Planning for Volunteers
This section outlines some guidelines for securing volunteers for your event:
1) Planning
2) Recruiting
3) Training
4) Managing
5) Evaluating
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1) PLANNING
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2) RECRUITING
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3) TRAINING
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4) MANAGING
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5) EVALUATING
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Define your mission
A sound mission statement will help define how volunteers fit into your organization. Your mission statement identifies the scope of your organization’s operations and reflects its values and priorities. It helps you make consistent decisions, motivate others, build organizational unity, integrate objectives with goals, and enhance communication. It can help you market your organization by succinctly describing its culture and purpose. Thus, you’ll want to examine how using volunteers might change your organization’s work, as well as its culture. This discussion will give you a foundation on which to:
Develop Your Volunteer Program
Volunteers, like paid staff, need to get help with problems and answers to their questions. They need to feel productive, do work that challenges them, and have an opportunity to grow. They also need to know they are valued for what they do. Clearly defining and organizing your volunteer program will help ensure that volunteers, staff, and clients have a productive and worthwhile experience with your organization.
To have highly effective volunteers, you will need the following:
Describe Volunteer Positions
After you decide how to use volunteers in your organization, you will need to write position descriptions for the volunteer positions you’ve identified. Position descriptions are key elements of a successful volunteer program. They help you screen, place, and evaluate volunteers in a fair and reasonable way. Well-written volunteer position descriptions can help volunteers screen themselves. Volunteers can tell whether they have the necessary time, skills, and interest to perform the position tasks outlined. Volunteers who understand your organization’s expectations will do a better job and feel more satisfied with their duties than will volunteers who don’t understand their role.
Sample Volunteer Position Description Worksheet
A sound mission statement will help define how volunteers fit into your organization. Your mission statement identifies the scope of your organization’s operations and reflects its values and priorities. It helps you make consistent decisions, motivate others, build organizational unity, integrate objectives with goals, and enhance communication. It can help you market your organization by succinctly describing its culture and purpose. Thus, you’ll want to examine how using volunteers might change your organization’s work, as well as its culture. This discussion will give you a foundation on which to:
- Define the work volunteers will do
- Explain to recruits your reasons for wanting volunteers
- Create healthy teamwork between paid and unpaid staff
Develop Your Volunteer Program
Volunteers, like paid staff, need to get help with problems and answers to their questions. They need to feel productive, do work that challenges them, and have an opportunity to grow. They also need to know they are valued for what they do. Clearly defining and organizing your volunteer program will help ensure that volunteers, staff, and clients have a productive and worthwhile experience with your organization.
To have highly effective volunteers, you will need the following:
- A designated volunteer coordinator. Coordinating volunteers shouldn’t be a shared responsibility that the office staff deals with when they have “spare time.”
- A defined volunteer program, with the role of volunteers in your organization and position descriptions.
- A volunteer training program and supporting materials, such as a handbook.
- A clear set of rules for volunteers and for staff working with volunteers.
- A recruitment and management plan.
- A recognition program, such as an annual awards ceremony.
Describe Volunteer Positions
After you decide how to use volunteers in your organization, you will need to write position descriptions for the volunteer positions you’ve identified. Position descriptions are key elements of a successful volunteer program. They help you screen, place, and evaluate volunteers in a fair and reasonable way. Well-written volunteer position descriptions can help volunteers screen themselves. Volunteers can tell whether they have the necessary time, skills, and interest to perform the position tasks outlined. Volunteers who understand your organization’s expectations will do a better job and feel more satisfied with their duties than will volunteers who don’t understand their role.
Sample Volunteer Position Description Worksheet
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Component
Job Title Purpose Key Responsibilities Location Supervision Length of Appointment Time Commitment Qualifications Benefits Support Provided |
Definition
What the job or the position will be called. The specific purpose of the position (expected result). If possible, the purpose should be stated in relation to the program’s mission and goals. Major duties, including what might be done to accomplish the purpose. Volunteer’s worksite. Title of the person to whom the volunteer will report, as well as the procedures for mentoring and dealing with problems. The time frame in which the volunteer will serve, including any time restrictions. The approximate number of days or hours required per week and flexibility in scheduling. Education, work experience, knowledge, and skills required, as well as any requirement for a criminal history record check. Training, insurance, parking, events to thank volunteers, or other benefits. Resources available to volunteers. |
Example
Public Relations Chair. Develop and implement activities to increase awareness of the organization and its mission and programs. Develop a public relations plan; manage the public relations committee; develop media contacts; and produce publicity kits, materials, and press releases. Headquarters. Executive Director; weekly meetings or calls. 1 year. 4 hours/week plus time at events; may work more the week before events. Writing and presentation skills, public relations experience, knowledge of organization and community, membership in organization. Free t-shirt, free parking, reimbursement of expenses, volunteer awards banquet. Volunteer handbook and orientation. |