The Best Practices in Volunteer Management
If managed properly, a volunteer in any organization can be an invaluable asset. Without a comprehensive volunteer management system, many organizations find it difficult to retain good volunteers over the long term. The most important thing an organization can do is spend time preparing for the inclusion of volunteers into the work environment. Ask basic questions, such as what are the organization's needs? Who will train volunteers? And what will a volunteer get out of giving to the organization?
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Assessing Capacity
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No one likes to have their time wasted, especially volunteers who are giving their time to your organization for free. Prior to welcoming volunteers into your organization, you will need to prepare for their arrival. Staff should discuss what specific needs the organization has that a volunteer might be able to meet. Develop specific volunteer job descriptions and determine who in the organization will be responsible for volunteer communication, training and supervision. Be honest. If you do not have the capacity or time to thoroughly train and work with volunteers, then it might be best to continue to rely on staff to meet the needs of the organization.
Staff and Volunteer Relationships
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Staff and volunteers need to feel as if their relationship is mutually beneficial. Staff members want reliable volunteers who will show up when they say they will and do the tasks asked of them. Volunteers want to feel needed and appreciated. How your staff interacts with volunteers depends on the quality of training volunteers receive and the expectations you set for their work. Staff will become easily frustrated if they feel they are spending more time helping a volunteer than the volunteer is spending helping them. Eliminate this concern by offering regular continuing training to volunteers. Also, be certain volunteers are kept in the loop about staff or program changes. Be certain that the staff member paired with a volunteer truly has the time to work with that person.
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Recognition
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Many organizations fail to recognize volunteers. A good volunteer-management program will include ways to recognize volunteers on a regular basis. This could mean including thanking them in your organization's newsletter or hosting an annual volunteer appreciation dinner. Volunteers who give an abundance of time to the organization could be included in staff meetings or given more complex tasks that help them feel vital to the functioning of the organization. Of course, never underestimate the value of simply saying "thank you" at the end of a shift or upon completion of a project.
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