What Your Organization Needs to Know to Recruit & Engage Volunteers
Volunteer programs serve vital roles in the GOOD work of nonprofits, arts groups, theatres, schools, faith communities, you name it, around the world. Building a strong foundation of a volunteer program takes more than just finding a bunch of helping hands though. As Susan J. Ellis of Energize Inc. points out in this Theatre Communications Group piece, reflection on your group's mission in conjuction with knowing why before you know who, are just the ingredients you need for a recipe for success . . .
Tip #1: Know WHY you want volunteers in the first place.
Be careful that you are not seeking volunteers simply because you do not have enough money. If lack of funds is the major reason for wanting volunteers, you will always view them as a pooralternative to the paid staff you really want. Instead, focus on the unique things that volunteers can offer that are different from what employees contribute: credibility with the public because they do not personally profit from the funds raised; expanded spheres of influence; diversity of experiences and skills; the luxury to focus on one project while the paid staff must divide their time among all the work to be done; and, most especially, outreach to new potential audiences.
Tip #2: Develop the broadest VISION of volunteer involvement.
Working with volunteers is true community-resource development. The process of reaching out to a wide range of people will have the ripple effect of making friends for your theatre — not only the people who actually contribute their time, but also those who learn about your performances, your need for donations of cash and goods, and your work in general. Don't limit your outreach to those with a proven interest in the arts or in drama. Prospective volunteers can represent enormous diversity in demographic profile, occupation and talents — if you genuinely
welcome such contributions.
Tip #3: Never assume people know how to work with volunteers (even
if they are volunteers themselves).
Very few people receive formal training in how to work with volunteers, certainly not in academic course programs. And it is important to realize that being a volunteer does not automatically make someone into a great leader of other volunteers! It takes knowledge and skill to be a good volunteer supervisor. Diagnose and deal with possible staff resistance to volunteers and provide training in the best ways to support volunteers. Be aware of the fact that resistance to volunteers has a special history in the arts community. All too often in the past, actors and other performing artists were approached by organizations to volunteer their talents, usually for fundraising events. To establish the valid point that such artists need to be paid to earn a living, some people grew to resent the concept of volunteerism. In some ways, the theatre community's response to the AIDS crisis has broadened their understanding of volunteerism, but it is important to stress that you are seeking volunteers with skills beyond the theatre world.
Tip #4: Create the infrastructure to support volunteer involvement.
Consider what resources you will budget/allocate to support volunteers: money, staff time, space and supplies. Volunteers are definitely . . .
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Read the rest of this post from Theatre Communications Group here
Susan J. Ellis is President of Energize, Inc., a Philadelphia-based international consulting, training and publishing firm specializing in volunteerism. Since 1977, the company has assisted a wide range of clients throughout North America and Europe, including many cultural arts organizations. For more in-depth information about volunteer program development and management, call for your free copy of the "Volunteer Energy Resource Catalog" at 1-800-395-9800 or visit the
Energize Website at http://www.energizeinc.com.
