By Marvin Miller, AIB President
For many communities, success in their America in Bloom efforts can be tied directly to the ability to recruit and keep their voluntary workforce. Indeed, one of our eight judging criteria is labeled Community Involvement, suggesting the importance of this effort. And we often get a lot of questions on how to best recruit the required volunteers.
Probably a standard approach to getting the needed manpower is to cast a wide net. Involving the municipal government, the business community, and a city’s residents is important, especially since the judging evaluation for this, and all other criteria, awards points for each of these constituent groups. Yet, each of these groups ultimately needs to help recruit volunteers. So, the net that a city must ultimately cast needs to include every possible opportunity.
Certainly organizations, whether affiliated with the municipality, e.g., departmental groups of employees, schools, or even employee unions; with the business community, e.g., the Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Merchants Association, or the Convention & Visitors Bureau; or with residents, e.g., neighborhood improvement associations, condominium associations, church groups, or PTAs can each provide a group of volunteers for the city’s AIB efforts. And don’t forget the individual approach as well, as some folks just are not affiliated. So, how do you make the right connection?
It may make sense to approach the volunteer effort as a marketing opportunity. Granted, some do seek out volunteer opportunities.(Some high schools do ask their more senior students to find a way to give back to the community, and scout groups may also encourage this. Some organizations may also want to see a record of past service before accepting a candidate as a new member.) But these volunteers may only provide a fraction of the force needed. And most folks really are not out looking for volunteer opportunities, so persuasion must be used.
As with all marketing projects, identifying the target audience(s) and the appropriate message(s) that will connect with each is important. You want your AIB effort to be top of mind when a prospect is ready to volunteer and again when a volunteer is ready to repeat the volunteer effort. And it is important to recognize that folks volunteer for different reasons; some volunteer for the recognition, for personal growth opportunities, for the sense of personal achievement, just to give back, to effect change, or to associate with a group of like-minded individuals or friends.
Given this range of motives and the breadth of groups you may want to target, one can see that a strategic approach to recruiting volunteers is important. For folks in specific neighborhoods or business districts, it may be easier to recruit these people for improvement projects in their vicinity. But if you need volunteers across town, organizing a larger work committee to handle projects relating to personal growth opportunities, working alongside the experts in a field in specific interest areas (flowers or trees or environmental awareness, for example, organized around the judging criteria), may be the key.
In some instances, a demographic approach might yield the best results. Asking seniors to tackle the city’s heritage activities and asking the youth to help with the beautification of the school properties, for example, might prove successful. In some cities, schools may even involve whole grades for flower growing and planting projects. Businesses might be prime targets to beautify the areas around their shops or business parks, but if there is an opportunity to expose their business to new customers, they may be just as willing to volunteer in other parts of the city.
Contests can sometimes be an effective way to recruit volunteers as well. For example, finding a sponsor who, for the recognition, will gladly offer a prize to the service organization that generates the most volunteers and/or the most volunteer hours can be a win: win, providing recognition for all participating groups. In some communities, we have seen tremendous personal effort when the city, a business, a garden club, or even the local AIB organizing committee sponsors a home garden-of-the-week award. (Sometimes newspapers or radio or television stations can be recruited to get involved here.) This same recognition-and-reward approach can be used if the historical society sponsors awards for various restoration projects, if the Board of Education sponsors school gardening projects, or if the local sanitary district sponsors a collect-the-most-litter competition.

Of course, there are some folks who may just want to give back or those who really want to see their community change for the better. These are the true “saints” in the community. Often, identifying these folks and putting them in leadership positions can help the overall effort. Yet, even though their motives may be pure, they must realize that others with different motivations can also make good volunteers. Working with all volunteer types, and making sure they have rewarding experiences, can help the overall cause.
Another thought: don’t underestimate the power of social media. If in doubt, look at the recent events in several Middle Eastern countries. These people reacted to the opportunity to effect change. While we certainly are talking about something less dramatic, the opportunity to recruit volunteers can really have a big impact on the community.

Finally, do everything possible to ensure your volunteers have a good experience, for their word-of-mouth can make or break your recruitment efforts. Volunteers want you to be prepared for their arrival, so their time is well spent. Welcome them with smiles. Offer training, if required. Try to make the tasks interesting – and for certain volunteers – a little challenging. Be sure to communicate as much information up front as possible, so your volunteers come dressed appropriately, bring the tools necessary for the jobs, and can plan not only their volunteer time but also the rest of their day. Make sure to communicate the appreciation, because most folks really want to know they are truly helping to make the world, and your little corner of it, a better place. For with the volunteer corps, you can truly plant a whole lot of pride in your communities!