A successful volunteer event isn’t just thrown together a week before the event.

Recruiting volunteers for events should start months ahead. The interest, the excitement and the sense of anticipation should all begin to build long before the doors open. If an organization only starts recruiting and motivating volunteers at the last minute, the result will feel rushed and stressful. On the other hand, when you build momentum over weeks and months, you end up with more volunteers, higher enthusiasm and a stronger sense of community around your event.

I once worked with a festival committee that started recruiting volunteers about a month before the event. Someone would send out a few social media posts and hope enough people showed up. Usually they did, but it was always a panic. It wasn’t fun for the volunteers, either. They often didn’t know what to expect, and the few who returned the following year did so in spite of the organizing, rather than because of it. We decided to change the approach. The organization started looking at volunteer recruitment as a long, intentional process. The difference was dramatic.

Start with a clear plan

Recruiting volunteers for events works best when you map out your timeline well in advance. Think about the months leading up to the event in four stages.

The first stage, long before the event, is the nurturing stage. Stay in contact with past volunteers. That only needs a light touch—check in once a month or so. Stage........

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