Step-by-Step Volunteer Job Descriptions

Step-by-Step Volunteer Job Descriptions The job descriptions that follow summarize the duties of the membership recruitment volunteers as they are outlined in the Recruitment and Retention Manual. If you decide to structure your program following this model, you can choose the roles that best suit the size of your chapter and the expected outcomes of your program. You will also find job descriptions developed specifically for AFP chapters that may be used with a variety of recruitment and retention plans. Membership Promotion Chair Meet with primary contact staff to prepare plan for presentation to the board Attend membership training sessions to increase understanding of membership recruitment, promotion, and retention Study available materials and, when necessary, ask for help in interpretation Report to chapter leadership about problems with which special assistance is needed, perhaps from AFP international headquarters Maintain liaison with membership retention coordinator in assigned areas of responsibility Report status of membership program to chapter leadership on a regular basis Coordinate facilitation of program plans for promotion and retention Hold training session for recruiters, in conjunction with other chapter leaders and primary contact staff Make certain recruiters understand and follow the step-by-step procedures outlined in the program Monitor program procedures to ensure that everyone is working from the same play book Administrator (paid staff, where available) Act as liaison between relevant chapter officers and AFP international headquarters Work with a communications committee or AFP international headquarters to develop chapter promotion materials Receive chapter/ihq promotional materials from primary contact staff and distribute according to procedures outlined in the membership recruitment program Work closely with cluster coordinators to offer necessary assistance Maintain close working relationship with the membership promotion chair Cluster Coordinator Meet with membership retention coordinator for briefing on role, function and assignment of cluster (1-5 market segments) Contact each assigned market organizer to discuss selection of recruiters

Call a meeting of all assigned market organizers to review the entire program role, definitions, timeline, materials and: * reach agreement with each on the deadline for enlisting recruiters and on the date for a recruiter orientation/training session *distribute rosters identifying current members *determine the number of recruiters needed for each assigned market Contact each assigned market organizer to obtain a progress report on their enlistment of recruiters Obtain a final report from market organizers, including names of all recruiters Deal with any problems in enlisting recruiters by teaming up with the market organizers to enlist able, if reluctant, recruiters getting help from alreadycommitted recruiters and by revising the number of recruiters needed, if necessary Distribute prospect contact lists for each market segment Orient market organizers to use form to record the assignment of prospects to recruiters Keep an extra copy of the contact list for recordkeeping and progress checks Assist market organizers in setting up an orientation session for recruiters (sessions may be held in each market segment); attend orientations session Direct recruiters to make their initial appointments following the program timeline Receive progress reports from each market organizer (if any do not report as scheduled, call them the next day) Receive final reports from market organizers; initiate follow-up calls to any market organizers who are tardy in reporting Report to membership promotion chair any difficulty in assigned cluster Attend all meetings called by the membership promotion chair and report on progress of the program within assigned cluster Join local leaders and market organizers in recognizing work well done by recruiters. Market Organizer Meet with assigned cluster coordinator for a briefing on role and function in the program Develop a list of all prospects within your market segment Compare a list of fundraising professionals within your market segment with the comprehensive list of all prospects Group prospects by fives on an appropriate basis (job title, company, location) Identify enough people to serve as recruiters so that no recruiter is responsible for more than five prospects; obtain commitment from each recruiter to complete all contacts within a specified schedule Assign up to five specifically named nonmembers to each recruiter, after receiving recruiters preferences

Join with the cluster coordinator or membership promotion chair in providing an orientation/training session for recruiters Provide each recruiter with a packet of informational materials and membership applications; discuss each item and its use so recruiters are adequately prepared Review timeline of program with recruiters so they know the time allowed for making their contacts Receive progress reports from each assigned recruiter (reports should include date prospect transmitted completed application to IHQ, appointments established with remaining prospects, and estimates as to whether or not the recruiter can complete the assigned contacts by the deadline date) Report progress of all assigned recruiters to the appropriate cluster coordinator, keeping copies of all reports for future reference. Reporting Coordinator Recruiter Attend orientation session for recruiters and ensure that they understand their reporting responsibilities Receive roster of all newly-enrolled members from market organizers during the recruiting period; record membership immediately Verify processing of newly-recruited members by AFP international headquarters via online membership reports provided by IHQ Contact IHQ with any discrepancies between their records and your own; be sure to allow adequate processing time (at least two weeks from the date application was mailed or faxed to IHQ). Commit to the recruiting effort and bring your enthusiasm for AFP along! Attend scheduled orientation session(s) to be fully aware of the program s goals, timeline and reporting structure Ask questions at the orientation session to be absolutely certain of your role and responsibilities Review all materials provided and get additional information from program leaders, if necessary for successful execution of your part in the plan Complete assignments in keeping with the program timeline Attend scheduled meetings for recruiters; share your experiences with other recruiters, both successful tactics and those you would not recommend that others use Keep accurate records of prospect contacts and report regularly according to the program plan

The following job descriptions developed by AFP may be used in a variety of recruitment and retention plans. Chapters are encouraged to tailor these documents to meet the specific needs of the chapter. VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Membership is the chapter s assurance of continuing operation and the basis for continued success in serving the needs of fundraising professionals and elevating the status of the profession. No chapter can survive without members to carry on the group s work. The Membership Chair s role in chapter survival cannot be overstated! Role of the Membership Chair: The Membership Chair accepts responsibility for the chapter s year-end membership statistics. His/her role is to create interest in the recruiting and retention process, develop meaningful assignments for volunteers, and devise methods that will achieve chapter goals. Responsibilities of the Membership Chair: Study current chapter statistics determine strengths and weaknesses; Set a goal for the number of new members to be recruited and the percentage of current members to be retained familiarize yourself with the chapter incentives program and use the information when setting goals; Develop a recruiting and retention plan, capitalizing on strengths and shoring up weaknesses; Work closely with the Membership Promotion Chair when setting goals and developing the plan; Work closely with your AFP Area Manager and the Membership Department at International Headquarters (IHQ) to ensure that you take advantage of all resources available to chapters; Include the Chapter Diversity Chair in development of the plan to ensure that recruiting efforts result in a diverse membership; Review the plan with the Chapter Board of Directors get board support and determine budget allotted to recruiting and retention efforts; Recruit volunteers from the chapter membership to assist in executing the plan; Maintain a positive attitude and keep volunteers motivated; Use the online reporting system provided by International Headquarters to monitor progress and resolve discrepancies in membership statistics; Keep accurate records; Report to the Board of Directors regularly; Monitor the work of volunteers to ensure timely completion of assignments; Celebrate success!;

Ensure that the celebration of success includes expressions of gratitude to volunteers; Follow Up Develop a plan to keep all those new members develop a stewardship plan that will make all members feel valued (See the Bright Ideas section of the members-only area of the AFP website, www.afpnet.org, for ideas from other chapters); Use the New Member Orientation guidelines provided by IHQ; Work with the Education/Programming Chair to ensure that at least one monthly event focuses on the benefits of AFP membership or institute a 5-minute member benefit segment at monthly events; Enlist as many volunteers as necessary to see that new members receive welcome calls, or to make periodic member satisfaction calls; Ensure that any negative comments made by members during recruiting, retention or member satisfaction surveys are brought to the attention of the Board of Directors to be addressed as the Board sees fit; Develop a system for tracking all the membership campaigns, keeping copies of promotional pieces, scripts, etc. to establish a membership recruitment and retention history to be turned over to the next Vice President of Membership or Membership Chair to update and maintain. MEMBERSHIP PROMOTION CHAIR Making the community aware of AFP and its role in the philanthropic process is of vital importance. Branding AFP and marketing membership go hand in hand; once individuals are aware of AFP and its mission it will be easy to market membership. Role of the Membership Promotion Chair: The Membership Promotion Chair will work closely with the Vice President of Membership to look for ways that will effectively market AFP membership to all professional fundraisers in the community and increase awareness of AFP s role in career development. Responsibilities of the Membership Promotion Chair: Review the AFP Marketing Plan for audience definitions and appropriate messages for each audience, as well as tactics for reaching these audiences; Review materials for any membership campaigns currently underway (e.g., A Stronger Voice A Stronger Profession 50 x 50); Work with the chapter Communications Chair to determine appropriate forums/media for delivering the AFP message; Look for ways to brand AFP within the community (use of the AFP logo, working with local speakers bureaus to get speakers on fundraising methods, donor recognition, etc. out into the community, arrange for presentations at local colleges and universities, etc.);

Review, evaluate and formulate a plan for co-branding and partnering opportunities among other local or regional groups; Work with the Vice President of Membership or Membership Chair on setting goals and developing a recruiting and retention plan; Analyze member benefits currently offered by the chapter and ensure that the price difference between being a member and remaining a nonmember is substantial and offsets the cost of dues; Disseminate a comprehensive list of the benefits of membership in the international organization, using materials provided by International Headquarters (IHQ), and incorporate local chapter benefits; Review the chapter s current prospect list look for obvious omissions (at the very basic level, the list should include all non-members who have attended chapter events); Prepare a comprehensive list of all nonprofits in the community and compare to current prospect list to see which agencies/institutions are missing; Identify key leaders in the nonprofit community who are not AFP members and develop a plan for recruiting them, including identifying AFP members who have relationships with the prospect; Recruit volunteers to contact agencies/institutions missing from the prospect list in order to obtain names and addresses of development staff; Prepare a prospect kit to be sent to all those on the new list; Enlist volunteers to make follow-up calls to all those who receive prospect kits; Ensure that volunteers have the necessary materials and talking points to be able to answer questions about AFP and the local chapter; On a monthly basis, print the online prospect report available from IHQ (prospects on this list have been mailed a prospect kit so follow-up calls should be the chapter s priority); Monitor volunteers for timely completion of assignments; Keep volunteers motivated and thank them regularly for their efforts; Keep the Vice President of Membership or Membership Chair and the Board of Directors updated on your activities and the results of your efforts; Develop a system for tracking all the membership campaigns, keeping copies of promotional pieces, scripts, etc. to establish a membership recruitment and retention history to be turned over to the next Membership Promotion Chair to update and maintain.

MEMBERSHIP DATABASE CHAIR The development and maintenance of a chapter s information management systems is an important part of the success of a chapter in member retention and member acquisition. For many chapters, this function is performed by the chapter administrator. Whether the function is handled by a member of the chapter or by the chapter administrator, data management is critical in any chapter s success. Fortunately, most data management can be handled by using reports available from AFP International. Role of the Database Chair: The Membership Database Chair works directly with the Vice President of Membership or Membership Chair to provide monthly reports that trigger retention efforts, welcome new members, acknowledge transfers into the chapter, note transfers out of the chapter and develop recruitment programs. In some chapters, the Membership Chair may assume this role. Responsibilities of the Membership Database Chair: Download monthly membership reports from AFP International s information management system (online reports); Prepare a spreadsheet for the Membership Chair of 1) members with renewal dates within the next three months, 2) members with membership expiration dates within the past three months, 3) members who have transferred into the chapter, 4) members who have transferred out of the chapter and 5) new members who have joined the chapter within the past month. Highlight for the Membership Chair members due to renew as second year introductory members and those scheduled to move from second year introductory to Active/Affiliate membership status; Draw from both AFP International s files of prospects and appropriate lapsed members to develop list of member prospects and attendees at chapter programs and events; Integrate data from AFP International into any membership database that the chapter maintains, assuring that chapter and international databases contain the same membership information Provide as much demographic information as possible; i.e. providing the member s join date will tell the committee how long the member has been with AFP and year entered the profession will help separate those new to the profession from seasoned professionals so that messaging can be geared to the member s professional level; Assist chairs of other chapter committees such as communications, education, diversity, certification, finance and EMC to use data and information available online from AFP; From time to time, instruct chapter members in how to use AFP International s online systems for membership renewal and to update personal records;

Safeguard the confidential nature of all information, including the chapter s login information for the online reports system; Develop a system for tracking all the membership campaigns, keeping copies of promotional pieces, scripts, etc. to establish a membership recruitment and retention history to be turned over to the next Membership Database Chair to update and maintain.

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT CHAIR A major goal of AFP is to strengthen the association and to become the internationally recognized voice for philanthropy. This will only happen if AFP has a larger membership and one that represents a larger percentage of the fundraising community. Recruitment of new members is of vital importance in this effort. Role of the Membership Recruitment Chair: The Membership Recruitment Chair works closely with the Vice President of Membership or Membership Chair and the Membership Promotion Chair to increase membership through the recruitment of new members. Responsibilities of the Membership Recruitment Chair: Recruit, train and lead the Membership Recruitment Committee; Analyze the nonprofit market data for the community to determine which industry groups (i.e. education, healthcare, social services) represent a target market for the chapter; Analyze the geographical make-up of chapter members and determine if there are areas of the community that are under-represented; Work with the Membership Database Chair to create and maintain a qualified new member prospect list; Hint: Be sure to remove individuals who join AFP so they no longer appear as prospects ; Develop and implement strategies for recruiting individuals on the prospect list based on their market sector; Develop and implement strategies to recruit high profile individuals who are sure to attract others to AFP by virtue of their AFP membership; Work with the Membership Promotion Chair to develop a prospect kit to be sent to all prospects; Utilize resources available from IHQ (printed materials, joint mailings, etc). Develop a follow-up plan so that all prospects receive individual calls following receipt of materials; Use the prospects report from the AFP online reports system.; Hint: The prospective members on this report have already received membership materials from IHQ so you can focus on making follow-up calls; Develop and implement recruitment programs and incentives that will involve all of the membership in recruitment efforts; Work with the Diversity Chair to develop and implement recruiting programs that will ensure a diverse membership; Develop a plan to increase scholarships in order to support membership from grassroots organizations; Conduct an annual membership campaign that utilizes Past Presidents and Senior Leadership to help recruit new members; Report to the Membership Chair;

Develop a system for tracking all the membership campaigns, keeping copies of promotional pieces, scripts, etc. to establish a membership recruitment and retention history to be turned over to the next Membership Recruitment Chair to update and maintain. MEMBERSHIP RETENTION CHAIR Member retention is critical to every chapter s success. Developing programs to ensure that current members are involved and appreciated will help to reduce the number of members who leave AFP each year. Role of the Membership Retention Chair: The Membership Retention chair works closely with the Vice President of Membership or Membership Chair to develop programs that will effectively introduce members to the benefits of membership in an international association, involve members in chapter activities and help members feel valued and appreciated. Responsibilities of the Membership Retention Chair: Recruit, train and lead the Membership Retention Committee; Work with the Membership Recruitment Chair to develop and implement an ongoing new member orientation program. Hint: Use sample materials provided by AFP as your starting point; Develop and implement a new member welcome and appreciation program; Work with other chapter committee chairs to encourage expansion of the chapter s committee structure and develop ways to involve new members on committees; Develop and implement an annual contact program to reach out to all chapter members to ensure that they are feeling valued and are being asked to participate; Hint: The personal ask is more effective than asking members to fill out forms expressing interest in committee service; Develop and implement a program to ensure that senior members (i.e., fundraisers with 7-10+ years of experience) stay engaged in meaningful ways (could be called Senior Member Retention Plan ); Develop and implement a program to contact all members a few months prior to their annual renewal to inquire about any issues that may be influencing their decision and encourage renewal; Hint: Use the online report of lapsed members this report can be requested by specific dates so you can request members already lapsed, members who will lapse in 60 or 90 days, etc.;

Develop unique messages for entry level and Introductory members, mid-level and senior professionals. Individuals have different needs and interests at different stages of their careers be sure you are speaking to their current needs; Hint: Use the Lapsed Member Scripts developed by AFP volunteer committees; Create an exit survey to use to interview any member who chooses not to renew membership; Implement an exit survey process to ensure that all lapsed members are interviewed; Analyze data from exit surveys to ensure that the chapter is being effective in stewarding all members; Hint: Be sure to report deficiencies in chapter services to the appropriate individuals in the chapter for action; Report to the Vice President of Membership or the Membership Chair; Develop a system for tracking all the membership campaigns, keeping copies of promotional pieces, scripts, etc. to establish a membership recruitment and retention history to be turned over to the next Membership Retention Chair to update and maintain.