Volunteer Management

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Volunteer Management

• Program Excellence Academy I

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• Focus on key management functions within the
  ISOTURE model
• Apply this information to your Outcome Program
  Plan as well as our Academy scenarios

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ISOTURE

• Identification
• Selection
• Orientation
• Training
• Utilization
• Recruitment
• Evaluation

Boyce, M. (1971)
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Identification
I

• Identify needs of the program and volunteer roles
  that meet those needs
• Identify the type of volunteers needed
• Develop a position description that outlines
  expectations and responsibilities of the position
• Recruit volunteers for specific roles through
  targeted marketing
• Identify potential volunteers

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Why Do Volunteers Volunteer?
I

• They were asked!
• Help Others
• Give Back to the Community
• Learn New Skills
• Meet New People
• Fill a Personal Void
• Its Tradition
• Influence Others

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Getting Volunteers to Volunteer
I

• Show them how they benefit!
• Link message to mission Show how their work
  benefits the entire cause
• Job Experience
• Resume Building
• Socialization
• Meaningful Work
• Realistic Commitments
• Flexibility
• Time Well Spent
• Learn About the Community

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Mismanaging Volunteers
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Good volunteer management practices Percentage of non-profits that use practice regularly
Matching volunteers skills with appropriate assignments 45
Recognizing the contributions of volunteers 35
Measuring the impact of volunteers annually 30
Providing volunteers with training and professional development 25
Training paid staff to work with volunteers 19
Mismanagement Volunteer
Turnover
Volunteer Management Capacity in Americas
Charities and Congregations (2004)
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Selection
S

• Screen potential volunteers through background
  and reference checks
• Review volunteer interest forms and applications
• Interview potential volunteers to learn more
  about skills, interests, motivations and
  attitudes
• Match volunteers interests,
• talents and time available to
• the needed volunteer roles

Most Overlooked!
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Selection is Essential!
S

• Key Characteristics
• Recognition as a leader
• Understanding of program/mission
• Effective communicator
• Matching of interests and skills to program needs
• Qualifications, experience, skills

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How Do You Recruit Volunteers?
S

• Internet
• Mail
• Newspaper
• One-on-one
• Another volunteer
• Friend

Actually, recruitment is not as hard as retention!
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Volunteer Recruitment
I

• Recruitment Message
• Should identify
• The specific need
• How the volunteer can alleviate the need
• The benefits to the volunteer
• Recruitment Strategies
• Non-targetedGeneral Skills
• TargetedSpecific Skills
• Recruitment Process

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Recruitment Training Relationship
S
The higher the selective recruitment, the lower
the required training needed will be.
High
Required Training
Low
High
Low
Selective Recruitment
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Volunteer Selection Process
S
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Position Descriptions
S

• Promote success of volunteer in role
• Focus Extension staff on areas of need
• Communicates expectations
• Determines and outlines future volunteer roles

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Position Descriptions
S

• Position Title
• Advisor
• Purpose of volunteer position
• Benefits to the volunteer
• Responsibilities of the volunteer
• Qualifications and skills needed
• Amount of time required
• Resources and support available

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Volunteer Application
S

• Baseline Information
• Learn of volunteer interests
• Acquire information needed for criminal
  background check

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Reference Checks
S

• In person
• By phone
• By mail

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Interviews
S

• Conducted by CEA or Volunteer Group
• Learn about
• Special skills
• Interests
• Motivations
• Attitudes
• Get a gut feeling!

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Screening of Volunteers
S

• Volunteer screening was implemented to protect
  youth and volunteers, and the image and integrity
  of Extension and its associated groups
• All direct volunteers must be screened
• 4-H volunteers (4-H CONNECT)
• Master Volunteers (one-page application/authorizat
  ion form)
• Volunteers should not fulfill duties until
  screened and assigned a volunteer status
• A volunteers status is based upon charges,
  convictions, frequency of offenses and date of
  offenses, with emphasis placed on the most recent
  10 years

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Orientation
O
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Orientation
O

• Pointing new volunteers in the right direction
  and getting them started on the right foot.

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Types of Orientation
O

• Social Orientation
• Position Orientation
• System Orientation

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Social Orientation
O

• Goal help new volunteers find a social comfort
  zone in new environment
• Introduce volunteers to other volunteers and
  Extension staff
• Give volunteers a tour of the Extension office
  and facilities
• Include items such as an explanation of policies
  and helpful tips.

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Position Orientation
O

• Goal for volunteers to understand their specific
  roles and responsibilities.
• Explain how volunteers fit into Extension program
  and critical role they play in Extensions
  success
• Agent should provide a volunteer position
  description, outlining specific details and
  expectations of their job

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System Orientation
O

• Goal to give information to new volunteers about
  the organization they are serving and their part
  in it.
• Volunteer System Orientation may include such
  items as
• Extensions Mission
• Definition of Cooperative Extension
• Legislation that created and defined Extension
• Program areas supported by Extension
• Other Extension volunteering opportunities
• Extension policies and procedures

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Result of Quality Orientation
O

• Volunteers with needed competencies
• Volunteers that understand their role and
  performance expectations within Extension
• Volunteers that are more confident and motivated
  to fulfill their job responsibilities
• Volunteers that will represent Extension well and
  serve as advocates for Extension

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Training
T

• Teaching is not talking and learning is not
  listening. Teaching is the art of aiding
  discovery.

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T

• Give an example of a good or bad
• teaching or learning situation you
• have experienced as an adult.

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Characteristics of Adult Learners
T

• Broad experience base
• Busy people
• Some face barriers to learning
• Unlearning
• Unrealistic goals
• Poor self-image
• Diminished physical abilities
• Sensitive to risking failure
• Want relevant information
• Like variety in teaching methods

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I am most effective as a teacher of adults when I
T
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Learning Styles
T

• Visual
• Auditory
• Tactile/kinesthetic

Key Select delivery methods suited to all types
of learners!
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Educational Comprehension
T

• Attending Aware of subject matter
• Responding Appreciation of subject matter
  measured in satisfaction levels
• Valuing Takes interest and starts reaching for
  more information
• Organization Commits to subject matter,
  organizes it into belief system, begins to
  connect with experts
• Characterization learner becomes the teacher

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Training
T

• Provide volunteers with appropriate subject
  matter training
• Offer ongoing training opportunities through a
  variety of methods, formal and non-formal
• Provide volunteers with the resources needed to
  fulfill responsibilities

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To learn is to change. Education is a process
that changes the learner.

• - George Leonard

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Utilization
U
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Utilization
U

• Providing the opportunity for volunteers to put
  acquired knowledge and skills into action in the
  most appropriate way and allow them an
  opportunity to function

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Utilization
U

• Support volunteers in carrying out their
  responsibilities
• Provide opportunities to use their skills and
  talents and follow their interests
• Train them, and give them opportunities to apply
  knowledge and skills
• Foster mentoring from other volunteers as well as
  professional staff
• Supervise volunteers, providing feedback on their
  efforts

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How do I empower my volunteers?
U

• Understand and appreciate the concept of
  volunteers within Extension education
• Set the rules
• Put your volunteers to work
• Reap the benefits

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What if my volunteers refuse to be empowered?
U

• Take it slow
• Let them feel your passion and enthusiasm Its
  contagious!
• If they fail to feel empowered, other problems
  may exist.

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Recognition
R
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Recognition
R

• Recognize volunteers through formal and informal
  methods
• Formal methods are more common!
• Informal methods are often more effective!
• Build relationships with volunteers
• Provide feedback and support to the volunteers
• Be careful not to over-recognize!

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Recognition
R

• Have a plan!
• Helps volunteers feel valued and appreciated
• A result of sincere effort from the volunteer
• Should be in proportion to the quality of work
• Benefits the volunteer and the organization
• May improve their performance
• Continue their service

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Types of Recognition
R

• Formal Recognition
• Recognition dinners
• Publicity
• Letters of appreciation
• Special pins or plaques
• Gift certificates
• Recognition for hours
• Special awards
• Recognition of value among Commissioners

• Informal Recognition
• Say thank you/thank you notes
• Inform about new developments
• Involve in decision making
• Pleasant work environment
• Pay for training
• Help train new volunteers

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Great Resource!

• www.energizeinc.com/ideas.html

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Evaluation
E
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Evaluation
E

• Process Evaluation
• Examining the process for improvement
• Outcome Evaluation
• What impact did we have (change among audience)
• Economic Impact
• What impact did we have? (economic return)
• Hourly rate for volunteer time
• Personal Effectiveness and Improvement of
  Volunteers

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Why Do We Evaluate Programs?
E

• To determine if a program is effective
• To modify programs that are not working according
  to plan
• To create new efforts
• To stop doing things that are not working

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Why Do We Evaluate Volunteers?
E

• To determine whether or not
• We accomplished our goals
• A change occurred
• We improved the way we did things
• Volunteers freed our staff to do other things
• We were able to do more than last year because of
  our volunteers?

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Keep in Mind

• Evaluation is an often overlooked tool that can
  really improve volunteers and Extension programs.
• Evaluation should be completed prior to starting
  over in the ISOTURE process. This will reveal
  your program volunteer needs as well as
  orientation, training, utilization and
  recognition needs.

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