What are effective ways to screen and select volunteers who align with your community organizing values?

1 Define your values

Before you start looking for volunteers, you need to have a clear idea of what your community organizing values are. These are the principles and beliefs that guide your actions and decisions. They reflect your vision, mission, and goals. Your values should be consistent, transparent, and communicated to your potential volunteers. For example, if your value is inclusivity, you should make sure your volunteer opportunities are accessible and welcoming to people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

2 Create a volunteer profile

A volunteer profile is a document that describes the ideal volunteer for your community organizing campaign. It outlines the skills, qualities, and attributes that you are looking for in a volunteer. It also specifies the roles, responsibilities, and expectations that you have for your volunteers. A volunteer profile helps you attract and recruit volunteers who match your needs and values. It also helps you screen and select volunteers who are suitable and motivated for your campaign.

3 Use multiple channels

To reach a wide and diverse pool of potential volunteers, you should use multiple channels to promote your volunteer opportunities. These can include online platforms, such as social media, websites, newsletters, and blogs. They can also include offline methods, such as flyers, posters, word-of-mouth, and events. You should tailor your messages and materials to appeal to your target audience and highlight your values and impact. You should also provide clear and easy ways for people to express their interest and contact you.

4 Conduct interviews

Interviews are a key tool to screen and select volunteers who align with your community organizing values. Interviews allow you to assess the fit, skills, and motivation of your potential volunteers. They also give you an opportunity to build rapport, answer questions, and share information. You should prepare a set of questions that relate to your values, goals, and expectations. You should also use open-ended and behavioral questions that elicit examples and stories from your potential volunteers.

5 Check references

Another way to screen and select volunteers who align with your community organizing values is to check their references. References are people who can vouch for the character, skills, and performance of your potential volunteers. They can be former employers, colleagues, teachers, or mentors. You should ask your potential volunteers to provide at least two references that you can contact by phone or email. You should ask the references about the strengths, weaknesses, and suitability of your potential volunteers for your campaign.

6 Provide orientation and training

Once you have screened and selected your volunteers, you should provide them with orientation and training. Orientation and training are essential to prepare your volunteers for their roles and responsibilities. They also help you reinforce your values and expectations. You should design your orientation and training to be engaging, interactive, and informative. You should also provide feedback, support, and recognition to your volunteers throughout their involvement in your campaign.