We've all been involved in some group where the refrain eventually comes around to "have you noticed it's always the same 7 people doing everything (I'm tired!) and how do we get more people volunteering?" It's inevitable, and we probably use the same strategies to call out to more people to join in -- newsletters, mass email, ask for more volunteers at a group meeting, etc. But what if it's not that people aren't interested in helping, it's that our expectations are slightly off?
Our guest blogger today is Susan Ellis, President of Energize, Inc., a training, consulting, and publishing firm that specializes in volunteerism. She offers a fresh take on the issue of expanding volunteering through reframing our own notion of who our volunteers are. Read on and see how to expand your own volunteer corps!
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Volunteer organizers become much more savvy in developing meaningful and appealing work for a wide range of volunteers way past the old model of regularly-scheduled helper. We've learned to run single days of service and deal with spontaneous volunteers. We can assign projects to corporate employee teams, intergenerational families, and those who want to volunteer virtually. Yet we are still missing some opportunities.
What kind of volunteer work might you design for the following less traditional
prospects (and this is only a partial list)?
Seniors over the age of 90 (the fastest growing age category today)
- Children under the age of 14
- Newly-unemployed people wanting
a bridge between their old job and finding a new one
- Voluntourists (people spending
vacation or conference time in your area - from one day to a season - and
who want to be of use to the community)
- Current clients who want to get
involved to help others
- The CEOs of the major companies
in your area
- University professors (not just
their students!)
- Blue collar
tradespeople
I'm not suggesting that every organization needs
the sort of help these people might offer. But how did you react -- in
your gut -- to each group on this list? If you can get past some preconceived
notions about who is a potential volunteer, you can vastly expand the pool of
community resources available to you.
Sometimes we simply avoid potential resources because we can't picture how we
would work with them. Maybe that's why so many senior volunteering
programs are focusing on people in their 50s (who don't identify at all with
the concept of "senior") and not on healthy nonagenarians. It's
just easier -- and there are fewer transportation and health concerns.
It's the same with engaging young children in service. Yet both ends of the age
spectrum offer unique perspectives and skill bases.
Sometimes we can't imagine that a group might even be interested in
volunteering with us. We approach students, but not their teachers or
professors -- and who is more skilled? We recruit secretaries and
salespeople, but not their managers and certainly not their CEOs. And why
not? Do we offer any volunteer work executives would find
appealing? What do we think that is?
In a similar vein, it's fascinating how rarely we reach out to labor unions,
trade councils, or blue collar businesses. We won't think twice about asking a
white collar professional to volunteer as a consultant or donate training
services, but do we invite plumbers or roofers to give their labor (also
professionally skilled) pro bono? Why not?
Bet you're wondering how you'll ever be able to coordinate and support these
populations, who will need extra time and attention. Don't forget the strategy
of recruiting interested volunteers knowledgeable about each group to run a
pilot project with the target population, or to be team or shift leaders for
the group.
If you find yourself with a very homogeneous volunteer corps, it may be because
you are gravitating towards the "usual suspects" in your recruitment.
Whether you intended to or not, the volunteer assignments you offer appeal to a
narrow slice of the community. Try welcoming people who fall outside the norm
you've established of age, status, schedule, and other factors. They may be
delighted at the invitation to get involved and you'll expand the value of the
volunteer effort for your organization.
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Susan Ellis founded Energize, Inc. an international training, consulting and publishing firm specializing in volunteerism. If these words are in your vocabulary--community service, membership development, auxiliary, community organizing, service-learning, lay ministry, pro bono work, supporter, friends group, political activist, service club-- Energize can help!! Founded in 1977, Energize has assisted organizations of all types with their volunteer efforts--whether they are health and human service organizations, cultural arts groups, professional associations, or schools.
I was going to volenteer at the farmers market downtown and they told us that a person has to be 18 to volenteer my daughter is 15 and she has been volenteering with me to do several organizations since she was 8 yrs old she has been answering phones for the varsity club walking the fair parade handing out water for broadlawns, you name it she has done it side by side with me I don't know why she cannot volenteer at the farmers market too.
thank you but I will volenteer somewhere else that will accept a mother and daughter who want to make a difference
Posted by: Rebecca Crandell | May 21, 2009 at 01:14 PM
Hi Rebecca,
How frustrating to be turned down like that! This raises an excellent point about truly welcoming volunteers -- and saying no nicely. I would guess this farmers market has a clause in their liability insurance about underage volunteers, and if that's the case they should have explained it. It's wonderful that you are raising your daughter with the volunteer spirit -- and it would be great if more organizations promoted parent - child volunteer opportunities!!
Mary with VolunteerSpot
Posted by: Mary with VolunteerSpot | May 21, 2009 at 04:11 PM