One of the
challenges I hear all the time from chamber execs is the non commitment or lack
of participation from the volunteers.
I attended a
recent program by Lowell Aplebaum, CAE on this very subject although his
session title was a little different.
The three
things he focused on to elevate a volunteers experience in your program of
work, and by the way, it also gives you a chance to see who might be a
potential great volunteer in the future for your chamber, were:
Micro
volunteering is a great way to get the younger generations involved in your
program of work - use them as content specialists - write a blog, etc.
Create a
quick volunteer role at an existing program - volunteer behind the registration
desk, then recognize them and ask them to do more.
Micro
opportunities to participate in your organization - What can they do? Photograph your next event if they love
photography.
The other
thing he mentioned that I thought worth noting here is to make it personal,
allow your volunteers to share their professional, personal, and family stories
with each other and staff.
If you’ve
had a chance to read a previous blog post of mine HERE, you’ll know I’m a fan
of creating a job description for each level of your governance structure:
- Board
- Standing Committee
- Task Force
And in that
job description you want to make it crystal clear that you expect their:
- Intellect
- Passion
- Money
In return,
they’re getting recognition for serving on the chambers board, standing
committee or a task force.
Always make
sure you are thanking your volunteers publicly and often through your website,
social media outlets and printed publications.
Your
intended goal should be to have a list of potential board, committee, and task
force members lined up to serve for years to come.
Make it
meaningful and make it fun!
