Recruiting Volunteers: Volunteering Handbook Ch6

Chapter 6: Recruiting Volunteers

From: The Practical Volunteering Handbook for School and Club Volunteers

Effectively recruiting volunteers is a critical component of sustaining and growing your organisation. This chapter will provide comprehensive strategies to identify, attract, and retain volunteers for your organisation.

Identifying Needs and Planning

Before you start recruiting, it’s essential to identify the tasks and roles needed. This involves:

Creating Job Descriptions: Clearly outline responsibilities, skills needed, training required, and perks. This helps in recruiting the right volunteers and ensures everyone knows what is expected.

*we interrupt this article to remind you that we have templates for role descriptions available as a part of our free Toolbox! :-)

• Early Planning: Share your fundraising plan early with the community. This transparency can generate interest and commitment from potential volunteers. Besides, people tend to be optimists and feel like their time will ‘open up’ any day haha. Committing to something with a long lead-time is
• Meet and Greet Sessions: Host informative and social sessions to engage volunteers. Offer multiple sessions to accommodate different schedules, including virtual options.

‘Expressions of Interest’

Engaging parents and understanding their willingness to volunteer can be facilitated through:

• Tear-off Slips in Newsletters: Collect expressions of interest from people willing to volunteer throughout the year. This method is non-threatening and keeps everyone engaged.
• Just One Thing Letter: Encourage each family to commit to doing "just one thing" for the year. Provide a list of tasks and ask for contact details. This approach reduces the pressure on any single family while increasing overall participation.
• Community Appeal Team Notice: At the beginning of the year, list all fundraisers and events with spaces for parents to sign up for specific activities. This pre-planning helps identify who to approach for help when needed.

Direct Requests, Micro-tasking, and Virtual Volunteering

• Direct Requests: Personally asking individuals to help is more effective than general calls to action. Engage with parents in person or through personalised messages.
• Micro-tasking: Break down tasks into manageable one-hour slots to make them less daunting. This approach allows more people to contribute without feeling overwhelmed.
• Virtual Volunteering: Offer remote volunteering options for those with busy schedules or physical limitations. Tasks like data entry, bookkeeping, sponsorship research, grant applications, social media management, and graphic design can be done from home.

Finding Specialist Volunteers

Specialist roles often require targeted recruitment:

• Define the Need: Clearly articulate what you need, such as grant writers or marketing experts.
• Leverage Networks: Use your school community, local businesses, and online platforms to find volunteers with specific skills.
• Corporate Support: Approach local businesses that may have community volunteering programs. Employees might be allowed to volunteer during work hours for such initiatives.

Engaging Men and Solo Parents

• Engaging Men: Offer specific projects or bloke-oriented events to engage men. Activities like sausage sizzles, poker nights, and sports events can attract more male volunteers.
• Solo Parents: Offer flexible and manageable tasks that fit into their schedules. Jobs that can be done from home or during unconventional hours are ideal. Also, consider providing childcare during meetings or events to make it easier for single parents to participate.

Getting Grandparents and Students Involved

• Grandparents: Utilise the time and experience of grandparents who may be more available. They can assist with events, administrative tasks, and other volunteer activities.
• Students: Involve students in setting up and running stalls or activities, fostering a sense of responsibility and engagement. This not only provides manpower but also helps students develop valuable skills.

Getting Your Principal Involved

A supportive principal can be pivotal to fundraising success. Engage your principal in fun ways to encourage student participation:

• Public Humiliation as Incentive: Use fun activities like dunking tanks, getting slimed, or costume days as incentives for fundraising goals. This can motivate students and parents to raise more funds.
• Promote Principal Participation: Publicise the principal’s involvement in school events and fundraising efforts to boost enthusiasm and participation.

Recruiting Teams

Recruiting pairs or teams for tasks can be more effective than individual recruitment. This approach fosters collaboration and ensures that volunteers have support.

Employer Support

Seek support from local businesses for volunteer time or expertise. Consider also organising training sessions to upskill your team:

• Fundraising Training: If you lack certain skills within your organisation, look for sponsorship opportunities to provide training in areas like fundraising, social media, PR, and strategic planning.
• Promote and Thank Sponsors: Ensure you promote and thank organisations that provide training or support, enhancing their visibility and goodwill in the community.

Respecting and Engaging New Volunteers

Attracting new volunteers can be challenging. Avoid overwhelming them with responsibilities too soon:

• Coffee Meetings: Take an interested newbie out for a coffee to discuss their interests and capacity.
• Gradual Responsibilities: Start them with smaller tasks and gradually increase responsibilities as they become more comfortable.
• Mentorship: Pair them with experienced volunteers for guidance.

Kayla Petrovansky shared a creative approach: "We often run morning teas and only get a few people attending. We had a coffee cart come and park out the front of the school, and so many people came. We had committee members there, and we spoke to more people than we ever have. Also, we get more people coming along when we have our meetings/planning at a local pub or cafe compared to having meetings at school."

Conclusion

Recruiting volunteers requires a strategic approach that includes identifying needs, planning, engaging parents, and offering flexible opportunities. By implementing these strategies, you can build a strong, committed volunteer base that is essential for the success and growth of your organisation. Remember, the goal is to present your organisation as welcoming, organised, and impactful, making it an attractive option for potential volunteers to support. Best of luck with your efforts in building a strong and engaged volunteer base!