Can We Use a "New
Philanthropy" Approach to Recruit Volunteers?
by Terrie Temkin, Ph.D.
Abstract
An innovative approach to raising funds burst onto the nonprofit scene
a few years back. Entitled "new philanthropy," it has enthusiastically
been adopted by fundraisers wishing to raise the level of their success.
This article proposes that those responsible for enlisting volunteers
adapt a "new philanthropy" approach to recruitment. A definition of
new philanthropy is presented. This is followed by a step-by-step process
for employing the features of the new philanthropy to ensure a good
match between volunteer and organization.
Introduction
The numbers - at
least in the United States - are amazing. According to a survey done
by the Independent Sector, 89.5% of Americans say that they would volunteer
if they were asked to do so. [i] If were a gambler, however, I would
bet that the percentage of people who respond positively to your recruitment
efforts is somewhat short of that 89.5%. Assuming of course that you
do ask people to join your organization in its efforts, why is
there a discrepancy between the numbers that claim they are willing
to volunteer and those you can actually get to participate? Could it
be the approach you are using?
More often than not, when I have observed the recruitment process in
action, I see people using some version of the following appeals:
"Please, please, please. . . we really need someone with your skills to help
us out on this project."
"Just say 'yes.' It won't take that much time."
"We may not be able to continue offering this service if you don't agree to help.
We've been having a terrible time finding people to volunteer."
There are several problems with these appeals. First, they are all
about the organization and its needs rather than the needs of the potential
volunteer. Comments like "we really need someone with your skills" or "it
won't take that much time" appear to appeal to the ego or time needs
of the individual. However, the people you want to volunteer are sophisticated.
They have heard these phrases often enough to discount their sincerity,
interpreting them instead - probably rightly - as an organization's
desperate attempt to place any warm body in the position.
Second, these approaches instill guilt, resentment and a desire for
extracting payback. Unfortunately, these are rather unhealthy emotions
on which to build an on-going relationship. Someone may say yes to
get you off his or her back, but chances are that person will fail
to follow through on assignments. And, watch out! If he or she belongs
to another organization you can be sure that you will be called upon
to work for that organization sometime soon.
Third, while such appeals may work for the short term, the person is
likely to drop away from the organization rather quickly unless you
are lucky enough to earn his or her long-term commitment in the initial
time he or she grants you. After all, phrased as these appeals are
phrased above, it sounds like the organization has trouble finding
people who want to work there. Most people prefer volunteering for
organizations that are perceived to have cachet. . Besides, where in
these appeals is anything that speaks to the individual's soul - his
or her desire to do something important and good?
I propose that if you are interested in recruiting more dedicated volunteers
you will do well to take a lesson from fund developers. They have achieved
a heightened level of success with an approach called the "new philanthropy." I
believe that the basics of this "new philanthropy" approach transfer
well to our field.
The Reasons for the "New Philanthropy" Concept
Before I define "new philanthropy" or share some of the principles
that I think apply to volunteer recruitment, let me share some of the
environmental forces that emerged to create the demand for a new approach
to raising money. One of the most significant was the increasingly
intense competition for dollars. The number of charities in the United
States grew 74% in the decade between 1987 and 1997. That number continues
to grow with approximately 80,000 organizations being granted nonprofit
status each year. [Ii] Even though the number of households making
charitable contributions each year has remained constant at
around 70%, [iii] fundraisers were finding it increasingly difficult
to woo their portion of the pie.
The rise of entrepreneurship also clearly had an impact. Suddenly,
there were millions of people who were used to making things happen
as a direct result of their personal decision making and effort. [Iv]
If they were to give to charity, they wanted to retain a say in how
that money was used. Harvard professor Peter Frumkin described these
people as "donors seeking deeper, more lasting and more engaged relationships
with organizations they give to. .. .demanding more personal satisfaction
and recognition from their philanthropy." [v]
These new "venture philanthropists" [vi] also had a lot more money
to donate. Between 1994 and 2001 the number of millionaires
more than doubled and the number of households worth at least $5 million
increased almost 50%. [vii] In great part this was due to the longest
running bull market in history-;- a dotcom industry that made billionaires
overnight, and the initial distributions in what is expected to be
an unprecedented transference of wealth. There was a lot of money at
stake if the charities didn't listen to the needs and desires of their
potential donors.
What "New Philanthropy" Is
While one can find "new philanthropy" defined in a number of different
ways, the core concept underlying the various definitions is a commitment
to a multi-faceted investment philosophy. It requires investing in
authentic, earnest relationships with donors"helping the donors value
the need to invest in their communities then helping them determine
what specifically they value enough to invest in, finally ensuring
that their donated dollars are invested wisely so as to never betray
the relationships.
To fully understand what makes "new philanthropy" "new," it might be
helpful to begin by reviewing the traditional "charity model" of philanthropy.
Fundraisers used to assume a beggar's mentality, pleading for dollars
to help diffuse one crisis situation after another. One time the money
might be required to respond to a sudden tragedy, another time to allow
the organization to finish out the year having met its financial goal,
or to fix a dilapidated building. Whatever the validity of the current
need, the use of frequent pleas led savvy donors to question whether
they were giving their money wisely. Since little was ever said about
the outcomes achieved with the donors' money, many wondered if organizations
were crying wolf or just managing their money poorly. Perhaps more
detrimental in the long run was the fact that, because the charities
were always focused on chasing the next dollar, there often wasn't
enough attention paid to saying thank you for past dollars. This would
cause donors to fade away, ensuring that the funding crisis would loom
even larger next time, and ensuring a never-ending negative cycle.
"New philanthropy" changed this focus, putting the donor before the dollar, building,
as fundraising consultant Jim Lord recommends, "close, authentic, lifelong relationships
with donors." [viii] This was not a move to merely court or retain the contemporary
donor. It was a move designed to ensure financial security for those programs
most valued in the community. As demographer Gary Tobin reminds us, "philanthropy
reflects community values and norms." [ix] Identifying what the community wants,
and would therefore be willing to fund, requires asking the individual donors
that make up the community to specify what they value enough to support with
their dollars.
By asking the donors to set the priorities that, in their mind, would
make a difference in the community also makes the eventual "ask" easier.
Since the donors are doing the talking they end up talking themselves
into contributing! As they begin to define the end results they covet
the possibility of achieving success becomes more real. It soon
becomes evident that one of the few things standing in the way of results
is money - money that they could provide. An interesting by-product of this
approach is that many occasional donors turn into philanthropists -
not necessarily in terms of the dollars they donate, but in
terms of their ongoing commitment to an organization.
Using "New Philanthropy" Principles to Assist Volunteer Recruitment
In the world of volunteer ism, we are faced with some of the
same environmental forces that impact other forms of philanthropy,
including competition from other nonprofits and changing volunteer
expectations. We are also faced with the reality that volunteering
takes more time than donating money. There are only 24 hours in every
day. With family obligations, leisure activities, and paid work making
legitimate demands on the time available to our potential volunteers,
we need to do more than merely ask people to contribute their efforts
to what we think is a worthy cause. I propose that to recruit and retain
volunteers we would do well to use the same key the fundraisers are
finding so successful - helping people determine what they personally
value and showing them how they can live their values.
That shouldn't be that difficult to do. Some would say that the pump
is already primed. When the Spring 2001 issue of Independent Sector
Facts and Findings came out, one of the more significant
findings was that people were feeling a higher level of confidence
in charitable institutions than ever before in the survey's history.
[x] Seventy-five percent of Americans felt that there is a greater
need for charitable institutions today than there was five years
ago, and more than 60% rejected the notion that nonprofit organizations
fail to make a difference when they tackle important community problems.
[xi] [xii]
The task before each of us is to help move people from the abstract,
where nonprofit organizations in general are important and do good work,
to the concrete. We must find a way to reach those people with
the skills we need most and get them to identify with our individual
organizations. We want them to see our organizations as the place to solve
those specific community problems closest to their own hearts.
Certainly we want to use recruiters who are adept at helping
potential volunteers see how their personal interests and values
can be met within our specific organizations. But, do not interpret
this as a job for the stereotypic sales person. Remember, we want people
to sell themselves on the importance of volunteering
for our organizations. If we are to achieve this goal we need recruiters
who are proficient in the technique:s of active listening. First
and foremost, it means that those we assign to meet with potential
volunteers must be able to quickly establish rapport and engender
trust so that people will open up to them. It also means that we select
people who are both comfortable with probing others' feelings, needs
and desires and have the skills to do that.
Volunteer recruitment as I am proposing it is a time consuming process-
definitely more so than many of us are used to committing to recruitment.
It is a process that also involves risk. We could work through the
entire sequence of steps and find that while a person has the skills,
knowledge or experience we need, his or her values fit better somewhere
else. Under a "new philanthropy" model, we would be obligated to draw
this to the attention of the potential volunteer.
However disappointing a non-match might be, though, the time we invest
to communicate that we truly put the individual's needs before our
organization's will pay off in several ways. First, we won't waste
time training someone who will quickly learn that he or she doesn't
belong there. Second, we will find that we have put a corps of goodwill
ambassadors out on the streets - people who appreciate the efforts
made on their behalf. People love to talk about what is important to
them and have someone listen. When someone acts selflessly in their
best interest on top of that, they will remember it for life. They'll
begin telling all their friends about the positive experience that
they had when they met with "this unique organization." As our community
visibility increases, so will there be an increase in the number of
appropriate volunteer applicants that walk through the door.
The Process
So, what is the process? While we each will have to find what works
best with our personality and for our organization, let me suggest
one approach. To start, if we are going to say that a volunteer's values
are at the core of our approach to volunteer recruitment, then I think
we need to look at our own organizational values. Ideally, these ought
to be written and visible as a "values statement." Does this statement,
borrowing from Lord, include a commitment to building "close, authentic,
lifelong relationships" with our volunteers? If not, I suggest that
value statements to that effect should be added. If access to the list
of corporate values is denied, I would create a set of core values
for the volunteer department and include such statements there.
Then I would ensure the competencies of my recruiters, starting with
their active listening skills. Active listening is engaged listening.
Dalmar Fisher suggests that there are four components to good, active
listening. They are empathy, acceptance, congruence and concreteness:
I~i~1
. An empathic recruiter
listens with the goal of understanding the point of view and emotions
of the potential volunteer without trying to interpret the potential
volunteer's comments through the lens of his or her own perspectives.
. An accepting recruiter
has and communicates respect for the potential volunteer. Among other
things this means avoiding judgmental remarks.
. The
recruiter practices congruence when he or she is open and genuine,
knowing that such behavior is likely to engender openness
and genuineness in the potential volunteer as well. Besides some self.
disclosure and a warm smile, this might also mean admitting when one
has been daydreaming and has missed something that was said.
. Concreteness refers
to the recruiter's ability to help the potential volunteer share specifics
rather than generalities in their discussions. For instance, if the
volunteer says he or she is a "people person," the recruiter
might ask if heor she prefers working with a specific age group
or socioeconomic level.
When practicing active listening it is not sufficient for a recruiter
to ask a potential volunteer, "What is important to you?" and then
move directly on to the next question. Active listening requires that
the listener take in the nonverbal with the verbal, [xiv] probe for
what is not being said, and clarify what he or she understands is
being said. The use of comparisons and .
analogies can be helpful clarification tools. Facts are not
as important as the overall feeling. You don't want your recruiters
to focus on the proverbial trees and lose the forest. The goal is that
the potential volunteer feels cared about and understood. He or she
should not feel rushed, pigeon-holed, or as just one of a string
of people walking through the door. You might try some reality practice
[xv] with your recruiters to determine their skill level with active
listening, then work with them if needed. [xvi]
Meeting with Potential Volunteers
It's time to begin meeting with potential volunteers. I mentioned earlier
that establishing rapport and creating trust were essential to the
process. One way to begin building rapport and trust is to set the
stage for disclosure. This means picking a comfortable setting where
any distractions will be minimal. You might want to think about meeting
the potential volunteer on his or her turf. While you can more
easily control the setting if you are in your own space, and it is
advantageous to have people see the setting in which you hope they
will eventually work, having them come to you communicates the importance
of your time and your organization over their needs. Of course,
it would be best if you can pick a neutral setting that is conducive
to the interaction.
Wherever you end up meeting,turn the chairs at a 45-degree angle. This
affords the opportunity for good eye contact without inducing the sense
of fight or flight that often arises when people sit directly
opposite one another. [xvii] Set the chairs approximately two and a
half feet to four feet apart. This is considered the most comfortable
distance for discussions involving topics of personal interest between
people who are not intimates, family or close friends. [xviii] Then,
let the prospective volunteer pick the chair in which he or she
would most like to sit. There are definitely "power" positions, such
as facing the door with one's back to the wall, and you want to communicate
that the potential volunteer is in the driver's seat here.
A second way to build rapport and establish trust is to encourage potential
volunteers to interview your organization or any others just
as they will be interviewed. Suggest that they ask their own questions
to determine if the organization
will be a good fit for them. You could even send them a list of questions
prior to the actual interview that they might ask if you should
fail to cover the answers in your initial description of the
volunteer opportunity. Questions for this list might include:
- Will
I be provided an orientation and ongoing
training?
- What
might a typical day look like for me?
- Is
there 'a minimum time commitment I would
be expected to make? . What
opportunities for personal and professional
growth will I be afforded?
- Is
there a career ladder for volunteers?
- How does
the organization prepare its paid staff
to work with volunteers? [xix]
- What
resources are provided for volunteers?
- Will
I be assigned a desk or have access to equipment?
- Can
I eat meals at the facility? Are meals
provided free or at cost? . Is
there adequate parking?
- How is
volunteer safety ensured?
Yet a third way to build rapport and trust is to verbally
assure the people with whom you speak that your role is to help
them find the most appropriate. volunteer experience possible, even
if that means losing their services for your own organization. Clarify
the fact that this means, for instance, that when they are asked
about the interests, concerns and dreams associated with their desire to make
a difference, you do not expect them to limit their responses to those
directly related to your organization. Aff1rm this by asking
them broad questions such as:
- "To
what issues are you drawn?"
- "Do you like
working most closely with people,
animals or the environment?" .
- "Did
you or someone close to you suffer
from a. debilitating disease?" . "Is
there a social injustice about which you feel
strongly?"
Suggest that, since you do not wish to influence their answers in
any way,
they might take a few minutes initially to jot down their
answers privately. When they are ready, let them rank their responses
in terms of interest and saliency. It is important that, regardless of the
nature of the responses, you remain sincerely interested and
non-judgmental.
Help the potential volunteers understand that today few organizations
that involve volunteers feel responsible for placing people just
because they. appear at the organization's doorstep with a desire
to "do something." Ask them to think about what they can do to help
further the mission of an organization of the type
with which they most wish to work. Tell them that they probably have
many more skills that would be valued by such an organization than
they might initially think. For instance, some organizations
could utilize a magician, others a musician or someone with the ability
to sign for the deaf or hard of hearing It is not all about fundraising
or public relations. Since it's often difficult at the spur of the
moment during an interview situation to think of the range of skills
we possess, recommend that people make a written list of skills to
which they can add items at a later date.
Ask potential volunteers to create a third list that covers what
they like to do and/or what they want to get out of their
volunteer experience. Suggest that they consider if it is important
to them to see firsthand the difference they are making or if they
are content working in the background for the greater good. Tell
them to be honest if they want to gain experience to take back to
their paid job. Share with them that when compiling this list it
is equally important to clarify what they don't want to do. For instance,
most organizations will want to put a trained bookkeeper in charge
of numbers. If the prospective volunteer is a bookkeeper who feels
that he or she gets enough numbers at work, that person should be
encouraged to define the parameters within which he or she does want
to work.
Ask them how and with whom they like to work. For instance, some
people' prefer working alone while others prefer working in small
groups with whom they can network and build friendships. Still others
prefer working with large groups. The latter subscribes to "the.
more the merrier" school of thought; Some people want to bring their
own work group - either
their cohorts from the office for the added teambuilding experience
or members of their families. [xx] Some want to work primarily with
other volunteers, while other people prefer working with staff
or clients. Helping people realize their preferences brings you both
one step closer to a decision about the best place for them to live
their values.
Ask the potential volunteers to make one final list. This on(~ should
cover the working conditions that are important to them. Do they
want to volunteer within a certain radius of their home or office?
Do they want to work in the same place each time or in a variety
of settings? Do they want to work specific hours or are they flexible?
Perhaps they would even prefer working a varied schedule. While it
would be extremely rare to find the perfect situation for someone,
the closer that you can come, the better for everyone.
By this point, both you and your potential volunteers should have
a clear idea of what they would ideally like to do and within what
type of organization they would want to do it. Hopefully, their desires
will mesh well with what your organization has to offer. Part of
your job is to help them see where it does, if it does. You want
to be well informed about all the places where volunteers can contribute
within your organization. You also want to be able to take an expressed
desire and show how a different but related experience would allow
them to feel the satisfaction they seek.
However, you don't want to stretch the reality either. All the work
you have done up to this point will be for naught if the potential
volunteers feel that you strung them along and that you don't really
care about placing their needs first after all. If there is not a
match, share with them organizations with which you are familiar
that might be a better fit. If you don't know what organizations
exist in your community that do the sort of work they seek, suggest
they try calling the local volunteer center or United Way for referrals.
Suggest they check one of the growing number of online registries
of volunteer opportunities such as VolunteerMatch http://www.volunteennatch.org.
Perhaps a couple of the people are even interested in virtual volunteering,
in which they can participate from the comfort of their own homes.
Computer experts can volunteer their skills virtually by going to www.techsoup.org or www.:.serviceleader.org/vv/experts.htm1.
We've all heard about the concept karma - that people's actions come
back to them. Spend the time helping people determine where best
they can have a happy and productive experience while making ~ difference
and, before you know it, you'll have many volunteers happily and
productively making a difference for you.
R~5p(md.'A5k
I,
END NOTES
[i] From Independent Sector's Giving and Volunteering in the Us.:
Findings from a National Survey of Household Giving. (1999).
[ii] The Independent Sector released these figures in its New
Nonprofit Almanac IN BRIEF: Facts and Figures on the Independent
Sector 2001. The study from which it came further determined
that there are currently 1.6 million nonprofit organizations in America.
Extrapolating from a recent study done by Kirsten Gf0nbjerg to determine
the size of the nonprofit sector in Indiana by cross-referencing
multiple information sources (the Indiana Nonprofits Project) suggests
that the actual number of nonprofits may be double that, or over
3 million.
[iii] The percentage of households that give is from the ][independent
Sector's 1999 national survey, Giving and Volunteering in the
United States.
[iv] Depending on the source, it is estimated that there are between
10 and 50 mIllion entrepreneurs in the United States. One statistic
available from the U.S. Small Business Administration is that there
are more than 25 million small businesses, including almost 18 million
sole proprietorships.
[v] Frumkin discussed philanthropy and today's philanthropists in
an August 15,2000 interview on the web
(www.ksg.harvard.edu/news/experts/frumkin_philanthropy_qa.htm).
[vi] The literature abounds with references to "venture philanthropists"- people that
consider themselves as venture capitalists for the nonprofit world,
providing the seed money for new programs or services that will ultimately
make a long-term difference in their community. However, just as
venture capitalists in the for-profit world retain a stake in the
organization that typically translates into having a say in its operations,
venture philanthropists often want to offer "intellectual capital" along
with their financial support.
[vii] From "Fundraising and the New Wealth: A Reality Check" in Advancing
Philanthropy, March/April 2001, p. 14.
[viii] See www.lord.org/excerpt.htm
[ix] From the paper "The Transition of Communal Values and Behaviors
in JewishPhilanthropy," presented at the Forum on Philanthropy,
Public Policy and the Economy: What's New about New Philanthropy,
January 19 - 20, 2000.
[x] Independent Sector began as early as the 1980's to survey the
country regarding its level of confidence in charitable institutions.
[xi] Saxon-Harrold, Susan (ed.). Facts and Findings: Taking the
Pulse of Americans' Attitudes Toward Charities (Spring 2001)
Vol. 3, No. 1. Washington DC: Independent Sector.
[xii] These statistics were gathered prior to the September 11 th
tragedy and llie subsequent flap regarding the use of funds
donated to the American Red Cross and the United Way of America.
However, another study done by Independent Sector (A Survey of
Charitable Giving After September 11th, 2001, October 23,2001)
showed that 73% of previous donors would continue to give their dollars
even with the economic downturn. The study' also showed that 16%
of those who had not given money in the previous year were moved
to donate. In the context of this paper it is important to note that
a previous Independent Study report (Taking the Pulse of Americans'
Attitudes Toward Charities, Spring 2001) reaffirms that people
who donate money are more apt to also volunteer time.
[xiii] Fisher, Dalmar. Communication in Organizations. (1981)
[xiv] According to Albert Mehrabian, one of the most respected scholars
on the subject of nonverbal communication, 93% of what we
express is shared nonverbally (Silent Messages, 1971). To
disregard these: messages would be to ignore the bulk of what a person
is saying. This is particularly true when the verbal and nonverbal
messages are inconsistent because;: our nonverbal messages are usually
more accurate. Freud once said, "He that has eyes to
. see
and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep
a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his finger
tips, betrayal oozes out of him at every pore." (1905)
[xv] Most people would use the term "role-play" here. I prefer "reality practice" because
it reinforces the value of the exercise. It is not just a game to
be played in a learning situation. Rather, it is an opportunity to
become proficient at a skill that one will be called upon to use
regularly.
[xvi] If you, yourself feel uncomfortable about the process of active listening, you
might want to refer to one of a number of books on the subject.
Try: Active Listening: Building Skills for Understanding by
Marc Helgesen and Steve Brown (199~); Effective Listening: How
to Profit by Tuning into the Ideas and Suggestions of Others by
Kevin Murphy (2001); Effective Listening Skills by Art James
and Dennis Kraty (1995); Listen for Success: A Guide to Effective
Listening by Arthur Robertson (1993); or Listen Up: At Home,
at Work, in Relationships: How to Harness the Power of Effective
Listening by Larry Barker and Kittie Watson (2001). You might
also look for the audio cassette by Jim Cairo, (2000), The Power
of Effective Listening: Tap into Your Listening Powers and See Real
Results.
[xvii] Sommer, Robert. (1969) Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis
of 15es{g;l.
[xviii] Edward T. Hall describes this as the "far ph~se of personal
distance" in hlsc1assic 1966 book, The Hidden Dimension. It
is a distance at which someone clearly sees the other person and
can easily reach out and touch him or her without invading that person's
personal bubble.
[xix] This is important because volunteers work as part of a team.
If the staff doesn't see them as a key part of that team the
volunteers will not have a good experience.
[xx] The trend toward volunteering with the entire family is one
on which to build when recruiting using a "new philanthropy" model.
Those who want to volunteer with their families have already told
you one or two of their key values. You may want to clarify if their
motivation is spending time with their family and/or desiring to
pass on to their children or spouse the value of volunteering. You
can better tailor people's volunteer experience based on what you
learn.
Contents of tile Apr-Jun 2002 Issue
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