Administration of Recruitment

  • You are competing with many other organizations for volunteers. Volunteer recruitment is a full-time job. If possible, budget for a full-time position dedicated specifically to volunteer recruitment.
  • Volunteer recruitment and retention is a challenge. It may be beneficial to create an in-depth tracking system to follow your recruitment efforts and analyze what changes must occur for success.

Broad/General Recruitment Marketing and Communications

  • Providing a complete job/role description helps potential volunteers determine whether your program is appropriate for them. When writing the volunteer description, ask current volunteers to help. Gather information about what the volunteers like about your organization and why they chose to volunteer with you. Ask what words and phrases are appropriate for your organization and would entice someone to volunteer. Rewrite the role description and include some of those phrases
  • Many volunteers are looking for organizations with flexible time commitments, training and reporting. As an organization utilizing volunteers to implement programs, be as flexible as possible in what you offer and how it’s implemented. In some communities, potential volunteers may work atypical hours or have limited ability to commit to long term activities.
  • Offer mileage reimbursement, when possible, especially for volunteers in rural areas who travel significant distances to provide volunteer services to outlying areas.
  • Encourage individuals you talk to regularly about your program to become Volunteer Ambassadors for your local model.
  • Volunteer Ambassadors can recruit additional volunteers in the community. Volunteer Ambassadors are the volunteers and community advocates who support your mission. These professional and friendly ambassadors represent your organization in the community by speaking about the impact of their role and what it is like to volunteer for your organization. To assist Volunteer Ambassadors, develop a toolkit with messaging that can be used when speaking in the community and used in flyers and/or other promotional materials. A messaging toolkit ensures that the volunteer ambassadors are using messaging that meets the organization’s standards of practice.
  • Word of mouth is a great marketing and recruitment tool. Ask your current volunteers to talk about your program to friends and family and encourage them to volunteer with your organization as well. Also, ask your volunteers to connect you with other organizations they interact with as this could lead to a very fruitful partnership.
  • You may find it beneficial to recruit two groups of volunteers. Recruit one group who will provide consistent volunteer time and another group to provide episodic group opportunities. Those volunteers providing episodic group opportunities may come from corporations, faith-based groups or schools.
  • Survey your current volunteers. Learn how they heard about your organization, what drew them to volunteer with you and where they go to look for volunteer opportunities in the community.
  • Looking Inward to Recruit Volunteers.  
    • It is always a good practice to look inside your current volunteer base, both active and previously active, when recruiting volunteers to a new program. If the number of volunteers you are reaching out to is manageable, a physical letter with a handwritten signature received in the mail might be more effective than a less personal email.
    • Start volunteer recruitment by looking internally. Do you already engage volunteers who may be looking for new opportunities? Can you contact past volunteers interested in returning to volunteer with your organization doing something new? Do you have AmeriCorps alumni who have met the four-year requirement, but want to remain involved with your organization? Do you have any board members or advisory board members who would be great volunteers? Tap into these pools to get started. Offer an opportunity to educate current organizational volunteers about the new model and the volunteer role.
    • If you currently or have previously offered an AmeriCorps program such as Senior Companions or RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Programs), those past volunteers may be an excellent source of volunteers for your new nonmedical volunteer assistance program.
    • Consider opportunities where program participants could also serve as program volunteers. For example, someone who does not drive and receives transportation assistance from your organization could volunteer to make social calls to individuals who are homebound and experiencing social isolation.
  • Intergenerational and College Student Volunteers
    • Intergenerational programming is highly effective. It does not have to be limited to college age and older adult pairings. Recruit volunteers of all age ranges. Volunteerism at an early age can instill a lifelong desire to volunteer.
    • Intergenerational programs provide opportunities for building strong relationships between volunteers and care recipients and caregivers. Connecting with specific college departments or professors can be difficult, time consuming and inefficient. Consider tapping into extracurricular activity groups, professional groups and culturally based groups. The students participating in these programs are looking for ways to engage outside the classroom. Your program may be just what they are looking for. Another way to reach college students is to post volunteer opportunities on various platforms, such as Indeed, LinkedIn and Handshake.
    • Not all college students are 18-24 years of age. Consider the ages of your volunteers when developing training programs and incentives.
    • College students make excellent volunteers. Utilization of college age volunteers has many benefits including providing a continuous volunteer pool for continued program implementation. During breaks and exam periods they may not be available to volunteer. Consider using volunteers of all ages to fill gaps when your college age volunteers may not be available.
    • Recruiting student volunteers who come from urban or suburban areas to participate as volunteers in rural areas helps them learn about the needs of rural communities and what types of supports and resources may be available or lacking in those areas.
    • Some benefits to recruiting college students as volunteers include:  
      • College students often are looking for opportunities that provide experiential learning that boosts their resumes.
      • Shared experience and wisdom across intergenerational dyads can lead to unique friendships and learning opportunities.
      • College students often have unconventional schedules that can meet the needs of the working family caregiver.
      • If a student is considering a career in life sciences, participation in volunteerism with older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers can better prepare them for that role.
      • College students may be better equipped to provide instructions to care recipients and family caregivers in how to use technology.
    • Some considerations to take when recruiting college students as volunteers include:  
      • College students can have competing priorities.
      • It may be difficult to get a long-term commitment from students due to course load and other commitments.
      • Students can live in concentrated areas which are generally not in the same space as older adults.
      • Students with vehicles may need additional funds to maintain the vehicle and cover the costs when volunteering.
      • Many students leave campus during summer and winter break which can result in a gap in assistance for the care recipient or family caregiver.

Maximizing Partnerships and Available Resources

  • Consider opportunities where program participants could also serve as program volunteers. For example, someone who does not drive and receives transportation assistance from your organization could volunteer to make social calls to individuals who are homebound and experiencing social isolation.
  • If an organization in your community offers the Give 5 program, a no-cost “civic matchmaking” program that connects soon-to-be-retirees and retirees with meaningful volunteer opportunities that best fit their skill sets and passions, request to be a participating organization.
  • Meet with other community organizations to talk about strategies for volunteer recruitment. This is a great opportunity to learn from each other while assessing the potential for collaborations and partnerships.
  • Connect with organizations that specialize in volunteer recruitment and matching volunteers with opportunities in the community. Examples include:

Ongoing Communication/Pre-Onboarding

  • Peer mentor programs for caregivers can be a highly effective method for new caregivers to learn from experienced peers. It is important for mentors to be in a healthy emotional place when they begin mentoring. To ensure the mentor/mentee relationship is mutually beneficial, confirm whether new mentors have had enough time to grieve/rest before volunteering and check in with them regularly throughout their tenure.
  • Volunteers often prefer close proximity to their assignments while others are willing or capable of traveling further distances. During the onboarding process, it is good practice to gather information about volunteer preferences or capabilities to inform volunteers and care recipient matches.
  • When potential volunteers reach out for additional information about your program, respond with engaging email or phones responses to capture their attention while providing a realistic expectation of the onboarding process and volunteer experience.