Attracting More Early-Career Volunteers

“Many of our volunteers are older professionals. How do we get more early-career volunteers?” asks Doug.

Doug asks the question that is on the minds of most association professionals and volunteer leaders. Some leaders tell me that their current volunteers are burning out. Others say some long-time volunteers don’t want to give up the reins. However, it is good for member communities to have many volunteers. New volunteers might bring new ideas, more energy, and enthusiasm. So, how do we attract more volunteers, including those earlier in their careers?

Thanks for asking, Doug! Let's dive into some ideas.

Get Younger Members in the Practice of Participating First

There are six stages of engagement, and the third stage, the ‘participate’ stage, is where members switch from a passive stance to an active stance.

Participation includes tiny active behaviors like commenting on an article or post, talking to another member at an event, or raising their hand to ask a question. Asking or answering a question in an online community or the chat during a webinar is also participation. Participation is the precursor to volunteerism. Put another way, getting members in the habit of participation makes the leap to volunteering not so large.

Start Members Off With Micro-Volunteering Opportunities

Another way to help cement the habit of volunteering is to start each prospective volunteer with micro-volunteering roles. Staffing the conference registration desk, stuffing bags, introducing speakers, and being human signage are examples of micro-volunteering roles. Welcoming other members to in-person and virtual events is another example. Assigning chat ambassadors to each virtual event is a tremendous micro-volunteering option, too. Find short-in-duration tasks that allow volunteers to connect with others, and they’ll not just feel like they are giving back, but they’ll see the value to their personal and professional lives.

Involve Young Professionals

Don’t have enough early career volunteers? Maybe you need a young professional’s group! In 477 member interviews, I’ve yet to encounter a member who didn’t love, LOVE, 😍 their young professionals group community. Some young professionals will like the energy they see and the connections they make so much they’ll naturally step into leadership roles. Get to know those leaders, and you’ll have a pipeline of volunteers for other roles around your organization.

Sometimes, we think volunteering means board and committee work, but volunteering is much more expansive for members. Speaking is volunteering. So is being interviewed, writing, micro-volunteering opportunities, and more. Remember the volunteer journey and think about how to build the volunteering muscle slowly over time with prospective volunteers.