Give.  Advocate.  VOLUNTEER.  The three ways that United Way takes action to advance the common good.  Each requires recruiting others to act.  This month, we focus on what to consider and effective techniques for recruiting volunteers.

Esther Cantu, the director of the United Way San Antonio and Bexar County Volunteer Center, suggests that the first step to effective volunteer engagement is to begin with the end in mind.  "Volunteer engagement requires a clear understanding of your organization's needs, capability and support," said Esther.   "Find out what the community expects and where your CEO and the Board stand, formulate a vision and mission statement, and persevere!  Having examples of success in other  United Ways and a good understanding of your organization's capability is key," she said.

Rick Lynch and Steve McCurley, authors of Essential Volunteer Management, suggest that there are three basic ways to recruit:  Warm Body Recruitment, Targeted Recruitment, and Concentric Circles Recruitment.  Learn more here.

No matter how you recruit, you must have a compelling message.  Take time to craft a succinct set of messages that tell why your agency is worthy of a potential volunteer's time, the need, and the benefits the volunteer will receive. These include doing good, but there may be skills and valuable experience that the volunteer will gain. Learn more by reading 10 Pointers for Effective Invitations to Volunteers.

Be sure to directly ask people to volunteer. People who are asked to volunteer their time are more than three times as likely to do so than others. The most effective way to do this is to have your staff or volunteers ask their friends and acquaintances to volunteer. Be sure to provide them with the information they need to make an effective "ask."

While finding volunteers the old fashioned way through referrals and local contacts still works best, the use of online volunteer matching sites is growing.   There are many national volunteer matching websites, as well as sites that are focused on particular communities.  Regardless of how you recruit volunteers, make sure the description of the volunteer position includes specific requirements and expectations.

Finally, Tom McKee of Volunteer Managers offers advice on what NOT to do when recruiting volunteers.  His The Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting Volunteers has great tips!

Source:  Joanne Fritz, nonprofit writer, About.com