5.6%

66.7%

21.8%

6.0%

Volunteers by Age Groups

13-18

19-35

36-50

51-65

7.0%

54.7%20.9%

2.0%

22.4%

Volunteers by Activity

Self-Employed

Employed

Student

Home maker

Unemployed

27.8%

72.2%

Volunteers by Gender

Male

Female

April 2011

65%

59%55%

38% 37%

27%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Gain skills / experience

Personal Satisfaction

Social / have fun / meet

people

Share my experience

Support a cause

New to the community

Volunteer Canada and Statistics Canada 2007 survey:

� 12.5 million Canadians or 46% of the population aged 15 and over, volunteered.

� Canadians volunteered almost 2.1 billion hours in 2007 – the equivalent of close to 1.1 million full-time jobs.

• Lack of time.

• Not willing to make a long term commitment.

• Not being invited.

• Not feeling welcome.

• Volunteers are basically free staff.

• Volunteer time is less precious than paid staff time.

• Let’s use volunteers for the boring jobs.

• Volunteer management is easy: just tell them what to do.

• Establish clear roles for volunteer involvement.

• Provide the organization with an understanding of the volunteer program.

• Ensure consistency in the internal approach to working with volunteers.

• Establish a process for ongoing operation of the volunteer program and enable proactive thinking and anticipation for future needs.

• Create a basis for future evaluations of the program.

• Engaged people in a social and positive community activity.

� The board of directors adopts a statement declaring the vital role of the volunteers in achieving the organization's mission.

� A budget is allocated for volunteer involvement.

� Adequate space and equipment are allocated for volunteers to perform their assignments.

� Ensure you meet Human Rights Codes, Health and Safety regulations, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act obligations

Risk management is the process:

• of identifying potential risks and evaluating each one• taking steps to reduce risks where possible.

Who Should be Responsible for Risk Management?Those managing the volunteer program are responsible for risks related to volunteer involvement.

Once you have developed an understanding of risk management and how it affects your organization, be sure to share it with staff and volunteers.

Insurance coverage is not a tool for eliminating risk.It is, however, a necessary tool for protecting the organization.

If you are unsure whether or not your organization’s insurance covers your volunteers, you should speak with your insurance provider.

Waivers often offer a false sense of security because they may be disregarded when cases of potential liability arise.

If you are interested in incorporating waivers into your risk management process, discuss this with your legal advisor.

� Screening is an essential process that continues throughout the volunteer’s involvement with the organization.

� All volunteer assignments are assessed for level of risk.

� Screening measures are used according to the level of risk of the assignment.

� All volunteers complete an application form and attend an interview.

� Screening procedures are delivered consistently with no exceptions made for certain individuals or positions.

Have you heard these before?

¾Why can’t we find any volunteers?

¾ Our volunteers never hang around for more than a couple of weeks… why?

¾We keep trying to fill this position but we can never seem to find someone who’s interested in it!

The problem is likely in the position design!

¾ Clarify roles and responsibilities

¾ Motivate volunteers and staff

¾ Help to ensure that everyone’s needs are met

¾Identify required time commitment

¾ Suggest recruitment strategies

¾ Assist with screening and interviewing

¾ Define training needs

¾ Clarify supervision needs

¾ Provide a basis for evaluation of the volunteer program and of

the volunteer

¾ Give credibility to your program

5 Steps to Effective Position Design

1. Define the role that the volunteer program plays in the organization

2. Identify the tasks required to fulfill the mission

3. Identify the skills and expertise required to complete the tasks

4. Combine the tasks to form volunteer position descriptions

5. Positions descriptions are contracts, written reports or outlines of the job to be done. It might be important that the volunteer receive a copy for his/her own records and that a copy, signed by the volunteer, be kept on file.

� If you can’t get anyone to do a job, or have frequent turnover.

� If you discover new skills among your volunteers, modify the job or create a new one.

Talk to:• Volunteers who did the job at one time• Volunteers who refused to do the job• Volunteers who you would like to do the job

Ask them to:• Comment on the positives and negatives of the job• Review the task list• Suggest changes

� Recruitment messages are realistic and clear about the volunteer assignment expectations.

� Various techniques are used to recruit volunteers.� Recruitment messages advise that screening procedures are in

place.

It is important to recognize that selective volunteer recruitment is an important risk management tool. Be sure to publicize the fact that your organization is selective about its volunteers!

All staff and volunteers within your organization should receive an orientation to the organization and its programs.

The manager of volunteers is ultimately responsible for the relationship between the volunteer and the organization and preparing the volunteer for the role that they will play.

The manager of volunteers is therefore responsible for overseeing the orientation and training of volunteers, whether he/she conducts it alone or in conjunction with another volunteer or staff member.

Orientation provides practical information about the organization and its programs. A solid orientation allows the volunteer to:

• Understand the role they will play in the organization and how it fits into the bigger picture • Feel as though they are involved as an integral part of the team of volunteers and staff• Feel comfortable with the work of the organization and express any concerns they may have

Providing volunteer orientation allows the organization to:

• Strengthen its recruitment and retention of volunteers• Ensure a growing and committed volunteer base• See the volunteer interact in the organizational environment and identify any possible concerns• Re-engage existing volunteers

• Training improves your chances for success

• Training confirms criteria for supervision and evaluation of the program and of the individual volunteer.

• Training is an effective risk management tool.

• Training is an important time-management tool.

• Training allows for succession planning.

• Talk regularly with the volunteer

• Conduct periodic performance reviews

• Give lots of feedback (praise good performance)

• Help the volunteer develop a plan of action for dealing with

problems, build new skills and identify new challenges and

opportunities

• Re-train, if necessary

It includes supervision, evaluation and, when necessary, corrective action and dismissal.

Performance management is not one-sided. It should always allow the opportunity for two-sided communication.

It is an opportunity for the volunteer and the manager of volunteers to share their thoughts and ideas.

This allows:• volunteer to improve his / her performance• manager of volunteers to gain integral knowledge from the volunteer about the volunteer experience and about the volunteer’s needs and concerns

It can take the form of periodic check-ins, or more constant observation. It can be very involved or very discreet. There are many benefits to effective supervision :

• Increases motivation• Facilitates the achievement of program goals• Supports the volunteer’s sense of belonging• Aids risk management

An evaluation session allows an opportunity for both parties to identify ways to improve their performance.

If you deal mainly with one-time event volunteers, formal evaluations might not be efficient or appropriate – consider soliciting feedback from your volunteers through an evaluation form.

If poor performance does arise, look for ways to improve performance through corrective action.

• Speak with the volunteer .• Work with them to identify the reasons for the problem.• Work with them to develop a plan for improvement.

If this is unsuccessful, you may have to consider dismissing the volunteer. Yes, it is possible and sometimes necessary to “fire” a volunteer.

After having gone through the lengthy process of recruiting and training a volunteer, it is important to follow through with the process by trying to retain them as part of your volunteer force.

But above all, retaining existing volunteers shows that you successfully engaged people in a social and positive community activity that both you and the volunteer value.

• REWARDING EXPERIENCES• HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS• SUCCESSFUL ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Monitor Their Involvement

Watch for signs of dissatisfaction, boredom or lack of motivation. Here are a couple of options available to you:

¾ Reassign them!¾ If all else fails, refer them!

2. Recognize Them for Their Contributions

Recognizing your volunteers can be a formal or an informal act.

¾ Recognition shows to everybody that your organization values its volunteers.

¾ We all like to be thanked!

3. Provide Them With a Solid Volunteer ProgramThis is the best thing you can do for your volunteers, your organization and yourself!

Volunteers want to be engaged in an organized, safe, positive environment where there is meaningful work to be done.

�Input from volunteers is welcomed, and is solicited�Volunteers are encouraged to grow within the organization.�Volunteers are included as equal members of the team.�Senior management publicly acknowledges the efforts of

volunteers.�Formal methods of recognition are delivered consistently.�Informal methods of recognition are delivered in a timely and

appropriate manner.

If you need support, resources or help setting up, running

or fine tuning your Volunteer Programs we are available for

hands-on one-on-one support.