Community volunteerism is the ultimate form of civic engagement. When your community members give back to the community in which they live and volunteer their time to improve the lives of their neighbors, it demonstrates a genuine commitment to civic progress and community growth. Around 63 million Americans volunteer each year, the most active of which are women, and baby boomers an Gen Xers. These compassionate community members are helping battle such societal issues as homelessness, food insecurity, health and welfare, and climate change, proving that it takes us all to safeguard our communities.
Establishing volunteer opportunities in your communities is an essential step in stimulating engagement and in deepening the connection between your residents and your community.
But let’s face it, a successful program with thousands of civic volunteers requires significant work. As an industry leader in local government parks and rec management software, we see first-hand how cumbersome some tasks become in managing data (e.g., their assignments, and associated paperwork) of your volunteer program.
In this article, we designed a step-by-step process to harness the power and enthusiasm of your civic-minded residents to help bring critical initiatives into reality while ensuring your program is a success, and that it doesn’t overburden your staff.
Let’s dive in.
- Start With a Needs Assessment
- Create Your Civic Volunteer Mission Statement for Clarity
- Identify a Brand and Cause that Will Unite Volunteers
- Recruit Volunteers Who Are Ready to Roll-Up Their Sleeves
- Establish and Follow Guidelines for Safety
- Set SMART Goals to Achieve Your Objective
- Let Your Volunteers be Leaders
- Engage and Motivate Your Civic Volunteers for Top Results
- Develop Long-lasting, Meaningful Relationships
- Give Your Volunteers a Memorable Experience
- Invest in Volunteer Management Tools
Start With a Needs Assessment
Your leadership should determine in what areas civic volunteers could make the most significant impact in your community. Before launching any formal programs, make sure you are focusing your efforts where you’ll see the highest return on investment. Consider both existing programs in need of additional resources, and areas that are currently under-represented and could benefit from a newly established volunteer program.
Ask yourself, “What are you trying to achieve?” Then move on to your mission statement.
Civic Tip: If your community hasn’t already established a Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT), click hereto know how to Set Up a Community Emergency Response Team to learn the steps necessary to create one.
Create Your Civic Volunteer Mission Statement for Clarity
Mission statements should be easy to understand, concise, and informative. They generally consist of three parts: a statement or vision of the organization, core values written down for all to adhere to, and the goals you want to accomplish over a specific time.
Mission statements are especially crucial in nonprofits because they represent what your organization stands for, and make volunteers want to know more and support your cause. A mission statement helps attract new people and resources to the cause.
A great resource to consider, How to Write an Amazing Nonprofit Mission Statement, takes you through the process of narrowing your focus, what to avoid, and considerations. Focus on one specific issue. Writing a mission statement will help you determine how you want your organization designed.
Identify a Brand and Cause that Volunteers Will Unite Behind
Create a brand for your civic volunteer program. It will give community members an entity that they can identify with, and a cause that they will want to rally behind.
It will also help you better recruit volunteers if you are doing so under the umbrella of an established and organized branded program. For example, in Cocoa, Florida, the city has developed the Cocoa Involves Volunteers in our Community (C.I.V.I.C) volunteer program.
