Signing up volunteers for Board of Directors positions is difficult enough without having to find people with specific skill sets, such as fundraisers, accountants and property managers. Add the increasingly technical demands placed on charities by government regulation and industry pressure, and you have a difficult task. In order to survive, a charity needs leaders knowledgeable in raising money, controlling expenses and keeping the building working.
How to recruit a volunteer
Analyze the role – Look at it from the volunteer’s point of view.
Break down the work – Instead of having a Fundraising Chair, maybe Co-Chairs would be more appropriate. If there is a large event or responsibility, consider finding someone to take it on as a project independent of the Board position. Another area to examine is the allocation of work between paid staff and volunteers. If volunteers are burning out, consider using paid staff for some of the work.
Add Learning Opportunities - Would training help the person overcome perceived or actual shortcomings in the role? There are many short-term, specific courses designed to help Board members in their roles. They can open people up to new opportunities available to the organization and help them make useful contacts.
Change the role – If you have an experienced person who does not want to do the work themselves, (because they have already done it , or still do it in another context) ask if they would consider mentoring someone new in the role. Mentorship can be very satisfying for both parties.
Make the role fit the volunteer – A women’s group at a local church was concerned about the lack of younger members, but didn’t seem to realize that their mid-afternoon meeting times made it impossible for anyone with a full-time job to attend. Evening or early morning meetings can solve that problem. Allowing people to video conference into meetings engages people who travel to become part of the conversation. If family time is an issue for volunteers, consider having family events at the same time.
Change the structure – Have your organization’s by-laws become outdated? Do you need to change the committee structure and requirements to match the current reality? Opening the conversation about what needs to be done by whom to all of the organization’s stakeholders may be the opportunity the members need to re-engage with the charity’s mission.
Things to avoid when recruiting volunteers
Minimizing the job – Telling your prospects that it only takes a couple of hours a week or, "There’s nothing to it really. All you have to do is attend the meetings." If the person doesn’t believe you, they will say no. But if they actually do believe you, it could be even worse: they may not have enough skill and experience to do the job.
Browbeat, cajole or persuade – Worse yet, recruiting people who have been voluntold by someone influential and don’t really want to do the job. This strategy is only a good idea, if you want to build an atmosphere of simmering resentment at future Board meetings as the realities of the job become apparent.
Do nothing – This is by far the worst option because it appears to work in the short run. In fundraising, or accounting, you can get away with doing the same thing you did last year for a while. You can also usually defer maintenance for a year or so. But fundraising is like tree planting. The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is right now. All of these areas need regular attention to prevent small issues from becoming crises.
Contact Bill Kennedy, CPA, CA at http://EnergizedAccounting.ca . Bill is a Certified Information Technology Professional and QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor who works with charities to produce clear financial reports and update computer systems.
