Volunteers provide much needed support for our user groups and it seems we never have enough. Through volunteering, many people discover that it gives them an opportunity to expand their horizons and learn about new things. Many people believe they don’t have time to get involved, but find when they do they have a much greater sense of belonging to the user group. They can make new friends and share their talents with other members of the user group. No job is too small.

Here are some ideas on how to find those all-important volunteers in your user group:

Know Your Members

Learn their names (do your members wear badges?)

Make it a practice to talk with different members before the meeting and

during break time.

Watch attendance (are they regular attendees?)

Recognize their abilities

Recognize their interests

What’s Important to Them

Is it status?

Do they just like to participate?

Do they want to stay in the background rather than in front of the group?

Make it positive and fun whatever their motivation is for volunteering

Make the Task Small

Ask for specific help

Clearly define what’s needed

Don't ask for volunteers in a general way

General appeal doesn’t work as well as a one-on-one request

Find the Right Person for the Right Job

Tailor your approach to the person

Convince them they can do the job

Reinforce their confidenc

Assure him/her that resources and support will be available

Follow-up

Influenced by Other Volunteers

Are your volunteers a happy group?

Recognize the efforts of volunteers (verbally and in the newsletter)

Are they being criticized?

When someone isn’t doing the job, move them to another with compliments

Spin-off Advantages

Volunteers hone skills

Leads to other avenues of volunteering within the group

Gets them acquainted with more members

When the Job is Getting Done

Leave them alone

Give them credit

Remember ...

There are lots of volunteer activities in a user group that don’t require computer literacy

Show them how to make the job easier if it’s not working well

It takes all of us so ....

KNOW YOUR MEMBERS!