for volunteer-driven lifelong communities -
keep the barrier to getting involved low

Courtesy of Anna Guest, Founder and CEO, Rising Tide Volunteer Solutions

Limit Paperwork 

The more intensive the process of getting started is for a volunteer, the more challenging it becomes.  This goes for both potential volunteers, who are likely to be turned off by an extensive amount of paperwork and “application” materials, as well as for community leaders who have limited time to spend on administrative tasks related to engaging new volunteers.  The advice here is to keep things as simple as possible – a one-page application to capture basic contact information and key interests is a great place to start.    

Nix Reference and Background Checks Wherever Possible 

One of the more time consuming and potentially costly components of a traditional volunteer onboarding process can include gathering and checking references and completing background checks.   For one-time volunteer activities, or volunteer roles that carry little risk of liability, these steps can be unnecessary and by eliminating them you can get people involved more quickly and avoid significant administrative burden.  There are liability considerations to be aware of, particularly if volunteers are providing intimate, confidential or sensitive services to populations who could be at risk for abuse or exploitation, it’s important to have a conversation about the benefits and risks of eliminating background checks.   

Be Flexible

Flexibility in volunteering is a major consideration that makes saying “yes” to getting involved much more comfortable for many people.  Places where flexibility matters include: offering flexible scheduling and being adaptable to changing life circumstances, being flexible in expectations, level of responsibility and types of roles or activities, using different communication formats like emails or phone calls versus meetings, and providing a variety of approaches to recognition and showing thanks.   

Leverage People’s Passion

More traditional volunteer models might define specific roles and match volunteers based on the organization’s needs and the volunteer’s interests and skills.  This model is certainly an option, but some Lifelong Maine leaders have experienced great success, buy-in and momentum by taking a more bespoke, volunteer-driven approach.  In these communities they start by asking people what they’re interested in doing, what they are excited about, and how they’d like to help.  Based on this approach, volunteers support lifelong community initiatives in a way that connects with their passion, taps into their intrinsic energy and motivation, and may entice people to take leadership of projects.

Be Mindful About the Language You Use 

We’ve heard from leaders in some communities that minimizing the term “volunteer” can actually get more people involved in supporting lifelong community efforts.  Think about what might resonate with your community and get creative with the words you use to draw people in.  Phrases like “Get Involved” or “Make a difference in our community” keep things simple and accessible, while also inviting people to be part of something.  And speaking of inviting, that’s a term some communities prefer over “volunteer recruitment.” 

Questions for Consideration 

As you’re thinking about how you can apply these practices to your approach and community, consider these questions: 

• What types of programs and services are you trying to get volunteers involved in?  Are there liability considerations that would require background checking or other references? 

• What information about volunteers is “need-to-have" versus “nice-to-have"? 

• Are you looking for volunteers to support one-time events or commit to long-term roles? 

• Who is responsible for getting volunteers started? And how much time and effort can be spent on this? 

• Do your volunteer opportunities tap into people’s passion and innate motivation? 

• How can you offer flexibility for people who volunteer with your lifelong community? 

• Do the messages and language you’re using seem to resonate with the people you’re trying to engage?  If not, what could you do differently? 

Taking Action 

Whether you’re just getting started with engaging volunteers in your lifelong community initiative or have a long-standing program, considering how you can make getting involved simple, efficient and easy is an important consideration.  Considering what “low-barrier” means for different folks in your community could also help you engage people with diverse perspectives, skills sets and backgrounds. Is there one strategy that resonates with your program’s needs and priorities that would be a good place to start?

Further Resources from Anna: 

• To Background Check or Not to Background Check, that is the Question for Lifelong Communities

• Engaging Volunteers is All About Personal Relationships and Community

• Working with Volunteers Session: Recruit and Mobilize Volunteers

We are deeply grateful to Anna Guest and Rising Tides Volunteer Solutions for working with Lifelong Maine to develop these training materials. Special thanks to Sharon Kelley, Berwick for a Lifetime, Candy Eaton, Age-Friendly Sullivan, and Jean Saunders, Age-Friendly Saco, for meeting with Anna to share their wisdom, experiences and challenges working with volunteers
We also want to thank AARP Maine for their thought leadership designing these modules.