Finding help to run a fundraiser can be a daunting task. This can be even more difficult when you need volunteers who will work free. Whether you provide food, thanks, or just have a great cause that needs help, you'll need to do something to help ensure you have enough volunteers. Here are the top 10 most clever ideas to get volunteers for your next fundraiser so you won't be caught without enough help.

#1 Ask for help. The first, and simplest, thing to do to get volunteers is ask. You'd be surprised, but simply asking for help will often result in a huge response of those willing. Generally speaking, people will help if they're asked to do so, this is even more true with volunteers who are looking to help the community. Sending out emails, putting up flyers, or just going to crowded places and asking those around are all great ways to get support.

#2 Invite friends and family. Aside from asking strangers, asking friends and family to help with your next event could be an even better way to guarantee volunteers. Friend and family are likely to help you regardless of what you're doing. Strangers may be more attracted to help if they agree with your cause or you provide some other incentive. Whenever you're planning a fundraiser, friends and family should be first on your list of potential supporters.

#3 Teach a skill. When asking for volunteers, explaining to them that your event will teach them valuable life skills is a great way to encourage people to join. Forbes notes that volunteering is one of the best ways to learn leadership skills that are highly valued. People skills are always in demand and can be practiced at any type of gathering. More specific technical or trade skills can also be taught to volunteers and should bring in a group interested in learning.

#4 Provide free food. Food always brings in a crowd. If you're looking for more help for your next fundraiser, providing free food to volunteers is a great way to ensure you'll have people on hand to help. Gathering around food is a powerful human social event and will help to create a friendly atmosphere, encourage conversation, a create a centre point for social interactions. Free food can vary from snacks and drinks to whole meals, as long as there's something to munch on you can expect people to show up.

#5 Thank volunteers for helping. Physical incentives and rewards are great, but often times a simple thank you or acknowledgment of a person's effort goes ever farther. Recognition in the form of awards or certificates is also a great motivator to get volunteers. People will feel pride in knowing that they've done something and others have noticed. Along with the internal feelings many volunteers seek when helping others, positive recognition from a group is a strong influencer.

#6 Show that help makes a difference. The majority of people who volunteer to do it to help others and know their efforts are worthwhile. Explaining or showing your volunteers that what they do is making a difference can really affect the number of people that come to help your cause. Building a home in the desert is a great accomplishment, but introducing your volunteers to the family that will live in the home cannot be matched. People volunteer because it feels good, so show them they matter.

#7 Create a team building environment. Regardless of if you only need a few people to hand out flyers or dozens of people to run a huge event, you'll benefit from creating a team building environment. People work better together when they know they can count on one another. A strong team will not only work well but also encourage others to join and be part of the collective. TIME Magazine notes that volunteering can be great for your career, not only as a resume booster, but the team interaction skills people who volunteer develop when working with others.

#8 Plan ahead. One of the worst things that can happen to a crowd of volunteers is not having a clear plan for what they're supposed to do. This means you must plan ahead, not only when hosting an event, but even before you begin asking for volunteers. As soon as you have people ready to help, you need to be able to give them clear instructions on what they have to do, how they should do it, and when they need to show up. Having clear plans not only gives everyone involved confidence in knowing their role, it also helps you keep track of lots of different people.

#9 Be organized. Along with having plans for your event, you'll also need to be organized. Being organized means you know when, where, and how many volunteers and guests to expect. You'll have a schedule for the day in hand, and roles assigned to every helper. Having managers or other leaders in charge so you can split up everyone into smaller groups will also help you manage crowds. Being organized will show itself to your volunteers as well as your guests, so everyone will be more likely to return to a future event.

#10 Keep a list for next time. After you've completed your fundraiser, don't just thank everyone and say goodbye. Keeping a list of all your volunteers is one of the best ways you can ensure that your next event is fully staffed. Those who volunteered for you before are very likely to do so again.

Volunteers make a big difference. Whether you're holding a small gathering or a hundred person event, you'll benefit from having volunteers on hand to help. Providing people with incentives to help, a clear plan for the day, and a way to contact them in the future will help you get more volunteers or your events.

Helen Cartwright is a passionate blogger, who excels in the Digital Marketing, Finance and Fundraising niche. When not wired in marketing strategies she ghost-writes for a variety of authors who have their work published on leading online media channels such as The Huffington Post and Entrepreneur.com