I elaborated on this concept in a column called ''Open Doors, Lots of Them''. I think you'll like it. But it's worth mentioning that how you open doors is almost as important as opening those doors in the first place. How's your hospitality? Do folks feel welcomed? What about guilt? Is there ever an element of guilt in your approach, as in: "Thanks for coming; this took a lot of work, maybe you could help next time."
While it's certainly true and understandable, it's also exactly the wrong way to build involvement. Treating people well and avoiding guilt is what gets people talking positively about your group and coming back to more events...and eventually volunteering. Of course, that can also work in the reverse if you're not taking the time to make your events feel special.
We've had a ton of community talk about family events and involvement in recent weeks. I hope you'll join in. You can also follow me on Twitter.
I elaborated on this concept in a column called ''Open Doors, Lots of Them''. I think you'll like it. But it's worth mentioning that how you open doors is almost as important as opening those doors in the first place. How's your hospitality? Do folks feel welcomed? What about guilt? Is there ever an element of guilt in your approach, as in: "Thanks for coming; this took a lot of work, maybe you could help next time."
While it's certainly true and understandable, it's also exactly the wrong way to build involvement. Treating people well and avoiding guilt is what gets people talking positively about your group and coming back to more events...and eventually volunteering. Of course, that can also work in the reverse if you're not taking the time to make your events feel special.