Resources for Recruiting Members and Volunteers
Start here to see our favorite resources on member recruitment and volunteer recruitment.
Member Recruitment and Placement
Finding, recruiting, screening, and placing AmeriCorps members effectively is key to a successful program. Apply tried-and-true processes to match the most qualified applicants to your available positions, and increase the likelihood of a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Listed below are some of our most relevant resources for this topic.
- EnCorps: Recruitment and Placement
- Recruiting AmeriCorps Members: Creating a Strategy and Making it Work
- Volunteer/Member Recruitment Resources for Tutoring and Mentoring Programs
- Using My AmeriCorps to Recruit Applicants
- Ask the Expert: Russ Donahue – Americorps Recruitment 101
- My AmeriCorps Training and User Support Resources
- Recruit AmeriCorps Members / The Online Recruitment System
Online Course
- AmeriCorps*VISTA and Prisoner Reentry - Focuses on how to recruit VISTA members for reentry programs.
Effective Practices
- Designing a recruitment timeline
- Streamlining member recruitment and placement
- Establishing strong ties to local college and university career service offices
Lending Library
- Walk the Walk: An AmeriCorps Recruitment Video
- AmeriCorps: Got Any Questions?
- AmeriCorps NCCC: Leave Your Mark
Successful recruitment and placement helps service programs achieve their goals more effectively and is often the result of thoughtfully considered marketing and public relations efforts. A recruiter must be clear in his own mind about why the organization wants to engage volunteers; he can then design valuable and fulfilling assignments around those specific needs. Issues to consider include recruiting for diversity and appealing to special target audiences. Following are some of our most relevant resources related to this topic.
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- VolunteerMatch
- Looking for a great volunteer, or a great place to become a volunteer? Check out the largest online network of participating nonprofits. The VolunteerMatch User’s Guide and Training Manual (approx 45 page PDF) provides an overview of using the VolunteerMatch system, step-by-step guidelines on how to improve volunteer recruitment, and information on research and trends related to recruiting volunteers ages 55 and over.
- Volunteer Recruitment Plan
- Volunteering in America: Resources for Retention
- Ideas for Recruiting Volunteers - from internationally known expert Susan Ellis
- Volunteer Recruitment Campaigns - sound advice from Steve McCurley about different types of recruiting
Online Course
Effective Practices
- Building a recruitment plan
- Choosing appropriate outreach techniques for different generations
- Considering the types of volunteers available to your program
- Using a project calendar to assist with recruiting and scheduling volunteers
Lending Library
