“How to Find and Keep the Volunteers You Need” Notes
These are my notes from the “How to Find and Keep the Volunteers You Need” Breakout session at the Orange Conference 2020. Christine Kreisher led this breakout.
Strategies are great but the secret sauce is found in the mind and heart of the leader.
Check in to the mindset of your leaders. Mindsets create culture and culture determines the success of strategies.
4 Foundational Mindsets
- Excellence. Is about doing the best you can with what you have. Don’t settle for “good enough”. Excellence attracts high quality leaders.
- Mission. The “why” behind what you do. Put that above how and what. Creates a “win” statement
- Appreciation. Are they a means to an end or an indispensable component to your ministry. Do they know you care for them. Be specific with your praise. Praise makes it personal.
- Invitation. Do you get excited about recruiting volunteers? Recruit to a vision not a need.
When you focus only on recruitment, you are focused on orienting people. Focus on retention so you can build into people.
Retention should always trump recruitment. Don’t exhaust yourself with constant recruitment. Focus on building into people.
4 Proven Strategies to Create an Irresistible Volunteer Culture
- Strategy 1: Celebrate their significance. Celebrate the meaningful role they play! Collect and share stories of life change so that they know what they do matters.
- Strategy 2: Provide first-class support. Volunteers should never feel like they don’t have what they need.
- Strategy 3: Fuel meaningful connections. Volunteers should never feel alone on an island. Volunteers want community and connections.
- Strategy 4: Empower their passions. Give them clear parameters or they will make their own. Provide framework and then give them the opportunity to run with it.
“Guidelines are good. Control leads to chaos.” – Frank Bealer
Your volunteers are constantly asking, “IS IT WORTH IT?” Create a culture where volunteers shout out “YES!”
The goal of every leader should be to provide volunteers with such incredible experiences that they become your best recruiters.
“Commit to creating a volunteer culture that people would pay to be part of.” -Tom Shefchunas
What stands out to you from this session about how to find and keep the volunteers you need? Share below or on social media using #ymsidekick and #OC20 when you share.
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