Starting & Sustaining a Volunteer Group
You've walked through the park many times, bemoaning the encroachment of ivy and other invasive species growing up into the canopy. Your neighbor has commented that the banks of the creek are eroding close to the trail's edge.
The thought might have crossed your mind a few times...what can we do about it?
On the following pages, a series of questions and ideas can help you make some decisions about forming a group to address watershed issues in your local park or neighborhood.
Note: Although this guide was written primarily for watershed stewardship groups, especially groups that are "Friends of" parks or watersheds, the ideas also apply to neighborhood associations and other grassroots groups.
This guide is not intended as a list of requirements, but rather points to ponder.
Feel free to suggest additions or changes to improve this guide.
Click on the pages below to learn more. Or, check back soon for a PDF version.
1 - Forming a Group
Gain clarity, and give your group a stronger foundation by identifying:
- Core volunteers – find people who have the personal investment (understanding of the problem and desire to take action), skills, and time/energy to start and sustain the group.
- All volunteers – but especially those without all 3 qualities – need support and training in order to avoid burnout in a leadership position.
- Conversely, the best volunteers can be people you know who don't have these qualities yet, but can become a leader with a little encouragement, training or help.
- If you’re unsure about forming a Friends group, test the waters by trying a one-time project. Contact the WRC for assistance.
- Area of focus or scope: Public park? Watershed? Private landowners?
- What are the community needs that will be addressed? What niche will the group fill?
- Check with other nearby groups who might be willing to collaborate and support your efforts, or offer training or other support:
- Structure & Process: How will the group choose to organize itself? This depends on how many people are interested in being involved in a leadership capacity versus a participant capacity, and personal preference. Leadership can take on many forms. Some volunteers will favor a formal board with roles such as chair, secretary, and treasurer. Other groups have formed coordinating committees with point people for different functions, such as publicity, event coordination, work party leader, fundraising coordinator, etc. Still other groups prefer to function without explicit leadership, instead using a self-organizing process such as open space technology. Watershed Center staff can help you access resources and develop a structure that works for you.
- Group name
- Anticipated activities & frequency of events
Next: Documents to Guide Action
2 - Documents to Guide Action
Working together on the following documents may help focus the group's choice of activities and events.
- Mission statement that includes the scope and purpose of the group
- Stewardship agreement (if working in a PP&R park) or other landowner agreement
- Consider how liability will be covered for volunteer events
- Work plan: what concrete objectives will the group work towards?
- Awareness of fit with other guiding or planning documents, e.g. park master plan or trails plan, BES watershed management plan, SW Comprehensive Plan
- Incorporate “before” photos of sites to document conditions prior to enhancement activities
Next: Meetings
3 - Meetings
Provide an accessible way for new & longtime volunteers to interact with the group.
- Find a location that is visible (consider signage) and convenient. The more you can consistently meet at the same place, the more likely a new volunteer will be able to remember it and find your group.
- Food helps! No one likes to make decisions on an empty stomach. :)
- Meetings can take on a variety of appearances. Some groups have less frequent social meetings, others have monthly structured meetings; some just have work party events without separate meetings.
- Decision-making can also happen via email, but many people value the social or community aspect of belonging to a group that meets face-to-face.
- Doodle is an online polling tool that can help groups figure out the best meeting time.
Next: Getting the Word Out
4 - Getting the Word Out
Some ideas for recruiting people to your Friends group:
- Brochures at parks, local libraries, coffee shops, community centers
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- Post event information on external websites such as PP&R, CNRG, the Dirt, Hands On Portland
- Create a webpage for your group, hosted by SWNI
- Table at community events, e.g. Maplewood Picnic, Multnomah Days, BES open houses, community forums
- Networking: phone calls, public meetings, conferences, word of mouth
- Postcard mailings or door hangers to neighbors
Note: anonymous web & print publicity is okay for recruiting volunteers who are already knowledgeable about the issues, but know that ultimately 80% of volunteers come to a meeting or event because someone asks them personally.
Next: Functional roles in a group
5 - Functional Roles in a Group
Think about how these activities might help sustain your volunteer group once started.
- Outreach: generate publicity (see Getting the Word Out), create a table display, main point of contact for new & potential volunteers
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Communication: coordinate site and tasks for work parties with PP&R/owner, relay information to/from the SWNI-wide SW Watershed Stewards list, report volunteer hours & accomplishments to PP&R/WRC; send out event reminders to volunteers
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Grantwriting: for project funding
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Documentation, Photography, Historian: capture events in numbers, images and “before & after” stories to share with other residents
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Group Pulse/Process: keep things light, keep a read on how the group is functioning – make sure people are having fun and not burning out; and that the group’s process is facilitating equitable involvement by all members
Next: Activities
6 - Activities & Projects
A list of common activities that watershed volunteer groups engage in:
- Stewardship:
- invasive removal
- native planting
- bioswales, rain gardens, other stormwater projects
- erosion control
- litter patrol
- creek habitat enhancement
- Education:
- interpretive signage at natural areas & project sites
- tabling and activities at community fairs
- social events to build awareness
- partnerships with schools, congregations, and neighborhood groups
- Networking:
coalitions & partnerships
- conferences
- fundraising
- advocacy on specific related issues, e.g. for land protection, city code updates
Next: Stewardship Event Checklist