Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
We use our 6-session mechanics fundamentals course partly as a way to invite people to contribute to the shop. It's been a very good way to bring people in, and helps with both building skill and helping maintain the culture we are trying to have in the shop. Currently we run it 4 or 5 times a year, 12 participants each time. 15 hours of instruction, plus 3 extra optional hours of "nerd" time. Most people don't volunteer afterwards, but every session there are a couple that do, and often those couple end up volunteering a lot, even becoming members of the core group of people guiding the collective. I think about half of the 14 current members of the core group got introduced to the collective through our class.
rosy, at Lefty Loosey Bike Collective in Providence, RI, USA
On Wed, May 14, 2025, 2:50 PM Vincenzo loco via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
Following this conversation! At kickstand we have a "sign up to volunteer" link on our website, we post on our social media, and word of mouth with our patrons at the shop. We've recently just signed up to the eventbrite booking platform that sends out notifications to patrons when we are holding an orientation. It offers a signup and waitlist option instead of doing everything over email. We typically have people reaching out to us wanting to get involved vs us making call outs. Offering a build a bike program also adds an incentive to getting people involved.
All the best! Ally Henderson (She/Her) *Program Coordinator * *Kickstand Community Bikes* 1187 Parker St. Vancouver BC, V6A 2H3 *Mondays:* 5pm-9pm *Wednesdays:* 5pm - 9pm *Thursday:* 6pm-9pm (Women, Trans & Queer Night) *Fridays:* 5pm-9pm *Sundays:* 1pm-5pm
*As a volunteer-run shop, our hours may change on short notice, * *please check our social media for updates.* Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kickstandbikes • I https://www.instagram.com/kickstandcommunitybikes/nstagram https://www.instagram.com/kickstandcommunitybikes/ eastvankickstand.org
*We acknowledge that we live, play and work on the stolen lands of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people and I strive to continuously challenge the beliefs and actions of colonialism that lead to everyday injustices. *
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM John via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
We use our 6-session mechanics fundamentals course partly as a way to invite people to contribute to the shop. It's been a very good way to bring people in, and helps with both building skill and helping maintain the culture we are trying to have in the shop. Currently we run it 4 or 5 times a year, 12 participants each time. 15 hours of instruction, plus 3 extra optional hours of "nerd" time. Most people don't volunteer afterwards, but every session there are a couple that do, and often those couple end up volunteering a lot, even becoming members of the core group of people guiding the collective. I think about half of the 14 current members of the core group got introduced to the collective through our class.
rosy, at Lefty Loosey Bike Collective in Providence, RI, USA
On Wed, May 14, 2025, 2:50 PM Vincenzo loco via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
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To Rosey at Lefty Loosey, do you have a curriculum you can share for your 6-session fundamentals course?
We host an orientation once or twice a month and advertise in-shop and on social media. Patrons and frequent visitors are also chatted up about their interest and many of our volunteers come from this pool.
Good discussion - we've had trouble staffing our repair days and retaining a portion of volunteers who have felt "thrown into the fire" and a bit overwhelmed in the beginning. A fundamentals course would give them more structure!
Cheers, *Nicole Muratore, Shop Manager* (she/her) Bike Saviours Bicycle Collective (602) 429-9369 | bikesaviours.org | @bikesaviours
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM < thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of TheThinkTank digest..."Today's Topics:
- Excel Assignment Help (topresearchtopics@gmail.com)
- How do you recruit volunteers? (Andy Ballentine)
- Re: How do you recruit volunteers? (Vincenzo loco)
- Re: How do you recruit volunteers? (John)
- Re: How do you recruit volunteers? (Kickstand)
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: topresearchtopics@gmail.com To: thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Bcc: Date: Mon, 12 May 2025 09:47:35 -0000 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Excel Assignment Help Struggling with Excel assignments? Get instant Excel assignment help from MS Excel experts. 100% accurate solutions and on-time delivery. https://topresearchtopics.com/excel-assignment-help/
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Andy Ballentine bikecoop@bikewalkwilliamsburg.org To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 13:53:43 -0400 Subject: [TheThinkTank] How do you recruit volunteers? Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vincenzo loco wormsign@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 11:48:35 -0700 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Re: How do you recruit volunteers? many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John jowrose@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Vincenzo loco wormsign@gmail.com Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 14:58:15 -0400 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Re: How do you recruit volunteers?
We use our 6-session mechanics fundamentals course partly as a way to invite people to contribute to the shop. It's been a very good way to bring people in, and helps with both building skill and helping maintain the culture we are trying to have in the shop. Currently we run it 4 or 5 times a year, 12 participants each time. 15 hours of instruction, plus 3 extra optional hours of "nerd" time. Most people don't volunteer afterwards, but every session there are a couple that do, and often those couple end up volunteering a lot, even becoming members of the core group of people guiding the collective. I think about half of the 14 current members of the core group got introduced to the collective through our class.
rosy, at Lefty Loosey Bike Collective in Providence, RI, USA
On Wed, May 14, 2025, 2:50 PM Vincenzo loco via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kickstand kickstandbikes@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Vincenzo loco wormsign@gmail.com, John jowrose@gmail.com Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 12:44:02 -0700 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Re: How do you recruit volunteers? Following this conversation! At kickstand we have a "sign up to volunteer" link on our website, we post on our social media, and word of mouth with our patrons at the shop. We've recently just signed up to the eventbrite booking platform that sends out notifications to patrons when we are holding an orientation. It offers a signup and waitlist option instead of doing everything over email. We typically have people reaching out to us wanting to get involved vs us making call outs. Offering a build a bike program also adds an incentive to getting people involved.
All the best! Ally Henderson (She/Her) *Program Coordinator * *Kickstand Community Bikes* 1187 Parker St. Vancouver BC, V6A 2H3 *Mondays:* 5pm-9pm *Wednesdays:* 5pm - 9pm *Thursday:* 6pm-9pm (Women, Trans & Queer Night) *Fridays:* 5pm-9pm *Sundays:* 1pm-5pm
*As a volunteer-run shop, our hours may change on short notice, * *please check our social media for updates.* Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kickstandbikes • I https://www.instagram.com/kickstandcommunitybikes/nstagram https://www.instagram.com/kickstandcommunitybikes/ eastvankickstand.org
*We acknowledge that we live, play and work on the stolen lands of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people and I strive to continuously challenge the beliefs and actions of colonialism that lead to everyday injustices. *
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM John via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
We use our 6-session mechanics fundamentals course partly as a way to invite people to contribute to the shop. It's been a very good way to bring people in, and helps with both building skill and helping maintain the culture we are trying to have in the shop. Currently we run it 4 or 5 times a year, 12 participants each time. 15 hours of instruction, plus 3 extra optional hours of "nerd" time. Most people don't volunteer afterwards, but every session there are a couple that do, and often those couple end up volunteering a lot, even becoming members of the core group of people guiding the collective. I think about half of the 14 current members of the core group got introduced to the collective through our class.
rosy, at Lefty Loosey Bike Collective in Providence, RI, USA
On Wed, May 14, 2025, 2:50 PM Vincenzo loco via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
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Count me in (and I bet a lot of other people too) that would love to see this curriculum!
To Rosey at Lefty Loosey, do you have a curriculum you can share for your
6-session fundamentals course?
Cheers, Sam
[image: Bozeman Bike Kitchen] https://bozemanbikekitchen.org/
Sam Haraldson President, Board of Directors 2104 Industrial Drive, Bozeman, MT 59715
Hey, Claude from La Cyclerie here!
We're definitely interested in participating in the orientation course curriculum—it's always great to explore different approaches and topics.
At La Cyclerie, volunteering is made easy with a dedicated section on our website. We offer a variety of roles tailored to diverse interests and skill levels, notably "Mechanic" and "Welcome Person". The "Welcome Person" role is particularly valuable for those less experienced in bike mechanics, helping them get acquainted with our community space and contributing in various essential tasks. These tasks include dismantling bikes during quieter periods, cutting rags, housekeeping, managing inventory, selling bikes, or even playing be the DJ.
This role also involves introducing new visitors to La Cyclerie’s mission, creating a welcoming atmosphere, and providing volunteers with the opportunity to gradually develop mechanical skills, potentially transitioning into the mechanic role.
Volunteers also benefit from discounts on bike parts and affordable beverages, fostering a great social environment after community shop hours.
Hope this helps!
Claude La Cyclerie, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada Community Workshop + Bike Culture
Hi all,
I've attached the outline of our course that we post publicly and that we distribute on the first day as part of a workbook (also a work in progress...). We have a much more detailed agenda document, something like 10 pages long, but it's pretty messy and constantly updated -- it's an internal document for the rotating cast of characters that runs the course. Probably not super useful to share in its current format, but maybe someday we will create a version of it that is outside-facing.
I've also attached one of the other diagrams from the workbook, our diagram on hubs. We searched for a while for diagrams that are out there but didn't find one that was exactly what we wanted, so we made our own. I know there's a ton of this happening, all of us duplicating work. And I know this topic has come up before -- how to share this kind of stuff. Is there a centralized repository anywhere that people know of? A shared google drive folder, or something like that?
I'd be down to talk more about this kind of stuff -- how to share things like curriculum and learning resources. We do a ton of teaching at Lefty Loosey and are constantly trying to get better at it. I'm not sure if any of us are going to make it to Bike!Bike! this year, but if we do we'd love to join conversation about teaching, curricula, and resources.
rosy
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 11:13 PM Claude Ferron via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hey, Claude from La Cyclerie here!
We're definitely interested in participating in the orientation course curriculum—it's always great to explore different approaches and topics.
At La Cyclerie, volunteering is made easy with a dedicated section on our website. We offer a variety of roles tailored to diverse interests and skill levels, notably "Mechanic" and "Welcome Person". The "Welcome Person" role is particularly valuable for those less experienced in bike mechanics, helping them get acquainted with our community space and contributing in various essential tasks. These tasks include dismantling bikes during quieter periods, cutting rags, housekeeping, managing inventory, selling bikes, or even playing be the DJ.
This role also involves introducing new visitors to La Cyclerie’s mission, creating a welcoming atmosphere, and providing volunteers with the opportunity to gradually develop mechanical skills, potentially transitioning into the mechanic role.
Volunteers also benefit from discounts on bike parts and affordable beverages, fostering a great social environment after community shop hours.
Hope this helps!
Claude La Cyclerie, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada Community Workshop + Bike Culture _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
Celebrations, monthly group rides with a party destination. Good fun!
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM Nicole Muratore via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
To Rosey at Lefty Loosey, do you have a curriculum you can share for your 6-session fundamentals course?
We host an orientation once or twice a month and advertise in-shop and on social media. Patrons and frequent visitors are also chatted up about their interest and many of our volunteers come from this pool.
Good discussion - we've had trouble staffing our repair days and retaining a portion of volunteers who have felt "thrown into the fire" and a bit overwhelmed in the beginning. A fundamentals course would give them more structure!
Cheers, *Nicole Muratore, Shop Manager* (she/her) Bike Saviours Bicycle Collective (602) 429-9369 | bikesaviours.org | @bikesaviours
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM < thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Send TheThinkTank mailing list submissions to thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of TheThinkTank digest..."Today's Topics:
- Excel Assignment Help (topresearchtopics@gmail.com)
- How do you recruit volunteers? (Andy Ballentine)
- Re: How do you recruit volunteers? (Vincenzo loco)
- Re: How do you recruit volunteers? (John)
- Re: How do you recruit volunteers? (Kickstand)
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: topresearchtopics@gmail.com To: thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Bcc: Date: Mon, 12 May 2025 09:47:35 -0000 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Excel Assignment Help Struggling with Excel assignments? Get instant Excel assignment help from MS Excel experts. 100% accurate solutions and on-time delivery. https://topresearchtopics.com/excel-assignment-help/
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Andy Ballentine bikecoop@bikewalkwilliamsburg.org To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 13:53:43 -0400 Subject: [TheThinkTank] How do you recruit volunteers? Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vincenzo loco wormsign@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 11:48:35 -0700 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Re: How do you recruit volunteers? many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John jowrose@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Vincenzo loco wormsign@gmail.com Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 14:58:15 -0400 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Re: How do you recruit volunteers?
We use our 6-session mechanics fundamentals course partly as a way to invite people to contribute to the shop. It's been a very good way to bring people in, and helps with both building skill and helping maintain the culture we are trying to have in the shop. Currently we run it 4 or 5 times a year, 12 participants each time. 15 hours of instruction, plus 3 extra optional hours of "nerd" time. Most people don't volunteer afterwards, but every session there are a couple that do, and often those couple end up volunteering a lot, even becoming members of the core group of people guiding the collective. I think about half of the 14 current members of the core group got introduced to the collective through our class.
rosy, at Lefty Loosey Bike Collective in Providence, RI, USA
On Wed, May 14, 2025, 2:50 PM Vincenzo loco via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kickstand kickstandbikes@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: Vincenzo loco wormsign@gmail.com, John jowrose@gmail.com Bcc: Date: Wed, 14 May 2025 12:44:02 -0700 Subject: [TheThinkTank] Re: How do you recruit volunteers? Following this conversation! At kickstand we have a "sign up to volunteer" link on our website, we post on our social media, and word of mouth with our patrons at the shop. We've recently just signed up to the eventbrite booking platform that sends out notifications to patrons when we are holding an orientation. It offers a signup and waitlist option instead of doing everything over email. We typically have people reaching out to us wanting to get involved vs us making call outs. Offering a build a bike program also adds an incentive to getting people involved.
All the best! Ally Henderson (She/Her) *Program Coordinator * *Kickstand Community Bikes* 1187 Parker St. Vancouver BC, V6A 2H3 *Mondays:* 5pm-9pm *Wednesdays:* 5pm - 9pm *Thursday:* 6pm-9pm (Women, Trans & Queer Night) *Fridays:* 5pm-9pm *Sundays:* 1pm-5pm
*As a volunteer-run shop, our hours may change on short notice, * *please check our social media for updates.* Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kickstandbikes • I https://www.instagram.com/kickstandcommunitybikes/nstagram https://www.instagram.com/kickstandcommunitybikes/ eastvankickstand.org
*We acknowledge that we live, play and work on the stolen lands of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people and I strive to continuously challenge the beliefs and actions of colonialism that lead to everyday injustices. *
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM John via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
We use our 6-session mechanics fundamentals course partly as a way to invite people to contribute to the shop. It's been a very good way to bring people in, and helps with both building skill and helping maintain the culture we are trying to have in the shop. Currently we run it 4 or 5 times a year, 12 participants each time. 15 hours of instruction, plus 3 extra optional hours of "nerd" time. Most people don't volunteer afterwards, but every session there are a couple that do, and often those couple end up volunteering a lot, even becoming members of the core group of people guiding the collective. I think about half of the 14 current members of the core group got introduced to the collective through our class.
rosy, at Lefty Loosey Bike Collective in Providence, RI, USA
On Wed, May 14, 2025, 2:50 PM Vincenzo loco via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
many of our volunteers started off as patrons. We would ask patrons if they would be interested in volunteering.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:56 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
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How much overall community outreach like group rides that end in celebrations other cyclecentric events are on the horizon? At these events the opportunity for growth can happen.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:55 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
I'll offer our approach: We have a lot of interested people wanting to volunteer. Honestly, the challenge we face is trying to keep it fairly accessible without being swamped by people. Also, volunteer attrition.
We have some info on our website at https://bikeedmonton.ca/volunteer-workshops. We get people to come, in person, and fill in an application, then invite them to an orientation/info session that we hold monthly. After that, they are able to sign up for shifts and volunteer. Many people don't last long, partly because they perhaps don't know what they're getting into and partly because we don't do the best job of connecting with/supporting new volunteers. This is a frustration but it's hard to offer as much support to new folks as I'd like with everything else we're doing especially during the busy time of year.
I think being clear on what's expected of volunteers and what they can expect from us as volunteers helps, but for every great, involved, committed volunteer we get there's probably another 4 or 5 who end up disappearing or volunteering very erratically. . *Alex Hindle* Downtown Community Shop Manager Bike Edmonton https://bikeedmonton.ca/ 780-433-2453 ext 903 Bike Edmonton Downtown Shop • 10612 105 Ave
@bikeedmonton https://twitter.com/bikeedmontonfacebook.com/BikeEdmonton https://www.facebook.com/BikeEdmonton
[image: Bike Edmonton] https://bikeedmonton.ca/
On Thu, May 15, 2025 at 1:47 PM Jim Bledsoe via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
How much overall community outreach like group rides that end in celebrations other cyclecentric events are on the horizon? At these events the opportunity for growth can happen.
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:55 AM Andy Ballentine via TheThinkTank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
At the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (VA), we would love to expand our hours, but we're all volunteers giving as much time as we can. An obvious path forward is bringing more volunteers on board. So -- my question: How do you recruit volunteers?
Many thanks!
Andy Ballentine Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg _______________________________________________ TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave@lists.bikecollectives.org To view this discussion on the web visit https://lists.bikecollectives.org/hyperkitty/list/thethinktank@lists.bikecol...
Andy:
There must be lots of ways to recruit volunteers. This is so important that I could go on for hours about this. Here are a few thoughts off the top of my head, regarding how to find, recruit and retain volunteers:
LOCAL BIKE ENTHUSIASTS The lowest hanging fruit is from bicycle enthusiasts. Typically your existing volunteer base will include a number of people who belong to local bike clubs or bike advocacy groups. Bicycle enthusiasts are the most likely to already have bike repair skills. The ones who don't already have them are usually VERY receptive to any opportunity to gain knowledge and practice, under the guidance of your experienced volunteers.
Get your experienced volunteers to spread the word (either by mouth or through bike club newsletters) that you are looking for new volunteers. Be sure to explain your mission, and what skills are required of volunteers. If you will teach new volunteers everything that they need to know (which you should), be sure to say this.
CORPORATE VOLUNTEERS Another possible way to recruit is through larger local corporations. Believe it or not, many local companies have a desire to do good for their local community by encouraging their employees to volunteer at non-profit organizations. They may allow groups of employees to volunteer their labor during work hours. Some of them may additionally donate to your nonprofit shop a few hundred dollars per session, for you to lead these volunteer sessions. The nicest of these also provide catered lunches for their employees, plus a few of your own staff that lead the events.
Why would a company *pay* for you to provide a volunteer opportunity? Reasons go far beyond supporting the local community. The company may gain a public relations benefit if word gets out that they are paying for their employees to volunteer during work hours. The group may see it as a valuable team-building activity that benefits the company, as employees are able to interact and get to know one another outside of the work environment.
How do you find such corporate gigs? If none of your current volunteers works at a nearby large-ish employer, ask around among your cyclist community. You could also try cold-calling your local employers and try to talk to someone in human resources or community relations, paying special attention to those companies that make donations to the community, sponsor local sports teams, or run advertising on the tv, radio, billboards or a local newspaper. If a company has never sponsored such events, it might be a good opportunity to stress the benefits to the employer that result from sending their employees to your volunteer events.
As you reach out to corporations, it is important to have structured and specific activities in mind. For example, "repairing bicycles to give to local children in need" always sounds a lot better than "cleaning up and reorganizing the shop" or repairing bikes to sell.
If you doubt me, and are skeptical of this advice, I urge you to ask some older people, particularly those who have worked in management at your local large companies. Large companies do want to build a positive image in their communities, and some will want to support you by sending employees your way as volunteers.
LOCAL VOLUNTEER GROUPS We just talked about the corporate world. Where I live there are also plenty of *community* organizations that want to send volunteers to worthy non-profits. These could be church groups, adult service clubs (e.g. Rotary), Boy Scouts looking for service projects, or high school kids who may need to fulfill a community service requirement. Find out if any such volunteer pools are in your area.
In many locations there are also organizations whose sole purpose is to match up volunteers with volunteer opportunities. When I googled "group connecting volunteers with nonprofits" I got back a list of such organizations, including VolunteerMatch, Taproot, Catchfire, and Goodera.
In my area we have a local VA hospital. Someone organized a group of veterans who use the VA hospital, to come and volunteer at our nonprofit shop. Your shop might wish to return the favor to them by supplying the VA with low-cost repaired bicycles to give to patients who are rehabilitating an injury. You can create a virtuous cycle!
Think carefully about this next suggestion. There may be convicted criminals needing to complete community service hours that were ordered as part of their sentencing. You might well have concerns about violent offenders or thieves, but there might still be a class of offenders that you would be comfortable with, who deserve a chance to become productive volunteers and members of society. At the same time, you need to balance a desire for volunteers against the possibility that convicted criminals might make your existing valued volunteers uneasy, and drive them away. It might be hard to retain volunteers who are there because a judge is forcing them to be there.
PUBLICITY There are doubtlessly people in your local community who would happily volunteer with you, if only they knew that you existed. Consider doing something to raise your shop's profile.
For example, if you have a local Bike To Work Day, perhaps you can sponsor an Energizer station. In advance of Bike To Work Day you could hold a free bike check and free minor repairs. If your shop is out of the way, try enlisting local public libraries to provide space, advertising, and credibility: many libraries have an event calendar for lectures and activities on their premises.
Local newspapers may be willing to publicize your volunteer events in a community calendar. Some experts say that you should write a press release and send it to your local newspapers. Personally, when I asked a seasoned local news reporter, she told me not to bother writing a press release because any decent writer is going to want to interview you and write their own copy. You could always ask each local newspaper how they would like to proceed.
If your shop doesn't already have a website and business cards, get them! Nothing builds credibility more than being able to hand someone a business card that has your shop's contact information and a URL where people can go to for more information about who you are, your benefit to the community, and how they can help by donating labor, bikes, or money.
PREREQUISITES Before you bring in a bunch of new volunteers, you need to have a few things in order. Most importantly, you need trained volunteers to lead and train new volunteers through planned activites. Generally, you also need structured programs, to help you pitch your volunteer opportunities to prospective client groups that could send volunteers to you.
One of the biggest challenges at my local community bike shop is not getting volunteers, but rather keeping them: very few new volunteers come back at all, let alone with any regularly. A few years ago, at the Bike! Bike! in Los Angleles, there was an excellent session on volunteer retention. My biggest takeaway is that people volunteer for various reasons. People who come alone probably want to meet other like-minded people. People who come from churches and service groups especially want to produce something tangible, such as several completed repair projects that will be donated back into the community. Other people may want to learn and practice new skills, or share a rewarding activity with a family member.
It usually takes a concerted effort to greet new volunteers, make them feel welcome, teach them so they can feel productive, and meet their various needs for learning and accomplishment. Please brief your existing volunteers who will be helping you to put on these new volunteer events. Remember people's names. When each new volunteer leaves, make sure to call them by name and tell them how much you enjoyed having them and you would love to have them return for the next volunteer activity. As they leave, remind them of the date and time for this next volunteer session. Have a sign-up list where you collect names, phone numbers, and email addresses, so that you can follow up with more words of thanks and notification about future volunteer events.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS There are plenty of things you can do to recruit and retain new volunteers. These are just some methods that happen to work in my local community. There are bound to be other things that work well in other places. Please discuss and feel free to disagree.
The most critical overriding concern should be volunteer retention. It's easy to get someone to come once, but what you really want are volunteers who come back again and again. With some thought you can plan for this and improve your number of repeat volunteers.
Here are more thoughts about recruiting and retaining volunteers.
As I mentioned previously, you must put out an official sign-in sheet at each of your volunteer events, and ask all volunteers to enter their name, contact information, and the number of hours they are volunteering. After each volunteer event, transfer the sign-in sheet information into some kind of database (even a spreadsheet will do). This information is critical to measuring how well you are doing at bringing in new volunteers you have recruited, but much more importantly, it also allows you to track the number of repeat volunteers.
SPOT TRENDS Once you have the information on your computer, perform a careful analysis. Look at your shop's trends for total volunteer visits, total volunteer hours, the number of new volunteers and number of returning volunteers. To spot trends, I like to use a spreadsheet to create graphs.
Total unique volunteers and total volunteer hours are useful in confirming your shop's status as a non-profit. In addition, it looks good on grant applications when you can point to a growing volunteer base and the number of hours they donate.
FOCUS ON REPEAT VOLUNTEERS Repeat volunteers is your key performance metric for measuring how well you are doing at recruiting volunteers. I will argue that a first-time volunteer is just a visitor, and you have only successfully recruited a new volunteer when he comes back a second time to volunteer again. Think about it: It is actually counterproductive if you get a lot of new volunteers, invest time and effort into orienting them and training them, and then they never come back to volunteer again.
From experience, I know that it can be discouraging when you bring in 50 new volunteers, and exactly none of them ever return to volunteer again. Rather than being disheartened, resolve to do better at making friends and creating a welcoming environment for new volunteers. When new volunteers don't come back, it probably means that your bike mechanics are way better at fixing bikes than they are at making new friends.
FIND A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Still, among your volunteers you probably know that some have much better people skills than others. Get them to greet newcomers and give them an orientation, in an attempt to boost your repeat volunteers. If you know someone with great people skills, even if they are *not* a bike mechanic, explain that your shop needs someone like them to help build up your volunteer base, and ask them if they can help. Give them an official title, such as "Volunteer Coordinator."
If, like my shop, yours has a huge number of one-time volunteers, ask your Volunteer Coordinator to reach out to these people to encourage them to return or to find out why they haven't returned. Recall that your sign-in sheet has contact information, so you know how to reach these people. Have a questionnaire that you read over the phone, or email to people. It might be easiest for you and for the volunteers if you figure out how to make a Google Form that you can send to people. Every shop has someone who knows how to use Google Forms. Collect the responses and figure out how to improve your volunteer retention.
The other thing your Volunteer Coordinator can do is to reach out to volunteers new and old with a periodic email message. The message should remind everyone of upcoming volunteer events, but can also include some shop announcements or news, if you have any.
BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WITH FOOD AND OTHER REWARDS Experiment with various ways to make your volunteer events more welcoming. Wealthier shops can offer free sandwiches or pizza, so that people can socialize over a meal. Another way to go is to make the volunteer event a potluck. At the end of the work day, when everything is cleaned up and put away, some shops serve beer and snacks at a social hour rewarding all volunteers for their efforts.
To build a sense of community, some shops like to offer rewards to returning volunteers. At my local shop a volunteer earns a shop t-shirt, a shop apron, or a hat with your shop name on it, after a certain number of volunteer sessions.
Some shops like to recognize the volunteers who have worked the highest number of hours, possibly with signage, or even special gifts at the end of the year.
Getting to know something about other volunteers is a good way to build a sense of community. When people belong to your shop's community, they will be more likely to keep volunteering. At my local shop someone periodically interviews a volunteer and writes a story for the shop website. Such an article typically includes their photo, how long they have been volunteering, and something interesting about their background. Here is a web page of featured volunteer stories at my local bike nonprofit: https://bikex.org/welcome/past-featured-volunteers. I myself was featured on 02-February-2018.
Gordon Hamachi Mountain View, California
participants (10)
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Alex Hindle -
Andy Ballentine -
Claude Ferron -
Gordon Hamachi -
Jim Bledsoe -
John -
Kickstand -
Nicole Muratore -
Sam Haraldson -
Vincenzo loco