Whether facing budget and staff cuts or event logistics, alumni associations can make good use of volunteers. Three important rules for volunteer program management include maintaining good volunteer relationships, knowing when to ask for help, and recruiting good veteran, novice, and even nonalumni volunteers. (MSE)

There are ways to fire an unproductive volunteer and still do minimal damage to both the volunteer and the alumni association, but an ounce of prevention is advocated. Some types of volunteers that might cause problems are identified and advice on what to do when dismissing a volunteer is provided. (MLW)

This article describes a Des Moines (Iowa) program in which approximately 100 people or organizations have given 600 hours of time to gifted students. It identifies creative ways to use community resources, where to find community resources (professional organizations, service clubs, school staff, retired persons, parents, students, and…

Traditional recruitment techniques aren't attracting many minority students. Institutions trying to attract minorities are concentrating primarily on blacks. Recruitment strategies should vary according to minority group. (MLW)

Campus activities programing benefits from good training of student volunteers. Business training theory can be applied to student organizations. Training programs should be designed for four phases of volunteer experience (recruitment, testing, active, and exit) and emphasize leadership development. (MSE)

Although volunteers serve many useful functions in fund raising, soliciting gifts should be left to staff. Volunteers are hard to recruit, keep, motivate, are unreliable, lacking in expertise, and they can balk at the realities of development tasks. Development offices should carefully think through the appropriate roles for these individuals.…

The strategies used by a variety of colleges to involve alumni in student recruitment efforts are described. These include awards programs, scholarships, talent scouting, college nights, interviewing, special events, and communication with prospective or incoming students. The importance of training and communication in the alumni-recruitment…

The Salt Lake City School District, Utah, has successfully involved the public in school improvement through cooperation with the local parent teacher associations (PTA). Four main beliefs foster district collaboration with the PTA: (1) the PTA can provide valuable human resources to public schools, (2) the PTA can participate in the…

The Pennsylvania State University national alumni admissions program involves alumni in direct recruitment of undergraduate students. This is a major service to the institution, increasing friends of the college and contacts with organizations, clubs, local high schools, and prospective students. Most important, it provides local contacts for…

Channeling the energy of volunteer boards of parents and community members can produce unexpected dividends. At Alma College (Michigan), a parent board raises $250,000 annually and helps recruit new students. A formal and communicative relationship between advisory board and governing board is essential for effective operation. (Author/MSE)

This book is designed to help nonprofit organizations recruit and retain volunteers. Following an introductory section covering the recruitment and use of volunteers, it contains 14 chapters organized in 3 sections. The chapters in the first section discuss what volunteer recruiters need to do before actually asking anyone to volunteer. They…

Volunteer fund raisers for colleges bring enthusiasm, perspective, motivation, and influence to the task of soliciting gifts. They stretch staff time, fill out the fund-raising team, and cost little. Careful definition of responsibilities, recruitment, training, and monitoring and rewards for good work are essential to getting the best results.…

Reasons and techniques for encouraging planned giving among baby-boomers are outlined, and one approach is detailed. This involves recruiting a volunteer financial services team of alumni to host financial presentations for fellow alumni in their local areas, and developing a newsletter for the target alumni population. The fund-raising program at…

Based on a successful project in Nebraska, this manual was developed for use in establishing a structured all-volunteer adult basic education (ABE) program in small communities or satellite locations. The greater part of the manual covers the various steps a volunteer leader should follow to establish this kind of program, beginning with a section…

This handbook, which is designed to explain the steps entailed in organizing and administering a volunteer adult literacy program, is organized into three main sections. The following topics are discussed in the opening section on program organization: planning a program calendar; recruiting, training, and establishing the duties of the program…