Hi there! I just looked through your B&B's homepage, and it looks beautiful, and the breakfasts look amazing. That said, I can sort of understand why you might be having trouble getting volunteers or having people contact you who don't really understand the program.

I haven't seen your Craigslist ads, but from looking at the links you have provided, there is not a lot of helpful information about the program. For instance, it says people stay 3 months, but does that mean that they get to stay/eat for free in return for their volunteer efforts? What are the housing accommodations like - do volunteers get a room of their own or are they expected to share? Do you cover travel to/from the bed and breakfast? How many hours a day/week are spent volunteering, and how much free time can a volunteer expect? I think the first step towards getting volunteers would be to make sure that interested people know exactly what they are getting into.

I would also look at where you might want to advertise, other than Craigslist. Very few single people over 18 have 3 months to devote to a volunteer project unless they are students. So I would recommend trying to see if there are colleges and universities that would let you try to recruit student volunteers from their campus. You could also look into what might be required for you to offer the volunteer opportunity as a sort of for-credit only (meaning non-paid) internship. Lots of students are eager for these types of opportunities and being able to offer the volunteer program in this way might make schools more eager to promote it to their students.

Lastly, if you do not want to try to cater to a more student-oriented demographic, you might want to explore offering different lengths of time commitments for your volunteers. More working adults might be willing to volunteer if they could do a two or three-week program, or even one-week. These shorter time periods can be completed in someone's vacation time from work, whereas a 90 day period is going to require a leave of absence or even giving up one's job completely. You might also want to expand your volunteer acceptance to couples as well as singles. For instance, I know that I would be very open to spending two weeks volunteering for your B&B, but not if I could not also bring my boyfriend to also volunteer at the same time.

I hope this helps! And once again, the place looks incredible.

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sorry to hear this. offer free room and board. post in the local area, possibly in cafes and restaurants. be sure to check their references so they do more GOOD than HARM to your place! good luck!
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I know this question is a few weeks old, but I just have to jump in. Billjhumphrey, you are strongly advised if not ethically obligated to explain why redgold didn't fully answer the question and doesn't deserve the tip. She is allowed to edit her answer and add additional comments until you are satisfied with the information you've received. In not awarding Best Answer, you have taken her time and expertise without compensating her for it. There's a good chance you're gone for good anyway, but there's a chance that this post will send you an e-mail notification so you can come back and read what I've written.

Please give this some thought and either post some further comments or tip redgold M$25.

(I meant to choose NOT fair for No Best Answer, obviously)

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