Recruitment & Engagement
Topics:
Finding and
recruiting passionate and committed members bolsters a coalition’s advocacy and
outreach efforts. For example, the support and participation of a wide range of
community leaders, members from both for-profits and nonprofits who understand
and advocate for a certain policy or piece of legislation, can demonstrate to
elected officials the importance of an issue and the need for them to take
informed action. However, recruiting member organizations can be a difficult
task requiring patience and drive. It also may call for knowing how to attract
the kinds of members who understand and support your coalition’s mission and
work, and have a stake in the coalition’s success.
Recruitment methods must go beyond the generic presentation and become an exchange
of information, goals and ideas. Coalitions must try to establish mutually
beneficial relationships by demonstrating how working together to promote and
achieve asset building policies and initiatives will have a greater impact than
working alone.
Once recruitment through relationship building is achieved, attention shifts to
maintaining relationships through member engagement. In order to maintain
membership, participants must be actively involved, informed, and continuously
impassioned about the coalition’s work and mission. This is done by creating a
sense of teamwork, demonstrating progress, and ensuring that members are
acknowledged for participating in the coalition’s activities and programs.
