What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Volunteers
Marilee D, Youth Activities Director, San Diego
It’s Friday afternoon. Your big event starts in two hours… and two of your volunteers just canceled. What now?
This scenario plays out all the time, so here are three ways event leaders are adapting:
1. Keep your core team lean.
Instead of spreading people thin, assign 3–4 key roles: front entry, scanning, concessions, and floater. Focus on what must happen, not what’s nice to have.
2. Go cashless.
Collecting cash slows everything down and creates extra work. Digital tickets or pre-loaded passes mean fewer people handling transactions on-site.
3. Recruit smarter.
Try asking sports boosters, parents, and honor society kids to rotate in for volunteer hours. The key is giving them one simple task, not expecting them to know everything.
It’s not always perfect, but with a smaller, focused crew and the right tools, you can keep your event running smoothly — even when plans change last-minute.
