Volunteer Recruitment



Volunteer Recruitment

Okay - you've set up a partnership with a local business, which is a good source of volunteers. Now it's time to go after other fish! You will probably be hearing this refrain: "I'd love to help out, but I just don't have the time." Unfortunately, finding volunteers willing and able to make a commitment to your school is not as easy as it once was. Families and careers demand huge amounts of time, and many otherwise willing people simply can not fit volunteer work into their schedules. This does not mean that recruiting volunteers is impossible. There are plenty of people who have time and talent to give -- you just need to find them. This is where a well-planned recruitment strategy pays off.

Identify All Potential Volunteer Sources

Most of your volunteers will probably be parents -- for good reasons. Parents make up the largest pool of potential volunteers, and they have an immediate and direct connection to your school. They are also a "renewable source" of volunteers, because there will always be parents whose kids are starting school or moving into middle or high school.

Remember, though, that parents are not the only potential volunteers in your community! So before you jump right into recruiting, look around and identify other groups you can draw from. For now, let's focus on how to draw parents into your school.

Let Them Know What You Want -- Over and Over Again!

The first rule of volunteer recruitment is the same, whether you're targeting parents or another group: Let people know what your needs are! It's important for you to spread the word in many different ways -- even if it means repeating yourself. Active volunteers say that they know people who want to help out, but they are not sure what they can do or how to go about getting involved. You need to keep reiterating the basic message. As parents to volunteer in three different ways:

Personally - At each PTA/PTO meeting of the year, stage a big welcome for parents. While you have a captive audience, give a talk on how much you need them to help at school.

Through Teachers - On PTA/PTO nights, parents go to individual classrooms and meet with teachers. This is when teachers can emphasize how important parents can be in the classroom. For instance, a teacher might say, "The kids really enjoy being read to, and they like reading to someone else. I don't have time to do this, but I'd love to have volunteers fill the need."

Via the Volunteer Handbook - The volunteer handbook should express your appreciation for volunteers and explains that parents' time and talents are important to the school. Then tell readers how to get involved.

This Strategy Gets Parents to Volunteer at Middle and High Schools

It is easy to carry volunteers over from elementary school to middle and high schools -- if you start early enough. Have a parent with your volunteer application forms at the middle and high school orientation meetings for fifth and eighth grade parents. Discuss volunteer opportunities and encourage parents to get involved. Send the same form home with all fifth and eighth grade students. Finally, include the form in the last parent newsletter of the year.

Getting the request out several times a year lets parents know you are serious about having them volunteer at the middle and high school levels. Presenting it at the elementary and middle school levels also helps; them feel more comfortable about getting involved.

Try These Strategies to Recruit Parent Volunteers

There are several approaches to recruiting parents as volunteers. Here is a sampling:

Make it Easier for Parents to Volunteer - Many parents don't volunteer because they can't get to the school or because no one is available to take care of their small children. Provide free transportation from central locations, so parents who do not have cars can volunteer. Also, use volunteers to provide childcare as well.

Recruit Volunteers at Open House or Back-To-School Night - You cannot just put information on a table and hope that parents notice it. At open house, make sure that every teacher distributes volunteer forms to parents.

Send Fliers and Letters Home with Students - Include a list of jobs volunteers perform at school, so parents can check what they feel most comfortable doing. They can also indicate whether they would like to volunteer on a regular basis or just for special projects.

Put a Special "Volunteer Opportunities" Column in Your School Newsletter - Include this column in every newsletter but make sure to make a big push in your May newsletter. This will enable you to keep an eye open toward the school's needs for the next academic year. This helps ease some of the volunteer attrition rate every year by allowing you to tap into the school's parents. You can also distribute this "job" listing on parent/teacher nights. A sample of this kind of ad is included at the end of the chapter.

Make a Personal Contact - Form letters and fliers alone are not going to get the job done. The best way to get people to volunteer is to approach them personally. You would be surprised how often you call somebody to ask if he or she will help with an event and get "yes" for an answer.

Send Fliers and Letters Home with Students - Include a list of jobs volunteers perform at school, so parents can check what they feel most comfortable doing. They can also indicate whether they would like to volunteer on a regular basis or just for special projects.

Avoid A Parent Trap: Make Fathers Feel Welcome Too

Helping out at school traditionally has been something mothers did. It is always tough getting fathers to volunteer at school. To bring fathers into your school as volunteers, you need to consider their interests and what they are willing and able to contribute.

Saturday Morning Work Detail - Send a note home with students explaining that "grounds work" needs to be done at school and invite dads to show up Saturday morning to help. Projects can include painting, pulling weeds, fence repairs, etc. Provide coffee and doughnuts. Fathers can work from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM and have the rest of the day off!

Extend Your Reach Beyond the School Yard

Getting non-parents involved in your school's volunteer program is much more challenging than recruiting parents. Since they have no children, or no children who are students, they do not have a personal "stake" in what's going on at your school. To reach these people, you need to go where they are. If there is a group you want to recruit volunteers from, concentrate your efforts on that group. For example, to increase senior citizens' participation, run public service announcements on local radio and television. Also approach community leaders about encouraging seniors to get involved, send information to seniors organizations and churches, or post fliers on bulletin boards at senior centers.

Grab Attention When Recruiting Community Members

There are a number of effective ways you can grab the attention of community members in your volunteer recruitment efforts.

← Send School Mailings to Everyone -- Not Just Parents

← Make Information Available Throughout the Community

← Speak to Service Organizations

Use the Media to Your Advantage When Recruiting

The best way to reach the greatest number of people is through the news media -- radio, television and newspaper.

Public Service Announcements - Radio and television PSAs are excellent for getting the word out about volunteer openings! So, consider approaching local stations to ask how PSAs can help you. Before you do this, however, here is a bit of practical advice:

It is a good idea to send a cover letter explaining your needs and goals, along with a public service announcement that's ready to go. Since their employees do not have to write the PSAs themselves, this makes it that much easier for media outlets to promote your message.

News Releases - Another way to keep your volunteer needs in the public eye is to send news releases to media outlets. For example, if you are starting a new project or program, mention in the release that volunteers are making it happen -- and that you can always use more!

Before you start writing news releases, however, follow these tips to make them more effective:

← Print on one side only of plain white paper

← Double-space to allow an editor or reported to make additional notes

← Use easy-to-read typewriting or computer printing

← At the top of the page, include the words "News Release", the name, address and phone number of a person to contact for more information, and a short headline

Get the Media to Pay Attention to Your News Releases

After you have submitted a news release, the next step is to get the media to follow up on it with a story! You can increase your chances of publication by following these simple rules:

Do Not Demand Coverage - Remember, it is the editor's or news director's decision to run a story, not yours. It is all right to let the media know you need their help. Once you have sent a release, though, the ball is in their court.

Don't Forget the Magic Word - If the TV, radio or paper does pick up on your release, drop them a card that says, 'Thank you. You helped up a lot.' It is an easy thing to do, but most people overlook it.

Take Any Free Coverage You Can Get - Do not be afraid to ask about exposure available at no charge. For example, the community newspapers have columns for news about school events and programs.

Be Sure to Develop Appropriate Recruitment Tools

An effective way to get the names of potential volunteers is through surveys and applications. Take a look at any forms that your school already uses. What information do you ask for? Do you give prospective volunteers choices about what they can do? Is the language friendly and inviting? Creating this form may be the most important step in your recruiting process. There are two reasons for this:

It's Format Can Influence Whether or Not Some People Will Volunteer at Your School- For example, if the form is too long or too detailed, many prospective volunteers won't get around to filling it out. Or, if they feel the application categorizes them in a way they are not entirely comfortable with, they will throw it away.

It Helps You To Better Assign Volunteers- Prospective volunteers' interests and availability are what you will base their placement on. An effective form will give you the information you need to make the right fit.

Application Questions Zero In On Best Candidates

A volunteer application form should include this standard information: the applicant's name, address, telephone number, his or her children's names and availability. After this point, however, applications take on a their own unique identities. Which way is best? It depends on how you plan to use volunteers. At the end of this chapter, you will find copies of three user-friendly application forms. Why not look at them now and decide which elements will work for you.

Give Applicants a Range of Volunteer Options

As you develop your volunteer application, remember that the more volunteer options you offer, the higher your participation rate will be. Specifically ask whom prospective volunteers prefer to work with. In addition to offering different types of work, give volunteers options for when they can work. Offer different levels of involvement based on availability. Volunteers can take papers home to cut out decorations, or they can read to students in the classroom or help out as office and lunchroom volunteers. Volunteer options are endless.

Security Clearances Weed Out Questionable Applicants

If your campus feels the need to do a security clearance on potential volunteers, we have included an example form at the end of this chapter.

Use a Data Base To Organize Volunteers

A quick tip for managing the information from volunteer applications forms is to enter it into a computer data base. Put lists of potential volunteers in the computer according to their interests. Then, if you need someone to read to a class or to chaperone a field trip, use a computer and search to find those willing to do these things. At the end of this chapter, we have included two sample data base entry templates. By using a data base, in a matter of minutes you can have a list of volunteers who fit any job to a T!

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