Make Your Training Go With the Flow
There’s an overly-simple trick to get more people show up for your volunteer training:
Schedule it when they’re already there.
Don’t try to convince someone to come out on a Tuesday night.
Don’t ask a potential volunteer to show up for a Saturday morning orientation.
Don’t set yourself up as competition for their kid’s baseball practice, for a homework marathon, or simply for another night of the week.
By scheduling it when they’re already there (i.e., at a time that corresponds with your weekend services), you’re getting in the natural rhythm of time they’ve set aside anyway. You’re allowing them to take advantage of an already-built-in event for their kids. You’re asking them to give up an extra hour, not necessarily an entire night.
I’m convinced that our volunteer onboarding training sees success mostly because we don’t attempt it during the week. Rather, we go with the flow of the weekend and capture time that they’ve already planned for.
