Getting People Involved:

How to get more volunteers

Catherine Barney: Catherine Barney is American Mensa's Public Relations Manager. Catherine acts as the account executive for the local groups, assisting with their local PR efforts. She coordinates the distribution of press releases, and tracks press clippings. She also responds to media inquiries, oversees special projects and programs such as Mind Games and National Testing Day, and is the National Office Liaison for the Gifted Children Committee.

After a presentation and group discussion, each participant will be able to:

State three reasons why people volunteer, and the types of volunteers.
Describe how life changes impact volunteering.
List three steps in developing a planned volunteer development program.
State why most of our volunteer recruitment efforts should be concentrated on new members.
Describe the role of feedback in preventing frustration and burnout.
Explain why some volunteers may be deadly to recruiting or keeping other volunteers, and what we can do about it.
State the benefits of coaching and counseling volunteers.
State what is motivating for each type of volunteer.
Give examples of rewards each of the types would find reinforcing.
Explain why it is important not to wait until project completion to praise volunteers.

Latest revision: 15 March 2004

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