Friends, family, friends of your family, neighbors, alumni, board members. Anyone with an interest in what you're doing and time to give helping you do it—accept that gift! They might also be students at universities looking for credit, a qualifying work-study or scholarship job. These are the folks that will believe in your mission regardless if you have any money to make it happen. They are your sheer energy.
Assembling is a lot of work. Even if you had every dollar of your dream budget, you couldn't afford all the help you'll need. Volunteers are the gift that keeps on giving. Volunteers and interns also have skills that you don’t have. Out-source to them! Have a BYOBrains party with them for ideas. They can be your cheerleaders now and might turn into monetary supporters later.
So many things! They can help with Gallery Shows, Learning Parties, Afterschool, Saturday Crafternoons, and pretty much any other program. They might help you with data entry or even set up that database! They might help you write grants, reports, or do research. They are your street team walking around and dropping flyers off in the neighborhood and beyond. They are also your word of mouth! They are there to help.
The contacts list in your phone. Your Twitter followers. The neighbors next door. A sign-up form on your website. The shop on the corner. Your mom.
Post internships on sites like Handshake, Idealist, and NonProfit Talent. Contact local colleges and universities. There might be a site in your area where you can post volunteer opportunities. In Pittsburgh, we have Pittsburgh Cares.
Volunteers are also your family, friends, friends of friends, and people walking by. Think about how open you are to being open to them. Folks will show up for you if you are welcoming and create a place for them to feel that they belong.
Be grateful. Help them help you. Don’t just say, “you can do whatever you want to do," because that is not why they are here. They want to help you, so you better know how they can do that. Break out overarching challenges into bite-sized tasks and roles. Communicate clearly and simply. Make it easy yet fulfilling so folks will want to come back and volunteer more.