Let’s Make it Easier for Educators to Give Back
Let me start off this post by stating the obvious: Educators across the U.S. have A LOT going on.
They’re already faced with extremely demanding workloads, ever-changing standards and best-practices to follow, and the weight of their learners’ success squarely on their shoulders. This would be more than enough if this was the complete list, but we know that’s not the case.
Teachers are regularly expected to be mental health professionals, resource officers, social workers, peace makers, role models…you get the idea. Adding time for anything beyond the classroom can feel like trying to squeeze water from a stone.
At the same time, research shows a reciprocal relationship between teacher leadership and wellbeing, and engaged educators involved in advocacy efforts, such as volunteering for community organizations or contacting policymakers, report higher levels of job satisfaction and feeling valued by their school administration and colleagues.
Serving on the Board of a professional organization can be a wonderful, cherished experience, but it isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re already over-committed. That doesn’t mean we should preclude a huge subsection of the educator population from volunteering their time and talents in other equally meaningful and impactful ways.
Most (if not all) education-based nonprofits and membership organizations rely heavily on passionate volunteers to support their missions. How do you attract motivated, empathetic individuals when the very people you seek are already stretched thin? Here are some creative strategies for recruiting (and retaining) a diverse pool of volunteers in 2024, recognizing the realities of an educator’s life:
Think small.
Our natural inclination is to think BIG. Board member. Committee member. Many educators want to serve, but may not have months of their precious time to spare. Offer bite-sized, “micro-volunteering” opportunities that might be one-time tasks over a relatively short period of time. Whet their appetites for service in your organization. Here are some ideas:
- Review conference or event session proposals. Leverage teacher expertise for this short but extremely impactful opportunity.
- Submit content for a blog, on social media, or other venues. Share inspirational stories, testimonials, educational resources, or event updates in quick, engaging posts.
- Serve on a task force. Task forces are much less of a commitment than a full-fledged standing committee, but can be just as if not more impactful.
Leverage available technology.
This is one of those instances where some smart investments in technology (they don’t have to break the bank) can make volunteer engagement a little easier in the world of a busy educator. To go a step further, use tools that educators already use and know, when possible. Here are a few of my favorite options to consider:
- Online volunteer portals provide a user-friendly system for teachers to create a profile, include their areas of interest and expertise, opt-in to notifications about specific opportunities, and get regular updates. It’s also more inclusive by breaking the traditional paradigm of service being limited to those who may know people in the organization.
- Take advantage of virtual meeting capabilities to conduct volunteer orientations, meetings, and even some activities online. Bring the opportunity to them. Not surprisingly, more virtual opportunities will translate to increased availability of volunteers.
- Give volunteers more opportunity to collaborate virtually with tools like Google Workspace, Moodle, Slack, or even communication tools built into your already existing volunteer platform.
Recognize and celebrate.
Regardless of the size or scope of the task, show your volunteers how much their efforts matter in the context of impact. Give them another reason to share their positive experience with other potential volunteers and watch the ripple effect take shape. Many of these ideas to recognize and celebrate your volunteers are so easy, you have no excuse not to be doing them:
- Send a simple thank you email or handwritten note. Sometimes volunteers may even ask for a letter or certificate that describes their service so they can provide it to their administrator or department head. If they ask, find a way to make it happen.
- Highlight volunteer contributions in newsletters, social media posts, or at organizational events. Use walk-in slides during your larger events that list their names and roles. It’s a nice gesture in a shared venue that can facilitate appreciation and engagement among attendees. Host a volunteer appreciation event at your annual conference (much like a donor event), giving volunteers another venue to network, socialize, and have fun. Feature member volunteers in your print and electronic media, regardless of the length of the assignment.
- Give volunteers additional opportunities to strengthen their skills. Offer workshops or training sessions relevant to volunteers’ interests and professional goals.
Foster a culture of belonging.
Make your organization a place where volunteers feel welcomed and valued, regardless of whether they contribute one year, one week, or one day of their time. Prioritize inclusion and empathy, and meet volunteers where they are.
- Be intentional and actively recruit from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities within the profession.
- Offer flexible scheduling and remote volunteer opportunities to accommodate different needs.
- Provide training and support on topics like accessibility and interculturality.
By offering creative, flexible, and inclusive volunteer opportunities to the educators who are members of and affiliated with your organization, you can more easily tap into their desire to serve. In the process, you can build a cadre of volunteer leaders that is sustained for the foreseeable future.
By making it more attractive and less burdensome for teachers to get more involved in support of your mission, we can unlock the full potential of every educator and learner our organizations serve. Together, with every raised hand that becomes a helping hand, we can make this vision a reality.
Howie Berman, MA, CAE is a principal and co-founder of Learning Curve Partners, an independent consulting group which connects and empowers educators and education organizations to be leaders and lifelong learners in pursuit of their missions. Learn more at learningcurvepartners.com and follow this blog for more thoughts on the education space.
