Recruitment Overview Al Hershey and Denise Montana 1

 Recruitment is an ongoing activity and requires a significant commitment of DCs and others in all districts.  In order to get a baseline of current activities and needs a recruitment survey was completed this summer 2

How many hours did DCs report spending on pro-active Recruiting Activities? 3

 76% of DCs responded to the survey by August 3 rd (13 of 16)  All DCs proactively recruit new volunteers each year. ◦ Ads/Articles in newsletters of local organizations (92%) ◦ Ads/Articles in Newspapers (77%) ◦ Notices placed on Bulletin Boards of stores, libraries, and senior centers (62%)  The average number of hours DCs spend on proactive recruitment is 61 4

 Participation in the program is rewarding. Once volunteers become involved they tend to return the following year (85% was the average return rate reported by DCs)  Recruitment efforts do pay off. Approximately 65% of volunteers who initially express interest actually go through the training or participate in other site activities during tax season  Unique recruitment activities reported by DCs included: interviews on local TV programs, working with local government representatives and agencies, and making presentations to local non profit groups. 5

 AARP Publications (AARP The Magazine) focus on volunteering and Tax-Aide program  AARP developed new on-line volunteer application process (improvements have been strongly suggested)  AARP is partnering with nationwide volunteer websites including, and 6

7  AARP Tax-Aide adds approximately 6,800 new volunteers/ year ◦ Estimated that 10-12K prospective volunteer apply or are considered  Volunteer s require different skill sets ◦ E-filing technology, quality requirements need different skills, experiences ◦ Increasingly diverse communities of need  Highly manual and labor intensive ◦ With minimal data analysis and leadership reporting available  Indications are that the quicker information exchange, assessment is performed with prospective volunteers, the higher the likelihood of success ◦ Estimated delay from prospect self identification at contact center or web to receipt by PVC and/or DC is anywhere from 5 to 30+ days

 NJ Statewide efforts include: ◦ Article on AARP NJ Website describing volunteer positions ◦ Volunteer announcement sent to AARP statewide mailing list and had an impact on volunteer apps ◦ A friendly reminder was sent to current volunteers by the state team to help garner new recruits ◦ A home mailing to AARP members in several counties is in process and should be out next week 8

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 Sample communications have been developed and will be available on the NJ website ◦ Article for newspapers/newsletters ◦ Classified ad announcement ◦ One-page color flyer for drop off at partner locations or as a handout at informational sessions (copies available) 10

 Ask libraries and senior centers to include an article on AARP Tax-Aide in their member newsletters  Order volunteer recruitment poster kits (D15925) from AARP. This kit consists of a poster (D15187) plus a pad of postcards (C2090). /3_D18157.pdf. ttp://assets.aarp.org/ /3_D18157.pdf.  Contact local newspapers to discuss the possibility of running an article on the upcoming tax season and need for volunteers. Highlight local volunteers for an interesting human interest angle for your story  Your newspaper may be willing to include a small recruitment announcement in the classified section under volunteer opportunities 11

 Do we need more volunteer outreach now?  Can we balance an influx of new recruits with available training and technology resources?  Should we be thinking of expanding client outreach to match volunteer corps? 12

 Evaluate impact of new state volunteer outreach  Develop a library of sample communications and best practices with easy access on the NJ website  Develop a timeline for recruiting activities and actions for new DCs and other leaders  SMT available to work with DCs on specific recruitment strategies (i.e. Atlanticare) 13