Supporting and Sustaining Volunteers

Nonprofit Learning Point

September 23, 2015

Faculty

Melissa M. Gilmore, M.Ed., CVA

gilmoredm@verizon.net

Mary Ella Douglas, CVA

maryellad@cox.net

Managing Partners

Make It Happen Now, LLC

Achieving Optimal Volunteer Engagement

Introductions

Name

Organization

Years in Volunteer Administration

The 1 thing your organization does best to retain volunteers

Learner Objectives

Recognize today’s volunteer needs and expectations

Identify organizational strengths and weaknesses related to sustaining volunteer engagement

Identify and create effective methods for coaching, recognizing and supporting volunteers.

How are volunteers different today from twenty years ago?

Write down 3 ideas you have on 3 post it notes

Pair up with a partner and share your ideas; pick the top 2 from your combined ideas

Share your top 2 with the whole group

Similar ideas will be placed together and small groups will work together to find solutions and then share with the whole group

Today’s Volunteers Want and Need:They want you to be

prepared for them

They want to feel welcomed

They want good training

They want to do interesting work

They want to know up front how much time the assignment will take

Today’s Volunteers Want and Need (cont’d.):

They want to feel appreciated

They want you to communicate with them well and often

They want to know that they are helping to make the world a better place

They want to be socially connected

They want to learn something new

Evolving Needs- The “Relationship Timeline”

Organizational Culture

What’s your organization’s acceptance of volunteers?

If there was one thing you could change about your organizational culture toward volunteerism, what would it be?

Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Organization

StrengthsWhat does my

agency/organization do well?

Does my agency/organization have a strong sense of purpose?

Do we have a positive culture?

Is our mission well known?

Are we well respected in the community?

Weaknesses

What does my agency/organization do poorly?

What problems could be avoided?

Does my agency/organization have financial problems?

What is our reputation in the community?

Opportunities

Are there trends that could positively affect my agency/organization?

Are there new products, goods and/or services my agency can utilize?

Can we use technology in new ways?

Have potential partnerships been investigated?

Threats

What are competing agencies doing well?

What obstacles are we facing?

Are there troubling changes on the horizon?

AdvocacyWhat are some ways we can advocate for more resources for supporting and sustaining volunteer involvement?

Types of Advocacy

Internal: Advocating for individual volunteers, volunteerism efforts and the volunteer administrator’s position

External: Advocating for the organization, the organization’s cause and the profession of volunteer administration

Both types of advocacy are very important to educate and raise awareness.

Volunteer Retention

“One out of three people who volunteer one year do

not volunteer the next.”

Source: The Corporation for National and Community Service

Improving Volunteer and Staff Relations

What are some things your agency does to

encourage volunteer and staff teamwork?

Staff AssessmentPart of organizational plan to

engage volunteers

Most common form is a survey or questionnaire

Results are confidential; collective themes, ideas and recommendations will be used to enhance efforts

Training topics; areas of awareness

StaffingVolunteers are part time “staff” with widely

varying schedules

Volunteers are also diverse and have different backgrounds and skill sets

Volunteers come alone and/or in groups; virtual

Volunteer ages can vary greatly

It is ideal to have someone manage the volunteerism efforts for your organization- could be a paid staff person or potentially a volunteer

Effective Volunteer EffortsBalance is needed between

Volunteers – Volunteer Managers – Paid Employees

Communication is needed between

Volunteers – Volunteer Managers – Paid Employees

Volunteer/Employee Relationships

Staff need to be educated and trained to accept, work with and potentially supervise volunteers

Teamwork is necessary in any successful organization that utilizes volunteers

Close attention also needs to be paid to relationships between long time volunteers and new volunteers

“Treat volunteers the way you’d like to be treated.If that doesn’t work, ask

them how they would like to be treated.”

Steve McCurley

Staff will do:

What they feel safe doing

What they feel rewarded for doing

What they view as important

If working with volunteers is not a

stated expectation and evaluated, why would

staff want to do it?How many of you have a written

policy in regards to staff working with volunteers? How was it developed?

How many of you have working with volunteers as part of your job performance evaluation?

These Staff Actions can Make a Volunteer feel like Part of the Team:

Respect volunteer time and schedule constraints

Welcome the volunteer

Have materials/tools ready

Invite the volunteer to meetings; keep them informed

Help the volunteer achieve success

Smile and say “thank you”

Volunteer Position Description

Why have them?

Communicate clear expectations

Identify roles and responsibilities

Mutual agreement with supervisor and volunteer

Hold staff and volunteers accountable

Foundation for annual review

Great Leaders Ask…

1) Where are you looking to anticipate change?

2) What is the diversity measure of your network?

3) Are you courageous enough to abandon the past?

Peer Consulting TipsClarify goal/client’s needs-

listen first

Avoid “war stories”

Be supportive, not negative

Offer specific ideas; feedback

Move from problem to solutions as quickly as possible

Peer Consulting Scenarios

Break into small groups (3 people)

10 minutes to review and discuss each situation

Discuss with your consultants possible solutions and potential next steps

Parking Lot

ResourcesCVA Credential www.cvacert.org

Everyone Ready® www.energizeinc.com

Volunteer Match www.volunteermatch.com

GRAVA www.greaterrichmondava.com

NLP Emerging Leaders http://nonprofitlearningpoint.org/enlp/

Hands On Greater Richmond www.handsonrva.org

Connect VA www.connectva.org

Winding Down

Share one take-away

or

one thing that you will implement when you

go back to your workplace.

Reflection Activity

Did we fulfill the Learner Objectives?

Recognize today’s volunteer needs and expectations

Identify organizational strengths and weaknesses related to sustaining volunteer engagement

Identify and create effective methods for coaching, recognizing and supporting volunteers.