TIP YOUR VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT INTO SUCCESS
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In his popular book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (2000, Little, Brown), Malcolm Gladwell shares many intriguing observations about selling products and disseminating ideas.
Gladwell recounts the attempt of a Yale University professor to encourage students to get a free tetanus shot as part of an experiment on fear. He produced booklets in several versions that described the seriousness of tetanus in ever-increasing vividness. Questionnaires showed that the information campaign worked; regardless of the amount of fear instilled, the majority of the students were educated about the dangers of tetanus. But only 3% actually went to the infirmary to get their shot. They were not translating their knowledge into action. Finally, the professor included a map of the campus circling the exact location of the health center and listing the hours that the shots would be available-and that "tipped" 28% of the students into getting vaccinated. Since undoubtedly many students had no real need of the map to find the infirmary, Gladwell concludes:
...what the tetanus invitation needed in order to tip was not an avalanche of new or additional information. What it needed was a subtle but significant change in presentation. The students needed to know how to fit the tetanus stuff into their lives...once the advice became practical and personal, it became memorable.
How might a volunteer recruiter put this to work? First, don't assume everyone knows what you might consider basic information about your organization, even who you are or what you do. Organizations change all the time, as do the needs of clients and service projects. So it's quite possible for someone to be generally informed about your agency and yet be in the dark about recent developments.
You can apply this principle of "don't assume" to the way you recruit volunteers in some very practical ways:
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| Beware of acronyms. Always translate any alphabet soup labels applied to projects.
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| Explain anything that has a special name, especially if it's not descriptive. So rather than saying, "Join our Words Project," the message will communicate more if it's worded, "Join our Words Project and help adults improve their reading and writing skills."
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| Consider possible misconceptions people might have about your organization, either because of outdated information or by inferring something from your name. For example, someone considering volunteering for a children's museum might understandably assume that volunteers interact with children. But if the available volunteer assignments are all behind the scenes or focused on supporting parents, an applicant who wants to work with children will be disappointed. So describe the volunteer work correctly.
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The way to increase the response rate to your volunteer recruitment message is to develop a connection with personal interests, concerns, or hopes. Here are a few ideas:
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| Most nonprofit causes are overwhelming in scope and some individuals understandably feel that they lack adequate skills to be of help. You can make a real impression simply by clearly stating: "Training is provided and volunteers receive ongoing support."
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| Prospective volunteers might feel they have too little time to contribute anything meaningful. Again, some simple phrases added to your recruitment pitch can make a difference in response: "We offer a variety of volunteer assignments requiring different amounts of time and we can be flexible in scheduling your hours" or "Even three hours every other week can have an impact" or "We'll work together to find the right schedule for you.
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| Consider whether people might fear something about your organization: personal safety in your neighborhood, viewing conditions that are disturbing, or other concerns. Address these by pre-empting them. In a matter-of-fact way, note that volunteers are on a buddy system at night or provide a map showing the proximity of parking. Again, positive photographs can allay fears and attract prospects, as can video or audio clips of actual client voices. The content of what they say (perhaps explaining how much they enjoy being with volunteers) is not as important as the tone (gee, this person isn't scary at all).
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This Quick Tip comes from Susan J. Ellis, President of Energize, Inc.
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