To attract and engage as many prospective volunteers as possible, anyone organizing such a project should make every effort to offer an experience that is open to as many different types of people as possible. This means creating a safe space that appeals to individuals regardless of their cultural backgrounds, abilities, or age. This can be a difficult balance to strike while also keeping the mission of the volunteer organization in clear focus, but the simple steps below can help.
Make It Easy to Sign Up
Although some individuals will jump over hurdles and barriers of all types to follow a volunteer project that they are passionate about, evidence shows that there are additional roadblocks in place for people who are living with disabilities or certain other factors that can inhibit their ability to join forces with a volunteer group. To reduce or remove these limitations, it is a good idea to consult with people from all backgrounds and determine what they would find helpful when attempting to learn more about a volunteering opportunity and include those features and characteristics whenever possible.
Provide Personalized Assistance
Another way to make people of all types feel valued and important is to offer mentors, leaders, and senior volunteers who are willing to sit down and take whatever steps are necessary to address concerns or questions that would-be volunteers might have prior to signing on to a project. Having this type of sounding board will contribute to the welcoming and inviting atmosphere that many people need to feel included in such a mission.
Make the Right Investments
In addition to simply making the volunteer group more open to people of all backgrounds, it is a good idea to back up the rhetoric and promises with actions that show a real commitment to the cause. This means including people at the top of the organization all the way down to the newest team members and volunteers in the process of using the appropriate tools, resources, and language so that no one feels as if they are an outsider.