How does a an event get volunteers?

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Hey guys. As you know my team hosts a couple of local events and volunteers are always hit or miss. Mostly miss. How do I get people to come help out at the event short of actually paying them to show up? What would make it beneficial to help volunteer? Does free lunch work? A T-shirt? Help me figure out what I can do to attract more people to help at our events. We don't need tons but a few more would make an event so much easier to manage. Thoughts?
 

A Potted Plant

Honorary Sod
Hey guys. As you know my team hosts a couple of local events and volunteers are always hit or miss. Mostly miss. How do I get people to come help out at the event short of actually paying them to show up? What would make it beneficial to help volunteer? Does free lunch work? A T-shirt? Help me figure out what I can do to attract more people to help at our events. We don't need tons but a few more would make an event so much easier to manage. Thoughts?

@Norm shames us into it I mean gets us lunch
 

A Potted Plant

Honorary Sod
Hey guys. As you know my team hosts a couple of local events and volunteers are always hit or miss. Mostly miss. How do I get people to come help out at the event short of actually paying them to show up? What would make it beneficial to help volunteer? Does free lunch work? A T-shirt? Help me figure out what I can do to attract more people to help at our events. We don't need tons but a few more would make an event so much easier to manage. Thoughts?

Context would help I volunteer pending proximity and cause and personal implications. It's hard to get people to volunteer for things that they don't relate to, at least for me...
 

Stef

❤ Brownie Biatch ❤
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hey guys. As you know my team hosts a couple of local events and volunteers are always hit or miss. Mostly miss. How do I get people to come help out at the event short of actually paying them to show up? What would make it beneficial to help volunteer? Does free lunch work? A T-shirt? Help me figure out what I can do to attract more people to help at our events. We don't need tons but a few more would make an event so much easier to manage. Thoughts?
COLD HARD CASH
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
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Mtbdog

Well-Known Member
I've volunteered at a few NICA events and a lunch usually does the trick, although a t-shirt is also good for repeat volunteers. It helps to have time duration and task expectations. Maybe even free entry to next event.
 

Mare

Well-Known Member
When I volunteer, I do it cause I like helping and socializing with everyone. I don't think it's about what people get from volunteering, despite the cash flying around this post. :) However, to answer your question of what would get people to volunteer --- A coupon for a bike shop? Enter a raffle for a cool prize donated by a shop? People are typically busy and it's hard for them to commit. Can you post up your events and start to recruit now before other things fill up our calendars?

Oh, I like @Mtbdog 's suggestion of a t-shirt, but can it be a cool one? One that fits? Not a men's medium box cut with a tight neckline in an awful color passed off for women?
 

Soundguy

#SenditGuy
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I’m looking to volunteer at more events this year. As mentioned already, proximity and duration would have to be known before commitment.... but I would never flake on my word regardless of swag.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
So to give more background we are looking for volunteers for our Cx and endurance events. Shifts are usually half days and will include lunch at the. Wet least. For me it’s great to give back and help the local race scene but there’s usually a bunch that say they will be there and flake at the last minute.
 

taylor185

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I think it's helpful to spell out in detail what you're looking for people to do and the time commitment required. Also, make the time commitment realistic so one's not required to be there all day.

I thought NICA did this really well last year. I don't recall the race, but they outlined specific roles needed and time requirements. made it easy to determine how you could plug in.

I'm the PTA President for my son's elementary school and we rely heavily on volunteer labor. The above works really well and we use Sign Up Genius to publish the roles, times, etc and manage communication between volunteers and event leaders. We also advertise like crazy. We push hard on all of our comms channels so people know we need help.

We also partner with our districts middle and high school to recruit student volunteers. We have a Key Club chapter which requires volunteer hours so they're typically eager to help. Look for something similar in your area. It's a good labor pool when matched with the right responsibilities.
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
I can only speak to what I think would work for me, which is advertise the event as much as possible and well in advance in social media, so that potential volunteers can arrange their schedule to be there. Some people will still flake, that is expected unfortunately.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Get a bigger team.

As part of a team that hosts races, it can be tough to get folks to volunteer. We have a large team but on any given wknd a lot of folks on the team have other commitments.

I volunteer for Nica races and Jorba TM at Chimney Rock. IMO these two organization's warrent me giving time to, I feel good about doing it and am not looking for any reward for doing so (although I do get points in the H2H). Schedules for these events are posted well in advance which allows me to plan out when I can help.

To be honest Ryan, the reason a lot of promoters stop hosting races is because it's a lot of work. The number$ don't work, not enough folks show up for the amount of labor it takes to host. It's a dark time for local racing, hopefully things improve. @taylor185 had some good ideas about making it easy for folks to sign up in advance. Good luck.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Engage a group that may be interested in helping. Perhaps the HB D road riders might give you a day? Maybe go outside the bike community, just find general outdoor meet-up groups? And yeah, they get food, a shirt/sticker or something. If it is a long day, have two shifts as mentioned

If you had a cause, like the food bank, you could engage them for volunteers.

The weather might have something to do with last minute cancellations.

They should also be part of the experience of the day - understanding where they should be and what they are doing - setting their expectations.

I get paid for many of the races I work (large triathlons, 5k events) but they have 100s of entries, and it is in the budget - and i actually have to make decisions. Others I do for the cause, or the team - but the team is large, and not everyone is "in training" for target events (it costs $900+ to enter an ironman.)
 

ekuhn

Well-Known Member
Mirroring @pooriggy. I volunteer when its local....NICA 6MR and 6MR JORBA TM. Its tough to volunteer when its an hour plus away and you only have a limited amount of time to give. NICA volunteers tend to have kids in the races which is a driving factor for Volunteering.

Can't go wrong with a T-shirt and next years race registration, but then you loose a volunteer next year. That cycle isnt always self supporting.

Possibly hooking up with a High School near by with a NICA team may help?
 
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