Earlier, we discussed some best practices that two leaders from California’s Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin, CEO Linda Davis and Program Consultant Liz Rottger, developed in the course of establishing two programs for older adult volunteers.
Now, we’re back with even more of their helpful tips, discussed in the NCOA Webinar Making Your Organization “Boomer-Friendly.”
Recruiting
As suggested before, you’ll want to tap word of mouth and online networks to find strong candidates:
–Recruit a lead core of professional volunteers. Use people that you know to help network; start with your Rolodex or contact list. A personalized approach is essential. Invite people to join.
–Get “champions” to tell their story.
–Be active online. Have an attractive Web site and use social networking tools.
–Provide training opportunities.
–Perform ongoing outreach to organizations with pools of potential volunteers. Reach out to an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute or local retirement club, or volunteer for a speaker’s bureau that will get you out in the community.
–Use volunteers to engage volunteers. Have them staff the tables at events. Recently, the center recruited 50 volunteers that way. If you don’t have a senior information fair in your area, partner with other organizations to create one.
–Hold focus groups to publicize your program and gather information. The center’s last one revealed that people are nervous about having time to volunteer, because of the economic situation.
–And, as mentioned last time, watch your language. Avoid the word “seniors” and ageist and silly pictures. Send an upbeat, positive message that emphasizes the contributions professionals aged 50+ can make, perhaps using the tag lines in our earlier post.
Interviewing
Part of recruiting strategically is interviewing potential volunteers carefully, as if for a staff job:
–Develop a genuine interest in each person you are interviewing.
–Take time to learn about the background and interests of your potential volunteers.
–Ask, “What skill(s) do you have that you would be willing to share with our organization?”
–Seek out their passions and interests, but also ask about what they don’t want to do. A former Fortune 500 executive said, “I’ve gone to enough meetings. I don’t need to go to more meetings; I just want to count birds.” These preferences are important to know.
Making Volunteers Part of the Team
Socialization is important; 50+ professional volunteers want to be part of a team. They want to collaborate with staff, be involved in all phases of the work and feel their work is valuable.
One strategy the center has used to reach these goals is creating a “kitchen cabinet” of individuals committed to its vision. It also uses peer-to-peer mentoring to overcome stage fright, often pairing someone doing a consult for the first time with an experienced volunteer.
To make volunteers feel part of the team, Davis and Rottger suggest being conscious about your decision to use professional-level volunteers. Invite volunteers to staff meetings, and encourage staff trust of these volunteers. Model for your staff the behavior you’d like to see.
You also can ask staff to look at their job descriptions and find areas they don’t have resources to do themselves. For example, at the center the staffer charged with running the Board Match program didn’t have the bandwidth to do the job well. This complex program, which demands interaction between candidates and nonprofits, is now run by eight volunteer coordinators.
The center also carefully outlines responsibilities, timelines, reporting requirements, etc., making them explicit and written as would be done for staff.
Following Up
Professional-level volunteers like to see results, so develop systems that measure the impact they are having — and share the results. Track volunteer time, and measure the return-on-investment and cost-benefit analysis. Tools such as NCOA’s SMART can do this. Agree on indicators of effectiveness and impact, and give your volunteers honest feedback on their performance.
To keep the program attractive to volunteers, think long-term to develop pathways for authentic volunteer leadership. Cultivate key volunteer roles, communicate well with volunteers, and create feedback loops that measure progress. Become a base for civic engagement in your community — and your community, your volunteers, and your organization will reap the benefits.
Leading By Example 