Job Description of a Volunteer Coordinator for a Music Festival
The volunteer coordinator at a music festival is responsible for recruiting, training, scheduling, motivating and supervising all volunteers who work at the festival. Typical jobs for volunteers include usher, artist transporter, information station operator, gift shop attendant, docent (educator) and phone answerer in the administrative offices. The volunteer coordinator normally reports directly to the music festival's executive director. Qualifications for a volunteer coordinator include a bachelor's degree in arts management or music or an equivalent combination of education and experience; proven ability to recruit, inspire and organize volunteers; and excellent interpersonal skills.
Other People Are Reading
-
Recruitment
-
The volunteer coordinator is charged with recruiting, screening and interviewing potential volunteers for the music festival. Recruitment follows a predictable annual calendar around the schedule of concerts and other performances (most music festivals are annual summer events), and the coordinator must use all available techniques for advertising, including the Internet, local newspapers, fliers, the festival's own printed programs, local volunteer centers and radio and television public service announcements (which require strong writing skills).
Training
-
The volunteer coordinator must schedule trainings for all newly recruited volunteers to acquaint them with the expectations and practices of the festival. Ushers must be taught concert etiquette and front-of-house procedures. Volunteers in the gift shop must be taught to run the cash register and track inventory. Phone answerers in administration will need an understanding of the organization's standards of courtesy, where to route many standard types of calls and how to take messages. In some cases, training sessions can be led with experienced veteran volunteers, but the coordinator has the ultimate responsibility for the effectiveness of training and for designing and updating a comprehensive volunteer handbook.
-
Scheduling
-
The volunteer coordinator is responsible for creating volunteer schedules for the entire concert season and for sending the schedules to all volunteers. A list of emergency substitutes must be maintained for crises in which volunteers drop out at the last minute. As a last resort, in emergencies, the volunteer coordinator must be prepared and willing to jump in and fill a hole in the volunteer roster on short notice.
Supervision and Reporting
-
The coordinator must be available to provide help and counsel for volunteers as needed. She is responsible for keeping accurate time sheets and maintaining up-to-date contact information for all volunteers. The coordinator's postseason report to the executive director must contain all relevant volunteer statistics as well as a narrative description of the successes and challenges of the volunteer program.
Evaluation, Appreciation and Retention
-
At the end of the season, the coordinator writes annual evaluations of volunteers and, if desired, conducts exit interviews (possibly by telephone or using an Internet survey). A very important aspect of volunteer coordination is to organize a volunteer appreciation event, before everyone scatters at the end of the season, to recognize their contributions and dedication with a meal, party, awards, speech or other celebratory activities. Finally, it is important to remind volunteers how much they are needed for next season, update contact information and keep in touch during the off-season (perhaps via an email newsletter).
Assessment of Needs
-
Following the completion of the festival season and well before the next cycle begins, the volunteer coordinator must meet with heads of all departments as well as the executive director to determine how many volunteers will be needed and in what capacities for the upcoming season, accommodating changes and planned new events. This step could just as easily be put at the beginning of the list, since it is the connecting step that drives the continuous cycle of volunteer management.
-
