Recruiting senior volunteers
Abstract
Use local businesses, media outlets, and service agencies in your community as resources for targeting potential senior volunteers. This effective practice suggests several ideas for targeted marketing and recruitment of senior volunteers. Presented by Katy Allen-Caballero of the Senior Programs at Lewis Street, Rochester, New York, at the 2001 National Senior Service Corps Atlantic Cluster Conference in Philadelphia, PA.Issue
Recruitment aimed at volunteers over the age of 60 is most effective with the use of creative methods.Action
Research your service area
Review data from the 2000 US Census and identify geographic groupings of people age 60 and over.
On a map of your service area, use pushpins to mark target areas. (Include senior living communities, senior centers, etc.)
Use the "bull's eye" method for each chosen area. Start with 1/4 or 1/2 mile radius. Draw a circle, marking the radius around each pushpin. Within that area identify grocery stores, barber shops, beauty salons, doctor offices, drug stores, churches, restaurants, food pantries, etc. Meet the proprietors of those establishments and encourage them to refer people to your agency.
Make a list of all the agencies that may provide senior services in your district.
Make a list of all houses of worship.
Identify and list current volunteers with strong church ties; they may serve as good recruiters of other volunteers within their church communities.
Identify racial/ethnic groups that you currently underserve, then identify agencies that serve these groups. Repeat the "bull's eye" method for each of these groups.
After identifying all of these places, go to them! Do not rely on letters. Make flyers and posters, take letters, and go meet people! Get to know store owners — shake hands, talk with folks, and sell the opportunity to volunteer with the RSVP, Foster Grandparent, or Senior Companion Programs.
Establish relationships
Since you can't be everywhere and meet everyone who may be a potential volunteer, you need to establish relationships with those people that work with the public.
Get to know: business owners, clergy, food bank coordinators, social workers, apartment managers, doctors, senior center directors, Area Agency on Aging staff, veteran's organizations, Department of Social Services staff, and anyone else who might help!
Make friends with the managers of senior housing communities. It helps them to have their tenants in the programs, and Senior Companions can offer services to frail elders in their buildings.
Target human service professionals serving those 60 and over. Referrals will often come from caseworkers.
Readily available and easily accessible information
Hang signs, flyers, and posters everywhere in your targeted area: grocery stores, doctor offices, churches, barber shops and beauty salons, restaurants, and any place that will let you!
Working with the media
Good publicity is key to a successful recruitment campaign. One good, well-placed newspaper story or 60-second TV or radio piece can do more than 1000 flyers.
Follow local newspapers, television news, and talk shows. Identify key reporters that cover "human interest" stories. Call and introduce yourself. ("I saw your recent story about... thought you might be interested in...)
Utilize press releases. Remember to have story ideas prepared. Think VISUAL. Newspapers, and especially television shows, want good pictures. It helps to have photo releases signed by volunteers when they enroll in the program, this way you are ready to roll on a short notice.
Respond to a newspaper or TV piece with a thank you note.
Invite dignitaries to your special events. (e.g., mayor, county supervisor, etc.)
Ask local TV news personalities to emcee your event; they will often bring a camera crew.
Press release tips
Keep an updated list of press release contacts: TV, newspaper, and radio contact names, addresses, fax, and phone numbers.
Press releases should only be one page: one side of an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper, preferably double-spaced. If absolutely necessary use 1 1/2 spaces, but DO NOT single-space the release.
In the upper LEFT corner, type: "For immediate release" or "For release: mm/dd/yy" (include date)
In the upper RIGHT corner, type your contact information. (Be sure to include name, phone number, and e-mail address)
The headline will determine if the reporter reads the release or not. Spend time working on a powerful, attention-grabbing headline. The first few sentences are called the "summary" and should be exactly that: a brief summary of the event, project, and news item.
The press release should be short and to the point. Give just enough information to pique interest for an interview. Don't write a whole story.
Following the summary, the press release should explain, "Who, What, Where, and When" of the project.
Send press releases with plenty of lead-time: a couple of weeks or more.
Don't be afraid to make a follow-up phone call.
At the bottom of the release put ######## or some other notation to indicate the ending.
Marketing
Create a marketing plan; form an advisory council committee to help develop it. Ask a public relations/communications professional to be on the committee.
Base the plan on your recruitment message. Identify the following:
- What does my program(s) do best?
- What is unique about my program(s)?
- What are my objectives?
- Who is my target audience?
- What is the best medium to reach this audience?
- What am I doing now to reach them?
- How well or not so well is it working?
- How can I afford to market my program(s)?
Choose your advertising medium(s) wisely: you want the biggest bang for your buck.
Network in your community by attending events hosted by other agencies.
Use every opportunity to talk about your program(s).
Put your slogan, logo, and name on everything that goes out of your office.
Always ask, "How did you hear about us?" Track that information and adjust your plan accordingly.
Pitch your program as an "opportunity" for the potential volunteers. It is not what they can do for you — it is what you can do for them: help change their lives by giving them the opportunity to serve.
Be sure to thank your staff, volunteers, advisory council, funders, etc.
Additional suggestions
Use Foster Grandparent volunteer sites as advertisers. Ask them to include letters/flyers in their mailing list.
If an agency or school calls requesting a volunteer, ask them to help recruit their own. Send them flyers and information they can use in their own publications.
Request that every teacher send a letter home with their students during the first weeks of school, introducing the Foster Grandparent Program and making a call for volunteers.
When people call requesting Senior Companion services, ask if anyone is currently helping them. Quite often a neighbor or friend is providing some help — this person may be an eligible volunteer.
The best recruiters are your current volunteers. Offer an incentive for referrals (e.g., gift certificates, etc.). Mention recruitment with every in-service, event and newsletter. Make "business cards" for your volunteers to pass out. These can easily be done on your own computer. It states their name and gives contact information for the program.
When a potential volunteer comes in for orientation, ask if they have friends or relatives that may be interested.
Remember that there are different generations within the 60 and over population. Each group may have varied needs and desires — target your strategies accordingly!
Context
Senior Programs at Lewis Street is a combined Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions Program in upstate New York. Their service area is Monroe County (with the city of Rochester as the county seat), which is primarily an urban and suburban environment. (However, this practice has been proven effective in rural communities as well.) They are funded for 80 Foster Grandparents and 45 Senior Companions.
Note: The Community Place formed in 2001 from the merger of Lewis Street Center, Genesee Settlement House, and Eastside Community Center. Their goal is to provide everyone, regardless of social or economic background, cost-effective, high-quality developmental and social programs and services to residents in the northeast sector of Rochester, New York and throughout the greater Rochester area, utilizing a collaborative approach.
Outcome
Between November 2000 and October 2001, Senior Programs at Lewis Street enrolled 62 new volunteers. Of those 62 new enrollees, 39 are Senior Companion volunteers, and 23 are new Foster Grandparents.Evidence
Due to their successful record of recruitment Senior Programs at Lewis Street has been a recipient of the Corporation's National Program of Significance grant twice in the past three years. They also received a local grant of $20,000 in collaboration with an area agency, with which they will purchase Foster Grandparent services plus pay administrative costs. They have met their stipend line within the allowable limits for the past three years.Posted On
November 14, 2001For More Information