Want New Volunteers for the New Year? Get Personal.

Welcome to 2015, the 2015th consecutive year (A.D.) of wishing that more people would volunteer.

The good news: We have a new article on the topic called “Why Don’t People Volunteer? ” that offers great insight. For me, the key takeaway is to get personal. You don't add volunteers with flyers and general meetings. You add volunteers one at a time. I'm guessing your group has maybe 10 or 20 regular volunteers, right? Rather than wondering why the other 200 parents don't step up, this year focus on adding one more volunteer at a time by identifying great candidates and personally inviting them. Then find a good job that suits them and make sure their volunteer experience goes super-well.

You're doing a really good job with your 10 or 20 current volunteers. Just think of what you can do if you can make that 12 or 22 and then 14 or 24. That's a much more productive approach than sending yet another flyer and hoping the masses show up.

Best wishes for an amazing, volunteer-filled 2015!