Checking out the fishing action roadside from the motor home.

After a successful career and then retirement, is there another ladder to climb for volunteering?

The answer is, only if you want to climb that ladder. Volunteering at any age is worthy and even brings health benefits. See my other posts on the subject of health, positivity, connectivity, and ways to broaden one’s mind, using meditation. However, health aside volunteering has many other benefits for both sides of the volunteer equation which in these days of declining services and opportunities are more in need than every before.

AARP, the largest and probably the most recognized of the retirement age advocacy groups in the United States also provides several paths and steps for those who want to volunteer. This group is well organized and very focused on the welfare of the retired membership.

http://www.aarp.org/giving-back/

Freemasons, the largest and oldest fraternal organization in the world are another group where men of all ages are welcome to join and where volunteering is highly encouraged. Freemasons only accept men who believe in a supreme being, are of legal age, free of criminal past, well respected in the community, and who are willing to pass through the three degrees of initiation. Most men who join the Masons have been volunteers for many years in their churches or other well known groups. Masons have a ladder of success in the form of the progression for the governing of the lodge as well, though many members never care to engage in that part of the Masonic experience.

http://askafreemason.org/

Another group who allow both men and women and is associated with Freemasonry would be the Eastern Star. This group’s purpose is to provide membership association as well as charitable work for its focus. They operate independently from the Freemasons, with the only requirement that a belief in a supreme being and a focus on Christianity through the story of the  star of Bethlehem.

http://www.easternstar.org/

Another group of Freemasonry related members are the Shriners. One group is men only and one group is ladies only. Today the requirement to join the Shiriners is for the men to be a Mason in good standing. For the ladies, being related to a Mason in good standing is required, along with the usual belief for both groups that you believe in a supreme being and be of good character. Both groups volunteer extensively for charities as well as provide funds for their respective area Shriner’s Crippled and Burn Hospitals. Many retirement age ladies and men have been in these two groups for years but with retirement they fully engage their time and effort for the good causes these groups support, volunteering in ways too numerous to cover.

http://www.shrinersinternational.org/Shriners.aspx

http://www.shrinersinternational.org/en/Shriners/Organization/NewFirstLady.aspx

Habitat for Humanity is another group with many opportunities for retired volunteers. They are faith based but help those in need regardless of their religious affiliation or other characteristics. The help ranges from pure labor to organizational type positions and everything in between for most of the local groups, along with fund raising or donation solicitations.

http://www.habitat.org/where-we-build

                                                        USO, December 1941

Another group with opportunities for retired volunteers is the many veterans groups, not all of which require prior service to become involved. The USO is one of these groups that doesn’t require prior service for volunteering.

http://www.uso.org/ways-to-volunteer.aspx

For prior service members, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars offer many outstanding opportunities for volunteering wither retired or not.

http://www.legion.org/volunteers

http://www.vfw.org/Community/Get-Involved/

One more is the Disabled American Veterans, which runs collection centers where the proceeds go to helping disabled veterans.

http://www.dav.org/volunteers/Opportunities.aspx?gclid=CJPdg5y_-LcCFVMV7AodDUsAlQ

A different focus for helping children is the Senior Corps. This aligns people 55 and older with youth in need of mentoring and other services.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps

Many local opportunities for youth engagement can be found at schools too, with after school programs for tutoring or coaching opportunities.

The American Red Cross is another group that has well thought out programs aimed at those over 50 who can focus specialties on disaster relief when needed. Go to their website for the details.

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/retired-volunteer-abroad-programs?siteID=Google_Grants_retired_volunteer&gclid=CLS8pPjA-LcCFQho7Aodm0EAbQ

This short and very incomplete list of volunteer friendly groups for older citizens is reflective of not only the need for elderly involvement but the abundant benefits gained by both the volunteers and those on the receiving end.

Life’s steps as we age provides many ladders for us to climb and then move onto another portion of our life experience, one where retirement age eventually makes all of us cross the age of elibibility for AARP, which is technically 50 but most of the groups providing services for AARP don’t activate their participation until 55. 

The opportunities to volunteer through faith based groups abounds, secular groups who don’t specialize in spreading the mostly Christian message but simply help whoever, where ever the needs is found, and even those who are very focused on helping one select group in need such as Special Olympics.

http://www.specialolympics.org/volunteers.aspx

Many of the posts I have provided here on this site already detail the health benefits of networking, social connectivity, positivity, and how face-to-face interactions rather than internet networking can provide enormous life prolonging human benefits to the volunteer.

These attributes associated with volunteering should be included in the retirement planning of every able bodied retired volunteer who wants to enrich their life. 

With the potential for many soon to retire Americans seeing their wealth reduced in the last few years this is one area where a fixed income volunteer can still reap the rewards of a vital life without impacting their monthly budget.

Share on Tumblr

Freemason’s Ben Franklin with author and Freemason Rudyard Kipling books in background,  both reflect successful lives even by today’s standards.

Rebuilding America’s volunteer groups can easily start with these ten steps to success in rebuilding America.

One of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin decided he wanted to be more socially visible when he was young, while pursuing success. This was for reasons pertaining to his business where he wanted more printing work as well as his aspirations of higher social climbing. He created, according to his biography a group called the Junto club.

It was a social club, which met to discuss topics and books of interest to the group. Eventually Ben joined the Freemasons and became a prominent member in short order, rising to a fairly high level within a few years. Since this was an organization of prominent and successful merchants and tradesmen, he was able to make connections, which benefited him both professionally and in later life as our Ambassador to France.

Keep in mind Ben Franklin was the originator of the volunteer fire department idea, volunteering was even at that time highly regarded and useful in the building of American society! This revolutionary and highly successful model is still used today in many parts of America. 

By the end of Ben Franklin’s life he had become the most widely recognized American in the eyes of the world.

This was quite a successful accomplishment for a person who had so many obstacles to overcome in his quest for social capital and improved social status over a lifetime. Perhaps today the obstacles faced by an empowered volunteer might seem small in contrast to Dr. Franklin’s.

How should the empowered volunteer start the process for membership building? Excellent question, because rebuilding America seems like a daunting task. The answer is one step at a time, one volunteer at a time, for one group at a time.

Use these ten steps for empowered volunteer success.

First, the empowered volunteer needs be certain that they are supported within the group. This is simple, ask folks to support your efforts and let them tell you how they plan to do it. Request specific information and clarify the details. Put the highlights in writing with names attached to each detail that an individual agrees to complete and if necessary a date which completion is required. Your support staff is now ready to go.

Second, the empowered volunteer should ensure that the leadership for the group is prepared to deal with new members. This sounds simple, but if new members are needed, there must be a position or need which they can be expected to address if you want success in energizing them for the group. Most new members want to feel associated and needed soon after joining. They are usually willing to lend a helping hand. They are not likely to be happy if all they provide to the group is their dues and their name on the roster. Have a need they can fill or a place for them to become active participants and you will see the results you are looking for.

Third, keep the group involved in your efforts to find new members. They will be better able to support your efforts and also to lend comfort to you in your encounters with rejection. Make no mistake about this task you have taken on, membership building involves rejection and lots of it. Rejection is why so many individuals stay away from membership recruiting. It is hard work, and not fit for everyone. When you find success, and you will if you follow the proper course outlined in other posts from this blog, refine your technique until you produce a successful pattern or steps that work for you.

Forth, make a plan. It does not have to be elaborate. But a volunteer who says they will just go out and try is already doomed for dismal results, if they encounter any results at all. If you fail to make a plan, you are planning to fail. Have your personal business cards ready to hand out liberally. Consider some incentive on the back to capture e-mails or some other form of involvement for a prospective member. Get information however you can!

Fifth, set a long-range time frame for judging the success or failure of the plan, some of which will be carried out by those who follow you as the empowered volunteer. The recommendation for a reasonable plan is for at least one year, with a second long range plan of five years. Remember, the decline in membership has occurred over the span of several years, usually since the 1960’s. It would be unwise to plan to rebuild a membership by doubling it in six months. If that jump in membership happens, then great. Put the new members to work with the new opportunities, which were on hold due to membership constraints. This plan should address the four elements in a SWOT analysis in approaching prospects for membership.

Sixth, solicit feedback (read data) from those that reject your message and from those that accept your message as well. Keep a form for compiling your rejections. Sort the rejections into categories, which can be analyzed. You will find trends as you gather enough rejection data. This is invaluable information in helping you decide on future prospecting based on your trends and instincts. It can also be valuable to cross check the data from your rejections with the two parts of the SWOT analysis, weaknesses and threats. You may be able to either drill down into on of the sections of them or add to one of them, based on your rejection list.

Seventh, present a formal quarterly feedback report. Make sure it is data driven and that it is professional in the presentation method with which it is delivered. This is necessary to reflect to the group that you are committed to the group, dedicated to the cause of membership building, professional in your approach to this cause, and open to group participation through feedback in your efforts to achieve your goals. It is best to send the report out ahead of time so that members can digest it and be ready for the presentation as well as constructive feedback for you. Having the presentation group buy into your efforts by “helping” you with feedback is also valuable. It is more of a team effort.

Eighth, share the successes and testimonials with the group and with potential candidates. Build on your successes with a past of success. If you don’t have any when you start, look some up on the internet or the national website for the group. Select the testimonials that reflect your values first and if possible leave the others for another time. It is best to always align with your personal value system if possible for testimonials.

Ninth, build a group of individuals who can “bird dog” for you. In sales terms these are called centers of influence (COIs). They can be any influential citizen who is willing to promote your cause and has sympathy for solving the issues your group specializes in assisting. This particular aspect of sales is time consuming and needs attending to frequently for it’s potential to be realized. It is hard work, but the payoff can be incredible when the groundwork is laid with care.

Tenth, groom your replacement. Few individuals want to be the membership building chief forever. It is easy to become tired and burn out. This is why many folks do not enter the field of sales. It is very demanding if one is to survive. Find someone who is perhaps reluctant but willing if they could just experience success while under some tutelage. Have them participate, silently at first by watching and over time let them build up confidence by taking portions of the presentation and presenting the message under your watchful eye.

Share on Tumblr