One area that many HOAs struggle with is finding and keeping volunteers. Volunteers can range from board members and architectural committee members to event planners and community clean up crews. Without volunteers and interested parties to fill open positions, it can be difficult to keep your HOA running smoothly. To keep your community in tip-top shape, we’ve put together some tips on how to effectively recruit and retain community association volunteers.
1. Highlight the benefits of being a volunteer.
There are a variety of reasons why people volunteer for their community associations, including:
- A desire to have an impact on the area they live in.
- To gain leadership skills or learn something new.
- To network and learn more about the area.
- To donate their professional skills or knowledge.
If you know the motivation for why volunteers have contributed their time presently and in the past, you’ll have insight into how you can continue to recruit individuals.
2. Ask new community members to be community association volunteers.
Often new residents are full of excitement and energy. They’ve just moved to the area, and they’re interested in learning about the neighborhood they’ve joined. Capitalize on that desire to help, and channel that enthusiasm into a volunteer role. Be sure to ask them about any ideas they have — they may have previous experience or stories from where they moved from that you can use to improve your community.
3. Be interested in your residents.
Getting to know your residents can give you insight into their talents, interests, likes, and dislikes. With a solid understanding of who they are, you can find a volunteer position that may interest them and get them to channel what they like to do into a benefit for the community.
4. Be flexible and make it convenient to be a community association volunteer.
People are more likely to volunteer if you’re open to small changes or are flexible with the scheduling, so it’s convenient with their current lifestyles and outside commitments.
5. Respect the time and ideas of others.
When a volunteer brings an idea forward, it should always be acknowledged, discussed, and then decided on. Be tactful and appreciative that the person brought the idea forward. Time is so valuable, so be sure to start and end meetings on time, and always share the agenda a few days before a meeting so volunteers can prepare for the discussion.
Having a variety of community association volunteer opportunities is a great way to get the community involved and encourage residents to show up at board meetings. If your HOA Board needs any help managing your association or any questions about how to help residents in your community, contact Prism Realty Management. Learn about who we are, the services we offer, and our process, then give us a call at 512-676-5842.
