Skip to main content

Newsroom

Three Steps to Planning Your Community Service Project

Planning your community service project can be made easier once you know the steps involved and guidance on how to get started. Here are three areas to keep you organized, avoid the pitfalls and give you the resources you need for a successful community service project.

1. Use Good Project Management Practices to Stay Organized

To be successful, break down your project into smaller steps. Then make sure these steps are in the right order.

Work Backward

Start with your deadline for your community service projects and then work backward in planning out timelines.

Estimate Your Needs

Estimate the resources and time it will take to complete each step. You can always adjust later, but you want to have a good idea of what it will take to get to your goal.

Build in Milestones

Include milestones in your plan, along with clear goals and objectives. Reaching milestones can be encouraging for the team, and they will help keep your community service project on track.

Assign Tasks

Identify the people who will help and assign them tasks to do. Make sure to be aware of the time commitment as well as skills needed (if any). It is okay if you don’t have specific names, yet. You can fill them in later as volunteers and team members come on board.

Plan for the Risks

Take a look at your tasks and access likely risks to completion. Then create backup plans for the most obvious possibilities. For example, what might you do if your outdoor fundraising event gets rained out?

2. Ongoing Volunteer Recruitment to Ensure Enough Resources

Your community service project will need the right volunteers to be successful. You’ll need to find volunteers who will commit to the project, and keep them engaged and interested.

Create Volunteer Job Descriptions

Create a list of job responsibilities for your volunteer spots. This will help everyone know exactly what is needed and expected.

Alert Your Network

Start with your personal networks to get the word out. Let your friends, family and business contacts know that you have fun and interesting volunteer opportunities available.

Post Your Volunteer Opportunities Online

Post volunteer spots on social media and on free volunteer websites, such as VolunteerMatch.

Interview and Train Volunteers

Volunteers should feel comfortable with the job they have been assigned, and you should feel comfortable with them. Make sure to at least do a quick chat to make sure the opportunity is the right fit, and then support your volunteers with training if needed.

Recruit More Volunteers Than You Need

Even the best volunteers may need to drop out for unexpected reasons. Continue to recruit volunteers to allow for attrition and new unexpected needs that might arise.

3. Partner with Others for Knowledge and Support

A community service project works best when there are many members of the community available to not just offer hours of service but also knowledge and support. This may be especially critical when a program is brand new.

Find Someone Who Has Done It Before

Reach out to others who have run a similar community service project. Online forums and Facebook groups are great places to ask questions of those who have similar successful community service projects.

Look for Local Business Support

Reach out to the local businesses in your community and ask for support. From sponsoring an event to allowing you to collect donations to helping you make connections, business leaders can be a valuable part of your team.

Partner with Another Organization

Teaming up with another organization can double your impact and provide additional solutions and support.

Get Publicity

Ask the local media to support your project with articles and announcements. Learn how to write a press release here.

Talk to Influencers

Bring your project to the attention of local officials, local celebrities and prominent citizens. If they share information about your community service project, you will be able to reach more people who may support your cause.

Interested in providing brand new coats for kids in your community? We would love for you to join us as an Operation Warm Community Partner!

Learn More 

Our Impact

  • Years of Service

    25

  • Total Children Served

    5,000,000+

  • Communities Served

    4,086

  • 2022-2023 Volunteer Hours

    125,000+

  • FedEx
  • Nordstrom
  • Thomas
  • IGS Energy
  • Exelon
  • Money Mart
  • Elks National Foundation, Inc.
  • The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
  • Pat's Coats for Kids
  • Morgan Stanley
  • WW Smith
  • Lazard
  • Wells Fargo
  • Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation
  • Benjamin Moore
  • Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
  • Delilah Home
  • Rotary Districts
  • Mountain America
    Mountain America
  • The Chicago Community Trust and Affiliates
  • TJX
  • bpx energy
  • Delta
  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Louisiana
  • Gerber
  • IAFF Local 2068 Fairfax County
  • PNC
  • EQT
  • AccuWeather
  • Operation North Pole
  • Rock 99.9 KISW
  • Scott Spino Foundation
  • Heinz
  • Marathon Petroleum
    Marathon Petroleum
  • Gynada
    Gynada
  • Accenture
    Accenture
  • Subaru
  • Amazon
    Amazon
  • Assistance League
    Assistance League
  • Bonzy
    Bonzy
  • Civitas
    Civitas
  • Ferrellgas
    Ferrellgas
  • Five Below
    Five Below
  • Fox Milwaukee
    Fox Milwaukee
  • Harvey Hanna
    Harvey Hanna
  • Hasbro
    Hasbro
  • Holtec
    Holtec
  • IATSE
    IATSE
  • Islamic Relief
    Islamic Relief
  • Kaiser
    Kaiser
  • Lake Trust
    Lake Trust
  • Lennox
    Lennox
  • Liuna
    Liuna
  • Molina
    Molina
  • NYC
    NYC
  • Ocean First
    Ocean First
  • Salvation Army
    Salvation Army
  • The Tepper Foundation
    The Tepper Foundation
  • wawa
    wawa
© 2024 | Operation Warm, 50 Applied Bank Boulevard, Glen Mills, PA 19342 |

Powered by Firespring