[Chapter-delegates] Chapter Toolkit - Attracting and Mobilizing Volunteers

[Wendy Rickard]

Dear Chapter Delegates:

There are a number of factors that contribute to a Chapter’s success  
but none is more critical than human resources. Whatever activities a  
Chapter decides to pursue in the interest of advancing ISOC’s mission  
and goals—including events, education, and advocacy—the outcomes will  
depend on the time, energy, skills, and wisdom of volunteers.

As Anne mentioned in her e-mail last Friday, we are developing three  
toolkits this year, the first of which will focus on volunteers. The  
challenge of identifying, attracting, and managing volunteers seems to  
be one of the more common themes among ISOC Chapters. While the  
toolkit will include advice and strategies drawn from professionals  
and professional literature, we want to address this issue in a way  
that recognizes the unique and distinctive ways in which ISOC Chapters  
operate. Therefore, as with the Chapter Handbook, your stories,  
advice, and lessons learned will help illustrate what other Chapters  
can do to be successful.

We realize it is difficult to remember all the ways you accomplish  
your goals, so I'll begin by asking a few questions. For purposes of  
gaining relevant data, it would be helpful if your answers do not  
include examples of Chapter leaders volunteering their time to  
accomplish tasks. Instead, we are interested in stories, advice, and  
best practices that involve volunteers drawn from your membership or  
from outside the Chapter.

1. Can you describe one event, activity, or initiative that would not  
have been possible if it had not been for the help of volunteers?  
Include how/where you found them and strategies you used to keep them  
interested, engaged, and on track.

2. One of the more common problems Chapters run into is having the  
same people volunteer for long periods of time, which leads to burn- 
out and disinterest (and a void when those people stop volunteering).  
Can you give examples of strategies you have employed (either as part  
of an ISOC Chapter or in other work that required volunteers) that  
minimize the risk of volunteer burn-out? In other words, what do you  
do to bring in different people or to create variety for folks who  
regularly volunteer?

3. When you find that you need to reach outside your Chapter to find  
volunteers, where do you go? Colleges and universities? Local  
businesses? Friends? Tell us what has worked for you and what hasn't.

Many thanks in advance for your input.

Warm regards,

Wendy



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