1. Involving the Whole Organization in Creating or Restructuring a Volunteer Program Louise DeIasi DeCava Consulting

2. Desired Outcomes By the end of the session you will understand: The impact of a clear vision for your agency’s Volunteer Program in developing or restructuring your program; Who are the key stakeholders in the volunteer process and how they can be utilized; and The basics for an organization-wide plan to develop or restructure a Volunteer Program.

3. What is your vision for your organization’s Volunteer Program?

4. Process Structure Design Team Focus Groups Advisory Committee Working Teams Leadership Team

5. Accountability Purpose Knowledge Authority Utilization  What skills, experience and relationships do we need?  How will they be used?  When do we need them? Decision Making  Who makes the decision?  What can I influence?  What is out of my control? Communication  Who needs to know what?  When do they need to know it to keep the project on track? Shared Direction & Clarity  What’s in it for me?  What are we trying to do?  Does everyone have the same understanding?

6. Framework for Engagement Thanks to Interaction Institute for Social Change

7. Stakeholders  Are the final decision makers;  Have expertise or information crucial to making the decision or its implementation;  Have informal influence without authority;  Can block the implementation;  Can forward the making of or the implementation of the decision;  Will be affected by the outcome; and  Will implement the decision or its outcome.

8. Activity Take a few minutes to begin thinking about who your organization’s key stakeholders might be; and Utilize the Key Stakeholder Handout to brainstorm.

9. West End House Stakeholders The West End House identified the following key stakeholders: –Board of Directors –Staff Members Including the Executive Director and senior management –Current Volunteers –West End House Youth Including all ages, 7 to 18 years old

10. Process Structure Design Team Focus Groups Advisory Committee Working Teams Leadership Team

11. What is My Role? Decision making Providing input/recommendations Receiving communication/updates Providing Expertise

12. Focus Groups Focus groups allow you to: –Engage key stakeholders with a low time commitment; –Gather valuable insight and feedback; and –Utilize this feedback to shape a vision statement for the Volunteer Program and understand your program’s needs.

13. Activity Each table is assigned a key stakeholder; As a group, your table should decide which questions are important to ask of your particular key stakeholder during a focus group; and Take notes!

14. Process Structure Design Team Focus Groups Advisory Committee Working Teams Leadership Team

15. Different Strokes for Different Folks

16. Design Team Determined process; Identifies Advisory Committee members; Develops Focus Group questions for key stakeholders; Identifies focus group participants; Meets as needed. -WEH Design Team: Volunteer Coordinator, Director of Development, Organization Management Consultant (Louise DeIasi) Focus Groups Collect input on vision and problem; What themes do you notice arising in each focus group? Meets once. -WEH Themes: communication, improving program structure, volunteer training, effective utilization of volunteers Advisory Committee Reviews focus group data; Creates Vision Statement; Identify key focus areas to be addressed; Develops Working Teams and Team Charters; Approve final product before it’s presented to leadership team Meets monthly. -WEH Advisory Committee: 1 Board Member, 3 staff members, 2 volunteers, and 2 youth The Process

17. Working Teams Each team works on a specific, identified need and builds-out the necessary components; Meets weekly for 4-6 weeks. -WEH Working Teams: Setting Expectations, Communication, Training, Recruitment, Policies & Procedures, Retention, Measurement & Evaluation Leadership Team Reviewed the Advisory Committee-approved solutions; Propose changes to ensure successful implementation; Approve Volunteer Program; Meets once. -WEH Leadership Team: Executive Director, Director of Operations, Program Director, and middle managers The Process

18. WEH Key Outcomes Within 6 months of launching our new Volunteer Program, the WEH: Tripled the number of weekly, recurring volunteers to 85; Increased volunteer retention rates from 40% to more than 80%; Expanded skills-based opportunities focused on math and science; Transitioned volunteers into first-time financial donors; Engaged volunteers in high school academic tutoring and college preparation programs— programs that never previously benefited from volunteers; and Increased volunteer numbers in our literacy program, contributing to 90% of WEH youth now reading at grade level.

19. Questions, Comments, Concerns?