Abstract

Enlisting members for an advisory council calls for a well-defined recruitment and nominating process. This effective practice explores recruitment techniques — offering proven and innovative ideas — and is excerpted from materials developed by Campaign Consultation, Inc., the training and technical assistance provider on issues of sustainability for programs funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Additional ideas came from project directors who participated in a discussion on the NSSCTalk e-mail discussion list in December 2002 and January 2003.

Back to top

Issue

Finding the best recruitment strategies for selecting Advisory Council members.

Back to top

Action

When recruiting for an advisory council, there should be a well-defined recruitment and nominating process. This process includes creating specific criteria for the selection of members that comprises skills and expertise needed. Effective practices in the areas of finding members, status of the Council and orienting new members include:

Finding Members

• The project director should know why he or she asks someone to join and what he or she expects from members.
• Project directors should develop a written description of the responsibilities, activities, and limits on authority of the Advisory Council. An Advisory Council needs its own job description that spells out things such as how many meetings are held, length of terms, role of the chairperson and other pertinent issues.
• The Council recruitment process should be active and on going.
• Current advisory councils can also help plan, develop and implement recruitment.
• Current volunteers often serve as effective recruiters. Programs can host an open house, or a tea and ask that each volunteer bring a guest who is a potential member.
• The reasons why prospective members are asked to join should be made clear-including an estimated number of hours to allocate for Council activities each month.
• Prospective council members can be invited to observe a council meeting or visit a volunteer site.

Status of the Council

• Advisory Councils should reflect the demographic diversity of the community.
• Membership should include the diversity of skills and experiences needed to assist the sponsor to meet its administrative and program responsibilities including project assessment, fundraising, publicity, and programming.
• Some persons should be asked because of their expertise (e.g., retired lawyers, public relations experts, experienced fund raisers).
• Representatives typically come from business, labor, minorities, ministerial associations, professions, private non-profit associations and agencies, private citizens of varying backgrounds, service clubs and civic organizations, state, county, and local government and volunteers.
• The policy of the Corporation requires that 25 percent of membership in an Advisory Council be 55 years of age or over (60 years for Foster Grandparent Programs and Senior Companion Programs) and include members of the respective National Senior Service Corps in which they serve, to represent the program's "consumer."
• The Council should include a reasonable number of members who provide or solicit financial support for the program.
• The size of the Council should reflect the size and geography of the area to be served by the project. Projects with service areas extending beyond one county are confronted with special problems of distance, yet it is extremely important that the more remote areas be represented. Sometimes mini councils in each area can be instituted with one member then attending meetings of the larger group.

Orienting New Members

• New Council members should receive a manual informing them of the duties of the Council and should be oriented to the structure and work of the program and the sponsor.
• Manuals should include the purpose and history of the program, list of Council members with their addresses and phone numbers, and a copy of the by-laws and minutes of the past year. Since much of the work of an Advisory Council is done through committees, a brief description of the function of each, with a list of committee members is helpful.
• Orientation can be provided by the project director, a sponsor, other Advisory Council officers, volunteer station coordinators, or even a volunteer.
• All Council members should have an Advisory Council Handbook.

Four more innovative ideas for soliciting new members include:

1. Look for new members already connected with the organization. Ask the executive director, the development director and/or project directors if they can recommend two or three hands-on volunteers, donors or clients who would make good advisory council members. Such people bring both demonstrated commitment and an intimate knowledge of the organization's strength and weaknesses.
2. Form a "One-Meeting Nominating Committee." Prepare a list of twenty well-connected people who would probably not join the advisory council, but might recommend good candidates. Invite them to a brainstorming meeting over lunch. Describe the organization and what qualities are needed in advisory council members. Ask for the name of one person they think would be a good advisory council member. Call the nominee the next day and explain who suggested their participation.
3. Place a "Help Wanted — Volunteer Advisory Council Member" ad. This ad could be placed in a neighborhood or alumni newsletter. Be specific about the skills and expertise you are looking for in the new member.
4. Collaborate with other organizations. Pick four local organizations where you don't know anyone, but you would like to, such as NAACP, Accountants for Public Interest, or the Japanese American Citizens League. (You can find such organizations on the Yahoo site at http://www.yahoo.com. Look for lists under "Community.") Have coffee with the executive director and suggest that your two organizations recommend "retiring" advisory council members to each other. This helps promote organizational links and community ties.

Back to top

Context

An advisory council is an important component of National Senior Service Corps programs. The concept of an impartial, objective group separate from the sponsor and project director giving input to the operation of National Senior Corps programs is integral to Foster Grandparent Programs, RSVP, and Senior Companion Programs. Recruitment may need to take place during program startup or as members resign for various reasons.

Back to top

Citation

Unleash the True Power of Your Advisory Council, Campaign Consultation, Inc., 2000.Resource Center Library item number: R1940

Back to top

Outcome

Having a recruitment plan in place can make finding and nominating potential members easier and cause less of an interruption to normal work flow.

Back to top

Posted On

February 4, 2003

Back to top

For More Information

Back to top

Resources

Roberts, Angela , editor: Programming for Impact: National Toolkit . Corporation for National and Community Service, 1997. Resource Center Library item number: K0565

NSSCTalk is an e-mail discussion group, created primarily for the participants in the National Senior Service Corps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Anyone with related concerns, however, is invited to join in.

To subscribe by e-mail, send a blank message to join-nssctalk@lists.etr.org

Or subscribe via the Lyris Listmanager web page at http://lists.etr.org/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=nssctalk/.

Related Practices

• Using nine guidelines to develop a recruitment process for advisory councils

Back to top

Related sites

Topic Areas

• Recruitment
• Boards and advisory councils
• Senior Corps
• Staff
• CCI
• Program management

Back to top