New Booklet on Mobilisation, Recruitment and Retention in Community Sponsorship

We’re pleased to share a new publication from the SHARE Quality Sponsorship Network (QSN) Plus: the Mobilisation, Recruitment and Retention Booklet, developed to strengthen community sponsorship programmes across Europe.

Community sponsorship depends on people: committed volunteers, trusted local networks, and strong support structures that help groups stay engaged over time. This booklet brings together lessons from Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and Spain on how to build more sustainable mobilisation, recruitment and retention strategies rooted in community trust, local partnerships and lived experience.

The publication highlights several key approaches that can help sponsorship programmes grow in a more inclusive and long-term way. These include community-based mobilisation through local structures, strategic communication and storytelling, recruitment through trusted intermediaries, and stronger retention through training, peer learning and CSO-led support.

It also shows how programmes can broaden participation beyond traditional sponsor profiles by engaging diaspora and refugee-led organisations, educational institutions, employers, local businesses, sports clubs and other community actors.

One of the booklet’s central messages is clear: sustainability in community sponsorship is not only about finding more volunteers, but about creating the conditions for people to stay involved, feel supported and become part of a wider ecosystem of welcome.

You can read the full booklet here: