Volunteers provide valuable service and support to local businesses, non-profit agencies and organizations throughout the country. The ability to match volunteer labor with meaningful experiences is often overlooked and undervalued. The potential volunteer is as diverse as our society – and requires the care, support and handling of the valuable commodity that they represent. Volunteer labor while being valuable and unique, requires investment. Advanced preparation and planning is essential to crafting a positive experience. It is better to have 3 fully engaged and invested volunteers – than 30 non-interested bodies that provide labor. Quality agencies recognize the difference.
As a fundraising principle, people equal resources. Volunteers are capable of attracting other people, resources and investments that staff does not have the time and often personal strengths and access to attract. The golden rule comes into most every conversation about volunteers – you want to treat people how you expect to be treated. The basic steps of how to begin that process are outlined below. What could you do if you had someone on payroll – highly skilled, highly motivated, highly concerned about your mission….and it does cost you – preparation, planning and a shift in culture? Are you read to engage in true volunteer management?
Volunteerism at A Glance
10 Topics to Consider – BEFORE VOLUNTEERISM STARTS
1. What is the introduction/engagement process with the agency?
First impressions are lasting impressions – and it takes more time to correct problems, than it does to plan for opportunities. (What does the volunteer initially experience when they contact the organization? What is the chain of communication and protocol? Does everyone within the organization have an equal chance of getting the “volunteer greeting assignment” right?)
a. How do volunteers learn about your agency and its work?
b. How do volunteers meet core staff and build new relationships?
c. Who does the initial interview and screening for volunteers?
i. Does the agency obtain critical information at first contact:
ii. Name
iii. Mailing Address/Email
iv. Phone Number
v. How were you referred to the agency
vi. What types of activities are you interested in/skills?
vii. What amount of time are you willing to donate?
d. What connection happens to sustain relationships w/the agency/department?
(What if there is no project or opportunity in the initial week or two of the call?)
e. What written paperwork is completed in advance of initial communication?
2. What screening needs to take place for basic volunteer work?
(As with any group, there can be both good and bad volunteers. How are people within the organization
protected from potential outsiders – as well as, how are volunteers protected from one another?)
a. What background checks are completed?
What is being done to protect the staff and clients when new individuals enter the work environment?
Staff members must examine where in the budget is there space to include the additional costs/investments that are associated with volunteers?
b. What type of policy/procedure is in place?
c. What is done for staff members to be aware of a 3rd party being in the midst?
(Safety, purse safety, credit card safety, phone codes, entry codes, office keys, etc.?)
3. What is the Volunteer Job Description?
a. Who writes the job description?
b. At what point are volunteers provided the job description?
c. A core understanding must exist between the volunteer and the agency.
When a person feels that they are valued and necessary, they raise their performance to the standard of the agency. Communication is key in this regard, as it requires staff members and volunteers to communicate about what is expected and what is provided, as a result of the inter-dependent relationship. Volunteer job descriptions should not be avoided.
4. How are volunteers acknowledged/thanked/recognized?
People universally want to know that they are appreciated. This however, does not mean that superficial
recognition experiences have to be created. What are the natural and basic efforts of the agency to let
volunteers know their worth.
a. What are the daily perks? (refreshments, soda/coffee, snacks, air conditioned office, etc.)
b. What are the accommodations that can be made?
Volunteers will naturally have differing interests and abilities, and will require different levels of support to effectively contribute to the organization. Please consider office access, space, room to complete the task, access to a computer/email, long distance phone calls, internet, etc.)
c. What support services can be provided? ( transportation, lunch stipends, etc.)
5. What would you like to do as a volunteer – if you were to help any other agency 1 day a week?
Mail volunteers are great! Yet, every volunteer doesn’t aspire to serve in this capacity. When you examine your own strengths, what could you personally do to help another group? Start there. When we as staff members recognize the potential value of skilled support, there are much more interesting and intriguing projects and assignments to be created.
a. How could your skills be applied?
b. What basic tasks are beneficial – that anyone could do?
c. What mentally engaging and stimulating tasks can be complete?
d. What functions require the handling of delicate information, cash, receipts, credit card numbers, etc.?
e. Think about the projects you want to do but never have the opportunity to do.
Volunteers provide the necessary attention to detail and passion about the work to complete needed projects. Simple ideas for personal tasks include: handwritten cards, scrapbooks, documentation files, professionally preserved media archives, shredding, filing, follow-up calls to individuals for any reason, questionnaires to previous supporters, re-organizing office supplies/file/disks/etc., taking art from the office to be framed, purchasing gift card thank you’s for any task to be included in personalized thank-you or motivation cards, etc.
6. What activities are available for volunteers who have – 3 hours to give, 1 hr. 3 x’s a week, one day to give, one day each week to give, once a month, summer/seasonal, upon specific request?
Divide tasks in a way that makes sense to employees – and capitalizes on different audiences. (When is the last time the office was thoroughly cleaned, tables, fridge, etc.? If someone is willing to do that – does it add value to the agency? Is there a display that could be made to benefit the agency? What skill/need matches can be made?)
7. Training Volunteers – GIGO Mentality at its core
If it isn’t worth the investment to train volunteers, they aren’t necessary within the organization. That’s it.
8. Volunteer Recruitment - How are You Reaching Potential Supporters? – Through the media, university, core volunteer entities such as United Way, paid programs such as Americorps, AARP retirees, senior centers, professional associations, loaned executive programs, etc.
Skilled volunteers exist, and any organization has valuable lessons to teach and offer. Volunteer recruitment although largely by word of mouth – is a deliberate activity that requires time, investigation and organization. If there are tasks that require a greater level of investment, who is best able to pursue those skills and opportunities. What will the agency invest to compete for the most qualified volunteers?
9. Group Engagement – Are you ready for "Surprise" volunteer groups? Preparation for Done in A Day activities (local companies, employers, professional “adoption” of non-profit agencies, etc.) is essential for an agency of any size. As you seek the support of the local community, be prepared when groups or businesses reply.
Done in a day projects have pro’s and con’s. If the activity itself isn’t a high priority task – the retention and cultivation of volunteers should be. People who participate in a 1 day project have endless potential. They are capable of sharing their experience with others, making a donation, soliciting their company for future help and serving as a volunteer as an individual. People attract other people. To that end – done in a day projects should be proactive in nature.
If a business called you today – what could they paint, plant, clean or restore to make a difference for at least one family. They may not have a long-term impact on the cause….but the opportunity does indeed exist. Opportunity and Preparation must meet at the same time to convert these often labor intensive staff planned experiences into much, much more.
Other things to consider for effective use of “Done in a Day” programs:
A. Media Coverage
B. Photo Moments
C. Letter Writing Campaigns
D. In-Kind donations from local businesses
(refreshments, signage, music, radio coverage, public relations, public awareness, etc.)
E. Challenge days – getting a second business to match the support of one group.
10. Ongoing Evaluation and Assessment – Are you preparing for the long haul?
Reviewing what works for volunteer impact and agency success, in order to make volunteerism an integral part of the agency.
Volunteerism is not a destination it is most assuredly a journey. Each staff member must be engaged to
make an impact on the experience for those who donate their time. Volunteers statistically are the warm
audience for becoming donors, long-term supporters, and those most responsible for getting the word
out. The importance of volunteers has to be seen in how each level of staff recognizes the support.
The ultimate benefits are not just for the agency – people are self-motivated by what they receive from
their experience. It is the job and responsibility of everyone involved to make the experience one of
quality and impact. The process for doing that is defined and refined, by people who understand the
power of people along the way.
Aimee A. Laramore 2007
