How to Engage Volunteerism
Busy and successful people find themselves getting ”hit up” for all sorts of fundraisers, and to be on boards of directors on a regular basis. If you are reading this post, you are probably thinking to yourself ”No kidding, it happened to me three times last week.”
Here are some principles I’ve learned since I began spending 1/2 my time volunteering this year.
1. The easier it is to contribute, the more apt we are to do it. This may sound elementary, but think of all the times you’ve been asked to serve on a committee for something and there is no end date given, no specific description of the job, and you have the feeling in your gut that there is going to be a large amount of “scope creep” to the job, a learning curve, and it’s not even something you’re very good at or interested in. If you are the “asker” in this situation, you are setting yourself up for mediocre results at best. Be specific, have benchmarks and metrics, and if possible, a “how to” model or template to guarantee success.
2. Highest and best use is a great way to leverage your assets. Before just making phone calls for that empty board position, think about the person you are about to call. What gifts does she bring to the table? Is it funds? Is it contacts? Is it a particular skill, knowledge, or experience? Consider asking the person to share what they do best and what they like to do best (sometimes its the same thing, sometimes not). For example, right now, if someone asks me for money I will say no. At the moment, I have some negative cash flow real estate that is costing me more than I earn. Just being honest. I already give 50% of my time to 3 of my favorite charities, so time is not a commodity I have, either. Many people do have time right now, since they are out of work, so those people would be good people to get time from, while they are waiting for interviews, etc. If you can give them a title even though they are not getting paid, they are more likely to give a day or a half a day per week to you, possibly more. They can put it on their resume, rather than having an obvioud “I did nothing for 8 months” gap that’s a red flag. Conversely, people with no time, often have money, and are happy to write a check, but would never sit on a committee to run your next fundraiser event. Think about what people do for a living, or as hobbies: That’s what you ask them to do. Someone who loves to bake is the person you need to ask to bake the cookies for your board meetings and events, because she will be happy and pleased to do it. Your banker can run the till at your fundraising auction, and your real estate, insurance and car salesperspon can round up the donations. Why? Because they know everyone, and they have the gift of persuasion. Ask them to do what they’re good at, and what they love to do. And what they have available to them in lieu of funds. They may be able to write a check for 100 bucks, but they may be able to collect 5K worth of donations. Perhaps you can get them to do both, but given the choice…….it’s a no-brainer.
3. In-kind donations: I speak for a living, so since I have no money and no time for meetings right now, I am happy to donate my speaking fee as an in-kind donation. Perhaps the organization needs a keynote address at a fundraising dinner or luncheon, etc. I have donated my fees for facilitating annual board of directors planning sessions, and so forth. Why? Because it’s what I’m an expert in, and it’s a way I can give to the cause when I can’t write a check or work on a committee. Perhaps your local office supply company can donate flipcharts and easels for your planning session, and your local hotel can donate the venue for your retreat during a non-peak season time as an in-kind donation. A landlord may have an office she can donate to you for. You may have a previous donor who has experience writing grants. Maybe you have an actor or storyteller who has a fantastic one-woman performance that they would do at the local theater for a fundraiser. Someone would probably write your monthly newsletter for you or work on a website project. This is just a sampling of the type of talent that is often hidden in the DNA and the experience and skills of your volunteer base. When you just ask them only for money without being in relationship with them, you miss the boat.
4. Use volunteers to take some load off paid staff. Volunteers can include senior citizens and high school students, court mandated community service volunteers, non-English speaking immigrants (legal, or course), home-schooled children and their parent-teacher, you name it. Volunteers can be used for skilled tasks, too: grant writing, newsletter and/or marketing material, design and graphics, IT issues, project management, PR, receptionist/secretarial duties, just about anything. All you have to know is what can be delegated and what skills exist among your volunteers.
5. Be creative. My friends at the Salvation Army say what they are looking for from people are “Time, Treasure and Talent”. That is a great way to think about it. Most everybody has one of those three. An easy way to get to the point is to ask, “Which of these three things can you share with us?” Time and Talent both translate into Treasure (money) one way or another. Someone may have something they can sell on E-Bay to turn it into cash for the cause, too. That’s another reason I love the word treasure. It opens up the possibility of treasures other than cash: “Oh yeah, I have the old Pickup truck from when I lived on 10 acres and I don’t need it anymore living in a condo”.
6. Recognition. There are some folks who like to stay anonymous. But most of us like a pat on the back. When you are being relational, you will learn to ask your supporters how they like to be recognized. They might like a keepsake gift, or they might like to be recognized by a certificate they can show off on their wall. They might like a personal phone call from you , stating how much you appreciate them, or a hand written note signed by the team. Maybe they would like to come to your next event as a guest, or to sit next to someone they consider special. Who knows? You do, but only if you ask.
Incidentally, volunteerism can mix with for-profit businesses very well. Recognizing your employees for a special volunteer day or event makes them feel more valuable and raises engagement and promotes good will. It sets an example of helping others and helps your company culture. If they participate in something big, it can be great exposure for the company as well. You should have, as part of your business plan, a social responsiblity plan. Part of social responsibility is volunteerism. You may do it in reverse, too. If your business is in need of something, your clients and employees can step up and help you, too. I remember an instance when clients volunteered to help a local business that had burned down.
In conclusion, the three things you need to do to thrive during these economically challenging times are:
1. Be more relational. (Get to know your supporters and what they have to offer)
2. Ask your supporters to share what they have and what they do best. Remember the time, treasure, and talent rule.
3. Be specific about what you need. Make it easy for them to help. If they understand what you need and can’t help, they know someone else who can.
post note: If you haven’t decided on a charity to support yet, email me julia@mentaliron.com and request my monthly newsletter. Each month I feature a non-profit organization that is worthy of any time, treasure, and talent you can offer.
©2010 Julia Marrocco All rights reserved
Tags: benchmarking, Best Practices, Engagement, Executive Coach, Executive Performance, Highest and Best Use, Human Capital, Leverage, Metrics, Motivation, Success, Talent Management, Volunteerism
June 4th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Thank you for your article. I think people do need to be engaged to volunteer. I also think if you learn how to do this they are more than happy to give of themselves and help out their fellow man.