Animal Shelters & Rescues - Increase Volunteers & Non-traditional volunteering

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Increasing Volunteers & Non-Traditional Volunteering

Presented by Jennifer WarnerDirector of Shelter Outreachjennifer@adoptapet.com

Great ready to expand…

1. Define your volunteer needs.

2. Have your screening, tracking & training processes in place.

3. Let your current volunteers know you will be expanding.

4. Post your volunteer needs and how to apply on your website and your social media sites.

Use the Adopt-a-Pet.com Volunteer Database

Recruitment idea #1

5 miles10 miles35 miles50 miles

Check less, get more results…#1

Foster search options…

In the last 7 daysIn the last 30 daysIn the last year

#1

Search results#1

Survey your CURRENT volunteers!

• New skills? • Connections?• Friends or relatives?

Recruitment idea #2

Recruitment idea #2 - Sample Survey

Sample survey

Volunteer Social Events!Recruitment idea #3

Right Under Your Nose

• Hairdresser/barber• bank teller

• car wash cashier• supermarket checker

Carry volunteer brochures and business cards… be prepared to discuss your opportunities with

everyone!

(idea from the book 77 Ways to Recruit Volunteers)

Recruitment idea #4

Recruitment idea #5: Theater announcements

Have volunteers ask your local playhouse or movie theater to make an

announcement before the start of the show - aside from recruiting volunteers,

this can be a great way to promote a special pet for adoption & events.

Post on volunteer websites

• AllForGood.org (powers serve.gov & others)

• volunteermatch.org• idealist.org• dosomething.org (teens)

Recruitment idea #6

All For Good - St. Louis

#6

All For Good - LA

41

#6

• 42 listings within 20 miles of St. Louis (mostly wildlife organizations)

• Newest postings show up first: post monthly or quarterly

• Rotate titles• Spice up the title: “Foster Homes

Needed” vs. “Urgent Help Needed for Homeless Dogs”

#6

Not-so-great VM#6

VM - good#6

At Local Businesses

1. Your volunteer’s employers2. Neighboring businesses3. Larger corporations,

ask HR or PR

• Attachment to paystubs• Flyer in break room• In company newsletter

Recruitment idea #7

What is non-traditional volunteering?

• Unusual skills

• Non-typical time:1 day1 hour (“micro”)round-the-clock

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Which of our Volunteer Search criteria could be filled by non-traditional volunteers at your organization?

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Non-traditional hours…

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Use Volunteers to Increase your Presence

1. Identify current volunteers who actively use Facebook

2. Divide by interest (i.e. cats, dogs, events). 3. Ask Volunteers to check your page daily4. Ask them to participate in any questions or discussions

related to their assigned interest.5. Train volunteers how to reply to questions6. Ask them to invite their friends to join your page.

It can be more engaging when answers (or discussions) come from enthusiastic supportive volunteers, versus the “official” voice of the page.

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Use Volunteers to Expand your Presence

• #VolunTweet -- VolunteerMatch introduced in 2011. “Use it to publicize your volunteer opportunities and raise the visibility of your organization’s volunteer program.”

• #TwitterACritter -- Ask your volunteers to Tweet your pets for adoption…

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Start a

• Flyer, flyer, flyer! • Post flyers at local hair salons, dance studios,

gyms - anywhere people have to wait• Hand out flyers at busy shopping malls &

street corners - wearing logo wear, with a pet for adoption (ADOPT ME cape) or dressed in dog/cat costumes

• Great for parents & kids to do together, or groups/pairs of friends - making it social makes it fun!

• REWARD your street team with written public recognition on your website & Facebook

a group of volunteers who 'hit the streets' promoting an event or a product (product = your pets or your organization)

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Hold a Supply Drive or Yard Sale

• Both great for your weekend volunteers

• Volunteers can donate a % of their yard sale to your organization, in return for publicity

• Volunteers can flyer their neighborhood

• Supply drive: market as an event with a fixed time limit (a weekend, day, week, or month) -- celebrate results in your newsletter & online “We collected 20 blankets, 10 dog beds, 50 cans of food!” “The Yard Sale raised $200!”

• Can do it in front of a local pet supply or big box stores for foot traffic & customer donations

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Yard sale poster

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Save time with volunteer software

www.volunteerspot.com

Simplifies event- or activity-specific recruiting: you invite volunteers to sign up for volunteer needs on specific days in one of three ways:

1. Enter your volunteers’ email addresses on their website (not shared/sold)

2. Send out a custom link via email

3. Put a sign up button on your website

Free!(Paid version offers volunteer hours tracking reports)

Thank you!Jennifer Warner

Director of Shelter Outreachjennifer@adoptapet.com

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