I read an article today on the Chronicle of Philanthropy Give & Take Discussion forum, which was asking "Is Direct Mail Dead?" The question was reflecting on declining revenue from Direct Mail campaigns, (and increasing costs, I might add). However, the discussion had some great ideas on how charities need to engage volunteers directly in their work, in order to increase the willingness of those volunteers to be donors, increase donations, or raise funds for the charity. Volunteer-Based tutor/mentor programs have a great advantage in this area, if they think strategically on ways they involve volunteers and convert them into leaders and advocates. This has always been the strategy of Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection. Many of our board members are former one-on-one tutors/mentors, and many of our volunteers take on other leadership role and are not just one-on-one. We constantly communicate with our volunteers, even after they no longer are active in the program. We constantly see ways to engage them personally, and build their long-term commitment to helping our kids reach jobs and careers. We lead the Tutor/Mentor Connection in an effort to help hundreds of programs successfully recruit volunteers, and integrate these leadership ideas into their own strategies. Why? Because we want to connect volunteers from different programs with each other, and the information we have on this web site, so that teams of volunteers with common backgrounds (college, fraternity, business, religion, community, etc.) will form groups and begin to share ideas the help each other be more effective in their own programs. Untimately, such groups will become power centers in their organizations and communities who mobilize resources for multiple tutor/mentor programs, not just one or two well known programs. Are you incorporating these ideas in your tutor/mentor strategy? Do you have a link to the T/MC web site and do you encourage your volunteers to visit this site for information and networking? Share your ideas here, or come to the tutor/mentor conference in May or November and host a workshop, or be part of a panel. |