How to Find Volunteers

One of the hardest jobs of any volunteer coordinator is finding people to volunteer their time. These days, it seems that everyone has a hundred different commitments and just don’t have the spare time. If you are looking to find volunteers for a community project or program, make your search an effective one by following this approach.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Telephone
• Telephone directory
• Computer
• Printer

1. Create a flyer or brochure detailing what you need volunteers to do and when you need them. Be as specific as possible and include any incentives for volunteering like free food, T-shirts or media coverage.
2. Build a list of every civic organization, religious institution and school in your community and find out who is in charge of group activities. Try to build as many contact names as possible.
3. Speak to each contact person directly. Tell them briefly about your program or project and ask if you can send them some information to read at their discretion.
4. Follow up with a phone call to each person you sent literature to. Talk with them more about the project and ask if they could help in any way.
5. Keep a running roster of volunteers. If someone has volunteered once and had a good experience, they are likely to help out again. Talk to these people when you are in need.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact businesses in your community, as well. Many businesses are happy to offer volunteers for a day project, especially if the event is large or may warrant media attention.
• Ask volunteers to recommend your project to others. Word-of-mouth is an effective way of getting people to participate in any project.
• Don’t badger your potential volunteers with phone calls. After sending the information, give at least one week before calling again. If they do not seem interested, let them be. You can always follow up with an inquiring phone call months down the road to see if they have changed their mind.