Change the way we think about volunteers. Yes, volunteers are donating their time but that does not mean they are willing to do anything or that they want a mindless monotonous task. Many times in organizations there is a duty or assignment that no one wants to complete or that is too time consuming for an employee to take on so we say, “Let’s just get a volunteer to do it.” In itself, that is not a bad idea. It is a Volunteer Manager’s job to make that task or assignment meaningful.
Consider volunteering as a job in the organization that the participants just happen to not be getting a paycheck. Treat them as a team member and an key component of the organization. A few ideas include:
- Create an online volunteer sign up for every assignment with potential times and dates they can volunteer.
- Set expectations for the assignments.
- Create training programs either on site or online that needs to be completed. The training sessions should include information about the organization, mission, vision and fun facts that long time volunteers may not know.
- Communicate with volunteers on a regular basis through newsletters or monthly e-mails to include how their volunteer hours impacted the success of a project.
ivolunteer.com supports the efforts of the Volunteer Manager. We know how difficult your job can be and we are here to help you with solutions.