Mentor Recruitment Strategies



First, we must praise Oklahoma Career Tech and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for the excellence in their educational institutions.  In the real world, Oklahomans are able to reach out to a local career tech, college or university for student and faculty expertise not only in PR, as here, but also through senior or graduate students who are accomplished in their fields.

Next, we must thank Melynda Stone for sharing this plan with us. Tyler and Brad at Claremore’s Northeast Technology Center contributed creative ideas for recruiting mentors.

We can adapt this strategy in our own communities.

Marketing Objective: 

recruit additional volunteer mentors

Target audiences:

1)  Men

2)  African Americans

3)  Young Adults

4)  RSU Students in need of community service hours/RSU athletes

5)  Business professionals

6)  Women

7)  Retired Folks

8)  Hispanics

9)  Church Members

10) Veterans

11) Fire Fighters and law enforcement officers

Action Plan:

1)  Take advantage of all opportunities to have a presence at community events, hand out information and take names/contact info from interested adults. 

    a)  Upcoming parades

    b)  Any festivals/events where booths/tables are available - ex:  Trunk or Treat

    c)  Area football games (PA announcements & windshield fliers)

2)  Get information into the hands of the general population

    a)  Develop a small hand out for drive through customers at restaurants & banks

    b)  Place these handouts in waiting areas at medical offices

    c)  Write and submit article(s) to area newspapers

    d)  Frequent Facebook posts

3)  Target RSU [college and/or career tech] students

    a)  Hillcat Post article(s)

    b)  Posters at the library, campus housing, and student gathering areas

    c)  Posts to RSU groups' Facebook pages

    d)  An outreach to Rogers State University (RSU) coaches for their athletes to

         volunteer

    e)  Develop and run an RSU Radio public service announcement

4)  Develop a "Wanted" poster campaign (Some will rotate). Placement of posters at:

     a)  Bank lobby possibilities

          1.  RCB Main

          2.  RCB FC

          3.  RCB Inola

          4.  RCB Catoosa

          5.  BancFirst Main

          6.  BancFirst Ne-Mar

          7.  BancFirst Blue Starr

          8.  IBC

          9.  TTCU

         10.  Bank of Commerce Sequoyah

         11.  Grand Bank

         12.  Chelsea's Bank

         13.  Bank of the Lakes Catoosa

         14.  Bank of the Lakes Oologah

         15.  Bank of America Catoosa

         16.  Bank of Oklahoma Catoosa

         17.  Bank of Chelsea

     b)  Larger business break areas (to reach employees) Possibilities:

         1.  Baker Hughes-Centrilift

         2.  AXH

         3.  Tarby

     c)  Larger business lobbies (to reach general public visiting the business or building)

         1.  Claremore Hillcrest Hospital

         2.  Rogers County Court House

     d) Restaurants

         1.  Chilis

         2.  Asianna

         3.  Carl's Coney Island

         4.  Eggberts

         5.  Hammett House

         6.  Napolis

         7.  Mazzios

         8.  Pizza Hut

         9.  Rib Crib

        10.  Pink House

Melynda’s addition to her team:  Would there be any way to develop a "Sticky Note" type product that could be on or near each poster. An interested person would be able to peel one off that has our phone number and web address if they were interested and wanted to follow up?  If so, these could also be handouts at booths, windshields, etc.  RCB, which has its own in-house printing, made some to promote their online banking ap, and they are noticeable at every teller station.

5)  Although the campaign can continue indefinitely, the culmination should be during January Mentoring Month.  We could make our existing monthly event the focus (January 18th) and promote it heavily to all our existing mentors (mail a postcard invitation as well as our usual email reminders), invite the Mayor to proclaim "Mentoring Day" in Claremore, and figure out some ways to invite people from the general public who are thinking about volunteering.  This event could be photographed and publicized afterwards as an additional way to get the message out that more mentors are needed.  The theme for 2013 Mentoring Month is "Mentoring Works!"

We might add that MENTOR is keeping the Mentoring Works! as a standard logo.

Melynda, who contributed mentoring photos representative of some of the targets mentioned in the above campaign, has education and experience in public relations and business.

Shared by Melynda Stone, Executive Director, Volunteers for Youth...

...because they're worth it!

Email 10-4-12