6
Tips for Recruiting and Retaining a Volunteer Workforce
By Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC)
Effective volunteer engagement is critical for many public-facing organizations: in addition to saving staff time and resources, a committed volunteer base allows you to engage the communities you serve more meaningfully and effectively. Plus, when volunteers feel connected to your work, they become invested in the outcome and can often become some of your most fervent supporters and donors. But it can be challenging to know where to start, especially if your organization is in the early stages of developing volunteer programs. Follow these six tips to recruit and retain volunteers and you’ll be on your way to increasing your organization’s reach and impact!
1. Start with a goal. You know you need volunteers – but do you know how many, or what kind? Before you start planning how to recruit
28 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
volunteers, determine who you need and what you need them for. Consider your organization’s overall goals as well as your project-specific needs when setting goals. Perhaps your organization wants to increase youth and family involvement in your programs, but you also need volunteers to help with a physically demanding park improvement project. In this case, you have two goals requiring different volunteers – and thus different recruitment strategies. Setting these goals ahead of time will help you track your progress and plan your outreach more efficiently.
2. Meet prospective volunteers where they are. Now that you know who you’re looking for, consider where you’ll find them. By understanding your prospective volunteers’ habits and motivations, you can tailor your recruitment to reach the volunteers you’re looking for with a mix of print materials, online outreach, and
face-to-face interactions. Consider the places and websites they frequent; the partners they’re already connected with; and the other commitments competing for their time. To reach families, for example, you may want to partner with schools and libraries while being conscious of how school and sports schedules may affect your efforts.
3. Share what’s in it for them. While many volunteers are altruistically motivated, they need more than just an inspiring mission. To get volunteers in the door – and, more importantly, keep them engaged – individuals need roles that suit them and their interests, and they need to know that their time matters. Throughout your recruitment efforts, make it clear how volunteers’ work will fit into the ‘big picture’ of your mission and answer, “What’s in it for me?”. Explain what they will gain from their time, whether that’s new skills, new friends, or simply a fun experience.
