Hey, Jim:
I empathize with the challenges you face. Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue (AMB) is an all volunteer rescue. We have an incredible team, people who give hours a day or 20 minutes - literally all they have to spare. Yet we still struggle with reaching new volunteers, or finding current volunteers able to take on projects to expand our services.
My personal outlook is that CONNECTION is the path to volunteers. I was recruited by a friend who simply talked about her involvement, her love of, her passion for, all things AMB. She wasn't recruiting me per se; we were friends talking. I, in turn, did the same. Animal lovers are naturally drawn in, because the mission, training, environment, people and the ... flow ... foster good will, happiness and positive outcomes - despite the tough situations we often face.
My suggestion is to focus on beginning conversations with one targeted group, be it veterans, students needing service hours, parents with young children (there are ways for them to help), seniors and differently abled (them too!).
Start perhaps with walking groups, running clubs, gyms, etc. Focus on creating the relationship, listening to their mission and how people coming from their organizations could benefit. Then be that benefit. Maybe create cross-marketing campaigns if you develop a collaborative effort with those groups. The short-term goal is to recruit volunteers for a specific reason (i.e., they walk the dogs). Long-term, that small core becomes ambassadors in recruiting more, through their friendships.
A friend is what prompted me to join AMB. My passion for helping animals AND a welcoming and flexible environment at AMB prompted me to stay and share their mission with others. Start small to get the ball rolling. I really hope this helps.
Amy
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Amy Charles
volunteer
Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2023 05:34 PM
From: jim wieszczyk
Subject: attracting volunteers
Msg back to Erin, re: my post about finding volunteers:
Thank you Erin: it's obvious you have thought about the issue at length. Your organization may be larger or have more internal resources than ASCAS. We have been around since '98, currently house about 120 dogs and cats on our 47 acres and in our 7 buildings and 70 outdoor kennels, and are (of course) no/low kill. We do this with a staff of 4, so volunteers are vital to us. But we are unable to dedicate a person to volunteerism. Your comments about having a clear and frequently re-visited set of goals and a formal outline of duties makes sense. But what I tried to convey, unsuccessfully, is our difficulty in even getting potential volunteers "thru the door", physically or electronically stopping in, to even broach the subject with them. We need new ideas on how to entice them / spark their interest in at least talking to us!!
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jim wieszczyk
Director
A Second Chance Animal Shelter
Original Message:
Sent: 02-03-2023 01:54 PM
From: ERIN ELLIS
Subject: attracting volunteers
Hi Jim,
We ended up having our biggest year yet of volunteers getting involved in 2022. We have been lucky to have not had an issue in this area. We too are located in what's considered a rural community and we're really spread out. I would suggest really taking a look at your training process and what you ask of your volunteers in terms of commitment, scheduling, etc. Every shelter is different and I don't believe there is a "one size fits all" program out there, but there are things you can look at and make changes to.
A lot of volunteers nowadays are looking for flexibility. I reevaluate my trainings with my staff every year at least once, if not twice, and cut out what we can and add in what might be needed. But I keep my training very simple and easy for people with safety of course being the most important part. We also have a very flexible volunteer program to try to be as inclusive as possible. That includes youth as volunteers, no scheduling at the shelter, and a very achievable monthly time commitment (2hrs a month). I think the easier it is to get involved and the more flexibility you offer, the more doable and enticing it is for folks. Hopefully, that is helpful.
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Erin Ellis
Community Engagement Director
Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe
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Foster Program & Volunteer Management Specialist
Original Message:
Sent: 01-30-2023 07:30 AM
From: jim wieszczyk
Subject: attracting volunteers
Our shelter is well established in our community. And while its never enough, we have good support with donations. But while in the beginning it was somewhat easy to get/keep volunteers for hands on help, it has become almost impossible to attract new ones. We do a good job of staying in the public eye, and almost always include a pitch to volunteer, we get very few takers. The opportunities go well beyond just helping with the dogs, cats around the shelter, and would include public relations, fundraising,, a foster program and more. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can motivate our supporters to become more active???
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
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jim wieszczyk
Director
A Second Chance Animal Shelter
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