Making the most of your volunteers

Featuring the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (San Francisco)

Time and time again, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center CEO Sharon Miller has seen volunteers bring unexpected business benefits to her clients. “Volunteers want to help, they enjoy giving advice,” Miller says, “and when given the opportunity, they’ll offer so much more than that.” From bankers to past graduates to business students, Renaissance capitalizes on volunteers’ expertise and personal networks to provide their clients with specialized information, fresh perspectives, business contacts, and opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available.

Volunteers offer resources that benefit both new entrepreneurs and growing graduate businesses. For example, Renaissance is putting in place volunteer business plan review committees comprised of graduates and business professionals who can marshal their unique expertise to offer clients feedback and advice on their business plans. Renaissance has also worked with MBA students from the Center for Entrepreneurship at San Francisco State University (SFSU) to analyze graduate businesses and make recommendations for growth. In cultivating and refining their use of volunteers, Miller and the Renaissance staff have uncovered a few valuable techniques:

· Work with established volunteer channels
Renaissance has discovered that by partnering with organizations that have volunteer networks already in place, they can access a wide volunteer community while saving on recruiting costs. They have forged relationships with the Social Venture Network (SVN), SFSU’s College of Business, and the Jewish Community Federation’s COACH Business Mentoring program. Renaissance has also found their own network of graduates to be a wellspring of volunteers, and promotes this virtuous circle by involving graduates in class presentations and peer learning groups.

· Utilize volunteer expertise to enhance existing models
Renaissance finds it easier to incorporate volunteers’ professional skills into their existing service delivery model than to engage volunteers in customized long-term projects. For example, if there is a need for specialized information on banking and finance, a volunteer from the banking community can meet with clients. A short-term engagement often appeals to volunteers (making recruiting easy) and helps eliminate scheduling headaches that can crop up during longer volunteer assignments.

· Facilitate personal relationships with clients
Volunteers who work directly with clients form a bond with seemingly limitless potential, a magical connection that keeps volunteers motivated to help. “The one-to-one relationships that businesses have with the volunteers are what the volunteers really appreciate the most,” Miller says. Some volunteers are driven by the desire to pass on goodwill that benefited them in the past, while others admire the mission of microenterprise. No matter the motivation, volunteers always focus on one thing: ushering Renaissance’s emerging entrepreneurs towards lasting business success.

To learn more about the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, visit www.rencenter.org or contact Sharon Miller at sharon@rencenter.org.