Thank you for pledging your organization’s support for the “Get Involved” campaign. There are several easy ways your organization can support the campaign and help encourage more baby boomers to volunteer.

1. Use the materials to recruit for your own volunteer programs. We will work with you to co-brand the print materials to help recruit volunteers for your volunteer programs or service projects.

2. Incorporate the message into executive speeches. When your executives have the opportunity to speak on behalf of your organization’s volunteer activities, be sure to include your support of this campaign and the tremendous benefits our nation stands to gain if it can harness the experience of its largest generation to solve some of our most pressing social challenges. 

• America’s baby boomers are an untapped human resource whose service is critical to the future health and well-being of the nation.
  • Not content to use their retirement as a time to relax, boomers are interested in doing something real and substantial with their time, and in achieving meaningful and tangible results.
    
    
• Fostering community involvement among this group is key to addressing a wide range of pressing social issues -- from long-term care for older adults to tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth.
  • With a high percentage of teachers retiring, this provides an extraordinary opportunity to recruit new retirees to become active in areas such as tutoring, mentoring, and literacy.
    
    
• The time and need for baby boomers to get involved is now.
  • For more information about this initiative or to locate volunteer and service opportunities that best fit your needs and experience, visit www.getinvolved.gov or call 1-800-424-8867. 

3. Provide a link from your website to www.getinvolved.gov. You can choose from an assortment of web banners by clicking here.

4. Send out a press release about your involvement in the campaign. Click here to download a template. Customize the template to reference the specific implications that boomer volunteers could have for your programs; highlight Boomers volunteering through your organizations; and provide examples of how your organization is creating volunteer opportunities that tap into the interests and experience of baby boomers.

5. Include an article on the campaign in your employee newsletter, a conference program, or on your website. Click here to download a template.

6. Request a workshop for your meetings and conferences. We can work to identify thought leaders on the topic to serve as keynote speakers or panelists or deliver workshops on a variety of related topics. Contact jwilliams@cns.gov with your request. To access training and technical assistance materials, visit our Resource Center.

7. Promote your volunteer opportunities online. Baby boomers utilize the web as one of their primary information sources. Encourage your affiliates to post volunteer opportunities through the search engine. Below are some tips for writing volunteer descriptions to appeal to baby boomers:

• Describe your organization’s mission and what impact the volunteer opportunity will have on the community or individuals being served.
• Mention the time commitment up front. Is it a few hours a week or a month or a one-time opportunity? Is the schedule flexible?
• Mention the types of skills you seek for keyword searches. Examples include: sales, carpentry, food service, strategic planning, accounting, fundraising, communications, legal services, technology planning, educator, or health care worker.
• Mention any benefits or incentives provided to the volunteer.
• Encourage individuals who may be interested in your organization but not the current listing to contact you to explore a volunteer opportunity that meets their interest or utilizes their skills.

8. Think creatively. Brainstorm with others in your organization about how this campaign can truly impact your organization’s volunteer efforts. Share your ideas with us, whether they are related to programming, research, or public awareness. We are extremely interested in collaborating with our nonprofit supporters in ways that push the needle with respect to harnessing the power of the largest generation.