Finding New Volunteers

Care & Share operates under a Volunteer Business Model.  This means that the organization depends on our volunteer base to make it possible to successfully meet our mission.  We have been operating under this model for 49 years, and doing so successfully!  We thank our volunteers for their time, energy and enthusiasm brought here.

 

You likely have heard this before, but since the Covid pandemic of 2020, our business model has been challenged by a decrease in our volunteer base and the resulting hours of service.

 

We actively work to broaden our volunteer base and welcome new people into the Care & Share community.  How do we accomplish this?

 

Organization efforts include holding a monthly Volunteer Open House, welcoming the community to come in and give volunteering a try on the last Tuesday evening of the month.  We welcome school and church groups to spend time serving in our departments.  Our volunteer manager, Maggie Pugliese, is an active member in several regional chambers of commerce, including Greater Montgomery and Central Bucks County. Through her involvement in outside organizations like these, she gets to know many people in other businesses and is able to spread the word of Care & Share’s work and mission, and the opportunity for companies and individuals to give back to their community through volunteer service.  She is involved with networking events, has connections to many school and nonprofit organizations, and serves on the advisory board to Wellspring Clubhouse.  From these various organizations and events, Maggie has developed connections which have led to new groups volunteering at Care & Share.

 

These organization efforts have brought in some new, recurring volunteers, and we are very glad that each of them has chosen to spend volunteer time with us.  However, we realize that these efforts alone do not yield the quantity of new volunteers that are needed for continued success in our mission.  

 

We recently engaged The Center Consulting Group, a faith-based organization that helps develop leadership skills.  Part of what set them apart from other consultants was their take on volunteers in nonprofit organizations.  While the focus of their current work for Care & Share is leadership development of our managers, they also have shared insights into the volunteer business model with us, and reinforced much of what we have already come to realize regarding our volunteers.

 

First, retention.  This means keeping the volunteers we already have.  It takes much more effort to gain a new volunteer than to retain an existing one.  Second, the importance of recognizing that the best source of new volunteers is the word of mouth and invitations by existing volunteers.   Did you know that 11,000 Americans turn 65 every day?  Many of them are seeking opportunities in retirement for volunteer service.  

We close with this – is there someone you know that may enjoy volunteering at Care & Share?  Would you be interested in inviting them to come with you?  Are there any new retirees you know who need to get out of the living room or kitchen for part of their week?  Let us know how we can support you in inviting someone to give Care & Share a try.  Thank you for your service here and for any leads you may be able to give!