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Jam packed with hot tips and fresh ideas, this poster gives readers a simple, yet effective framework that supports landcare groups to recruit and retain perfectly matched and energised volunteers, fill committee positions and reimagine how we can utilise volunteers in our post Covid world.

Having been used to recruit 1000s of Landcare volunteers in Victoria, this step by step method is the foundation from which the Landcare for Singles program was designed.

The 5A method gives structure and guidance to everyday challenges of recruiting, retaining and engaging volunteers in a truly deep and meaningful way and in a way that creates lifelong allies for Landcare.

Objectives

1. To gain more energised volunteers for landcare groups and networks.
2. To avoid recruitment of unwilling committee members who feel coerced into roles because there is no one else to do it.
3. To increase the return on investment of time, energy and money put into volunteer recruitment initiatives.
4. To support groups to be resilient and adaptable.

Method/Approach
The framework covers the following 5 steps.

A1 - Activity
What specifically are we recruiting for? Get crystal clear on what you need people to do.

A2 - Audience
Who might be the types of people who would be willing to do these things? In this step, think outside the box.

A3 - Ask
How we ask matters. This step takes us behind the curtain of the psychology of sales and how we can utilise science to support people through their decision making process and ensure we get excited and energised people on board.

A4 - Action
It’s easy to think that recruitment ends once the volunteer shows up, but the numbers tell us that up to 50% of new volunteers fail to return a second time. This step walks us through the vital first actions a new volunteer takes and how we can involve and incorporate them into the existing group. We also look at the role of episodic volunteers in the group dynamic.

A5 - Allies
How do we create true allies for Landcare? How do we retain folks long term? This step looks at lifetime value of a supporter, how people change the way they engage with an organisation over time and how we might adapt as a result.