Volunteer Management and Supervision Volunteer Management and Supervision The Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County

The Volunteer Management Cycle

Topics we will cover in this session: Who Volunteers and Why? An Overview of Recruitment Steps for Successful Orientation and Training Steps for Successful Management and Supervision Steps for Successful Recognition and Retention

Who Volunteers and Why? Volunteering in 2009: 63.4 Million Americans volunteered to help their communities. This is an additional 1.6 million volunteers compared to Volunteers provided 8.1 billion hours of service at an estimated value of $169 billion Volunteer Activities: 26.6% participated in fundraising/selling of items to raise money 23.5% Collected, prepped, and distributed food 20.5% engaged in general labor or provided transportation 19% tutored or taught

Who Volunteers and Why? Many factors motivate people to volunteer including: They were personally asked. An organization with which they are affiliated is participating. They have a personal connection to the mission of the project or organization. They enjoy the type of work being performed. They want to learn new skills. They want to meet people.

Understanding Motivation Motivation is a complex phenomenon. Understanding what motivates an individual will help in creating recruitment messages, developing quality volunteer relationships, and retaining volunteers. Dr. David McClelland’s Theory on Social Motivators. Individuals have different priorities that fall into one of 3 categories- achievement, influence, and affiliation.

Social Motivators Social Motivators Achievement- Desire for Excellence, wants to do a good job, needs a sense of accomplishment, wants to advance, desires feedback Influence- Likes to lead, enjoys giving advice, likes influencing an important project, enjoys job status, likes to have ideas carried out. Affiliation- Likes to be popular, likes to be well thought of, enjoys and want interaction, dislikes being alone in work or play, likes to help others, desires harmony

The Recruitment Process The Recruitment Process Recruitment is the process of enlisting volunteers into the work of the program. Because volunteers give their time only when they are motivated to do so, recruitment should not involve persuading people to do something they don’t want to do. Recruitment should be seen as the process of showing people they can do something they already want to do.

Steps for Recruiting Steps for Recruiting Determine Volunteer Needs- what needs to be done and what type of volunteer do you need to do it. Consider the type of volunteer you need: Long-term volunteering provides volunteers the opportunity to commit to a project or program that spans an extended period of time. ･ Short-term/episodic volunteering include those that are of short duration and those that occur at regular intervals, such as annual events. ･ Family volunteering provides volunteers the opportunity to participate in meaningful service while spending time with their families. ･ Student volunteering Through volunteering with schools and youth groups, young people gain valuable knowledge and skills. ･ Internships Through internships, fellowships, and apprenticeships, students gain valuable experience while serving the community service organization. ･ Virtual volunteering ﾐ Virtual and off-site volunteering allows community members to contribute time and expertise without ever leaving their home.

Steps for Recruiting…… Cont. Steps for Recruiting…… Cont. Develop Position Descriptions- Once you know your program’s volunteer needs, you should outline what volunteers will do, what skills are required, and the support/benefits they will receive. Create a recruitment strategy- Who will you ask and how will you ask them Target Potential Volunteers and Market your Program

ORIENTATION The process of preparing your selected volunteers for a clear relationship with the organization. Should Answer Three Questions: Why should I volunteer here? What will I do? Will the volunteer work I do make a difference?

Step One: Meet and Greet Step Two: Provide General Information Step Three: Provide Specific Information Step Four: Let Them Know it Matters Steps to a Good Orientation:

VOLUNTEER TRAINING Training should: Be relevant, practical, and personalized Encourage volunteers to develop relationships Include materials for participants to use and take away from training The process of providing new volunteers with thorough, specific information about the actual work they will be doing.

MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION Remove barriers Nurture your volunteers Think of training as an on-going responsibility Evaluate and give feedback

RECOGNITION AND RETENTION Celebrate the uniqueness of your volunteers Give your volunteers a great place to work

Volunteer Retention Research Best Predictors of Retention Adequate preparation for the task Task achievement Positive relationships in the workplace The nature of the work itself Top TEN Criteria of a Great Place to Work Helping others clearly defined responsibilities Interesting work Competent supervisors Seeing the results of their work Working with a respected organization A reasonable work schedule Doing the things they do best Suitable workload

Give your volunteers what they don’t have Give them a good time RECOGNITION AND RETENTION (cont. ) Celebrate the uniqueness of your volunteers Give your volunteers a great place to work

According to the Volunteering in America 2008 report: 1 in 3 American volunteers dropped out in This is a huge loss of valuable human capital equaling about $30 billion a year. Essentially, many nonprofit leaders are holding a leaky bucket of vital volunteer resources. The Leaky Bucket

Volunteer opportunities aren’t challenging or meaningful enough. Lack of volunteer managers or not following best practices. Volunteers aren’t free; it takes an investment and infrastructure to get the most out of volunteers. Volunteering is too rigid and needs to be more flexible to meet the demands of today’s volunteers. New models need to be weekends, nights, virtual, family, employee-supported, and voluntourism. Why Volunteers Drop Out

If we are aware of these factors, both positive and negative, we can begin to plug the holes in the leaky bucket. Plug the Leaky Bucket