It's critical to understand volunteers' motivations to create effective volunteer messages. It is also important to communicate specific features of the position to help individuals to decide whether it's right for them. Where, when, and how are often crucial questions to answer in your program’s recruitment messages. You should include the time of day in any recruitment message, and whether it is an episodic (one-time), occasional, monthly, weekly, short-term, or long-term position.

Don’t forget to include any benefits that could appeal to volunteers, such as CPR or first aid training for those who are interested in developing these skills. Integrate on-the-job skills training and encourage a professional attitude for everyone while participating in the volunteer activity. Coach those who volunteer their interpersonal skills – it may be one of the most important skills for them to hone when preparing for any kind of employment.

Volunteer recruiters often make the mistake of merely talking about their programs and what volunteers do and calling it “recruitment.” In contrast, effective recruitment has a specific message to convey to each group of potential volunteers, especially in tough communities. Powerful recruitment messages include:

• Benefits and rewards of participating in a particular volunteer position
• Features of the position—descriptive elements such as when, where, what, and with whom