On March 23, the Points of Light Blog asked questions about what makes a group of people a community and what is it about a community of people that makes them successful as a group of volunteers?

We’ve talked about technology communities and how communities can support individuals’ action. Today, we’re going to look at some differences between communities in rural and urban settings.

While we mentioned that with the rise of communication technology, community is no longer restricted strictly by geography, geography still plays a role in how communities come together. Rural communities can be different than urban communities simply by virtue of the type of life that happens in them. If you’re approaching members of these communities about volunteer opportunities, here are some thing to keep in mind:

Rural Communities

• Take it slow and easy; don’t barge right in. Take the time to get to know the community and its members.
• Find someone who can introduce you to other community members, you’ll get farther with their help than you will on your own.
• Community meetings and one-on-one asks can be effective methods for recruiting volunteers.

Urban Communities

• Make sure staff have worked with the community or have taken the time to get to know the community.
• Focus on direct messages-don’t run around the subject.
• Use the internet, email, and other forms of outreach together

There are tips that work in urban and rural communities when it comes to engaging a community. They include:

• Knowing your objectives and your time frame for action.
• Getting to know the community before reaching out to them.
• Know who the influential members and opinion leaders are for the community.
• Listen to the community members.
• Be flexible and able to adjust your ask on the fly.

Ultimately, whether you’re approaching an urban or a rural community, they’ll want to know what’s in it for them. Why should they support your feral cat TNR program? What’s so great about a youth mentoring program? Why should they take part of their free time and spend it collecting canned goods? Being able to answer the “what’s in it for us?” question is probably the most important part of approaching different communities for volunteers.

Have you had to recruit volunteers from different communities? Did you have to adjust your approach because of it? What did you learn from doing outreach to different communities? Let us know in the comments!