Engaging Your Center’s Volunteers and Program Alumni
How does your retreat center inspire volunteers and program alumni to give back and deepen their participation in your community? What keeps them coming back? How are you including volunteers and alumni in your organization’s story, strategy, and vision? If organizational resilience depends on a diverse community of people, relationships, and resources, what roles will volunteers and alumni play in helping your retreat center grow and flourish in the years ahead?
On this Community Call, we exchanged creative ways to tend these valuable relationships, and we discussed best practices to apply to the local context at each retreat center.
View the full meeting video by clicking the image above.
Or scroll down for takeaways from the conversation.
Engaging Volunteers
In the wake of Covid pandemic lockdowns, retreat centers have found that the “spirit of volunteerism” has waned. Drumming up interest requires more effort, as well as the flexibility to accommodate hybrid (or fully remote) positions. Retreat centers might also find themselves vying with other local organizations for a limited pool of potential volunteers—who are less likely to step forward of their own accord.
Proactive outreach to your community can help attract volunteers to your center. Try setting up a table at fairs, university events, and festivals to spread awareness about your center. Find out if local businesses and nonprofit organizations offer volunteer time off (VTO).
VTO allows people to take paid time out of their workday to volunteer.
If you find out an organization offers VTO, connect with their HR department to ask about establishing a partnership. Arrange to come to an all-employee meeting (or several) to share information about your center and the benefits of volunteering with you.
Offer VTO to your own staff. This can be an opportunity for your staff to spread the word about your center to other organizations. Invite staff at those organizations to come volunteer for you too.
Explore partnering with organizations who can connect your center with volunteers:
AmeriCorps has a strong focus on green, outdoor work, and their volunteers tend to be a younger demographic. AmeriCorps volunteers will often transition to volunteering directly for the center after their term is finished.
RSVP is a branch of AmeriCorps that engages volunteers that are age 55 and better.
United Way Day of Caring brings people out to volunteer at nonprofits in your local community.
Internships - Check with local colleges and universities. Students may be required to have an internship to graduate. Find out what focus the students need to complete their degree, and tailor internship opportunities at your center to fit their degree.
Engaging Program Alumni
When retreat centers cultivate strong, reciprocal relationships with program alumni, those alumni become ambassadors for your retreat center. Alumni can connect you with communities outside your immediate network and extend your geographical reach. When alumni have had good experiences at your center, they want to come back and encourage other people to connect with your center too.
Invitation to share gifts - Don’t wait for alumni to approach you. Seek out alumni and ask them to share their gifts with your center. One retreat center invited an alumna to come speak at a Lenten day of reflection. The speaker was well-received, and she wants to come back again.
Sub-contracting - One center has a spiritual director training program with over 500 alumni. The center has engaged several alumni of the program as sub-contractors of the center. They don’t get paid unless they have directees. When they do, both the retreat center and the alumni split an agreed-upon percentage of the income.
Strategic scheduling - Get alumni together at a time when it could trickle into deeper engagement. At one Catholic center, they scheduled a small associate get-together prior to a retreat weekend, in the hopes that some attendees would want to stay for the longer retreat—and they did.
Returned Volunteers - Peace Corps may be a good model to emulate for engaging your program alumni.
Ideas for Engagement
Have fun with your recruiting. In a culture operating on burnout, the idea of a refreshing break or a fun change of pace can make all the difference in getting people to your center. Research local businesses and interest groups in your area—and consider what your retreat center can uniquely offer to these groups.
Woodland Wednesday - Groundskeeping often attracts younger male volunteers. One center hosts “Woodland Wednesdays” for volunteers to work on the grounds. Once work is done, the center offers a shared meal for the crew. Mealtime conversations can incorporate more information about the center, its programs, and other opportunities to connect.
YOLO: Your Other Lunch Option - Instead of grabbing fast food or microwaving leftovers, invite people to come to your center for a beautiful, prepared lunch for a small fee. This is a good way to reach out to the business community.
Coffee hour - Consider hosting a regularly-scheduled Zoom call for volunteers and alumni to check in and enjoy a casual chat.
Diverse Stakeholders as a Form of Resilience
Having strong relationships with volunteers and program alumni contributes to the resilience of retreat centers. Just like in a biodiverse ecosystem, drawing from a broad array of strengths and skills bolsters your organization’s ability to bounce back from crises. Centers who foster reciprocal relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders are stronger for it and better able to withstand disruptions, whether they be social, economic, environmental, technological (or viral).
Notes and Audio
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Join the Discussion
Do you work at a retreat center? Would you like to connect with the RCC community for more insights and support? Find out about our upcoming events:
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