Cómo reclutar voluntarios

Thank you so much for joining this fight. Elizabeth is proud to count you among her best supporters. Grassroots teams — made up of people like you — are the backbone of this campaign and at the heart of why Elizabeth is running for president.

Recruitment is the essence of being a community team leader. You’ll recruit volunteers with old fashioned shoe leather and cutting edge digital mobilization tools. You’ll recruit all of these people to build more power to win our campaign and elect Elizabeth Warren as our next President.

Our emphasis on recruitment is also a philosophical commitment to promoting civic engagement – our democracy depends upon it. There is an inherent value in engaging a lot of people. This toolkit will walk you through the basics for how to start recruiting volunteers.

MATERIALS

HOW TO START RECRUITING NEW VOLUNTEERS

Step 1: Build out your recruitment plan using our recruitment plan worksheet

Step 2: Designate a recruitment lead who will help hold everyone accountable to recruiting new members

Step 3: Use your plan to set priorities, goals, and help you stay focused on the most effective efforts

Step 4: Engage your current team. Share your plan, get buy-in, and set up your team to be ambassadors for recruiting more volunteers. Your team can use the Network worksheet to think through people to reach out to

Step 5: Make sure to use campaign tools like MobilizeAmerica and facebook to reach new members!

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CALLS

Calling potential new volunteers directly is one of the best ways to recruit new volunteers for Elizabeth! Good volunteer recruitment scripts make a direct ask for volunteers to commit to specific dates and times.

Use our sample recruitment script to build out your script for calling to recruit new volunteers. Calling potential new volunteers directly is one of the

WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS TO YOUR GROUP

Once you’ve brought new volunteers into your community group, it’s important to make sure new members feel welcomed!

Follow these steps to help welcome new members and ensure they feel a part of the movement to elect Elizabeth.

  • Confirm new members. After someone has said they’re planning to attend your next meeting/event, give them a call (or text) beforehand to remind them and see if they have any questions.
  • Encourage them to bring a friend. People feel more comfortable when they have someone in their support network with them, plus you get two new potential members!
  • Make sure someone is at the door to greet any new attendees specifically and welcome them.
  • Run your meeting in a way that works for new people too. Avoid jargon, or inside jokes, or assuming that everyone is on the same page with your plans.
  • Follow-up the day after the meeting. Thank them for coming, answer any questions, and agree to their next step.
  • For those who aren’t ready to commit, offer ways to stay involved in other ways. Encourage them to sign up to our email list or like us on Facebook to keep informed of big developments or events. A low stream of information can build up to a commitment over time.

KEEP NEW VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED

So much about getting people to keep coming back is about making people feel like they are valued; it’s fun; and it’s worth their time. Here’s a good baseline to make sure you’re hitting:

  • Make it worth everyone’s time. Run efficient meetings. Offer members defined opportunities with clear directions and purpose. Be respectful that not everyone has the same amount of time to give and offer opportunities with varying levels of participation. For more on how to run a great meeting, see our meetings toolkit.
  • Feeling valued. Dedicate a portion of your regular meetings to celebrating success. Use your closed Facebook or email groups to credit people for their hard work. Send thank you emails. Try to be specific with praise.
  • Have fun. You are dedicated community members fighting the good fight every day, but we need to prepare for the long haul and make sure we don’t burnout. Have a social event: do a potluck in a park, attend a community fair or event together, recognize birthdays at team meetings, organize a happy hour at a local watering hole.