Volunteer Recruitment Ideas
1. Advertise in your local newspaper.
2. Record a radio spot.
3. Host a department open house.
4. Set up a recruitment table during the lunch hour at high schools.
5. Take part in career fairs at local colleges.
6. Get on your nearby college or university’s list of community service options.
7. Set up an informational table at your county fair.
8. Hang fliers at your community center.
9. Host a BBQ cook-off and set up a recruitment table.
10. Hang posters or place fliers at your local library, feed store, hardware store, salon, barber shop, doctor’s office, or Laundromat.
11. Place an ad or announcement in church bulletins.
12. Place door hangers on all homes in your nearby neighborhoods.
13. Design an on-screen, pre-show advertisement for your local movie theater.
14. Create Facebook advertisements targeted to users in your area.
15. Place a recruitment ad on your local government web site.
16. Talk to your local cable provider about opportunities for donated TV spots (public service announcements).
17. Visit www.1800fireline.org to order free promotional items you can distribute in your community.
18. Obtain speaking engagements at area clubs and organizations.
19. Ask your local energy or water company if they would be willing to include a small ad with their monthly bills to clients.
20. Designate someone to dress as Sparky or Smokey and stand outside your station to direct attention to your marquee that states volunteers are needed.
21. Purchase billboard space.
22. Ask your local bank about printing small ads on their cash-back envelopes.
23. Find out if your grocer would use grocery sacks with your ad printed on the side.
24. Advertise your need for volunteers on sentimental days such as 9-11 or other anniversaries of fallen heroes.
25. If you have a CARES team near you, find out if they host a local business fair and, if so, set up a table.
26. Consider placing an ad in any of the free magazines that are frequently located just outside of stores.
27. Design a large banner to hang across the road in your downtown area.
28. Purchase billboard space on an outfield fence of a local baseball field.
29. Advertise on the sides of city buses.
30. Set up a recruitment table at a local shopping mall or farmer’s market.
31. Contact local high school or college department heads in any subject areas that coincide with your needs to see if volunteering with your department can become part of a class assignment.
32. Find out if your local high school or college would use cups or napkins with your ad printed on them at football, basketball, or baseball concession stands.
33. Hand out “goodie bags” containing promotional items such as pens, key chains, magnets, etc. at local events.
34. Work with a local business to display a mural conveying your need for volunteers.
35. Hang posters at your local food bank.
36. Host an Easter egg hunt for children and have a recruitment table set up for the adults.
37. Print an ad in your local newspaper with statements from current volunteers describing what they do, what it means to them, and how they are making a difference in the community.
38. Volunteer in other organizations’ projects to network.
39. Provide free bookmarks with your information on them at your local library.
40. Place a recruitment ad on your local library or schools’ web sites.
41. Conduct community outreach projects such as mowing lawns, planting trees at your local senior center or school, or collecting toys for children in need to increase awareness for your program.
42. Host a “bring a friend” day at a local event that your volunteers are participating in and provide them with invitations to distribute to their friends. At the end of the day, make sure everyone knows how to volunteer in the future if desired!
43. Hang posters in animal-friendly places such a dog park/walk.
44. Form a partnership with local churches or other volunteer programs.
45. Insert a leaflet in programs at local high school plays, football games, etc.
46. Create a Facebook page for your department, including information on how to volunteer.
47. Host a “Take a Picture with Santa” day in December and set up a recruitment table.
48. Contact local businesses that have volunteer programs and build a partnership.
49. Contact the local employment office and create a program to help unemployed citizens build their resume through volunteering with your Fire Corps team.
50. Send current volunteers to the mall or other locations where they can interact with the public to hand out fliers and answer questions.
51. Reach out to retired firefighters, teachers, and other public service minded people to ask for assistance.
52. Advertise college scholarships for volunteers, which you can fund through grants.
53. Offer free immunizations or physicals for new volunteers.
54. Speak with Explorers or citizen academy graduates about opportunities to serve.
55. Offer to provide round-trip transportation to senior center residents to volunteer events in exchange for their time.