Marketing and recruiting volunteers
By Monika Penner
November 19, 2001
While the needs of organizations will differ, the basic steps involved in
volunteer recruitment remain essentially the same. Organization
must be sure
to: identify volunteer and agency needs; create clear volunteer
job descriptions;
define target volunteer groups; develop a timeline; brainstorm
and implement
recruitment ideas; and practice on-going marketing and recruitment.
Identifying Needs
Volunteer tasks/jobs should be meaningful to the agency, and the volunteer.
That is, agencies must determine exactly what needs to be done
before recruiting
volunteers, rather than recruiting first and then scrambling to find jobs.
While volunteers may be required to perform relatively repetitive (and less
exciting) tasks (i.e. photocopying, filing), agencies should also
offer more
challenging and interesting work.
For example, a volunteer at a crisis centre works reception, answering the
office phone and doing filing. She becomes comfortable with the job she is
doing and wants more challenges. She discusses with the Volunteer
Coordinator
additional responsibility, such as contacting individuals on the
waiting list
to see how they are doing, or volunteering occasionally on the Crisis Line.
The volunteer appreciates that she is being challenged, and that
she is improving
and using skills. The agency, in return, has a volunteer who can
provide other
work that needs to be done.
Agencies which do not offer occasional challenges, or fully
utilize the skills
of their volunteers, will not maintain volunteers as well as agencies which
do. Keep this in mind when developing volunteer programs, and recruitment
strategies.
When identifying agency and volunteer needs, there are several questions an
organization must ask itself:
- Where are volunteers needed?
- What tasks, specifically, will volunteers be doing? Rank the importance of
these tasks.
- What training is needed for these tasks?
- Will the agency be able to facilitate this training?
- What are future considerations/goals for volunteer work?
Creating Job Descriptions
Before recruitment, it is necessary to develop clear volunteer job
descriptions.
This does not need to be a lengthy task. After all, simple is usually better
than complicated! When creating job descriptions, the agency should define:
- General tasks/responsibilities involved with the job
- Time commitment
- Any special skills that are
needed/preferred
- Number of volunteers needed
- Anything
else that would be useful for a potential volunteer to know
Volunteer job descriptions should be kept with personnel files and/or be part
of the agencyØs policies (as with paid job descriptions). They
should be reviewed
periodically, and changed when necessary.
|
Target Group
|
Where/How to Advertise
|
| Youth 13-18 years |
High school.s (i.e. high school publications/newspapers,
through presentations and discussions with teachers)
Publications directed towards youth
In places where youth frequent (i.e. recreation centers,
sports complexes,
music stores, etc.)
Youth groups (i.e. school or religious groups, Scouting,
etc.) |
| College/University Students |
College/University newspapers (i.e. advertisements or
letters to the editor)
On campus
Presentations in class |
| Seniors |
Seniors centers
Publications for seniors |
| People from
different cultures;
individuals who speak second languages |
Local multicultural and aboriginal centers
ESL classes at Centres, colleges, universities, and high
schools |
| Diverse
populations (everybody!) |
Local publications (i.e. newspapers- placing ads, letters
to the editors)
Postering public places like the library, or businesses
like bookstores
Faxing radio, television media (i.e. media release;
offer an interesting
angle and they may make a story out of it)
Volunteer Centres (posters, etc.)
Local internet websites |
Defining Target Volunteer Groups
Whether done consciously or subconsciously, agencies/ volunteer coordinators
tend to have a 'vision' of the people volunteering for the organization. For
instance, a seniors home may envision youthful volunteers to
interact with residents.
A womensØ crisis centre may envision women who have experienced violence in
the past to connect with women currently using services.
Defining target volunteer groups allows an agency to market and
recruit volunteers
more effectively and efficiently. Organizations using volunteers
are in a competitive
market. They will often fare better when they target their
marketing and recruitment
in chosen areas (i.e. in high schools, seniors centers). Even if an
organization
wants a diverse volunteer network, it should keep in mind where it
is advertising,
and to whom the advertisements are targeted.
These are but a few examples of the myriad of places and ways to
advertise oneØs
organization. If an agency is looking for a diverse volunteer population, it
is a good idea to incorporate all of the above Âtarget groupsØ
(i.e. multicultural
centers, colleges, seniors centers, etc.). It is a real achievement
for an agency
to have volunteers representative of the community it serves!
Developing a Timeline
You want to get your volunteer program moving. You want to start as soon as
possible. You envision beginning training/orientation next week.
Your volunteer
program will be running in full force next month! As exciting as it is to do
things 'spur of the moment', recruitment and marketing takes time. Don't rush
yourself and your program, and don't rush potential volunteers.
Most importantly,
do not set yourself up for failure by planning spur of the moment events.
Promotion of 'events', such as training, orientation, etc., should begin at
least six weeks before the actual event (not including the time it takes to
create job descriptions, etc.). Six weeks will give you enough time to put up
posters, hand out brochures, contact the media, and do all of the
other things
you planned to do. Naturally, the more time you have to prepare and promote,
the more successful you will be. If you can plan three months in advance, do
it! It will reduce the pressure of a tight deadline, and will allow
more opportunities
for getting your message out. Time lines may not be as appropriate
for on-going
promotion. In this case, a simple list of goals or ‘tasks’ may be
more helpful.
|
Sample Timeline
|
|
Date
|
Tasks
|
| Week 1 |
Establish dates and times for training
Run dates and information by other staff members
Create recruitment poster
Write promotional release and fax to local newspapers
Contact professor at university to arrange time to present
Contact local volunteer centre
|
| Week 2 |
Enlist assistance of other staff members, friends and
family to distribute
posters. Target public places (university, library)
Post information on-line
Check accuracy of bulletins in newspapers
Mail information to other organizations
Fax information to radio stations and student newspaper
|
| Week 3 |
Touch base with newspapers; see if anyone is interested in doing a
story
Check back with agency; any other places to distribute
posters?
Solicit guest speakers for training
|
| Week 4 |
Redistribute posters, where necessary
Repost information on-line
Prepare presentation
|
| Week 5 |
Continue to touch base with newspapers
Present to Psychology class
Interview people interested in volunteering
|
| Week 6 |
Resubmit information on-line.
Interview people interested in volunteering.
Update media release, including guest speakers. Fax to media
Confirm training guest speakers
|
| Week 7 |
Interview people interested in volunteering.
Phone to remind interested people re: training
TRAINING!
|
Time lines will differ greatly, depending on the extensiveness of
the orientation,
the number of time allotted each week for promotion, the number of
times training/orientation
is run each year, and how familiar one is with promotion. Time lines should
be flexible; new ideas will pop up, and some seemingly good ideas
just won’t
work. Don’t be afraid to add items- the more you promote, the better you
will become at it!
Brainstorming and Implementing Recruitment Ideas
There are many ways to market volunteer positions. Some agencies
create volunteer
brochures, business cards and posters. Some create media releases to fax to
local media and applicable organizations or centers. Others enter volunteer
fairs, write letters to the editors and/or work with local
volunteer organizations.
There is no single 'right way' to recruit volunteers. However,
when possible,
it is best to utilize a variety of means because the more people
see or hear
of something, the more likely they are going to remember it, and
perhaps want
to get involved! This is a fundamental advertisement strategy.
However, unlike
many businesses and corporations, nonprofit organizations usually
have a small
advertising budget, if they have one at all.
Low cost and no cost advertising is possible if one is prepared
for a little
work (the good news is that it gets easier the more you do
it!). Most communities
have places for organizations to advertise for free. Each agency will have
different recruitment and marketing ideas and abilities. Finally,
don't forget
networking. It plays an important role in advertising one's agency.
Excerpt from "Volunteer Synchronicity". To order this 400+ page manual
please call (250) 762 2355 or e-mail the Kelowna Women's Resource Centre at kelwomenscentre@telus.net.
