Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

April 16, 2009

Volunteering…what’s the big deal?

What are we talking about?

• Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2008 - 61.8 million people volunteered through or for an organization

• In 2006, 61.2 million volunteers dedicated 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service

• In 2001, 83.9 million American adults volunteered, representing the equivalent of over 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion

What is Volunteering?

• The service must not be provided primarily for financial gain

• Must be done of one’s own free will.

• Must benefit a third party

First…Chapter Motivations

• Identify and clarify your chapter’s motivations for engaging volunteers

• Ask key questions – What do you as chapter leaders want from

your volunteers?– Is there real work to be done?– What are the chapter’s goals and how will

our volunteers help us reach them?

Volunteer Motivations

• What motivates you to volunteer for your chapter?

• How does that relate to why others might volunteer?

Professional Motivations

• Opportunities to learn new skills

• Meet other professionals

• Finding a job or making a career change

• Help people

• Do something useful – give back to the profession

Chapter Structure

Chapter Board

Committee Committee Committee

Task Force Ad Hoc Project Task Force Task Force Ad Hoc Project

Creating Volunteer Opportunities

• Time commitment

• Specific duties

• Available resources

• In person or remotely

• Direct service vs. administrative

Ask!• 71% of volunteers serve when asked

• Only 29% volunteer without being asked

• Only 50% of adults were asked to volunteer– If the other 50% were asked, as many as

71% may volunteer

• 58% of AFP leaders volunteered because another board member asked

Chapter Recruitment Efforts

Please tell us how you recruit new volunteers:

Matching Skills to Positions

• Volunteer motivation and interest

• Your own knowledge of the volunteer

• Time

• Skills

• Comfort level

Volunteer Retention

• Matching volunteers interests and skills with the appropriate task

• Providing accurate training and guidance

• Acknowledgement of contributions

Volunteer Evaluation

• Don’t wonder if volunteers enjoy what they’re doing – ask!

• Offer feedback on ways to increase involvement and prominence of positions if desired

Volunteers – The Next Generation

• Seek knowledge about the organizations for which they volunteer

• Feel like they have an impact

• Career advancement and mentoring

• May be interested in new ways to virtually volunteer

Tomorrow’s Volunteers

AFP volunteers are more likely than other association members to volunteer in both face to face and volunteer capacities

05

101520253035404550

All Assoc. Mbrs

AFP Mbrs.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

All Assoc.Mbrs. AFP Mbrs.

2008 Volunteer Activity

Anticipated Volunteer Activity

Association Volunteers

• Association members are highly engaged people• Values drive volunteer choices• The power of the direct ask• A meaningful experience keeps them coming back• Involving the younger generation• The professional benefits of volunteerism• Recognizing the ad hoc volunteer• Organizational strategies can support or discourage

volunteering

Resources

• Brudney, Jeffery L. (2005). Designing and Managing Volunteer Programs. In Robert D. Herman & Associates (Eds.), The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership & Management. California: Jossey-Bass.

• Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development. (2007). Volunteering in America: 2007 State Trends and Rankings in Civic Life, Washington, DC

• Gazley, Beth and Dignam, Monica. The Decision to Volunteer. ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. 2008. Washington, DC.

• Independent Sector and United Nations Volunteers. Measuring Volunteering: A Practical Toolkit. http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/toolkit/IYVToolkit.PDF

• Moore, Cassie. (2004). Volunteers Say Charity Work Helps Then in Their Careers. Chronicle of Philanthropy. Vol. 16 Issue 14, p29

• United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Volunteering in the United States, 2008. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm

Open Discussion

Contact Information

Alice Ferris, CFRE

Partner, GoalBusters

alice.ferris@goalbusters.net

Catherine Wemette, CAE

Director, Chapter Administration, AFP

cwemette@afpnet.org

Thank you for all you do for AFP!