Volunteers: The Backbone of Community Success
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
Volunteers: The Backbone of Community Success
Allison Kosto
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
Did you know there is a group working to improve our local trails system? Did you know community members are trying to develop solutions for affordable housing? Did you know that Fall Fest is entirely run by volunteers? In fact, nearly all of our large community events are organized by volunteers. There are really amazing things happening in our community that are made possible through volunteers. It takes a lot of people to make a community a thriving place to live, specifically people who give their time, energy and resources to make so much happen.
One of the biggest challenges that local community groups and nonprofits have is recruiting and engaging new volunteers. This challenge is echoed in the research. A recent study by MSU Extension found that 1 in 15 people in Montana need to hold a leadership role to keep nonprofits operating. This is the highest in the nation. However, another common phenomenon across the state, including Broadwater County, is that those in leadership roles do so in multiple organizations. Why is this? It could be because they love being engaged in the community and giving back. While I believe this is true, I think it could also be directly related challenges with recruiting new volunteers for these roles.
Engaging volunteers takes a strategic and thoughtful process to truly be successful. There are research-based models that provide systematic approaches to volunteer management and development, but in my experience in community work, there are a few basic principles to recruiting and retaining volunteers.
The first step is identifying your specific volunteer needs. How many people do you need to be successful? What or who is currently missing? What type of person are you looking for? What skills, knowledge, attitudes or abilities do they need to possess? I highly recommend developing a role description for volunteer positions that outlines the responsibilities, time commitment, qualifications, potential impacts and benefits. Providing this to prospective volunteers makes it clearer about what they are getting into.
After you know what you are looking for, the next step is actual recruitment. Unfortunately, public recruitment campaigns often fall short. The best tried and true method for recruitment is direct ask. Organizations that are highly successful recruiting volunteers spend time strategizing specific individuals, assigning someone to ask and then follow up. One study found that the number of “yeses” from volunteers increased from 29% to 71% with a direct ask.
Once you have recruited a volunteer, it is important to set that person up for success. This should include establishing clear expectations, providing orientation and/or education, and providing a supportive environment. Throughout this process, it is important to provide and accept feedback. Volunteers are often the “boots on the ground” people getting the work done so hearing them through their challenges and supporting their needs will help you retain volunteers in the long run.
Last, but certainly not least, it is important to acknowledge and recognize volunteers. Volunteers, in most cases, do not need to be there and won’t stay if they don’t feel valued, appreciated and know their work is making a difference. There are many ways to recognize volunteers, both formally and informally. Ideas include a small token of thanks, a handwritten thank you, a gift, acknowledgement at an event or publishing a list of volunteers in the newspaper.
If you go through the steps and are still having trouble recruiting and/or retaining volunteers, it may be time to step back and analyze the current volunteer structure. Is there a system or structure in place that discourages volunteers from being part of your organization? The reality is that people today volunteer differently than in the past. Research shows that young adults do want to volunteer but may do it in a different way. For example, younger generations are not as interested in long term commitments. They want volunteer opportunities that are short duration and show real work impact. My challenge to local organizations is to think strategically about your volunteer roles and how you can make them appeal to multiple generations and types of volunteers.
I also would like to challenge community members who are not currently involved to consider volunteering. If you have an interest or passion, chances are there is a community group that is related to your interest that can use you. If you’re unsure where to start, start small such as serving beer or brats at Fall Fest. Another option is to join the next class of Big Sky Big Leadership in Broadwater County, which offers opportunities to learn about local nonprofits and community needs in addition to building leadership skills. For more information about volunteer engagement or Big Sky Big Leadership, contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County 406-266-9242 or Allison.kosto@montana.edu
