunteers, and this sentiment is carried through every aspect of the race.

4. Share your success stories

One of my favorite aspects of the San Diego and Mammoth Half events is the stories that we get from runners both before and after the race, and from the select charities we benefit. We hear incredible accounts about why people are running and about the people our charities serve. The Volunteer Leads teams gets to hear about these and we celebrate them! We also share all the kudos from runners themselves which further motivates the team for next year’s event. (Below I’ve included an excerpt of an email one of the Volunteer Leads shared with the team after the event a few years ago. Her whole role focuses on making runners feel special!)

5. Be willing to stop

This is easy to say and hard to do. If your organization is not carrying out its mission, even if it’s succeeding in some aspect, it’s probably time to take a long hard look in the proverbial mirror and evaluate whether it makes sense to continue. The reason this is important for your volunteers is because having honest dialogue about this hard topic lets them know that you value them, their time, and their skills. I once heard our Race Director say, “If we aren’t raising enough money to give away to charities, then all we are is a nice race. And we don’t want to just be a nice race.” That was a powerful statement that stuck with me. If you’re not truly serving the population you set out to serve, then why continue tasking volunteers with duties?Here’s a great example of how to share a success story…(Note: at the San Diego Half Marathon Finish Line, servicemen place finisher’s medals around each runner’s neck.)

People think we are in the race business. They look at our slick marketing, efficient registration, fun expo, superb social media, flawless course organization, overflowing water stations, perfectly placed potties, smooth gear check, runner hospitality, wonderful volunteers, professional announcers, on-course support, and amazing medical team.

But our finishers say we are in a different business . . .

Today, I held a mother who sobbed for her deceased son as his fiancé ran for him.  Then I watched a brave serviceman place a medal around that mother’s neck and the mother and would-have-been fiancé just held each other. And in that sorrow, there was a moment of joy.

I held the face of a beautiful young woman in my hands that had recently been diagnosed with MS so her boyfriend ran for her. In the midst of all that finish line mayhem I told her that God loved her and He had a plan for her. I watched another brave serviceman place a medal around her neck and she and her boyfriend embraced. And in the sorrow of that diagnosis there was a moment of hope.

I looked into the eyes of a delightful gal, so full of life as we celebrated her running through her chemo treatments. With tears running down her face, she smiled and laughed and bubbled over. And in that moment of physical exhaustion, there was a moment of victory.

The gal who lost her best friend to a motorcycle accident, looked for him at the finish line, and we were there instead. She has decided it is her time to begin again.  And in her grieving, there is a moment of renewal.

I smiled with a gal who said she wasn’t going to run as of yesterday. But we reminded her that little Bobby was going to be counting on her so she had to do it.  Bobby has cerebral palsy and she runs for him. And in that brokeness, there was a moment of determination.

And as we all looked into the eyes of that very last runner who crossed the finish line to more fanfare than the first, we knew. This is exactly how Jesus would want it done.

These are just a few of the stories of the runners we love.  And I guarantee that for every one we know about, there are dozens of others.  As we touch that single runner’s life, just like the pebble in the water, that love reaches out and touches others. So, you see, we aren’t really in the race business after all. We are in the Jesus business of loving on each and every runner from the minute they enter our lives until the minute they run out.

Tomorrow our runners and our team will go back to our jobs and our lives.  But they will be different people because of what they accomplished today…and so will we.

-Patti McCord, San Diego Half Marathon LeadThere are lots of other important aspects to volunteer care and management, but these things are important to build a passionate volunteer team! How do you ignite passion among your volunteers?