Volunteer Recruitment and 4 Week Drives

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Volunteer Recruitment and 4 Week Drives!

• BECC Training
• Washington D.C.
• January 21, 2006

Prepared by A. Leary 1/06
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Why Recruit?

• Recruitment Builds the Movement
• There are two sources of power

People and money. Citizen groups can be
well-endowed with the former but are rarely
endowed with the latter. -Saul Alinsky
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Principles of volunteer recruitment

• Cast a wide net
• Establish a basic simple message for recruitment
  and stick to it
• Follow up with new recruits right away
• Ask everyone to do something
• Use other networks
• Have materials ready to inform your recruits
• Keep recruiting!

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Why do people volunteer?

• Policy/Altruism
• Social
• Loyalty
• Opportunity
• Recognition
• Transaction

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The Recruitment Cycle
ASK
INFORM
THANK
INVOLVE
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Recruitment Process

• 1. Find interested volunteers (tabling, etc.)
• 2. Contact volunteers (within 24 hrs)
• 3. Volunteers volunteer (and develop)
• 4. Continue 1, 2, and 3! (always be recruiting)

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Principles of Asking

• They are not doing YOU a favor
• You can never give too much context
• Make them feel uniquely poised
• to make the impact
• 4. Build confidence

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Tips for Asking! Use the 4 Cs

• Connection
• Context
• Commitment
• Catapult

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• PRACTICE!
• Scenario You are calling a student who filled
  out a volunteer card earlier in the day at a
  tabling event.
• Goal You want him/her to come to a phone-bank
  later in the week.

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Recruitment Numbers 101
THE FORMULA FOR GETTING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU
WANT AT YOUR EVENT
KNOWING IF YOULL END UP WITH THIS
OR THIS
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• GOAL
• 25 people at kick off meeting!

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Law of Halves
25 people
50 Yeses
100 Contacts
200 Dials
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The Numbers Game

• POSTCARDING/TABLING
• 8 volunteer interest cards per hour
• Goal Generate 100 new names
• 12.5 Volunteer Hours of Tabling / Post-carding
• CALLING
• 10 Contacts per person per hour (30 dials pp/ph)
• Goal 100 Contacts
• 10 volunteer hours of calling

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The Numbers Game

• Calling for class Raps
• 4 raps schedule per hour
• Goal 15 raps (how many hours?)
• Class rap postcard collection
• 15 of people in class will fill out interest
  card

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4 WEEK DRIVEGenerating new names and putting
recruitment numbers into a plan!

• Tips for Recruitment Drives
• Share recruitment goals and vision with others
• Stick to the numbers/formulas they work!
• You can never have too many volunteer cards
• Follow up with all new recruits within 24hrs
• Strive to contact people 4 times
• Leadership development is key during recruitment
  drives
• Be opportunistic and have FUN!

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Sample 4 Week Recruitment Drive
Goal Generate 200 volunteer cards/names with
phone numbers
1st Ldrshp Meeting Lay out plan, goal, numbers
Table 4 vol. hours (32 new names)
Table 4 vol. hours (32 new names)
Schedule 5 class raps (1.5 hrs)
Schedule 5 class raps (1.5 hrs)
Schedule 5 class raps (1.5 hrs)
3 class raps (21 vol cards) Confirm calls
PB through new names to help next week (2
vol. hr)
PB 2 vol. hrs (new cards ) Confirm calls
Table 4 vol hours (32 new names) PB names
Table 4 vol hrs (32 names) Ladyship Meeting
3 Class Raps (21 vol cards) PB cards
PB Cards
Table 4 vol. hours (32 new names) PB 1hr
2 class raps (14 vol cards) PB 1 hr
2 class raps (14 vol cards) PB vol cards (2
vol. hrs)
2 class raps (14 vol cards) PB
3 class raps (21 cards) Confirm Calls (yeses)
PB if necessary to hit goal 50 yeses
Kick off Meeting! 25 people (5 breakout teams)
PB- Must have 50 yeses by end of night!!
8 people at Ldrshp Mtg Dry run of event
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Summary

• Remember the LAW of Halves
• Planning is key
• Use the 4 Cs
• Always be recruiting!

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Debrief

• Think of an event or activity in your campaign.
  How could you have approached the situation
  differently to use it as a recruitment
  opportunity?
• How will you incorporate recruitment into your
  campaign plans?