Effectively Meet Community Needs: Developing New Volunteer Opportunities in Your City

Cities are constantly called upon to meet the diverse needs of their residents. Whether responding to crises, boosting economic growth, or fostering a sense of community, many cities are meeting these challenges using a strategy of volunteer engagement.

The first in a series of playbooks, "Developing New Volunteer Opportunities in Your City: The Playbook,” will help leaders take actionable steps toward identifying community needs, developing new volunteer roles to address those needs, and equipping staff to support volunteers.

Why Volunteer Engagement Matters

As witnessed in recent years, cities are facing various challenges, from natural disasters to global pandemics. They need to adapt quickly, efficiently allocate resources, and most importantly, ensure the well-being of their residents. Developing innovative volunteer roles and finding volunteers to fill those roles is a highly effective way to address these challenges.

What is innovative volunteer engagement?

Creating new roles for volunteers—and not being bound to the way that things have always been done—is not about innovation for the sake of innovation. Rather, successful innovation in volunteer roles:

· Meets the evolving needs of your city,

· effectively and efficiently stewards resources, and

· leverages residents’ talents and passions.

The ways cities can create volunteer roles are unlimited!

What’s in the playbook?

This Playbook contains information, tools, and resources to help you identify real community needs, develop new volunteer opportunities to address those needs, and equip staff to support volunteers in taking on the work. Download the playbook now and take the first step towards meeting community priorities with innovation.