What’s the number one reason why people don’t volunteer?

Because no one has asked them to!

Here are a few ideas for recruiting employee volunteers:

1. Host a Volunteer Opportunities Open House – Make it interesting with door prizes, if possible.
2. Provide Volunteer Orientation/Training – Provide detailed information on what employees can expect and what impact the project will have on the community.
3. Host a Brown-Bag Lunch – An information session where colleagues can come during their lunch hour to hear about volunteer opportunities.
4. Spread the Word – Talk about the volunteer project with everyone you know. Wear an employee volunteer program t-shirt and let people know that you’re involved.
5. Employee Newsletters – Feature the project in department and team newsletters.
6. Previously Scheduled Meetings – Make announcements in department and team meetings.
7. Employee Invitations – Ask the volunteers who have already signed up to help recruit additional volunteers.
8. Senior Management Encouragement – Ask senior management leaders to send an endorsement and recruiting letter to the team. Their support and participation can encourage participation.
9. Table Tents – Set up table tents in the cafeteria or employee lounge.
10. Paycheck Notices – Place special reminders in paychecks.
11. Provide a Visual – Post “before” pictures near sign-up sheets so that potential volunteers can see where they will be volunteering. Remember to post “after” pictures when the project is completed.
12. Involve Nonprofit Partners – Ask your local nonprofit partner to write a letter or visit the office to encourage your employees to volunteer.
13. Invite Friends and Family – Many employees are more apt to volunteer if they can bring friend s and family members along. Talk with your nonprofit agency to make sure the project is youth-friendly and pass this information on to your employees.

Special Considerations:

If you are including children of employees, there are special things to consider -

• Are there age appropriate activities for children?
• Are there enough adults to supervise the children?
• Make sure to talk to your nonprofit partners in advance so that they know some employees may be bringing children.

Contact Your Local Volunteer Center – Volunteer Centers provide information on community needs, volunteer opportunities and training, recruitment strategies and more.  To find the Volunteer Center nearest you, visit HandsOn Network.

Join Your Local Corporate Volunteer Council – A Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) is a coalition of local businesses that either have active employee and/or retiree volunteer involvement programs or are interested in initiating such programs. CVCs are a great venue for businesses to share e practices including recruitment strategies. To find the CVC nearest you, send an email to .

Coordinate a Group Project Around a National Day of Service – Your employees can join others across the country by volunteering during a national day of service from the Points of Light Foundation’s Seasons of Service Calendar. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org/events/seasons.cfm.

Consider Including Community Members – If you are organizing your own project, inform your local Volunteer Center or Corporate Volunteer Council so that they can tell community members about your project.

Need more volunteer recruitment ideas?  Click here.