Source: Ken Culp, III, Ph.D., Principal Specialist for Volunteerism, Evaluation, and Curriculum, 4-H Youth Development 

  

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Kentucky 4-H. In the 2023-2024 program year alone, 12,849 adult volunteers and 3,567 youth volunteers contributed their time to further 4-H initiatives in every county across the Commonwealth. Because we could not achieve success without them, it is vital to understand what motivates today’s volunteers and how to engage with them effectively. 

1. Make your program “volunteer-friendly.” 

Before you ask volunteers for their help, make sure your program has the infrastructure in place to support them. Will staff be available to orient, educate, and supervise volunteers? Do you have a variety of volunteer roles available, including short-term, flexible positions and opportunities to volunteer as a group or family? Do your marketing materials adequately represent and target volunteers? 

2. Value quality of volunteer service over quantity. 

Volunteers want to make meaningful contributions in a limited amount of time. Recognition based on accumulated hours or years of service is not a strong motivating factor. When you pat your volunteers on the back, be sure to identify the vital impact of their work, rather than simply handing them a certificate for having shown up so often. 

3. Seek help from those who are already connected to your community. 

Volunteers are busy people, but they make time for the causes and people who matter to them. Two-thirds of volunteers 55 and over discover volunteer opportunities through their involvement in faith communities, because someone asked them, or through participating in their children’s activities, according to Dawn Lindblom, author of Baby Boomers and the New Age of Volunteerism. Make connections with people who are already active in the communities you serve and ask them directly for their help on a project that aligns with their interests and talents. 

4. Incentives are more appealing than rewards. 

Offer people some extra motivation to volunteer before they sign up instead of after the job is complete. Effective incentives can be tangible, such as trades or discounts on products or reciprocal services, or intangible, such as companionship or team-building moments presented through group service projects.  

5. Make your volunteer “ask” short, sweet, and specific. 

Before they commit to volunteering, most people have three questions:  

• What will I do?  

• How long will it take? 

• When does it need to be done? 

To seal the deal, volunteer coordinators should be ready to articulate the specific volunteer role, amount of time required, any deadlines or requirements of the position, and the expected outcome of the work. Complete, concise, and concrete answers will increase the likelihood of hearing “yes” in response to your request.  

For more information on volunteering with 4-H in your community, contact the (COUNTY NAME) office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. 

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Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.         

The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment news and communications team provides monthly Extension Exclusives in the categories of Horticulture, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H and Family & Consumer Sciences. To see more exclusives, visit https://exclusives.ca.uky.edu.    

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