Grassroots organizations like Surfrider would be nothing without an amazing network of volunteers! They spread information, organize events, lobby politicians, and create community. In our ever changing and busy world, how do we best recruit volunteers? And once we have volunteers in our circle, how do can we increase engagement and retention?
In this session we discussed tips and best practices for making the most out of volunteerism with our special guests Coos Bay Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator Jean Cassidy and former Portland Volunteer Coordinator Shelley Searle.
Scroll to the bottom fo the screen for the full recording of the live Zoom meeting and see below for the key takeaways.
Be Prepared for Volunteers!
Before you even begin to recruit, make sure you have a plan. This includes:
- Developing a great elevator pitch!
- Having compelling and accurate job descriptions including:
- Skills required
- Time commitment
- What they will get back
- Why it’s fun
- Tailor to who are you reaching out to:
- Business and Corporate
- College Volunteers
- Boards of Directors/Executive Committee
- Unemployed/People in transition
- Make sure there is a work plan
- Have communication organization in place
- Know your capacity
Check out this "Volunteer Matrix," created by Shelley Searle, former Portland Chapter Volunteer Coordinator:
Outlets for Recruitment
- Idealist.org
- Facebook jobs
- Craigslist
- volunteermatch.org
- Local papers (in rural communities)
- Local radio
- Neighborhood Message boards
- Digital: neighborhood listserves, Nextdoor.com
- Physical: bulletin boards at local community centers, schools, libraries, coffee shops, etc.
- Events: have fliers and other materials ready to share
- Schools (K-12, Community Colleges, Universities): reach out to see about posting in newsletters, giving presentations, etc.
- Word-of-mouth: never under-estimate the power of chatting!
- Visibility (signs, events, branding)
- Rural vs. Urban settings: consider how messages are best spread in your community
Find Out What Will Motivate and Engage Your Volunteers
Ask these questions:
- What's going on in your life right now?
- What makes for a really good day?
- Tell me about a time when you felt really engaged at work.
- What did you like best about other volunteering jobs you had?
- What do you need most from your work?
- How do you like to spend your time outside of our office?
- Keep telling volunteers how they are making a difference.
Tips for Volunteer Retention
- Autonomy: Let your volunteers know that they can take charge of a project, and take ownership.
- Make it casual: Don't force them into more responsibility. Design an easy point of entry. Example: “Like gardening? Come help us build a garden box!”
Celebrate Your Volunteers!
People respond better when shown appreciation...and they deserve it!
- Gift Certificates
- Toys or Swag
- Awards/Certificates/Trophies
- Thank you Parties!
- Verbal or Written Appreciations
- You really made a difference by...
- I'm impressed with…
- You got my attention with…
- You can be proud of yourself for...
- You've made my day because of....
- Constantly update them on how they made a difference.
- Go public with appreciations: call their work, give them recommendations, give shout-outs in newsletters, etc.
Be Culturally Competent and Commit to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The Surfrider Foundation is committed to fostering a just, equitable, diverse and inclusive organization for all people who protect and enjoy the world’s ocean, waves and beaches. Our success and impact depend on learning from our community, standing in solidarity with our allies and working toward a more just future, both for our organization and the environmental movement as a whole.
- Check out more of Surfrider's commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion here
- Reflect on what you can do to foster a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive volunteer space
- Are you reaching out to underserved populations? Perhaps find translators, ASL interpreters, youth, or elders that can reach out to their communities.
- Are your events accessible? Connect with local organizations that specialize in adaptive programs.
- What are the norms and expectations of your group? Perhaps it's time to examine how it could be more inclusive.
- Check out this incredibly useful and insightful document that pinpoints the subtle ways white supremacy shows up in the work spaces.
We all have a lot to learn and unlearn. This is lifelong work and the key is to start the commitment now.
Notes from Shelley Searle, former Portland Chapter Volunteer Coordinator:
Like many Surfrider volunteers, Shelley reported: “I came for the cause, I stayed for the people.”
When she joined, the Portland Chapter had a lot of goals, but not a lot of strategic plan. She pondered "How do we conquer the world with 5 volunteers?"
Here are some of Shelley's insights:
- Be prepared to meet your volunteers where they are at. If they only want to stick one toe in the water, that’s okay, we’ll take that toe! You can book people for short time, but also lure them in for longer.
- During onboarding, volunteers can be like deer in headlights when they learn about ALL the Surfrider activities. So simplify and streamline introduction to Surfrider and do deeper dives about programs when necessary.
- Empower program leads to really be managers but be aware that people can't do everything alone.
- There is a lot of “slacktivism” these days, meaning people who care but are only willing to do minimal effort such as signing an online petition.
- A moderate volunteer role is the best to focus on. For example is, at an MLK day event, she offered “promotions” to volunteers when they needed more tasks. But it was an easy ask with clear instructions. She was able to empower people with a clear task that had beginning, end and framework.
- Thinking through activity of what you would do if you had 100 willing volunteers knocking on your door--Imagine the things you NEED people to do, but also things people COULD do if you have more time and people power.
- Try to delegate tasks to people who are less fatigued by tasks.
- Use volunteer positions as a career building opportunity. For example, she had volunteer who wanted to build writing background and helped created tasks to fulfill that. Volunteering can almost be like a "build your own internship" program. This creates a great experience for students or people seeking a career change.
- Shelley has seen volunteers use their experience to get jobs. As a volunteer coordinator, saying “Thank you for growing your skills with us” helps give the volunteer a sense of value.
Notes from Jean Cassidy, Coos Bay Chapter Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator:
- Be welcoming and always follow up!
- Find out what makes their heart sing!
- Volunteers are our most valuable resource, and we should remind ourselves of that often.
- People volunteer because they want to belong and be part of something that is bigger than themselves. So the volunteer coordinator role is really crucial because if that is not met, volunteers leave.
- It is worth making the investment, so people stay and build deep relationships. Jean does this by finding out what‘s important to them. She invites them to chat on the phone, go for walk or grab coffee as a means to connect and find out who they are and what they care about. She takes notes on what she's learned.
- Don’t try to fit people into role, but find what works for them and create roles around them.
- Integrity is key: When you make a commitment to your volunteers, you need to follow up. And if you can’t, then you need to communicate that.