5 Questions All Volunteers Should Ask
If you are having trouble attracting and retaining the volunteer talent your small non-profit needs, try putting yourself in a prospective volunteer’s shoes. Why would someone want to give up his/her limited time in service of your organization? You will likely experience greater success if you approach volunteer recruitment like you would any other marketing campaign.
Before you begin recruiting, be prepared to answer these five questions for prospective volunteers and incorporate the answers into your recruitment messaging and communications.
“Who does the organization serve, and how?” What is the mission of the non-profit? Who benefits from the work you do? Why is it important? What is the long-term vision for the organization?
“How is the organization structured?” Clearly define the organization structure so that prospective volunteers can easily understand the size and scope of the organization, who is responsible for governance, how decisions are made, who directs and manages volunteers, and what roles exist (paid and non-paid) in the organization. Many organizations produce and maintain a volunteer manual or website – information on these topics should be included there for reference and covered during orientation.
“What will I be doing, exactly?” Consider providing a simple job description with clear duties and expectations for every volunteer role. Including these in your volunteer manual will help provide clarity and eliminate confusion.
“What is the time commitment?” Be ready to provide your best estimate or firm description of how much time a volunteer will be expected to serve your organization on a regular basis, along with how that time will most likely be spent (meetings, public events, technical work, etc.). Will they need to attend events in-person? Mornings? Evenings? Weekends? Are you flexible? Make sure you are clear about these things upfront, especially for those who want to get involved but may have other commitments they will need to work around.
“What’s in it for me?” It sounds “un-volunteer like” and a prospective volunteer probably won’t ask this question directly, but make sure you have it covered. How will you recognize volunteer service? Most importantly, what concrete steps can you take to ensure they will feel appreciated and understand that they are engaging in meaningful work?
Michael Ulmer, MBA, CAE is the founder of Eagle Creek Partners (www.eaglecreekpartners.co), an Indiana-based consulting practice focused on helping non-profit organizations and individuals set and achieve meaningful objectives for growth and prosperity. He can be reached at 317-563-0414 or mulmer@eaglecreekpartners.co
“What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good.”
