Top Tips for Attracting Time-Poor Volunteers
Get to know the members within your organisation personally.
Its not enough to know about their skills or hobbies - you need to understand what makes them tick. Some people volunteer out of a sense of obligation, some because they want to 'make a difference', and others because it makes them feel important or valued. Regardless of how little time people have available, you will always get them involved if you can give them what they need in return.
If people are really busy, it is unlikely they will respond to a call for help in the newsletter or on the notice board, because they assume someone else will take up the challenge.
When the event goes ahead or the job gets done, they assume that someone else volunteered or you didn't need them after all. They have no idea that one person ended up doing the whole lot! If people aren't coming to you after a blanket call for help, pick up the phone and ask people one-on-one. You'll be surprised by how many people will 'find time' when they realise you're still looking for help.
Break the jobs you need done into smaller 'bite-sized' tasks, so that people only need to commit to small periods of time.
The more specific you can be about what needs to be done, the more likely you are to get people involved. Break everything down, and then if necessary, break it down again. Even committee roles can be shared. For example, you could have a Minutes Secretary and a Correspondence Secretary.
Let people know what needs to be achieved, but provide some flexibility in how they make that happen.
People know their schedules and commitments much better than you do, so let them have control over how they use their time, provided the job still gets done.
Support time-poor people in managing their time with you.
You can do this by:
- Giving them contact lists so they can get in touch with everyone they need to, when they need to.
- Allowing them access to specific information using passwords or codes, so they can work to their schedule not yours. Constantly waiting for someone to get back to them only eats in to the precious little time they have available.
- Allowing a degree of authority so they can 'get on with the job'. If they have to check in every step of the way, they will soon get frustrated by the hold-ups.
If you need people to do a specific task at a specific time, make sure you are organised and communicate with potential volunteers early.
Time-poor people need loads of warning to fit things into their schedule, therefore asking for helpers one week before they are needed is bound to fail.
Genuinely appreciate how precious time is to time-poor people - and don't waste it!
If you invite a time-poor person to attend a meeting, make sure that meeting is run efficiently otherwise they will never come back. If a time-poor person volunteers to help with a specific project or event, make sure the event is well organised and they don't spend time twiddling their thumbs. If they feel like their time is being wasted, they will choose to spend it elsewhere.
Give people the option to make a cash donation, rather than a donation of time.
Most time-poor people would rather tape a $5 note to a plate, than bake a cake for a cake stall. (And let's face it, the result is the same.) Your time-poor members may not be able to help mow the office lawns, but they may be prepared to pay for a lawn mower once a fortnight. Don't assume it's volunteering or nothing - make the ask.
Recognise your time-poor volunteers in ways that give them more time - not take time away.
For example, instead of inviting a time-poor volunteer to a thank-you dinner, give them the gift of a pizza voucher that they can use when their day has been extra frantic. Instead of only having volunteer get-together in person, set up a Facebook page where your volunteers can connect with each other online. This can allow your time-poor volunteer to feel like part of the team, without asking for more if their precious time.
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