Designing and Managing Volunteer Programs

Harness productive labor without remuneration.

Open opportunity to foster passion and informally market program.

Chapter 13 pp. 279

Volunteer Program Provides Structure to:

• 1. Recruit Volunteers.

• 2. Screen Volunteers.

• 3. Provide Orientation.

• 4. Assign Positions.

• 5. Provide Training.

• 6. Provide Supervision.

• 7. Encourage and motivate.

• 8. Give Recognition.

• 9. Evaluate the Volunteer Program.

pp. 279-280

Planning Volunteer Program

• Clearly state reasons for using volunteers.

• Get “paid staff” to help design and buy into program.

• Make volunteer program integral part of organization.

• Make volunteer program leadership part of job description for paid position.

pp. 280

• Create job descriptions for volunteer positions.

• Plan for meeting needs of volunteers.

• Develop management plan for volunteer program

• Evaluate effectiveness of volunteer program.

• Plan to recognize volunteer effort.

Why does the organization need a volunteer program?
Clearly state reasons for using volunteers

• Danger: Don’t call in volunteers before you do groundwork.

• Danger: Have a philosophy first.

• Danger: It ain’t free. A sound volunteer program will take considerable resources.

• Danger: Compute costs and benefits.

pp. 280

The UP-SIDE 1.

• Volunteers bring in passion and commitment.

• Nurture closer ties with community; “outreach.”

• Strengthen public awareness.

pp. 281

The UP-SIDE 2.

• Volunteers make great fund raisers.

• Volunteers project service to others rather than vested interest.

• Volunteers have new contacts and sources for fund raising.

• pp. 282

What is the philosophy behind the volunteer program?

• What are the specific goals?

• How is the volunteer program related to the work of “paid staff?”

• How do you assure “paid staff” that volunteers will not put them out of work?

• How many and what kind of volunteers will you need?

• How will you measure program effectiveness?

Building volunteer program?

• Get “Paid Staff” and prospective volunteers into the meetings and into the decision making..

• Involvement in building process will inculcate ownership and commitment to program.

pp. 282-283

Program Design Meeting
The Agenda

• Attendance and absenteeism.

• Performance review procedures.

• Benefits, such as insurance, parking, and continued education

• Grievance procedures

• Reimbursement policies.

pp. 283

• Use of agency equipment and facilities.

• Confidentiality requirements.

• Probationary acceptance period.

• Suspension and termination.

• Record-keeping requirements.

Lower Volunteer Turnover by:

• Give volunteers policy notebook.

• Have formal job description.

• Give volunteers training manual.

• Formally evaluate volunteers.

• “Empower” volunteers.

• Provide recognition.

pp. 283-284

Integrate Volunteer Program into Organization

Volunteer Coordinator

• Major voice in relevant decisions and policy-making.

• Access to superiors to represent volunteers.

• Promote volunteers’ interests.

• Keep organization from taking them for granted.

• Point of accountability for volunteer activities.

• Focal point for volunteer contact with organization.

Pp. 286-288

Volunteer Coordinator: Duties

• Volunteer recruitment, interviewing screening, orientation and training.

• Publishing volunteer accomplishments.

• Help determine need for volunteers: number, type, and expertise.

• Assigns job placement and coordinates schedules.

• Manages evaluation and recognition.

• Maintains all records.

pp. 287

What should volunteers do?

• Use employee survey or staff meeting, determine: jobs

– they do periodically.

– that do not require expertise of paid staff.

– they don’t like or are uncomfortable about.

– that require skills that the staff lacks.

pp. 288-289

Aspects of a Job Description

• Job title and purpose.

• Benefits to occupant.

• Qualifications for position.

• Time requirements.

• Proposed starting date

• Job responsibilities and activities

• Authority invested in position.

• Reporting relationship and supervisor.

pp. 289-290

Meeting needs of volunteers

• Give them something useful to do.

• Allow them to do something good for others.

• Provide an interesting work environment.

• Allow them to gain useful experience.

• Enhance their social life.

pp. 290-293

Management Style for Volunteers

• Building trust

• Foster cooperation.

• Rely on teamwork.

• Provide challenges.

• Give them a chance to grow.

• Give them a share in accomplishments.

pp. 293-295

• Provide the opportunity for excitement.

• Encourage commitment.

• Put them in positions where they can use their best skills and can foster their strongest motivations.

Evaluation and Recognition

• Evaluation

– Create evaluation tools to assess degree to which volunteer has met job objectives.

– Manager, peer and self assessment process

– Assessment of volunteer satisfaction with duties,schedule,suport, training,opportunities for personal growth.

pp.295-298

• Recognition and assessment

– Always “thank” volunteers for job well done.

– Create recognition ceremonies.

– Develop process to have organization respond to volunteer assessment of program.

– Involve volunteers in program improvement.