Post on 15-Jan-2016
Volunteer Management
June 15, 2011Northland Foundation
Strengthening Communities
Agenda
• Welcome• Overview and Expectations• Complete Assessment • Key Attributes• Best Practices• Volunteer Manual
Why
• Personally asked• Affiliation with the organization• Personal connection to mission• Enjoy type of work• Want to learn new skills• Want to meet people
Motivate
• Affiliation– Personal interaction, works to make friends
• Achievement– Works toward goals, seeks responsibility, sticks to
tasks until done
• Power– Impact and influence others, work alone or group,
responds to needs of people or programs
Types of Volunteers
• Long term• Short term – episodic• Family• Student• Internships• Virtual Volunteers
• 40% stop due to poor management practices– Poor use of time– Not use skills or talent– Tasks not clearly define– People say often family or personal reasons
60% of nonprofits adopted nine volunteer management practices to some degree– Best practice most often used is supervision and
communication
Nine Practices
• Supervision and communication with volunteers• Liability coverage for volunteers• Screening and matching volunteers to jobs• Regular collection of information on volunteer
involvement• Written policies and job descriptions for volunteers• Recognition activities• Annual measurement of volunteer impact • Training and professional development for volunteers • Training for paid staff in working with volunteers
What do we not do so well
• Preparing for Volunteers– Inventory of tasks and skills– Screening and matching– Training of staff
• Working with Volunteers– Orientation and Training– Measuring Impact– Recognition of Volunteers
PREPARING FOR VOLUNTEERS
We Think
• Find someone to work with the volunteers• Create job description (maybe written down)• Recruit and assign volunteers (grab and go)• Say thank you at end of shift• Wonder why we do not retain volunteers
Better Approach
• Develop the philosophical base for why
• Articulate the principles
• Train the staff – engage and train
Develop the Philosophy
• Philosophical Base– Fundamental assumptions behind volunteering– Align with organizational priorities – Sets the direction for the volunteer program
• Principles Of Volunteering– Core values about volunteering in organization
Child Care Philosophical BaseMission Parenting Role
ModelsConnections to Potential Donors
Love and Nurturing
Children in stable environment
Caring for children Seeing and connecting to children
Holding, caring, and love
Achieving developmental milestones
Modeling parental and grandparent behavior
Impact on children – seeing the impact themselves
Consistent people creates impact on child
Supporting staff roles in teaching
Learning by doing -Giving back to the center
Interaction among generations creates emotional bonds
Demonstrating how to show love and nurturing behavior to children
Seniors connecting to kids for senior health
Learning environment with interaction with teacher each day
Contribution to something that has value and impact
Creating supportive environment for families in crisis
Principles
• We believe that children and families need a loving and supportive environment for their day care.
• The interaction of seniors, children and their parents benefits everyone.
• We respect the diversity of generations with each having their own attitudes and beliefs.
• Loving care can be demonstrated to our parents.
Training of Staff• Volunteers ineffective without the infrastructure
appropriate– Key is support by paid staff so time not wasted– Forms– Orientation Basics
• Formal training of staff – how to work with volunteers– Purpose– Goals– Policies – Volunteers as Guests– Expectations
Preparing for the Volunteer
• Screening and matching– Assessment and inventory of tasks, skills and
expectations– BE CLEAR
• Create job description • Be clear on skills• Create volunteer inventory form
Position Description• Title• Purpose/objective• Location• Key bulleted list of responsibilities• Qualifications• Time Commitment• Training/Support Provided• Benefits• Supervisor and contact information
Recruitment
• Need a strategy– Personal Ask
• Web site• Social Media – facebook and twitter • Centers• Partnerships• Networking
WORKING WITH THE VOLUNTEER
Making the Match
• Application • Interviewing (Inventory Done)• Screening• Matching the volunteer, the skill and the task• Set the initial expectations
Communication
• Be Prompt• Be Clear• Share Knowledge – impact• Be personal• Be reliable• Think three emails and one phone call
Communication
• Organizational Climate• Organizational Structure• Reward• Warmth • Conflict• Identity
Volunteer Training
• Three type of Training– Orientation – Training (5 minute – 2 hour)• Mission• Goals• Services• Role – tasks to be completed
– Ongoing Training - Development
Orientation
• Reduce anxiety• Limit Turnover• Save Time for Program Staff• Develops realistic expectations• Sets positive attitudes• Increase volunteer satisfaction
Tips
• Most important information first• Emphasize people as well as policies and
procedures• Partner new ones with experienced ones• Age appropriate and sensitive to diversity• Promote exchange and questions• Okay not to know it all – get back to you or
discussion
Policies and Procedures
• Short• Booklet• Long Manual
• Policies tell people what to do• Procedures tell them how to do it
Policies
• Why you involve volunteers• Role descriptions• Recruitment and selection• Relationship between volunteers and staff• Relationship between volunteers and client
group• Confidentiality, respect, diversity
Policies….• Training and development• Working conditions– Dress code– Name badges
• Recognition• Support and supervision• Expenses• Insurance• Dealing with Problems
Policies
• Written in present tense• Clear, concise language• External audience• Approved by management - board
Important Concepts
• Staff and volunteer have to work together • Mutual beneficial relationship for both• Skills and Task must match• Make it a valuable experience – your image
is at stake• Other– Welcoming Culture– Resources to Support– Volunteers to Recruit Other Volunteers
Recognition
• Recognition – Say thank you– Simple thank you gifts – during event– Appreciation events• Volunteer of the Day, Year, etc
– Align with organization NewsletterAnnual report
Retention Musts
• Retention Goal most impacted by:– recognizing volunteers– providing training and professional development– screening volunteers and matching them to
organizational tasks
Challenges
Volunteer Perspective1.Time2.Responsiveness – Now3.Technology 4.Generational Expectations5.Dedicated staff resources
Challenges
• The Big Shift– Encore Volunteers– Skill based Volunteers
• Funding– Resources for infrastructure and management of
volunteers
• National leadership and infrastructure
PLANNING WORKSHEETS
The Future
Our choice as citizens• Pay more taxes• Go without the service• Volunteer
Resources• Interest self assessment http://handsonmwv.org/docs/Interest_Self_Assessment_Exercise.pdf
• Resource Web Sitehttp://www.energizeinc.com/art.htmlPoints of Light Foundation Hands on Network
• Volunteer Management Best Practiceshttp://blog.theregistrationsystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/
IFEA-Volunteer-Management-Best-Practices.pdf