Author Archives: wafflemanbill
Engaging Volunteers-the heart and soul of your organization!
One of the things that makes Waffleman events so successful is having a good group of volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Many non-profit organizations run on huge amounts of volunteer help (often 80% or better) with only a small paid staff to manage the day-to-day operations. So how do you get people to give their time willingly?
It’s true that we all lead VERY busy lives and that our personal time is precious. With meetings, normal work days, managing households, and kids with athletic practices, rehearsals, clubs, scouts, lessons and homework, it’s no wonder that most people would rather just donate a set amount of money rather than give up some of their free time. In the case of The Waffleman, we are just trying to get enough people to do a one-time event. Now imagine the difficulty for non-profit arts organizations, schools, museums, churches and other who need to keep their volunteer pipeline full at all times! It can be a Herculean task at times.
Here are a few ideas that I have found that may help you change how you approach and engage volunteers. Nowadays, they can really be your most valuable resource, so treat them well!
- Ask them early – ask them often!
Ask them to volunteer well before an event so that they have plenty of time to clear their calendars. And don’t assume that a “no” now means a “no” forever! They may just have prior plans for this one event. So if they give you a no, ask them if you may call on them again for the next one!
- Create job/role descriptions
Often, volunteers simply don’t what they are supposed to be doing. If you outline their responsibilities and in many cases give them a brief training, they will stay engaged and not look at volunteering for your organization as a waste of time.
- Ask for feedback
Volunteers love to feel like part of the organization – and they are an important one! Ask them what went well, what could be done better and if they have ideas for future promotions. Who knows? You may find your future leaders this way!
- Value their time
A well-organized event with the right amount of volunteers will make sure that no one is left standing around. One reason why many people don’t return to volunteer is that they didn’t feel like they were needed. Having a plan in place with an organized schedule speaks volumes to volunteers and others that you truly care about having them there.
- Thank them, thank them again and then…thank them some more!
Let volunteers know that you truly appreciate their time and talents. Whether that is through a note, a gift or an end of year dinner or awards ceremony, people need to feel valued. Let your volunteers know that you really could not get along without them! It is their contribution that makes your organization hum!
Happy Birthday to ME!
In honor of my birthday today, here is a recipe for cake batter birthday waffles, courtesy of DearCrissy.com and Crisco.
Cake batter birthday waffles
YIELD: 8 Waffles
PREP TIME: 20
COOK TIME: 20
TOTAL TIME: 40
INGREDIENTS:
Crisco® Canola Oil No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 package Pillsbury™ Purely Simple White Cake Mix
1/3 cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
1 cup water 3 large eggs
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus additional for garnish
1 cup fresh strawberries
Whipped cream
DIRECTIONS:
- Coat waffle iron with no-stick cooking spray. Heat according to manufacturer’s directions on medium heat.
- Whisk cake mix, oil, water and eggs in large bowl until smooth. Stir in sprinkles. Pour 2/3 cup batter onto waffle iron. Bake 2 to 3 minutes or until done. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Top each waffle with strawberries, whipped cream and sprinkles as desired. Serve immediately.
Happy New Year!
It has been a momentous year in the life of The Waffleman! When original Waffleman, Doug McCallum started fundraising for non-profit charities in 2002, he had no idea the great number of people he would meet, help, and befriend along the way. His idea seemed simple: make a great product that was low cost enough that he could partner with local charities so that they could raise money for new equipment, trips, missions…anything that they needed, Doug was their partner in meeting that need while creating a sense of community around a waffle feed.
In 2015, Doug finally decided to “hang up the waffle fork,” and entrusted me with continuing to run “The Waffleman,” with the same integrity and goodwill that he did. In the four months that I have been doing The Waffleman, I have experienced the same pleasure of working with many of Doug’s clients (and some of my own). I have gotten to know many wonderful people and at the same time have raised over $20,000 for charity in just a few short months.
As we enter 2016, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone past, present, and future who continue to make The Waffleman what it is today: A great way to raise money, while bringing communities together to enjoy each other’s company and contribute to great causes.
May each of you have a great and prosperous New Year! Stay warm and toasty!
Bill “The (new) Waffleman” Maltas
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m taking some time during this holiday to spend with my family and friends. I’ll be back serving waffles soon, just check my calendar for the next event. My family and I would like to wish everyone a very happy and thankful holiday.
Happy Veterans Day!
Thank you to all the men and women who have or currently are serving our country.
This is my dad, Carl, when he served in the U.S. Navy.
Pancake vs. Waffle vs. Belgian Waffle
Two of the most popular questions often asked of the Waffleman:
- What is the difference between a waffle and a pancake?
- What is the difference between a waffle and a Belgian waffle?
1. A pancake is made from a simple batter consisting of flour, water or milk, sugar, and baking powder. Egg and butter are optional. Waffle batter contains nearly the same ingredients in different amounts, but it also includes a forced leavening agent such as baking soda.
2. While waffles use baking soda as the leavening agent, Belgian waffles use yeast. As you can imagine, this is a longer process which requires time for the batter to rise. If you are looking for the same result, light and fluffy inside with a crisp crust, you can use malted flour as a shortcut.
Malted flour is made from barley that is allowed to germinate, or malt, which causes it to have increased enzyme activity. More precisely, it contains alpha amylase, which helps to break down complex sugars and starch in the batter to simple sugars such as maltose. That’s what makes the waffle taste so sweet!
The Waffleman only serves Carbon’s Golden Malted Waffles, which are golden-brown with a crisp crust and sweet taste. DELICIOUS!
You can buy his waffle mix directly from Waffleman Bill at his events too!
Waffle King, Daniel
This young man was today’s Waffle King at Lincoln Christian! He ate four whole Waffleman waffles and was headed for number five (the current record) when his dad said time to go! You rock, Daniel! I know you’ll get the record next time!
Daniel ate four waffles at the Lincoln Christian event on Sunday, October 4, 2015. The record is five waffles.
Thanks for all the waffles, Doug!
After 14 years and 400,000 waffles, the Waffleman, Doug McCallum is retiring and turning over the business to Bill Maltas. Read the entire article from the Lincoln Journal Star…
