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From experience, people who already have some connection to oikos International or have taken part in international events, are much more likely to be interested in volunteering for oikos International!
Go through personal connections and oikees who are already active internationally (or locally)
Recruit LEAPers and oikos camp participants ;)
Post your needs to our Discord & WhatsApp communities
Invite Advisors to share our need in their networks
Use your connections to chapter representatives: (often presidents or vice-presidents) Maybe they know of someone that is interested in joining oikos international or they see someone that has the “intrinsic motivation” mentioned above. Get creative here! It’s possible that you can even use the universities’ web sites or events through a collaboration with the chapters.
Possibilities for networking in the community and through events
Developing their knowledge in some topics (e.g. if they are super into sustainable finance)
Gain experience working for an international NGO
oikos is a playground - it’s fun & ownership also given to volunteers if they want to. There’s always an open door to give things your twist.
In the past year, we have experimented with some external platforms to reach people beyond the oikos community. Volunteer Match was the one where we received the most traction.
For (most of) the following platforms, we already have an account with log-in details (reach out to HR/Admin/IT responsible person to gain access):
LinkedIn (need to be checked with Stefan if possible)
Use our Onboarding game
Have Welcome meetings
Regular check-ins during the first time
oIcoffee/meeting/bonding time with the “leader” of the circle they are working in → it’s their closest tie with the rest of the oI team and having a close relationship with them can be very valuable.
This is a key aspect, not only because onboarding new volunteers takes time and energy, but because they are part of our team and we need to take care of them.
Volunteering to work in a project takes time and effort and let’s be honest, everyone enjoys feeling like themselves and their work is being valued, so please remember to show appreciation for their engagement and hard work (you will certainly see the effects)!
It is easier to feel overwhelmed when you do not know exactly what is expected of you, this is why having clear roles and responsibilities is crucial.
Look for their strengths and interests: Working on what you are passionate about and what you are good at, is a powerful motivator!
Give opportunities to learn and take responsibility.
Proactive communication is very important, especially if you sense a lack of engagement. This can be done, for instance, through regular check-ins with the volunteers you are working with. This will show them you value them and also can help you quickly identify some difficulties, so you can address them.
Discuss and take into consideration volunteers’ time schedule and availability from the very beginning. In this way, you will know when they can be involved and also important dates to take into account (e.g. exam periods) to also adapt to their needs (which is part of the process of taking care of them). Make sure you stay up to date if this shifts
Help them set boundaries and fully understand time-commitments → New volunteers might be eager to start and maybe they will not realize how much work they are taking on or how much time they would need to put in to get the job done. If you sense this is the case maybe gently ask if you can offer some advice ;)
Make sure they prioritize their health, family, school, and work so they don’t start to feel that Volunteering is a burden
Try and find value for them in the work they do so they feel motivated to keep working and see the benefits for helping us
Interests and energy will change over time, be prepared to let people go and don’t hold it against them
Volunteer work is a lot of coordination & motivation etc. it’s worth to put the effort in but recognize things will be hard
Figure out commitments from the start & set boundaries. Important to not be alone in this. Do not rely on just one person and put too much trust in individuals rather work as a team
Build trust and open communication so they feel secure when expressing issues Talk to tension to create more space for you in the team > trust is needed
Staying professional is important & hard
Find people in the team to be able to vent to and find support
Have a place to take notes and document for the volunteers your meetings so they can catch up if they miss a meeting
Have specific and clear instructions and keep things bite sized until volunteers are able and confident enough to work on their own
Be a strong facilitator, engage with them personally, get to know them, learn their names/likes/interests/hobbies and share about yourself
Volunteers offer their time, energy and invaluable ideas towards realizing the mission and vision of oikos International. Offering thousands of unpaid & free hours, their invaluable contributions remain a key part of the internal ecosystem of oikos. As a token of appreciation, gratitude and to further motivate them, oikos will be giving back to volunteers via:
Certificates/Letter of Recommendations: Let's face it, even though we live in a world where certificates are continuously stripped off of their significance, still certificates come with this feeling of the proverbial ‘eureka’ and a sense of finality, mentally opening that door of imagining what the future holds. Beyond being tokens of appreciation from oikos, certificates can also be used by volunteers in their hunt for future opportunities—say, scholarships & fellowships—to prove how far they've gone in selflessly offering hundreds of their hours freely to help create a better world for all.
Training opportunities: Via their volunteer role(s) at oikos, volunteers have already demonstrated and proven their individual capacity in carrying out collaborative tasks and their inner drive to work for the collective good of the world. It is only logical and fair to give them the first eye when it comes to oikos’ development & training programs such as LEAP YOUth. After all, ‘one good turn deserves another,’ so the saying goes.
oikos Camp participation: As an event in which students from all over the world gather in order to develop projects related to sustainability and education over a week, oikos Camp sounds one beautiful way of giving back to volunteers. It will offer them an opportunity of ‘physically’ feeling oikos and its culture in a new, probably never-visited location while getting to work in bridging the disconnect between today's education and the question of sustainability.
Team retreats & travels to conferences
Giving them space for, and helping them with, networking.
oikos Team member thank-you call (maybe email?)
Post their Bio and a picture of them on our website where we showcase our volunteers.
Consider sharing about their efforts on social media
Encourage them to add oikos Volunteers to their LinkedIn and resume and that they should feel free to ask for a job referral or recommendation