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Mobile Volunteers – ‘Tis the Season
Submitted on 8 June 2005 by Jill L. McMahon, Catholic Social Services, Volunteer Coordinator, Hastings, Nebraska USA
I've learned to "go with the flow" and schedule projects around sports camps and summer activities in our local area. This is how we manage our 200 plus student volunteers. The volunteers who "summer in cooler" climates or "winter in warmer" climates are really good about letting us know the time of their return. I mark that date on my calendar and remember to call them a few days after that return date to adjust schedules. The organization I work with is really lucky to have that level dedication of our volunteers.
Submitted on 1 June 2005 by Hillary Roberts, Project Linus NJ, Inc., President, Keyport/NJ USA
Do you encourage vacationing volunteers to stay involved in some way? How?
Although our agency donates handmade blankets year round; summer is a lighter time for requests. We stay in touch with dedicated volunteers by offering free, one day blanket making workshops (in an air conditioned space), by inviting volunteers to various trade shows (around the state); and by communicating via email and newsletter. On the grander side is what our volunteers continue to do to keep in touch with us. They share agency newsletters, brochures and blanket patterns with family and friends over the summer (& holiday season). In the Fall, we experience a higher than normal rate of donations that arrive from all over the country as a direct result of volunteers sharing their first hand experience.
Do you already utilize seasonal volunteers? How do they find you?
Truly, seasonal volunteers arrive year round. College students are a great example. Families vacationing to the Jersey shore another. We advertise on dozens of volunteer-based sites but have expanded to include family-friendly publications, Web sites, area radio stations, local libraries and, just this year, took the summer "reading list" to a volunteer level. We initiated a volunteer opportunity list attached to the summer reading list for schools we work with during the year. The list contained contact information on 40 nonprofits, including our own, and was an easy tool to generate. With a few strong marketing tools, word of mouth can take care of the rest.
What other ideas does this spark for you?
In order for seasonal volunteering to work, agencies must be diligent about training and staffing good communicators. I often hear from volunteers that it was refreshing to get a response quickly. No matter how wonderful the recruitment technique, reliable communication will save any agency from losing a great volunteer. Today's seasonal volunteer can be tomorrow's Board Member! It's crucial to hold off implementing seasonal recruitment programs if you don't have the trained people in place to handle these unique calls.
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