The Science of Numbers
(From "Tips on Base Building" by Akili.
Adapted with author's permission)

Recruiting volunteers is like working in a great sifter — the more you shake a sifter, the more its contents fall through the cracks. Building big numbers of volunteers requires talking to a lot more people than you need — and making it very easy (not too many shakes!) for them to make a contribution. If it's too difficult to get involved (i.e., they have to call and get the meeting place, there’s no child care, they have to make up a script to help you call volunteers, etc.) they will probably "fall through the cracks."

Some common recruitment equations:

• In order to get 50 people to show up when the issue is not hot, 150-200 names are needed.
  
• If the names are cold and people are not familiar with the group or issue, more names will be needed.
  
• Thirty percent or more of the people called will not be at home; 15-20% of the numbers will not be good numbers; 25-30% will be no's; 25-30% will say yes. Of those who say yes, only a small percent will actually show.
  
• Using a "warm" list, out of the 20 people talked to, nine will say yes and three to four will show.

Common methods for mobilizing include the following:

House meetings. These gatherings are often hosted by volunteers in order to organize a local area. The host will invite friends and neighbors to refreshments and a presentation on the issue by someone in coalition leadership.

Phone bank recruitment. Volunteers and/or staff calling phone lists to recruit new volunteers.

Canvassing. Staff and/or volunteers going door-to-door to raise public awareness of the initiative and recruit supporters.

There are certainly many more ways to get the word out but there's nothing like direct contact (either by phone or in person) to get people into action.

Other important things to remember:

• Every 3-4 months there will be a need to rebuild with a new group of people. People will move on to another level, get involved in something else, or become inactive.
  
• Develop ways to assist people to move to deeper levels of commitment. Core supporters need to work with new people; conduct orientation, plan parties for new supporters
  
• It is important to develop recruitment systems including scripts to prompt volunteers, and mechanisms for tracking, follow-up and accountability. See Elements of a Script.

 

Elements of a Script

Introduction: who you are; identify the group

Statement of conditions and the need to take immediate action: Regents are meeting next month to approve the budget and…

Statement of hope: People can make a difference and we need your help because we can't do it alone.

What you can do: Come help us get the Governor to reinstate funding for kids... The meeting/rally is at...Here are other things you can do…

Get a commitment: Will you join us? Yes or no. Maybe's cannot be counted or measured.

 

REALITY CHECK 3: Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Developing the skills and capacity of your organization and constituents is not a quick process. Doing it in the face of a budget crisis is not as effective as investing in capacity building before the crisis hits. By the same token, understanding the budget process and getting ahead of the curve is an important part of this capacity building process. Check in with other organizations in your area that are already active in budget advocacy. It is a great way to learn where and when to extend your resources.

Create an Issue-Based Action Plan

In previous sections of this toolkit, you have already identified several of the key components of your action plan. You have identified and evaluated your advocacy goals and selected potential allies. However, you still have some critical questions to answer as you move forward in completing your action strategy. The following link will bring you to an action planning chart (based on action kits developed by the Midwest Academy and other community organizing groups) to help you take the pieces you already have and weave them into a strategic plan.

• Action Planning Chart (MS Word, 36K)
• Developing a Policy Initiative Template (PDF, 45K)

 

 

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