DIVERSITY IN VOLUNTEERISM: IMPROVING VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a national organization
dedicated to championing the rights and long-term stability of
children in the foster care system. The organization relies heavily on
volunteers to fulfill this mission. CASA Kane County, based in Illinois,
has recently experienced an increased demand for volunteers. The
Capstone team was contracted to develop a recruitment strategy to
engage more volunteer candidates, especially from minority and male
populations. After conducting an internal survey among existing
volunteers and interviews with other CASA chapters, the Capstone
team identified approaches to increase volunteer diversity. The team’s
final report highlights three areas of focus: 1) partnerships with local
organizations, 2) bilingual Spanish-English communication efforts,
and 3) volunteer support programming. The team developed tools to
support these focus areas, including a 12-18 month timeline for each
area of focus, a revised outline for the advocate supervisor handbook,
contacts for partnerships, template language for outreach efforts, and
outlines for media campaigns.