While officers should be expected to perform the most important tasks for their RSO, they should not do everything. Student organizations are a participatory experience, and there should be opportunities for non-officer members to volunteer their time for projects large and small. Consider the questions and ideas listed below when you recruit volunteers:

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  • 'Why do we need volunteers?': Be specific with your answer, because it will give you other important information like "What are the jobs that need to be done?" and "How many people will we need to do those jobs?"
  • One job for one volunteer: This is a good rule of thumb for determining how many volunteers you need, and how to assign work. You will probably wind up with slightly more or fewer volunteers than there are tasks, but using this rule will give you a solid foundation for your work plan. Giving one volunteer ten jobs will be asking too much of their time; but giving volunteers no direction other than to "help out" will result in students standing around and doing nothing.
  • 'How am I making this worth my volunteers' time?': ​Volunteering is unpaid, but that doesn't mean the volunteers shouldn't get something out of their contribution. Many volunteers will engage in the work to feel more deeply involved in their community. However, a small material benefit can help you draw in and keep volunteers. Something like free event admission or a t-shirt can act as a token of appreciation, or tip the scales for someone who's undecided about volunteering.
  • Offer encouragement: Be sure to give your volunteers praise and thanks for the work that they do. A special thank you should be given at the end of the program or project that the volunteers worked on. Pay attention to who is showing up: they may be interested in taking on officer responsibilities in the future.