Recruiting volunteers can be an intimidating task, but I’m here to help you streamline this process. Keep reading to learn how…

For 5 years, I had a job where I managed up to 54 volunteers at a time. I learned the best strategies for volunteer engagement and community building so I would get the support I needed. Now I’m part of an organization that regularly needs assistance: Scouts. The other members of our committee were surprised when I recently filled all the volunteer slots for an event in under 48 hours. Here’s how I did it:

Figure out what you need first

A month or two in advance of the event, gather all the information necessary to clearly communicate your needs to the group. For example, If you need volunteers for a fundraising event, make sure you have all Five Ws: Who, What, Where, When, Why, + How. Not having all the information is a surefire way to get 0 responses because no one wants to be the only one there or find themselves wandering through an empty parking lot at 11:00pm to put trash in the dumpster. Being clear about what you need will make it easier for people to say “yes” to your request and more likely that they’ll assist you in the future.

Here’s an example of a volunteer recruitment email:

Good evening, scouting families.

Next Tuesday is our Court of Honor, which will take place at the park pavilion at 7:00pm. We will serve ice cream from the local dairy afterwards!

We need some volunteers!

• Several people to assist with set-up at 6:30pm (arranging tables and food, unloading troop supplies)

• Several volunteers to assist with clean-up until 9:00pm (packing up troop supplies, cleaning tables, moving tables back where we found them, disposal of trash)

• 2 volunteers to scoop ice cream

• 2 packages of cookies (family packs)

• 2 packages of cupcakes (12-packs)

• 2 packages of Italian ice (12-packs in an ice chest)

• 3 families to bring water bottles (24-packs in an ice chest)

  Please contact me as soon as you’re able to let me know that you’re able to contribute. We need your help to make it a great night.

Thanks and have a nice weekend,

Stephanie Kalka, Troop Secretary/Recruiting Coordinator

Send a clear email to the right people

In this email, I answered any question someone might have that would stand in the way of them volunteering. Everything is clearly laid out for the recipient’s reference. And at the end of the email, I am already assuming they’re going to volunteer their time and I’m thanking them because it’s SO important to thank your volunteers—even before they’ve volunteered.

Before you send the email to everyone one your list, check the list in and remove people who have already mentioned that they won’t be available for the event. This way, you won’t receive emails that say, “I already told you I won’t be around that weekend,” etc. Annoy them this time and they might avoid you next time.

After you send your email, you will hear from those friends and colleagues who understand the work that goes into planning for this sort of event. These people are my favorites. Even if they respond to say they aren’t available, at least they let you know.

Send a second email

Give the initial email 48 to 72 hours to work its magic. You will have a handful of people to fill up volunteer slots. Before sending the email again, remove the people on the list who have signed up. If you send an email to someone who’s already volunteered, they will be might be confused. Then they’ll probably send you an email asking if you put them on the schedule, which will create unnecessary back-and-forth. Clean up your list and update the email to say something like, “We heard from a few people and are grateful to them for stepping up. We still need XX people for these time slots on these days.” Once your email has been proofread, send it out.

Send “special invitation” emails

You will hear from several people, usually with an apology, “Sorry I didn’t let you know sooner, but yes, I can volunteer at this time on this day.” Some will decline, and that’s all right. Now you will be left with the people who haven’t responded at all. I think of these people as the “special invitation” group. Sometimes they’re overwhelmed, sometimes they just want to hide in the herd and let the overachievers do the heavy lifting. Whatever their reason, you will need to reach out to each of them personally.

Create a personalized email for each of these people. Something like this:

Hi L,

How was your son’s soccer tournament? The last time I saw Fred, I couldn’t believe how tall he’s gotten!

I know you’re busy, but is there any way you two could assist with the Court of Honor set-up? We could really use the help of an experienced family that night, since the other volunteers are new this year. You have such a nice way of making people feel welcome and I think the Smith family would increase their participation if they spent some time getting to know you guys. Would you please think about participating? Will you let me know tonight?

Thanks for considering,

Stephanie

Like I did in this sample email, find a way to relate to the person. What did they mention when you saw them last? Do they have pets? Have they recently moved or gotten a new car? Find something personal to ask them about. If you begin with, “We really need you to volunteer…” they’ll tune you out. Talk about them and ask them questions about their file and they’ll be more likely to listen.

Try to make one request. Ask them for this one thing and be very clear about it. Tell them why you think they are the person best equipped for this one job. Pay them a compliment. I know it sounds like I’m buttering them up—and I am—but the compliment is sincere. I really mean what I say and I’m hoping that the positive traits I noticed in L will encourage her to participate in the fundraiser because her specific skills are needed. You may be thinking, “I don’t have time for this. These folks should just volunteer because we all know everyone has to participate for the event to be successful.”

This is true, but not everyone will do the right thing just because it’s expected of them. Some people will not help unless you take the time to make it look more attractive to them in a Tom-Sawyer-painting-the-fence kind of way.

Is this exasperating? You bet! Can I take the time to gently recruit volunteers if it means I will cultivate better relationships and make the event a success? YES, I CAN!

Remind your volunteers

Once you have all the volunteers you need, be sure to send out reminder emails and provide them with your contact information in case of emergency. Send a reminder out several days before and the night before so they remember that you’re counting on them. Thank them for being part of the team.

Thank your volunteers

Thank your volunteers in person at the event and then thank them by email after the event. Point out something specific they did at the event if you can think of something. Take the time to do this and your team will be much more likely to help you in the future. You will be known as an excellent leader who cares about the individual people within their community.

I wish you luck with your email requests. If you would like to have a consultation with me about this or any other business process topic, please reach out!