Got Volunteers? Here are a few ideas!

Hi all,

I just found this article, and it made me remember some of the ways that I used to use to recruit new volunteers...If you need some ideas for recruiting volunteers, read the article, and then my comments below!

This in from "The Daily Item"

SELINSGROVE — Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Central Susquehanna Valley is looking for a few good non-profit agencies. BBBS is organizing the first Central Susquehanna Valley Recruitment Fair for Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Susquehanna Valley Mall. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The event will host a wide range of non-profit organizations, such as Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity. Each group would display materials about their agency to raise awareness and interest in the work that they do.

"As a non-profit agency, we are always looking for ways to recruit new volunteers, board members, and other helpers for various projects," BBBS Executive Director Peggy Reichenbach noted. "Our livelihood depends on the kindness of others, and the generosity of their time. We thought that other non-profits might be feeling the same way. So why not get all of them together in one place to network with each other and the community?" Deadline to register your agency is Aug. 4. For more information, or to register for the Volunteer Recruitment Fair, contact Big Brothers Big Sisters at 286-3127.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Susquehanna Valley is a United Way agency that provides mentors to children who need an adult presence in their lives. (end of article)

Me:

If your organization is too small to run a volunteer fair, check with your local United Way or Volunteer Center, to see if they have one. When I worked in a rural area, our local Volunteer Center worked in conjunction with the local college - and they sponsored an annual Volunteer Fair each year, which we participated in.

Other Ideas:

• Run Public Service Announcements or (free) announcements in the community page of your local paper, advertising your need for volunteers
• Put PSAs out to your local radio, television and even local cable television stations
• Think about your project - what target market would be a good fit for your volunteer projects? Where do these people hang out? What do they do? How are some unique or unusual ways you could reach out to them that would be fast and effective?
• Partner with other organizations - such as the United Way, Volunteer Center, Information and Referral Center or partner with organizations that are working on similar issues
  
• Get flyers, brochures and posters out in the places where volunteers are (local colleges, Community Action Program, high schools, etc.)
• Start a corporate volunteer program, and recruit businesses in your community to set up volunteer groups of employees. (Many corporations already have such programs in place, it's just a matter of letting them know about your project)

What ideas, resources and hints do you have to share? (By the way, when you post, please feel free to leave your name, your project's name and Website address if you'd like!) I'd love to learn more about where you're at and what you're doing!)

Still "Got Questions?" Post them too, and let's see if we can give you some answers!

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