Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit
The Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit features resources, tips, and information to help clubs recruit volunteers for their various roles and requirements.
Why do YOU need to recruit volunteers from your community?
As your activity is in your community you have a better of chance of making that connection between a club and community members (potential volunteers). You have a greater opportunity to reach your community members and tailor your message accordingly. Special Olympics Ireland recently surveyed new volunteers. When asked “What attracted you to volunteer with Special Olympics?” the top two answers were: “Family member involved” and “Wanted to give back to community”. When asked: “How did you hear we were looking for volunteers?” the vast majority of respondents said it was “through somebody already involved in Special Olympics”
Using the toolkit:
We've grouped resources under headings to make it easier to find what you need. If you're in a hurry see “Just For Now”, but if you need more information you can find more involved resources under “In More Detail”
For a more detailed explanation of this Toolkit, click HERE.
1: Identify the Gaps
Click HERE to see some SOI club role descriptions. Identify what roles need to be filled.
Questions to ask:
- Who do we need?
- What skills do we need?
- How many are needed?
- When do we need them?
- Who could recruit them?
2: Recruiting Youth Volunteers
Just for now
Young volunteers can click HERE for a presentation you can give in your local school; you can find guidance notes for your presentation HERE.
Questions to ask:
- What are the local schools?
- Have we a contact in the school?
- Are there local youth groups we could talk to?
In more detail
Click HERE for tips and facts based on SOI youth recruitment.
4: Create a Press Release
Send out a press release to your local media. Click HERE for a template.
5: How to Use Social Media
Just for now
Here are videos you can use to promote volunteering online:
- Volunteer recruitment videos to download
- Volunteer Week 2025
- Special Olympics Ireland Volunteer Awards 2024
- Volunteering with Special Olympics Ireland: Change Their Lives, Enrich Yours
Click HERE for an example of a club active online.
In more detail
- The Social Media Workshop Presentation includes how to set up your page
- The Editable Social Media Post Checklist is useful to guide your social posts.
- Click HERE for a step by step how-to guide for club social media pages.
6: Advertise with Local Volunteer Agencies
Just for now
For clubs in ROI, click HERE to add a vacancy to I-VOL, the national volunteering website. You can find a recruitment advertisement template HERE, and examples of recruitment advertisements HERE.
For clubs in NI, click HERE to register and add vacancies to Be Collective, Volunteer Now's recruitment site.
In more detail
You can read a helpful document "Finding Volunteers" HERE.
9: Contact Your Local SO Team
Reach out to your local Special Olympics RDO for Volunteers and RDO for Clubs for support.
Connaught: liana.leonard@specialolympics.ie (Galway, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, and Westmeath (Mullingar, Kinnegad, and Athlone)
Eastern (Greater Dublin Area): eastern.region@specialolympics.ie (Dublin, North Kildare, Maynooth, Ceilbridge, Leixlip and east Wicklow)
Leinster (Excl. the Greater Dublin Area): vikki.geldard@specialolympics.ie (Carlow, South Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Offaly, Meath, Wexford, West Wicklow and Westmeath (Clonmellon, Devlin, Bracklyn, Kilucan, and Kinnegad)
Munster: SO.Munster@specialolympics.ie (Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Tipperary)
Ulster: Contact SO.Ulster@specialolympics.ie
(Regional coverage for counties Antrim, Armagh, Derry/ Londonderry, Down, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan)