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Volunteer Speed Matching

Volunteer Speed Matching. Dating Meets Volunteering. Picture Your Last Volunteer Fair…. How many prospective volunteers did you really interact with? How many hours did you spend creating the perfect, volunteer-catching display? And how bad did your back hurt from carrying it?!?

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Volunteer Speed Matching

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  1. Volunteer Speed Matching Dating Meets Volunteering

  2. Picture Your Last Volunteer Fair… • How many prospective volunteers did you really interact with? • How many hours did you spend creating the perfect, volunteer-catching display? • And how bad did your back hurt from carrying it?!? • How much did candy and freebies cost? • How many contacts actually volunteered ?

  3. Don’t let this happen to you again! There has to be a better way, right?!?

  4. Now Picture an Event Where… • You interact with at least 20 truly interested potential volunteers in just two hours… GUARANTEED! • You have a captive audience who isn’t worried about their next meeting. • You don’t have to beg. They come to you! • You save money! (No more freebies!) • You have FUN and the time flies!

  5. It doesn’t have to be a dream!

  6. Introducing a New Concept in Volunteer Recruitment Volunteer Speed Matching

  7. What is Volunteer Speed Matching? • Mimics concept of speed dating • Three minute interactions between 20 organizations and 20 – 60 prospective volunteers • Recruit in less than two hours!

  8. Who Does it Work For? • Young professionals • Skilled volunteers • High school students • Baby Boomers • Anyone else who has little time!

  9. Who Else is Sponsoring it • Minnesota Zoo • Metro Volunteers (Denver) • Generation Dayton and United Way’s Volunteer Connection • Volunteer Centre Dacorum (England) • Pleasant Valley High School (Illinois)

  10. Why Volunteers Love It • Fast-paced • Pressure-free • Timed interactions • Interview 20 organizations in one session • Second “dates” at the volunteer’s request only

  11. Planning Your Event

  12. Selecting Your Partner • Determine your audience • Partner with a local young professional organization, club, company or faith-based group • Craft an MOU to spell out responsibilities of the sponsoring organizations • 20 to 60 volunteers needed. RSVP’s are critical.

  13. Where and When to Host • Venue should be a comfortable, casual atmosphere with a large open space • After-work hours are best • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. recommended • Offer food and beverages • Provide bags for volunteers to carry materials collected and one nice freebie

  14. Selecting Opportunities • For events sponsored within one organization: • Pre-select 20 opportunities that will be appealing to your audience • For HandsOn Action Centers or RSVP’s: • Pre-select 20 organizations with opportunities appealing to your audience to participate

  15. How to Choose Opportunities • Opportunities should be the best of your best… and they should be FUN! • Evening, weekend, group, one-time and on-going opportunities are popular • Each agency or opportunity must be represented by an engaging, FUN person! • RSVP’s from agencies are critical.

  16. What NOT to Recruit For!!!

  17. What Agencies Should Bring • One to two representatives – paid staff or volunteers who will CONNECT with audience • Coach representatives ahead of time on how to best identify with this audience • No more than one handout. Period. • A 30 second elevator speech. (No longer!) • Business cards

  18. Other Tips • Have an engaging, concise speaker welcome the group • The speaker should “look like” your volunteer participants • Acknowledge sponsoring organization and partner • Plan to take plenty of photos!

  19. Let the Matching Begin! Do you like me? Circle Yes or No.

  20. Event Structure • Registration, snacking and networking (10 – 20 minutes) • Brief introduction (10 minutes) • Matching (1 ½ hours) • Each “date” lasts 3 minutes • One minute between “dates” • Closing comments (10 minutes)

  21. Essential Tools • Cowbell or other loud indicator that time has changed • Scorecards for volunteers with names of agencies or opportunities • Stopwatch • Camera • At least four event assistants

  22. During the Introduction • Welcome participants • Acknowledge sponsoring organization and partner • Give the basic rules… • Send volunteers and agency representatives to their stations

  23. Rules of Engagment • 1 to 3 volunteers at each table (depending on overall group size) • No table should be empty at start. Visit all tables. • All volunteers move clockwise or counter-clockwise at the bell. Movequickly! • Agency representatives and volunteers should spend 30 seconds each introducing themselves. Leave the rest for questions. • If a volunteer wants to be contacted later, he/she must circle that agency on the scorecard.

  24. Closing • Thank everyone for attending • Acknowledge agencies (as a group) for their participation • Remind volunteers to turn in scorecards • Capture a group photo – agency representatives and volunteers together

  25. Post-Event

  26. Immediate Contact is Required • E-mail volunteers to thank them for their participation. Include contact information for agencies they indicated an interest in. • E-mail agency representatives to share names and contact information for volunteers who indicated an interest in a “second date”. • E-mail evaluations to both volunteers and agency representatives.

  27. Other Tasks • Send out a press release with a photo immediately following the event • Post photos online and forward the link to all volunteers and participating agencies • Track your “matches”… Who volunteered? • Ask for testimonials from both volunteers and agency representatives

  28. Let’s Practice! Ready to go a few rounds?

  29. Questions?

  30. Presenters’ Contact Information Clare Zlatic, Manager United Way’s Volunteer Connection (937) 225-3039 clarez@dayton-unitedway.org www.volunteerdayton.org Nicolette Winner, Director HandsOn West Central Ohio (937) 778-5220, ext. 430 nwinner@councilonruralservices.org www.handsonwestcentralohio.org

  31. Resources • http://www.energizeinc.com/store/5-220-E-1 • Google any of the organizations we listed in this presentation. • Packet of sample materials

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