How To Cultivate Long-Term Volunteers
With some thought and planning, you can turn occasional helpers into committed volunteers.
Perhaps youâve had some success finding volunteers; some new parents have offered to help serve coffee at the welcome breakfast or sell raffle tickets at the fall fundraiser. But why does it feel like with each new activity or event, youâre starting all over, looking for new recruits to help out?
Wouldnât it be great if you had a team of loyal, dependable parents you could count on not only to help out at each event but maybe even to take over planning and running the programs, too? Itâs possible. With these simple strategies, you can convert one-time helpers into long-term volunteers.
Have a plan
Kristi Kovalak, a member of the parent group at Reed Elementary in St. Louis, says it takes time and planning to develop a solid team of volunteers. âThe key word is âcultivate,ââ she says. âRecognize that it takes time, and find a volunteer who has the time to source new folks and find out their interests and skills.â This person should be dedicated to getting to know the parents at your school and finding out their unique interests, time commitments, passions, and skills. By tailoring tasks to individualsâ experience and interests, youâre more likely to keep those volunteers engaged beyond a single assignment.
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Get organized
In order to leverage parentsâ talents and skill sets, you need to plan your volunteer assignments. Too many times boards ask for help at the last minute, limiting the size of the volunteer pool. For an upcoming event, even if the venue is booked, the entertainmentâs been hired, and the food is ordered, nailing down the volunteer schedule is critical. Parents who work or care for elderly family members, for example, need notice to clear their schedules. Advance planning also helps you figure out what specific tasks have to get done (and the skills required), how many volunteers are needed, and how and when the work can be completed. Also, know whoâs volunteered in the past and keep track of what they did and when they did it. Says Kovalak, âFor anyone who has volunteered, find another job for them within three to four months. At least ask; otherwise they disengage.â
Be specific and personal
Too often, boards send out generic requests. A busy parent is more likely to respond to a finite and specific task, such as updating the website or helping with cleanup or sorting box tops, than to a notice that says âVolunteers Needed.â When you are clear about what exactly you need from your volunteer base, you can make specific requests of the parents at your school. A personal appeal is more effective than a call for volunteers on a flyer sent home in a backpack. If you know a parent works the overnight shift, ask her to help with an event during school hours, not with the Halloween dance. If youâre building a new playground, enlist the help of parents who are landscapers or carpenters. When those parents can make a meaningful contribution, theyâre more likely to return and do it again.
Provide context
David Bakke, editor of the personal finance site Money Crashers and a PTO father at the Montessori School of Cumming (Ga.), says volunteers seek meaning in the work they do. âOne way to turn new PTO volunteers into long-term regulars is to make sure your organization has a vision and long-term goals. Parents are likely to get more involved if they see that the PTO has a plan and goals in place,â he says. For example, if youâre selling gift wrap to fund an arts and enrichment program, let parents knowâitâs much more fulfilling to sort order forms when you know the money raised will go toward music lessons. Sarah Barrett, a parent volunteer at Carpenter Community Charter in Studio City, Calif., and author of A Momâs Guide to School Fundraising, says, âThereâs no sense in volunteering if you donât feel like youâre making a difference.â
Create a timeline
Know that cultivating committed volunteers doesnât happen overnight. Kovalak says she grows her volunteer program by grade. âStart with the parents in the 1st grade so you have time,â she says. âAssume they are willing but overwhelmed, and take the time to make the first interaction doable and manageable and possibly related to what you think youâll need longer term. In other words, make it small but measurable.â For example, ask a first-time parent volunteer to contribute to, not publish, the PTO newsletter. Once she has been involved for a while, then you can ask her to take over as editor. This approach will keep parents from getting overwhelmed with requests from your boardâsomething that might drive them away from taking future volunteer assignments.
Be patient
Just as it takes time to grow a garden, it takes time to build a strong volunteer base. Many PTO boards make the mistake of trying to go from planting the seed to yielding the harvest in too short a time frame. Monica Linari, who volunteers with the PTO at the Early Childhood Education Center in Dedham, Mass., says parents avoid PTO meetings so they wonât be asked to do too much. âMany people are worried that if they show up, they are going to be asked to spearhead fundraisers,â Linari says. When someone raises a hand to help or suggests a new way of doing things, donât pounce. Find out how much that person is willing to do and be grateful for the contribution, no matter how large or small. Make the experience positive and then ask for a little bit more from that person the next time you need help.
Say thanks
If you want parents to volunteer a second time, show your appreciation. This is a simple but critical step in cultivating your team. Taking the time to say thanks can motivate volunteers to do even more great work for your school. Just as important, refrain from showing displeasure at tasks not done to your exact liking. For example, if a volunteerâs very thorough cleanup efforts hold you up from going home after an event, be sure to keep any impatience in check and simply thank her for a job well done. Most volunteers arenât looking for public recognition, but they do need to know that their efforts matter. âI think appreciation is probably one of the most important aspects of cultivating volunteers. Having a positive experience with a volunteer situation makes a huge difference,â Barrett says.
Avoid burnout
It has happened to all of us: We get an eager new volunteer, so we give her more and more to do. And then all of a sudden, she stops coming to meetings, she avoids our calls, or her calendar books upâforever. Itâs a classic case of volunteer burnout, but it can be avoided. Kovalak says most burnout is either self-induced or the result of a bad experience. She layers her volunteers who work on the major activities each year. âWe have two cochairs for each event initiative and the committee itself. It helps catch the burnout factor earlier rather than later,â she says.
Also, it may seem counterintuitive, but reducing a regular volunteerâs commitments can be a smart long-term strategy. âKeep an eye out for overcommitted volunteers and scale back their duties,â Bakke says. âAlso, when delegating new assignments or responsibilities, make it clear to your volunteer staff that they do have the ability to decline.â
Remember, people volunteer for a reason: âYou want to be able to make a difference,â Barrett says. Keep that in mind and theyâll keep coming back.
Originally posted in 2013 and updated regularly.
