It’s no secret that our volunteers are amazing! Time after time, they make incredible efforts to get informed and take action to advocate for a world without extreme poverty. We have so much appreciation for the contributions of every single one.
This month, we’re featuring Kseniya Dybatch, an expert in volunteer recruitment who started the Oakville group in January 2021. She discovered Results after joining Students for Partners In Health (PIH) at Western University. She noticed there wasn’t a Results group in her hometown of Oakville, so she founded one!
“I was already passionate about global health/equity and volunteering with groups like Amnesty International, so leading efforts in this area was something I was very open to. It might not seem like you are making a big difference by taking action on your own, but our power as volunteers lies in numbers. Together, we can influence policies and ultimately have a massive impact on people’s lives.”
Kseniya’s top skill is volunteer recruitment. The road to capturing volunteers for her brand-newgroup was long and challenging. She’s not alone - recruitment is not always straightforward. We at Results deeply admire new leaders like Kseniya who never give up hope in their advocacy through the difficult times.
“The key is to trust yourself and have a concrete vision for what you want to accomplish with your group.”
Kseniya’s top tips for recruiting volunteers:
1) Promote your volunteer group locally. Find where to place temporary ads like universities, bulletin boards, libraries, job sites that accept volunteer positions (e.g. Indeed), etc. You can also research volunteer recruitment websites and ask Results’ support staff to post there.
2) Use “strategic laziness”. Create a shared document or linktree that helps prospective volunteers understand what advocacy is. Include your group’s social media, the volunteer sign-up page, what volunteers do page, upcoming events, and anything else that could help.
3) Don’t get discouraged if your group takes time to grow. In the beginning it may take a while for people to discover your group. Some people may sign up to volunteer but not everyone will show up to the meetings, and that is completely normal.
Ultimately though, recruitment isn’t just about getting lots of new volunteers through the door, it’s to keep the truly passionate volunteers engaged. As a group leader the goal is to build up a strong “core group” of dependable volunteers who participate and take action every month.
“Quality over quantity - having two members that consistently show up to meetings and meaningfully contribute is better than having 10 that seldom do.”
Here’s what Kseniya says about anchoring passionate recruits:
1) Extend a warm welcome to incoming volunteers. When new members join your group, don’t hesitate to send them a welcoming email! Explain the current month’s call-to-action and how to take action right away. Encourage them to reach out to you with any questions – that’s how you identify who might stick around in the long run.
2) Keep the group on track and organized. Check in with volunteers after your education and action(E&A) meeting about their progress, especially if they have been inactive. Create a leader’s routine, such as regular E&A meeting times and monthly call-to-action reminders, that will ultimately help you and your volunteers take action more efficiently.
Scared of recruitment? Kseniya says to trust yourself and lean on others for help:
“You have nothing to lose from trying your hand at something you’re passionate about, and if you are genuinely passionate about it, you will figure out a way to make it work. If you run into roadblocks (which happens to everyone), don’t be afraid to ask for help from those around you! Your support network is your most valuable resource.”
Thank you Kseniya for your dedication and passion! Every action you take builds our movement and has positive impacts on global health, education and economic inclusion.
Take the first steps to becoming a volunteer today.
