Recruitment for the Operating Affiliate
Agenda:
• Introduction of panelists• Overview about host congregations• Assessment of recruiting needs and
components• Core principles for Recruiting• Best practices• Special concerns: Renewing former hosts;
Second rotations; Increasing diversity• Review of resources available
PANELISTS
• Tom Cioffi– National Associate
and Board President, Family Promise of Gwinnett County, GA
• Pat Bradbury– National Associate
and former Board Member and former Coordinator, Family Promise of Moore County, NC
• More than 5,000 congregations involved nationwide
HOST CONGREGATIONS:
Non-congregational host
Involve virtually every denomination
• Yearly review of hosting with leadership
KEY POINTS ABOUT HOSTS:
• Ideal # of hosts: 13-17
• Coordinator teams
• Signed covenant
• Not enough hosts• Congregations are
starting to burn out• Congregations host only
a few times a year• Want to broaden our
hosts: geography or diversity
• Start a second rotation
WHICH OF THESE CHALLENGES DOES YOUR
AFFILIATE FACE?
• A comprehensive list of area congregations including clergy name
• Identified leads into area congregations
• Information on past host congregations
• List of all support congregations
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET STARTED WITH
RECRUITING?
WHAT ARE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT
RESOURCES?• Support congregations that can be assigned to new congregations
• Coordinators that can serve as mentors
• Recruiters with the ability to visit congregations during day and evening hours– Volunteers from diverse
congregations to speak about the program
– Former guests who can share their stories
• A recruitment committee– A project manager for
recruitment• Materials to support
recruitment, including visuals
• Timelines, action steps and assignments
• People to do input, phone calls for research and other similar tasks
• Congregations that would be willing to be showcases during their host week
• Prioritize your target hosts; make sure to have as much info as possible
• Assign who will make initial calls, who will do presentations
• Research for connections to that congregation or denomination
PLAN :
PEOPLE :
• Network, network, network• Challenge everyone connected
to the network, particularly board members, to find at least three people connected to each target congregation
• Find out how “things work” at target congregations; whose support is needed etc.
PRESENT
SETTING UP APPOINTMENTS
• Best practices for setting up appointments– Use referrals – Stress local group and
local need– You want to introduce, not
looking for commitment– Invite lay leaders to the
meeting– Objective: getting a
meeting—that’s it!
• #1 tool: the phone
• Do a mailing? NO!!!
• Clergy groups: shortcut or side-trip?
PRESENT
AT THE CONGREGATION
• Bring up common objections if they don’t
• Tour the congregational space
• Ask for the next step and to be included
• Be enthusiastic!!!
• Go in teams when possible
• Show intro DVD• Stick to stated time for
meeting• Let congregations know
—they need Family Promise, not the other way around
• DVD• Visuals• Handouts Typical week,
brochure• When to use PowerPoint
PRESENTATION: KEY MATERIALS
PRESENTATION: MAJOR OBJECTIONS• Not enough available
space• Not enough volunteers• Insurance• Cost• Who are “those people…”
PRESENTATION
FOLLOW-UP: MUST HAVE A NEXT STEP
• Try to attend the next meeting• Invite to visit other hosts• Come in and speak to affinity groups (Bible study,
Hadassah, etc.)• Give them a covenant to sign
BEST PRACTICES FOR
RECRUITING• Always ask for the next
step: • To get supports to become
hosts, fully vest them in the program—treat them like hosts.
• Keep former hosts in the information loop.
• Approach with a positive: Congregations need this program
• Use existing hosts as showcases for the program.
• Do not do a mailing• Use visuals: poster boards
with network activities, DVDs, handouts with photos.
• Review your terminology: “children & their families facing homelessness”; not “shelter” and “the homeless”
• Network! Identify champions in congregations to provide an insider
• Map out a target area with pins for hosts; add pins as you add congregations.
SPECIAL CONCERNS:
Renewing former host
• Find out why they stopped (often an easily resolved reason)
• Prepare to show them how the program has changed
• Ask the leaders what they liked about the program
• Restate the need
Second rotation
• Do assessment to ensure need and capacity
• Recruit hosts but do not add to current rotation; wait for enough to launch second rotation
• Use clergy contacts, especially if expanding into nearby geographical area
SPECIAL CONCERNS:
Increasing diversity
• Ignorance is better than assumption: ask!• Find someone from that tradition to approach the
congregation with you• Use the day center as the point of entry to avoid being
associated with a specific denomination• Get “blessing” from larger organization• Use references from other networks• Ask for their help with guests from that background, ie
translation, cultural info• Be sensitive to language and appearance of the Affiliate
• Handouts are on the affiliate website and by email: brand with local name
• Released photos available to illustrate local materials
• Endorsement letters for specific denominations
• Email or call with any questions• On-site training and support can
be provided —ask your regional rep or National
RESOURCES FOR
AFFILIATES