Many hands make light work, which is why you’ll need to recruit volunteers for your next fundraiser.
Although it sounds simple enough, it can be difficult to round up enough people to have the fundraiser run like a well-oiled machine. Below are a few suggestions for how to recruit the volunteers you need to raise a good deal of cash for your sports team.
First, if you aren’t already, consider using a tool to help recruit fundraising volunteers. Tools such as FutureFund automate huge portions of the process, making it easier for everyone involved. FutureFund is free, but there are other tools out there as well that are worth considering.
Create a Sign-Up Sheet Ahead of Time
Well before the fundraiser is set to take place, create a sign-up sheet and hang it in a public area. This may be on the front door of the school building where students, teachers, and parents can readily see it, or it may be hanging on a bulletin board in the hallway. Leave the sheet up for about a week before taking it down. You’ll get an initial pool of volunteers using this method and then you’ll be able to determine how many more people you’ll need to recruit.
Send a Letter Home to Parents
Take the sign-up sheet and determine in what areas you still need help. Add this info to a flyer, take the flyers to all of the homerooms at the school, and send it home to parents. Make sure the flyer has a tear off section at the bottom that the parents can fill out at home and return to you the next day with their child so that you know how many additional volunteers you have generated.
Contact the PTA
Another option is to take the flyer to the Parent Teacher Association and have them read it at their next meeting. This may generate additional leads. Since the members of this group are active in everything concerning education and extracurricular activities, there’s a good chance they will want to join your efforts in raising money for the sports team you represent. They may also have additional ideas on getting the word out, which will inevitably lead to a few more volunteers.
Utilize Social Media
Create a post to place on the school’s social media page. This will reach the largest number of families in the quickest amount of time. The plea for volunteers can also be shared by parents to reach members of the community who enjoy giving their time to support a good cause. There really is no bounds in the amount of people you can reach when taking advantage of social media outlets. Don’t forget that social media outlets, like Facebook, allow you to create specific event pages that can also be shared. These are beneficial because you can make updates as you have them and keep the volunteers you do have excited about the fundraiser.
Send an Email
This works much the same way as a social media post and can be done in conjunction with the post. You can start with the parent emails you already have from your team roster and then make a plea for parents to forward the email to anyone they believe will have the time and resources to help you with the fundraiser. This is also a great time to specifically list what you still need help with. That may be selling raffle tickets, obtaining donations to use at a silent auction or chaperoning a dance.
Build Relationships
Always work on building a relationship with the volunteers you recruit. Chances are you’ll have another need down the road that requires additional fundraising. When that happens, you’ll have a list of of people who enjoy working with you and the sports team you represent, and they will be more likely to jump in and assist in raising funds on the new project. That will save you from having to spend time searching for a whole new pool of volunteers.
Provide an Incentive
One way to entice volunteers is to provide a small incentive. Perhaps you can arrange a pool party at the end of the fundraiser just for the volunteers, or order a few pizzas for a pizza and movie night. No matter which direction you go, the point is to have something that is of benefit to the volunteers that also lets them know you appreciate their sacrifice and hard work.
