St. John Ambulance
Humanitarian Workforce Project
Issue
Demand for readily deployable domestic emergency support is on the rise. Large scale emergencies – like the pandemic – have demonstrated the immense strain that can be placed on essential resources.
As such, the federal government created a plan to bolster Canada’s resources for emergencies, which included recruiting more medical response and support volunteers within organizations like St. John Ambulance (SJA).
Building up SJA’s volunteer base across the country was proving challenging due to two primary factors: 1) compassion fatigue, especially in medical field-related positions, has impacted willingness to volunteer; and 2) awareness of medical response volunteer opportunities with SJA is lower than with some of the more well-known emergency response organizations in this space.
Insight
Canadians who are driven to do something meaningful often engage in volunteerism. They are motivated by one of two key outcomes: to gain experience or to gain a sense of purpose. This is especially true in the medical volunteer space, where those starting or retiring from careers in a related field offer immense value to communities.
SJA is well-known for setting the standard for first aid and medical training, and its medical response volunteers get the opportunity to bring this knowledge and skillset to communities in need. Whether an individual is looking to gain experience, or make an impact, SJA offers an unparalleled opportunity to derive the most meaning out of volunteering.
Outcomes
Be the hand that helps. SJA has an urgent need for volunteers across the country, and potential volunteers needed to feel compelled to answer the call, even in a time of massive strain. Volunteering shouldn’t be treated as a selfless act because all individuals seek to gain something from the experience.
To be successful, volunteer recruitment messaging had to focus on clearly communicating the ask, and touch on the relevant and meaningful benefits that can be achieved when you lend a hand to help.
Results
impressions delivered
across all channels
estimated number of
Canadians reached
increase in visitors to the SJA
website volunteer page
volunteer applications
submitted to SJA
ad clicks across
all channels
clicks to:
“Become a volunteer”