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Inspired Engagement: Using Missionbased Tactics to Recruit Committed
Volunteers to Join Your Good Cause
2015 Kanas Health Foundation Conference, April 8, 2015
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 Icebreaker: Your To
 Volunteer
Motivations
 Volunteer
Recruitment in 5 Steps
①
①
Agenda
Do List
②
③
④
⑤
What Are Your Needs?
What Do You Have to Offer?
Who Are You Trying to Reach?
What’s Your Message?
What’s the Best Way to Deliver
Your Message?
How Do You Know You Got It
Right?
 Wrap
Up: Your Key Takeaways
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Volunteer Motivations
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Connection is
Why We’re Here
Fear of not
being worthy
keeps from us
connecting with
others
http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_
on_vulnerability
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Volunteers want
to be part of
something
bigger
than
themselves.
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The highest
reward for
people’s toil is not
what they get for it,
but what they
become by it.
Source: Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog,
http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog
/2013/06/24/reward-your-supporters-withyour-messaging/
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All Rights Reserved
What are Volunteers Seeking?
Prospective
Volunteer
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Organization
Shared
World
View
A Shared World View
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How must we change to
meet these needs?
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Source: Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers, The Urban Institute (June 2004)
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The Volunteer Engagement Cycle
Needs Analysis
Recognition
Recruitment
Retention
Resourcing/Supervision
Screening
Evaluation
Orientation/Training
Placement
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What Are Your Needs?
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Key Planning Questions
 What
 Why
kinds of volunteers do we need?
do we need them?
 What
will they be doing?
 How
will they contribute to the
organization?
 How
will our organization benefit them?
 How
many do we need?
 When
do we need them?
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
+ Recruitment Plan Template

Qualities of an Ideal
Volunteer

Audience Personas

Generational Identities

Communications Platform
(& sample Talking Points)

Tools & Tactics

Campaign Evaluation

Campaign Schedule
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Discussion
What tasks/projects do you
have on your “To Do” list
that never get done
because you don’t have
enough time?
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Types of
Volunteer
Involvement

Stand By Volunteers

Volunteer Teams

Short-term Projects

Medium-term
Cyclical/Seasonal Work

Long-term Program
Support

Self-generated
Assignments
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Volunteer
Workforce Needs Analyses
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Step 1 -- Brainstorm all
tasks that need to be
done & problems that
need to be solved.
Step 2 -- Write one
task per post-it, and
put them all up on the
wall.
Step 3 -- Identify which
tasks can ONLY be
done by paid staff.
Step 4 -- Remove paid
staff responsibilities
from the larger group.
Step 5 – Cluster
remaining tasks into
groups of similar
duties.
Step 6 -- Create a
team description & list
their responsibilities.
Step 7 -- Identify which
staff or volunteer will
support which team.
Step 8 -- Create onepage volunteer
position descriptions
for each team.
Step 9 – Prioritize;
start with positions that
will have the most
impact.
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Step 10 – Recruit your
first volunteers!!!
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What Do You Have to
Offer?
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Synergy
Volunteer
Needs
Community Benefit
Organization
Needs
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+ Elements of Job Satisfaction
Task Variety
Task Identity
• Uses the
different
skills &
talents of the
volunteer
• Allows the
volunteer to
complete
some tasks
from
beginning to
end
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Task
Significance
• Volunteer
believes the
job has a
substantial
impact on
others & the
organization’s
mission
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+ Volunteer Interest Worksheet
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I am passionate about …
I am happy to help with …
I want to learn how to …
Please don’t ask me to …
I thought you should also know …
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The Status Quo?

49.3% of the callers received an offer of assistance (“May I
help you?”)

69.3% did not receive the name of staff person answering the
phone

26.4% were not referred to the appropriate contact person

When the contact person was unavailable, only 48.7% were
asked for a name and phone number

30% actually received callbacks

In 16.1% of calls, prospective volunteers were not thanked
for contacting the agency
Source: “Initial Telephone Contact of Prospective Volunteers with Nonprofits: An Operational Definition of Quality and
Norms for 500 Agencies,” Charles Hobson and Kathryn Malec, Journal of Volunteer Administration, (Summer/Fall 1999).
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
Diagnosing Barriers
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Who Are You Trying to
Reach?
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High-impact Volunteers
 Express
 Take
 Ask
aspirations
initiative
great questions
 Offer
 Take
solutions
on
progressive
responsibility
 Problem
 Follow
solve well
through
 Welcome
feedback
 Care
about
meeting &
evaluating results
 Identify
with cause
Source: Jill Friedman Fixler, Boomer Volunteer Engagement, 2012
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Persona:________________________
Key Elements
Characteristics
Description
gender, age, education,
occupation, etc.
Why They Volunteer...
what they hope to gain
from the experience
Their Core Values...
what they believe in
They Need to Have...
preferred communication
style, schedule, flexibility,
type of recognition, etc.
Where They Can be
Found...
preferred communication
media, work time, leisure
activities, hobbies, related
interests, etc.
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Notes
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Successful volunteer recruitment helps busy people
partner with your organization to do
what’s important to both them and you.
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What’s Your Message?
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Six Things Stimulate the Brain
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What can you do for me?
Centered
on Self
Can I feel it?
What is or will be different?
Clear
Contrast
Emotion
Can I see it?
Do I “get it”
Visual
Stimuli
Tangible
Input
Beginnin
g&
Ending
For more info, see: Neuromarketing, Patrick
Renvoisé & Christophe Morin
Is something happening right now?
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+ Tips for Compelling Messages
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Pitch a Do-able Task or Project
Rather Than Using Data, Tap Emotions
Focus on One Life, Versus Many
Demonstrate Social Proof for Your
Solution
Choose Credible Authority Figures as
Spokespeople
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Convincing Beyond a Doubt
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• I’ve never heard of this organization. Who are
they?
• Are people friendly there?
• I’m not sure if they are aligned with my beliefs.
• I’m unsure which steps to take to join exactly.
• I can’t find any background info on the program
• Will I fit in?
• What type of help do they need exactly?
• Will they be flexible enough to accommodate my
busy life and varied schedule?
• Would my contribution really make a difference?
• How come I can’t find any info about them when I
search the internet?
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What recruitment
approaches have worked
for you?
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+ Online Recruitment Ads That Work

Short, succinct sentences

Approx. 100 words per listing

One opportunity per listing

Correct grammar

As visual as possible (photo not logo)

Accurate task description

Describe opportunity in an upbeat way
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Source: VolunteerMatch.org. Also, see http://media.volunteermatch.org/docs/101Secrets/VolunteerMatch_101Secrets.pdf
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You are
merchants of
hope &
inspiration.
Focus on the
possibilities
not the
problems.
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All Rights Reserved
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What’s the Best Way to
Deliver Your
Message?
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
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Four Recruitment Tactics
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Personal Networking
Cause-Related Engagement Events
Community Presentations
Advertising & Posting
= Volunteers
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Making the Ask

Target people and orgs
who are most likely to
care about, and invest in,
your cause
The Recruitment “Pitch”:
 Verbal (at the end of a
presentation)
 Written (in your agency
brochure or web site)
 Word of mouth (current
volunteers)

Communicate simple
action steps they need to
take

Include an emotional
payoff (WIIFM)

Make follow-through as
easy as possible

Give them the choice
about how they want to
contribute (time and
function)

Expect them to say “Yes!”
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Objections are Your Ally
 Indicates
 Offers
interest
an opportunity to educate further
 Offers
a chance to demonstrate flexibility and
responsiveness
 Don’t
all have to be answered
 “Is the issue you raised something that would
keep you from volunteering?”
Most solicitations are met with 5-6 common objections.
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
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Share volunteer testimonials
from people who are exactly like the people
you want to recruit.
But, avoid desperate pleas for help.
They only cast doubts on whether your
project is worthy of support.
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
+ Choose Your Messengers Wisely
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In 2015 … “NGOs maintained their status as the most trusted
institution,
but what is clear is that the trust is fading.”
Source: Edelman Trust Barometers (2014, 2015), http://www.edelman.com/insights/intellectual-property/2015edelman-trust-barometer/trust-and-innovation-edelman-trust-barometer/executive-summary/
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
+ Roles of Messengers
Employee or
Volunteer
• Info about
volunteer
program &
benefits
• Pro-volunteer
organizational
culture
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Client
“Super Fan”
• Focus on mission
• Examples of how
programs
directly benefit
community
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“Courage is not the
absence of fear, but
rather the judgment
that something else is
more important than
fear.”
~Ambrose Redmoon
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All Rights Reserved
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How Do You Know You
Got It Right?
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
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Testing Bright Ideas
Questions to Answer:
①
Which volunteer
recruitment
channels and
tactics work best?
②
Which are the most
cost effective?
© Tobi Johnson & Associates, All Rights Reserved
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Track Referrals by Channels
How Did Your
Learn About This
Volunteer
Opportunity?
Pick One Touch Point

Initial Inquiry (phone, email,
web)

Volunteer Application

Interview

New Volunteer Orientation

Others?
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Track Overall Effectiveness
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For example …
500 people see or hear about opportunity
50 people indicate interest
30 complete application
25 complete
orientation
12 become
Active Team
Members
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Now
What?
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All Rights Reserved
Tending the
Garden
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“You are capable of more than you know.
Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive
to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high.
Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times,
and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs
all you can give.”
-- E.O Wilson,
the world’s leading authority on ants
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Tobi Johnson & Associates
tobi@tobijohnson.com
206.799.9038
www.tobijohnson.com