I just sent out an email to some of my colleagues looking for help staffing a large retreat. I really do need their help to connect the people they have on their teams with the need I have on mine. I just hate begging for volunteers. After a while, it just seems like a waste of everyone’s time.
It’s not uncommon. There’s no shortage of need out there, and people don’t seem shy about asking for help. My facebook wall is bombarded with kickstarter campaigns looking for money to launch ministries, projects and albums. There are a bajillion organizations asking for help with their next big thing.
The church is often in on it too… at some churches the announcement times feel more like help wanted ads, with volunteer leaders asking for volunteers to help with everything from programming to hanging wallpaper. Seriously? Another work day?
It’s time to stop asking for volunteers.
The truth is, most people are busy enough. They aren’t looking for more things to do with their time or more places to send their money. The constant asking for volunteers just isn’t getting through the massive filter that years of similar asks have built.
Instead, it’s time to share opportunities.
What people do seem to be looking for is something worthwhile, something bigger than themselves, something that’s going to make a lasting difference in another person’s life or community. They are looking for opportunities to make a difference.
Tom Sawyer had it all figured out. He was the one who got all the neighborhood kids to whitewash the fence for him—and even pay him for the privilege—just by making it seem like the best thing to do.
Now, I’m not suggesting you trick people into doing things for you. But, what if, instead of always asking people for help, you gave them the opportunity to be a part of the solution? Next time you’re thinking about recruiting volunteers, collecting donations, or asking for help, ask these four things first:
Is this the right thing to ask for help with?
The truth is, if you try and do everything with volunteers or donations, you may eventually burn out your well-meaning donors and volunteers. Instead, invite people to be a part of opportunities that are most compelling to them. Find other ways to accomplish the rest of your tasks with resources and people you already have.
Am I asking the right person or people?
The problem, I think, with the internet, facebook and email, is that it makes it very easy and very cheap to ask a lot of people for a lot of things. What used to take an envelope and a stamp or a long distance phone call now takes just seconds with email. If you throw all your needs out all the time, people may begin to think you aren’t managing your internal resources well, and will be less likely to participate when you have a genuine need that they might otherwise have jumped on.
Does this sound like a compelling opportunity?
At SpringHill, we have certain donors that love to fund ordinary things like bath houses and sewer projects. Thank God for these faithful donors who know that their giving can meet needs that don’t appeal to the masses. But when we have need for new cabins, activities, and projects with measurable ministry outcomes, we take these to a broader audience.
People are eager to make a difference. The opportunities you have to serve and give must be framed in a way that tells a compelling story about how their investment will result in lasting change, even if it is funding a bathroom. Sometimes, it’s just in how you share about the opportunity.
Is this about my need or their opportunity?
Often, when we have needs, we share them this way: We really need help with doing this thing that we really want to do but we don’t have the time or resources to do what God is calling us to do which is why we need help.
Ok, maybe that was an exaggeration. But, doesn’t it sound familiar?
Next time, try this instead: Here is an opportunity for you to make a difference in the life of a child in need.
Here are two opportunities I’m passionate about:
Summer Camp for kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity: www.kidsneedcamp.com
Foster Care, for the thousands of kids living apart from their parents: www.ericdwoods.com/foster