How To: Engage Youth in the Long Term

 

Recruitment isn't always the biggest problem with youth volunteer programs: much more often, the real trouble is in the retention and integration of young people into the culture of the organization. Without real long-term engagement strategies, each well-intentioned outreach initiative ends up bled dry by quick and endless turnover. To stem the flow, here are some pointers for building lasting relationships with young people. You'll find we don't mind sticking around at all if you make it worth our time.

Prepare Beforehand

Just wanting more volunteers—who doesn't?—doesn't necessarily mean you're ready for us. Solid, well-thought-out policies backed by adequate, targeted resources are essential. Invest in a paid staff member who allocates a significant portion of their time to managing volunteers: the increased efficiency of your volunteer program will easily justify the expense. Extra assistance for the volunteer supervisor can be found through print and web resources, workshops, and conferences. Remember that volunteers chose your organization because we're passionate about what you do. Maintain that attraction by showing that you care enough to think ahead.

Create Learning Opportunities

Especially for youth, volunteering is a way to learn, develop work skills, and achieve personal goals. You can use this desire for personal and career growth to your advantage. Create definite volunteer job descriptions, perhaps even job titles, and adjust these roles to the particular skills and interests of each volunteer. After our initial orientation, volunteers should be given specific assignments with clear outlines, timelines, and related training. Each volunteer should know the purpose of our job and how it contributes to your organization's work and mission.

Short assignments can actually enhance long-term retention for reluctant or overburdened youth. On the other hand, it's important to make sure young volunteers who want to participate in event planning, visioning, and decision-making get opportunities to do so. Youth volunteering can be an important first step to integrating youth within every level of your organization: by creating room for growth, your organization is more likely to create a youth-friendly atmosphere that makes it a place young people want to spend our time (and want to bring our friends).

Provide Support and Follow-up

Support comes in many forms. In an ideal world, your volunteer supervisor would be able to accommodate the needs of each volunteer individually. In reality, they will need help. Successful volunteering programs are based on stable relationships: pairing each volunteer with a mentor, be they staff or a seasoned volunteer, helps them stay on track and accomplish tasks. Mentoring also builds volunteers' confidence, so they can gradually become more self-reliant.

Volunteer supervisors should regularly give and receive feedback. This helps volunteers progress and allows your organization to see whether the volunteer program is meeting its goals. Scheduled performance evaluations are fine—just make sure they're not unnecessarily formal and intimidating. Also, since we aren't on payroll, consider paying volunteers back with tangible gratitude and recognition of their accomplishments. Congratulate volunteers regularly and publicly, be it with a barbecue or a highlight in your newsletter. When youth do move on, provide us with career guidance, reference letters, and interview tips. We won't forget it.

If youth feel that we belong somewhere, we're more likely to stick around. So don't treat volunteer engagement as an afterthought. Devote serious attention to orientation, training, supervision, and recognition. Remember: it will take a real investment of time and resources, but it will also pay off immeasurably in the long-term. To help you along the way, why don't you learn more about reaching youth through technology or making your workplace more youth-friendly. And—as if you needed to be reminded—check out the benefits that real youth engagement can bring your organization. Also, click here to learn more about Apathy is Boring's workshops, consultations, and other Youth-Friendly services.

 

<sub>References

Corrigan, Pam. Attracting and Retaining Young Adults in Voluntary Organizations. St. John's, NL: Rep. Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador, February 2007. Accessed Feb. 16, 2010. http://www.envision.ca/pdf/cscpub/Youth_Forum_Feb07_Final.pdf.

Ellis, Jennifer. Best Practices in Volunteer Management: An Action Planning Guide For Small and Rural Nonprofit Organizations. Ottawa, ON: Volunteer Canada, 2005. Accessed February 16, 2010. http://www.volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/CSC-Best_Practices.pdf.

Fryar, Andy, Rob Jackson, and Fraser Dyer, eds. Turn Your Organization into a Volunteer Magnet. 2nd ed. Blackpool: Institute for Advanced Volunteer Management, 2007. Accessed February 16, 2010. http://www.energizeinc.com/art/subj/documents/VolunteerMagnet2nded_000.pdf.

Sériès, Marine. Cap sur les jeunes bénévoles: Tracez votre chemin. Montréal, QC: Le Réseau de l’action bénévole du Québec, 2011. Accessed June 21, 2011. http://www.rabq.ca/app/DocRepository/2/Publications/Cap_jeunes_benevoles.pdf.

Sériès, Marine, personal interview, Montreal, QC, 5 July, 2011.</sub>