Keep Coalition Members from Leaving the Group

Much time and effort is required to recruit and train coalition members. Much of that time and effort is wasted if they do not stay with you for a reasonable length of time. And when you lose members, you lose your best advertisers. Nothing is so persuasive as the testimony of someone who is happy and enthusiastic about working on the project!

An important key to retaining coalition members is in recognizing their value as a member.
Some ways to do this are:

  • Provide ongoing training, including seminars, and visits to other programs and invite members to participate
  • Recommend continuing education as a means of self-improvement and motivation; training makes the member more valuable to you
  • Provide organizational funding for training

Develop procedures for explicitly crediting the coalition members for the work that was done. This means keeping complete and businesslike records.

It is important to let coalition members know what effect they've had on the problem. For example: If a coalition sponsored activity resulted in reducing tobacco-use among teenagers, coalition members should be the "first on the block" to hear about this news. They should also be given an opportunity to discuss the efforts involved with the media or at a conference.

Those people who choose to work in your program without monetary pay are entitled to rewards. Recognition of their work should be a very personal thing, and it is important that each volunteer be recognized in a way he/she feels is appropriate and rewarding.

Building a Team Main Page

Community Health Promotion Main Page

 



See also > Center for Health Promotion > Health Promotion and Chronic Disease