PERSPECTIVE
PERSPECTIVE
by volunteering families that
return every year, and each
has a large following. Their
success is due to the ability of
their volunteers to organize and
collaborate. Their leaders build
relationships, value family, and
encourage mentorships and
friendships while making plenty
of time for the more obvious
benefit, gaining circus skills.
Because these groups have a
lot to offer their volunteers and
other circus organizations by
sharing their best practices,
ACE reached out to associations
known for their community
volunteerism and asked for
their formula for success. Here
are the results: role. We also have a huge pool
of dedicated families. When
someone yells ‘Mom!’ during
practice, 26 people usually
respond.”
BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION
THROUGH FAMILY
Whether you are a circus school
director, an instructor, or a
circus producer, volunteerism
can improve your venture
and deepen your relationship
with the community, starting
with increasing the public’s
appreciation of what you
offer. Nothing promotes your
enterprise more than an army
of students and their parents
singing your praises to their
friends. GIVE FEEDBACK, PERKS, AND
REWARDS
It may seem obvious, but
acknowledging work well done
goes a long way to soothing
tired volunteers after a grueling
weekend of making cotton
candy or setting up bleachers.
Small acts of volunteerism
can be augmented by a thank
you card, a hug, or a shout
out. The Great Y Circus and
Triton Troupers have a built-
in tradition of awarding their
performers (who are also
volunteers) and their behind-
the-scenes crew. Triton hands
out plaques to commemorate
years of service and the whole
cast waits eagerly to see what
the annual t-shirt design will
look like. Those t-shirts are
worn with great unwashed
pride all through show week.
Similarly, the Great Y Circus has
awards for most improved, an
award for great family groups,
Jenna from the Great Y Circus
described one of their secrets
to longevity: “Our volunteers
tend to start as performers,
then evolve into volunteers. It is
built into our program that once
you get good at your circus skill
you will become a volunteer
trainer, and that is a very
valuable experience. We teach
the children that it is a coveted
If a particular volunteer
becomes indispensable to
your organization, consider
promoting them within the
volunteer ranks, writing a
glowing recommendation
letter, or even paying them to
be an employee. That summer
camp volunteer counselor who
spends every free hour training
and pasting up flyers could
graduate from apprentice to a
new hire if you reward her for
her dedication.
and the coveted Brandenburger
award for years of behind-the-
scenes service.
Ariele Ebacher, volunteer
director at the Chicago
Contemporary Circus Festival,
described the perks of
volunteering with the festival,
“We have a compensation
package for volunteers: an
exchange of hours worked
for tickets to shows or a
volunteer pass to the festival.
It is important to me that we
are able to offer something
concrete in exchange for
people's