Closing the Gap(s)

"You have to make clear to volunteers that you don't have anything tangible to offer," Brinkmann says. "Just your spirit and your promise that the work will be important to them, and that you need them."

Also, you have to deliver on the promises you make in your stories about the campaigns in which you're involved. If you say you can provide the best, most meaningful experience for those who want to help feed the hungry, you should be able to rely on facts to back up your claim. A few such facts: Each dollar donated to NTFB is converted into three meals. Ninety-four cents from each donated dollar goes toward actual distribution of meals, and the other 6 cents goes toward administrative and fundraising costs.