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Question: I have been asked to volunteer in a different community - program is just starting up- I have been asked to go in and talk about advisory boards and recruit volunteers - ther person is new - I'm having difficulty in trying to deterimine how to proceed
Answer: Thank you for your question and for contacting CTB Ask an Advisor. Based on your brief message, it was not clear who was asking you to volunteer and how the person working for the program in the new community views her or his work. Of course, a very positive relationship between the two organizations can help bridge your "entry" into the new community. Alternatively, you may want to emphasize your personal experience and interest in being a resource to the new worker. If you have not already done so, perhaps it would be best to talk with the new person and help determine what her or his needs are. After better understanding the needs of the program in the new community and the new person working for the organization, you may want to help assess resources in the community and build leadership in the community (e.g., an advisory board). The CTB "Do the Work" Tab on the purple bar of the CTB homepage has links to several resources that may be helpful. 1. Creating and Maintaining Coalitions and Partnerships. This has practical information about outreach and organizing interest in your program. 6. Building Leadership. This has practical information about how to communicate the vision of your program and encourage people to join in the work of carrying it out. Finally, if you are focused specifically on recruiting volunteers, look at the following info from the CTB site. Table of Contents > Part D. Developing a Strategic Plan, Organizational Struc... > Chapter 11. Recruiting and Training Volunteers > Section 2. Recruiting Volunteers > Again, thank you for contacting CTB. Hopefully the information was helpful. All the best in your work.
Question Date: Tue, 04/21/2009