Volunteers R.O.C.K.!
Rally to Optimize Community Karma
By Margey Meyer, CMCA, PCAM President and CEO, CADRExperts LLC Community Association Dispute Resolution Experts
“Common areas do not automatically create a sense of community. Nurturing the community spirit is probably the greatest challenge facing community associations today.”—CLIFFORD TREESE, CPCU, ARM, CIRMS and community association guru extraordinaire
So, how can an association nurture community spirit? Through its volunteers! This article will offer a few thoughts on how to encourage volunteerism and some ideas on fostering community spirit.
First, the basics. If you’re a manager fortunate enough to work with a developer when the community is but a gleam in his or her eye, you’ve got the potential to cultivate the community spirit from the very beginning. It may take some persuasion, but convincing the developer that committees composed of volunteers help the community succeed, resulting in quicker sales and happy residents who encourage family and friends to join them, is a win-win for everyone.
As the community’s first cheerleader, your responsibilities may include drafting committee charters with volunteer input that address a real purpose, real responsibilities, and a detailed organization including reporting, leadership (picking the right chairman is crucial), number and required skills of members, frequency and location of meetings, minutes, board liaison and approval process for expenditures. Committees are not for the gadfly you think you can stifle – it’s for legitimate, needed work to improve and advance the community – and foster community spirit!
How do you appeal to residents’ volunteer instincts? 58 | COMMON INTEREST®
in networking? Meeting their neighbors? Making new friends? Improving their resume? Working for the “greater good”? Giving back? Craft your appeal to hone in on specific personal, professional and emotional needs.
recruitment material such as a YouTube video and upbeat handouts that describe each committee and the ideal committee member (necessary skills or talents, specific job description). Always include a sign-up sheet.
DOES have a logo, right?) that’s free for volunteers.
appeals and at every membership event where recruitment handouts are always available.
classes on maintenance, landscaping, budgeting and insurance.
newsletters and other communications of happy volunteers having fun in their committee and with their events and projects.
member at every event to provide no-cost (and controlled frequency) communications and information about committee activities. Send out monthly postcard updates – they’re cheaper than envelopes and have a better chance of being read.
A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
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