Volunteer Management still more ideas in the

Ultimate Ideas Newsletter

How to lead, recruit and retain more volunteers and members!

Issue 4

From Volunteer Management Newsletter Part 1 to Part 2 Continued...

Bonus Focus! A Case Study With 7 More Volunteer Recruitment Ideas for Kate

BONUS! Here is what we offered some of our subscribers previously. How would you like to be even more successful in your recruitment efforts? Then just email us a very SPECIFIC recruitment goal for this year. Several lucky readers will receive a FREE 'target' consultation tips, published in the next newsletter...

We received numerous requests for advice and unfortunately cannot publish all of them. Instead, we have decided to take a sample from different organizations and volunteering requirements and feature a few in forthcoming issues of the newsletters. We apologize that we cannot publish every request but hope that those published will 'spark' more ideas for you in your own volunteer recruitment efforts.

A Case Study From Kate

Volunteer Coordinator - Lourdes Home for the Aged

Kate's specific volunteer recruitment goal

My specific recruitment goal is to recruit 2 volunteers (male or female) age ranging between 50's  and 60's who can get the coffee shop up & running at the new building in our nursing home.

Kate's responses to some further questions from us about her recruiting goal

Dear Judy,

We have approximately 30 steady volunteers at present.  The reason I decided on 2 new volunteers and to be around the 50/60 mark is that the coffee shop will only be opened on a Thursday/Fridays to start off with and I thought that if 2 volunteers were trained in this area then later on when the shop would be opened regularly - we could have more volunteers trained by the originals - with me! The reason behind trying to get 50/60 year olds is that they don't come and go as much as the younger ones.  My usual form of recruitment is an ad in the paper and around the church parishes.  Most years I have an open day and this advertised on the freebies - local radio & TV etc - I have found this to be rather successful and also Lourdes Homes for the Aged is a member of Volunteering Queensland and I am in contact with Centrelink through the Volunteer Managers Association.

Regards Kate

Here are 7 Volunteer Recruitment and Management Tips for Kate To Think About!

Tip No 1 - If It Works Use It!

Always use what works. If one method such as putting an ad in the church newsletter has been successful in the past then continue to use it. This is also a technique that can be used to effectively target a particular discrete group and captive audience - church attendees.

Tip No 2 - Aim To Go From Passive To Active

But let's take it even further - ads are a passive recruitment technique, aim to get even more active!  Put the ad in just one local parish newsletter which is given to parishioners during Sunday church service. Obtain permission to speak for a few minutes about the volunteering opportunity during the church service at this one church only. A direct verbal appeal is always more powerful - keep it short, sharp and heartfelt. If this is not possible, aim to use tip no 3 to connect with people.

Tip No 3 - Press The Flesh

Obtain permission to stand outside the same church after each service during the weekend your ad is in the newsletter with a follow-up flyer about the coffee shop volunteers. This reinforces in people's minds about the ad in the newsletter, it allows you to connect with potential volunteers and it allows you to directly ask people to become a coffee shop volunteer. In the next issue of our newsletter we will show even more ideas of making those flyers stand out from amongst the crowd.

Tip No 4 - Try It More Than Once

If this technique is not successful at that church, don't dismiss it but test it a few more times. Aim to cover a new church each week for several weeks using this more active approach. Or Kate may have several volunteers who now attend different churches and who would be willing to handout the flyers. Don't discard a technique without trying it out several times.

Tip No 5 - Start With The Small Picture

Always aim, when possible, to ask potential volunteers for a smaller commitment of time than a larger effort. Eventually Kate would like to open the coffee shop 5 days a week. By starting with a 2 day a week commitment, Kate has increased her chances of potential volunteers saying yes. If they enjoy the experience they may increase their time commitment to include more days.

Tip No 6 - Don't limit your thinking

Sometimes we limit our volunteer recruitment opportunities by limiting our thinking. Although Kate has been more successful in the past retaining volunteers in the 50s/60s age group, she may be missing out on recruiting her coffee shop volunteers by limiting her thinking. More important than the age group is the skills needed by the volunteers - skills in interacting with people, being organized and able to make a good coffee!

Tip No 7 - Think Outside The Box

Besides all the other usual recruitment methods Kate mentioned in her email - every now and again, don't be afraid to try new and different recruitment techniques. Here's a question to think about - in what industry would you find the skills for a coffee shop volunteer? Answer - in the hospitality industry. Kate could contact the nearest hospitality training provider (or TAFE), if located in her area, and discuss making the volunteering opportunity part of the training for students. She could 'sell' the benefits of great practical experience for the students and excellent publicity for the local training provider highlighting their sense of community involvement.

These are just some tips to get Kate and YOU thinking about even more volunteer recruitment ideas. We will look at a different volunteer recruitment 'bonus focus' in the next volunteer management newsletter.

You can also get 100s of extra ideas on recruiting volunteers in Count Me In! 501 Ideas on Recruiting Volunteers by Dr Judy Esmond

Enjoy

Judy

Dr Judy Esmond is the leading expert on how to gain, sustain and retain volunteers and members. Join up and receive FREE membership to her 'Ultimate Ideas' Mastermind Group and get the FREE E-Book and newsletter filled with 100s of ideas on volunteer management, volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition at www.morevolunteers.com

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