Finding helpers for your community organisation
The football jumpers need repairing, the oval has two mud patches that never seem to dry out and the invitations for the annual awards dinner still haven't been written, let alone posted. To top it all off, your treasurer has decided to move interstate. You realise that once again it's up to you and one or two other workhorses to make sure that the club doesn't go under.
Sound familiar?
Are you tired of trying to do everything yourself?
You need a plan to recruit new members to share the workload and inject new ideas and resources into the club.This helpsheet will give you some ideas on how to go about finding new members by taking a clear step-by-step approach to recruitment.
In other words you need to develop a clear written plan to make your search for new members more efficient and effective. It should not be just a once-off recruitment drive but a strategy that will take you from where you are now, an organisation in desperate need of members to an organisation that has a constant supply of new members
Why plan?
Most groups baulk at the idea of actually sitting down and writing a plan. They argue that the time they would have to spend developing and writing a plan would be better spent actually recruiting.
In nearly all cases a planned recruitment drive will achieve greater results than an unplanned, unsystematic effort.
Planning actually saves time in the long run. It helps to focus on creative and practical ways to achieve the ultimate goal of recruiting new members and increases the chances of accomplishing whatever goals we set for ourselves.
Committing yourself to writing things down is very important. You don't want to waste time going over issues and making decisions that you have already previously agreed on.
The planning process
The first stage of the planning process is to ask your self the following questions.
The goals
Why do you want or need members?
How many and what kind do you need?
The strategies
Who is going do the recruitment?
Where should they look?
When should you recruit? Is there a good time?
How should you approach potential members?
Evaluation and continuous improvement
What could you have done better?
The answers to these questions will form the building blocks of your plan and are actually the foundations of any strategic planning you may wish to do in the future.
The goals
Why do you want or need members?
You are feeling overwhelmed and you just need people to help you out. But what specifically do you want them to do?
- Relatively unskilled work. For example, folding and sending out newsletters, general clean-ups, repairing uniforms directing parking, answering telephones etc
- More highly skilled tasks. For example, organising and installing electronic communication technology for the office, designing and writing leaflets, organising special events, relief coaching and umpiring
Write down the sorts of people you need now and over the next twelve months.
How many and what sort of members do you need?
Under the sorts of people you need, write down the tasks and how many people you need to do them.
Take the example of a local football club.
Tasks |
Number
of people |
Frequency |
Ground
and club rooms maintenance |
|
|
Liaise
with local shire council/police and oversee the general use of the
oval |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Maintain
line markings on oval |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Clean
clubrooms |
2 |
Throughout
the year |
Repair
clubroom damage |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Stock
food and beverage outlet |
1-2 |
At
home games |
Serve
at food and beverage outlet |
2-3 |
At
home games |
Put
up sponsors' advertising boards/banners |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Team
maintenance |
|
|
Coaching
staff |
2-3
per team depending on budget/availability |
Throughout
the year |
Training
staff |
Normally
about 3-4 per team |
Throughout
the year |
Club
medical staff |
1
plus masseur/physio |
Throughout
the season |
Club
delegate |
1 |
Throughout
the year depending on league meetings |
Runner |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Umpires |
1
goal umpire, boundary umpire in some leagures |
Throughout
the season |
Wash
uniforms |
2
|
(alternating
throughout the season) |
Repair
uniforms |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Drive
and maintain club bus (endorsed license required) |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Supply
results to local newspaper and League |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Sell
raffle tickets |
1 |
Throughout
the season |
Club
awards night |
|
|
Organise
design and printing of invitations, programs, tickets
etc |
1 |
One
off activity lasting four to six weeks |
Mail
out invitations |
1
or 2 |
3-4
hours, one off |
Organise
trophies |
1 |
One
off activity, short periods of time over 4-6
weeks |
Organise
guest speaker and program |
1 |
One
off activity, short periods of time over 4-6
weeks |
Liaise
with venue and caterers |
1 |
One
off activity, short periods of time over 4-6
weeks |
Manage
ticket sales and other financial transactions |
1 |
One
off activity, short periods of time over 4-6
weeks |
Club
treasurer |
1 |
Ongoing
throughout the year but more concentrated demands during the
season. |