Diversity checklist for volunteer recruitment

A diverse community reaches a broader range of people when more people can identify with its volunteers. When volunteers from different backgrounds are involved, the organization becomes even stronger and is better equipped to identify people's various needs and develop its own activities.

Checklist for diverse volunteer recruitment

We aim for a diverse group of volunteers, comprising people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. We document this goal, communicate it, and monitor its implementation.

We understand that a diverse group of actors is part of the Finnish Red Cross's preparedness. We identify the unique characteristics of our local area and utilize this information in volunteer recruitment. Important information may include, for example, the number of non-Finnish or non-Swedish speakers living in the community.

We ensure that volunteers already involved in our activities have a positive attitude toward the inclusion of people from different backgrounds. We offer equality and non-discrimination training to all our actors.

We network locally with communities involving people who have immigrated. We share information about volunteering opportunities in our branch and plan joint activities. We also participate in events where people who have immigrated are present.

We communicate the opportunities of our volunteer work in a versatile way.

We distribute brochures at:

• cultural centers
• international meeting places
• youth centers
• multicultural centers
• libraries
• ethnic grocery stores
• educational institutions offering Finnish or Swedish language courses
• offices where immigrants conduct business: employment offices, city or municipal immigration offices, immigration services, or police stations.

We also provide information about our activities on websites and social media, as well as in various social media groups, in different languages when necessary.

We consider diversity in our communication materials. For example, our website, social media posts, and brochures feature people from diverse backgrounds. We share stories and perspectives from people of different backgrounds on our website and social media. Our website and brochures are written in clear language, and whenever possible, translations are provided in the most widely spoken foreign languages in our area.

In our events and training, principles for safer spaces are observed. The principles are introduced to participants before the event begins.

Our volunteer tasks are clearly defined, and the required language skills have been considered during their planning.

It is easy to join our volunteer activities, even without fluent Finnish or Swedish skills. We communicate that activities are open to everyone and that volunteering helps develop language skills. We provide support in situations where a volunteer's language skills are not fluent. We hold on to interested volunteers.

A mentor is appointed for every new volunteer. If the volunteer has challenges with language skills, the mentor helps them understand the discussion and its context. The mentor has received training to prepare them for the task, and they welcome the new volunteer personally.

We organize training for volunteer tasks in easy-to-read language or in English. We pay particular attention to language skills in our basic courses.

Follow this link to find a printable version of the tip list for diverse volunteer recruitment (in Finnish).