Do you need to entice homeowners to volunteer for the Board or a Committee?
Is it a struggle to make quorum at your annual meeting?
Is it hard to get new nominations during elections?
One of the largest problems facing community associations today is apathy among the homeowners to fill roles needed to run the community. Homeowners need incentives to take on volunteer positions that would take time away from family or career obligations.
Community Association Specialists from Kevin Davis Insurance wrote this great article on tips for attracting and retaining quality Community Association Volunteers:
1. Make it worthwhile. Volunteers need to use their time on issues they feel are important. The person serving on the landscaping committee may not want to be the Secretary on the Board of Directors. Find out homeowners likes and see if there is a way they could help the association.
2. Offer Volunteer Training. Community Association Institute has multiple training opportunities for managers and Board members. The Office of the Ombudsman in Delaware has also been offering different seminars on the best practices of running community associations. Need help finding training opportunities? Email us at info@deeleyinsurance.com and we will send you different options in the area.
3. Don’t forget to ask. Sometimes we need to find new ways of soliciting volunteers. Social media is becoming a great way of asking for help.
4. Reward your volunteers. These people may not be paid for service but they can be rewarded with recognition at meetings and social events in the community.
5. Feature your volunteers in community media. Send your local paper a picture of your volunteers working on a project. Put a special thank you on social media for jobs well done.
Our community associations are filled with untapped potential. Find the right people for the right job and your associations will run more smoothly.
Thanks for reading.
