The Help Line

How one Cornell Club finds--and keeps--its alumni volunteers

By Chuck Schilke, JD '88

Hunter Rawlings often says, "Alumni are Cornell's secret weapon." But what is the secret to finding alumni volunteers and launching them on a lifelong volunteer trajectory? The experience of the Cornell Club of Washington (CCW) offers some key insights on recruiting volunteers, both one at a time and as a whole slate to fill its board each year.

Big Red Readiness: Finding
Individual Volunteers

Mel Zurn '93, one of CCW's vice presidents for membership, tells a story of how the club captured the enthusiasm of one new volunteer. Because last year's phonathon was held in an office building after hours, a security guard had the alumni volunteers congregate in the lobby while waiting for everybody to arrive. "We had a nice animated group milling around and chatting," Zurn says. A fellow leaving work overheard a comment and asked if there was a Cornell event going on. When he was told CCW was holding the phonathon in the building, he said, "I'm a Cornellian-- could you use some more help?"

"He turned around," Zurn says, "went back upstairs with our group, and generously donated a few hours dialing for Cornell scholarship dollars."

Finding great volunteers is not always that easy. But this tale illustrates three key principles about successful recruiting: be visible, be ready with volunteer positions, and be immediate.

Being visible means that an alumni organization should call for volunteers frequently via a variety of media in a friendly, straightforward manner. For example, CCW often advertises specific volunteer needs in its newsletter, with surprisingly good results. Clubs can also get the word out at events. At Zinck's Night, younger club leaders talk to young alumni about volunteering while they wait in line at check-in. Visibility helps to educate alumni about Cornell's volunteer needs, as well as about the sheer fun and personal and professional benefits of volunteering.

Being ready with volunteer positions is absolutely crucial. Nothing frustrates a volunteer more than being willing to donate time but not having a clear role to fulfill. The wise alumni leader always has five or ten unfinished tasks in mind. When she meets potential volunteers, she's ready to steer them into a role suited to their skills and the organization's needs.

Being immediate is closely related. Big Red alumni are busy people making the many contributions to society that Cornell taught them to make. An alum who feels inspired to volunteer now may have other obligations that preclude volunteering in a week or a month. As soon as an alum expresses an interest in volunteering, do everything possible to engage him or her on the spot.

The Role of the Nominating
Committee: Finding Unity in Diversity

An active nominating committee is essential to the long-term volunteer health of any Cornell alumni group. Serving on such a committee is itself a voluntary activity--you're volunteering to find volunteers. While the size, tasks, and formality of a nominating committee will vary with the specific alumni unit, having such a committee is vital to eliciting the collective wisdom of volunteer leaders about the interests, skills, and commitments of a broad swath of the relevant alumni group.

A Balanced Committee
for a Balanced Slate

To the greatest extent possible, the nominating committee should reflect the diversity that is Cornell--and seek that diversity for the board itself. Diversity includes age. On both the committee and the board, senior alumni contribute institutional history and long-term personal knowledge, while younger alums have recent experience of what is happening on campus and often have friends who make the most enthusiastic and creative young alumni volunteers. For a regional club like CCW, representatives of different colleges and affinity groups insure that all alumni constituencies have a stake in selecting the slate; that makes the process inclusive and also tends to increase membership. Moreover, a diversity of backgrounds gives the alumni unit a broad range of skills that will enable it to make the most of opportunities and handle virtually any problem that may arise.

Start Early. A core principle in managing volunteers is to allow a long lead time. CCW generally starts its nominating process in January, building in four months to complete the slate by May. Selecting and assembling the nominating committee itself requires significant time. Telephoning potential volunteers and sounding them out about their interest in specific board positions takes longer than might be imagined. For the most important offices--president, first vice president, and programming vice president-- one or more members of the nominating committee should meet in person with prospective volunteers to convey the commitment expected, to learn in detail about the volunteers' interests and strengths, and to reassure these top candidates that other volunteers in the organization and the professionals at Alumni House and in the Regional Office will give them all possible support.

CCW presents its board slate for the next year at its annual dinner in May. Those present vote to approve the slate, generally by acclamation. In keeping with the principles above, this traditional exercise is useful in making the volunteer leadership visible to the general Cornell alumni population in an immediate way. By letting everyone readily know about CCW's volunteer positions, announcing the slate at the dinner is a big help in finding board members and individual volunteers in future years.

Finally, some regular event like the CCW annual dinner, at which volunteers are recognized and celebrated, is central to mobilizing volunteers and honoring the efforts they are making for Cornell. As serial volunteer Bob Day '56 says, the cardinal rule of volunteer recruitment is this: "No work party without a real party."

Chuck Schilke was president of the Cornell Club of Washington from 2001 to 2003.

At Your Service

Cornell stands apart from other universities in many ways. Perhaps none is more significant than its alumni's dedication and commitment. Alumni play an invaluable role in the life of the University. They lend expertise to advisory councils and regional clubs, plan reunions, execute special events throughout the community, and help recruit prospective students. The unending enthusiasm and energy of Cornellians around the globe keep all of these activities alive and invigorated.

To recognize this outstanding service, the Cornell Alumni Federation (CAF) annually presents the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Awards. This year, seven devoted alumni who have unselfishly shared their time and talents over the years were honored with the award-- a Steuben crystal cube set on an engraved base--during Homecoming Weekend in Ithaca.

"Rhodes Award recipients are noteworthy for their long-term service to Cornell, taking leadership roles in a wide variety of alumni activities," notes CAF president Rolf Frantz '66, ME '67. "This year's honorees have clearly demonstrated their loyalty to, and love for, Cornell through their many and varied commitments."

The 2006 award winners are: Albert Bean Jr. '43 of Kansas City, Missouri; Nancy Williams Clark '62, MEd '64, and J. Thomas Clark '63, MBA '64, of Old Chatham, New York; Penny Skitol Haitkin '65 of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; Jay Hyman '55, DVM '57, of Delray Beach, Florida; Benson Lee '63, BEE '64, of Bratenahl, Ohio; and Jane Knauss Stevens '45, MBA '48, of Pittsford, New York.