Mobilizing and Recruiting Volunteers with Dr. Randy Wollf

1. Mobilizing and Recruiting Volunteerswith Dr. Randy Wollf

2. Mobilizing Volunteers AKA Recruitment

3. Top Reasons for Not Volunteering • Did not have the time • Unable to make a long-term commitment • Gave money instead of time • No one asked • Health problems or physically unable • Had no interest • Did not know how to become involved Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. Statistics Canada, 2007.

4. Volunteer Motivations • Self-serving motivational drive • Relational drive • Core motivational drive – their beliefs McKee, Jonathan and Thomas McKee. The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer. Loveland, CO: Group, 2008.

5. Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting • Expect announcements to get volunteers • Go it alone • Recruit only volunteers who make long-term commitments • Assume that “No” means “Never” McKee, Jonathan and Thomas McKee. The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer. Loveland, CO: Group, 2008.

6. Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting • Recruit any warm body • Ask busy people to do busy work • Hire professionals who know nothing about volunteer management McKee, Jonathan and Thomas McKee. The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer. Loveland, CO: Group, 2008.

7. Managing Your Expectations Little, Helen. Volunteers: How to get them; how to keep them. Naperville, IL: Panacea Press, 1999. • In a member organization, how many members typically volunteer (p. 14)?

8. Long-term Mobilization Strategies • Pray for God to raise up workers • Help people discern their calling and strengths • Serve your current volunteers well • Build a strong sense of team • Start mobilizing early • Grow in your leadership capacity

9. Dimensions of Christian Leadership Skill Biblical Truth...on his law, he meditates day and night.Psalm 1:2 TeamJesus’ example Community...love one another deeply... (1 Peter 1:22). CallingFor we are God’s workmanship... (Ephesians 2:10). CharacterBe imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1). A Growing Relationship with GodSo, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him... (Colossians 2:6-7).

10. Long-term Mobilization Strategies • Have a strong ministry vision that produces results • Foster a healthy ministry culture • Create enough structure • Connect with people outside your ministry • Communicate what God is doing • Coordinate your approach

11. Immediate Mobilization Strategies • Pray for God to raise up workers • Approach former program participants • Ask current volunteers to approach others • Look for people who have an affinity with your ministry • Approach people in person • Create short-term volunteer opportunities

12. Immediate Mobilization Strategies • Expose people gradually to your ministry • Build volunteer opportunities around people • Follow-up quickly with those who express interest • Screen thoroughly • Look for great people

13. Mobilizing Volunteers AKA Recruitment

14. Serving Volunteers

15. Check Your Heart Are you primarily a program coordinator or a servant leader?

16. Orient New Volunteers • Orient volunteers to the vision • Encourage volunteers to shape the vision • Establish clear expectations

17. Personalize the Volunteer Experience • Connect with volunteers as individuals • Make way for volunteers to live out their calling • Make the most of peoples’ talents • Ministry match (http://gompn.com/) • Make the most of your volunteer’s time

18. Personalize the Volunteer Experience • Provide flexibility • Provide coaching support • Pray for your volunteers • Help them see the difference they are making

19. Build a Vibrant Volunteer Culture • Trust and empower your volunteers Six Rules of Empowerment (in The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer by Jonathan and Thomas McKee, pp. 84-89). • Don’t take the football – give it away • Label each handoff as either delegation or empowerment • Secure the handoff with a check-up appointment • Break down tasks into manageable goals • Don’t take the football if you can’t do anything about it • Develop good handoff skills to avoid disaster

20. Build a Vibrant Volunteer Culture • Secure volunteer coordinators • Communicate well • Address conflict • Build community • Work collaboratively with volunteers

21. Build a Vibrant Volunteer Culture • Strive for excellence (within reason) • Establish safety policies and procedures • Recognize and honour your volunteers (and their families) • Resource and train your volunteers

22. Build a Vibrant Volunteer Culture • Fight for your volunteers • Help volunteers prepare for succession • Evaluate volunteer programs regularly • Have fun!

23. Randy’s Top Volunteer Resources • McCurley, Steve & Rick Lynch. Volunteer Management: Mobilizing All the Resources of the Community (3rd ed.). Plattsburgh, NY: InterPub Group, 2011.   • McKee, Jonathan and Thomas McKee. The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer. Loveland, CO: Group, 2008.   • Morgan, Tony and Tim Stevens. Simply Strategic Volunteers: Empowering People for Ministry. Loveland, CO: Group, 2005. • Connors, Tracy D. The Volunteer Management Handbook. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. • Lee, Jarene Frances and Julia M. Catagnus. What We Learned (the hard way) About Supervising Volunteers. Philadelphia: Energize, 1999. • Little, Helen. Volunteers: How to Get Them, How to Keep Them. Naperville, IL: Panacea Press, 1999. • http://www.energizeinc.com/