1 Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Diane Juskelis, MS, RD, CSP, LDN Director, Practice, Member Interest and Affiliate Relations
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Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
Diane Juskelis, MS, RD, CSP, LDN Director, Practice, Member Interest and Affiliate Relations
AGENDA
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
What are your needs
How to recruit
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
Set Expectations
Check-in
Give Recognition
Agenda
Common Answers
•Being thanked•Feeling useful•Seeing results•Being recognized•Forming relationships•Building skills
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Common Answers
•No training•Not knowing how to help•Expectations too high•Skills underutilized
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Why Volunteer?
•Why?•They are asked•Contribute to something meaningful•Learn new skills/build resume•Increase network
•WHY NOT?•Not finding meaningful opportunity•Not having the right skills•No time
Volunteer Recruitment
Recruitment is a year-round activity
• Board of Directors• Committee Chairs• Committee Members• Ad Hoc Positions
What Are Your Needs?
STEP ONE: ANALYSIS
• Where you are• Board Structure• Committee Structure• Succession Planning
• Where you need to go
• Identify Gaps
What Are Your Needs?
STEP TWO: PREPARE
• Revise• Board/Committee Structure• Position Descriptions• Ad hoc positions
• Assign action owners & deadlines
• Identify mentors
• Transfer knowledge to Nominating Committee
How to Recruit
•Locate potential candidates• Volunteer database• Informal conversations• Past and current volunteers
•Match• Candidate skill sets with positions
•Recruit• Identify “what’s it in for me?”• Explain role and commitment• Share support resources available
Creating a Good Experience
•Set Expectations•Share job description & key deadlines•Transition meeting with successor
•Professional Development•Identify a mentor•Provide position training
•Check-in:•Gauge satisfaction•Identify successes•Develop resources
Give Recognition
Praise is every board member’s responsibility
•Provide regular recognition in a timely fashion• Meeting time to praise success• Letters to managers
•Recognition forms• Letter to managers• E-mails• Public praise at meetings• Newsletter articles• Kudos Korner
Give Recognition
What are some ways you have recognized volunteers?
Resources
www.eatright.org/affiliate-resourcesNominating Committee & Volunteer Recruitment
•Exit survey template•Job descriptions•Board agenda example•Gap analysis sample•Volunteer recruitment example e-mail
Best Practices Break: How to recruit and retain volunteers