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Table 4.8: Summary of the practical tips for raising help
You need to …..
Find them
Persuade them
Tips for doing this include…
Churches; retirees, including former asset managers; graduate societies; large and/or local companies; local
military bases; individuals with court-appointed/mandated “community service”; friends and relatives of
asset staff; university students; users of the asset; and youth groups/Boy Scouts. Local neighborhood skills
audits.
State how volunteering can affect the assets and their users and how it can also help volunteers to make
friends and contacts and to acquire or enhance skills. Show that it is safe if reasonable care is taken.
Provide information about the organization and the role they can play.
Select them
Assess volunteers’ suitability before accepting them. Selectivity is important for skilled work and also adds
to the cachet/prestige of the work.
Co-ordinate them
Get the right skills in the right place at the right time. Ensure that volunteers are not used more or less
than they want. Offer a point of contact for all volunteers on the day and at other times. Ensure the right
materials are on hand and returned. Motivate volunteers.
Train them
Train the volunteers. Train the coordinators. Train the trainers. Training is a further sign of
professionalism and that volunteers are valued. It is also part of the offer to volunteers.
Evaluate them
Performance should ideally be evaluated if done on an ongoing basis, with anything from rewards to
“redundancy” and from praise to “probation” following.
Thank them
Have events to thank volunteers, whether an annual party or luncheon or end-of-day cook-outs. Give
tokens of appreciation such as badges/pins, hold awards ceremonies, and just say thank you on a regular
basis.
161 | The New Barn-Raising