The Limits of Pro Bono

Making Pro Bono WorkFOUR REALITIES

The Journey of the VolunteerREALITY ONE:

Understanding the Three Stages

The JourneyVolunteering takes us on a journey. There are three stages in the journey of the volunteer. At each stage your volunteers will need something different. This is a simple guide to help recognize each stage the volunteer may be at and what they will need.

Everyone will fit into one of three categories of “The Journey of the Volunteer”

๏ The first stage on the journey of the volunteer is one of investigation and curiosity. People who choose to volunteer may not be completely decided on their own motivations for participation … they’re just trying it out. They need free space to discover their own reasons to continue to participate.

๏ Like a tourist visiting a new place for the first time, a first-stage volunteer is not yet sure if this experience is the right fit for them. They cannot be forced or coerced into liking it; instead, they must be given basic, experiential tasks that will allow them to look, taste, see and discover. If they’re ready, they’ll return to the space and continue through the stages. Tourists will make up about 70-80% of any group of volunteers.

1st Stage Participants

Stage One

๏ Tourists are usually not familiar with how to act at a volunteer event. To help them feel comfortable, assign them a specific task, show them how to do it, and tell them to check in with you when they’re finished. In addition, make sure they have all the supplies they need to accomplish their task.

๏ The reason tourists need specific tasks at an event is because they doing a lot of work makes them feel needed, ultimately providing a sense of accomplishment. You can add to this sense of accomplishment by affirming your volunteers throughout the event; remind them that why it matters that they’re there.

๏ Tourists often have a variety of questions. It’s important that they know who to go to with these questions. When you check in with them, make sure you point out who’s in charge. Also, assure them that questions are welcome and normal.

What Tourists need from you:

Stage One

๏ Tourists are not yet ready to make a long-term commitment to volunteer or participate in other ways. They need to be free to experience the event without a sense of obligation. Assure them that you’re glad they came, but don’t pressure them to come back.

๏ Teams are built on relationships. Therefore, every good volunteer event will be highly relational. Be sure to take time to introduce 1st stage volunteers to other, more seasoned volunteers.

๏ Remember, you want to have as many conversations with your volunteers as possible. Ensure those helping to manage the event have the tools they need to generate appropriate conversations.

๏ Tourists need to know that their attendance at an event mattered. Make sure to follow up with them after an event and thank them for the attendance. Learn about their experience and provide any information they’d like, but don’t pressure them to commit to future participation.

What Tourists need from you:

Stage One

๏ The 2nd Stage is about meaningful discovery.

๏ Like a traveler who has begun to feel a sense of belonging to the place they’ve visited, volunteers in the 2nd Stage will begin to internalize their motivation for returning. As they own the experience for themselves, they will become ready to take on leadership responsibility and tasks that require increased commitment.

๏ Many people in stage two ask questions which can come across negatively. This is because they are trying to “belong” to the people or the cause that they are volunteering for.

๏ Travelers can be hard to recognize, but they’re worth looking for. Travelers will make up about 15-20% of associate volunteers. They’re on their way to becoming advocates and leaders for the volunteer program.

2nd Stage Participants

Stage Two

๏ Travelers often know what to do, but they understand volunteering events well enough that they don’t want to get in the way. They will step up and help – they just need you to give them direct permission to do so.

๏ Conversely, travelers are beginning to own the experience for themselves and connect a certain amount of emotion to what’s going on. Be prepared to respond openly and positively to criticism or difficult questions. Ask them to email you ideas for how to address the problems they have.

๏ Travelers want responsibility and they’re experienced enough to handle it. Give them tasks and allow them to accomplish it in their own way, even if it’s not exactly how you might have done it.

๏ Because travelers are ready for some responsibility, try not to burn them out on menial tasks like stacking chairs. Instead, give them tasks that carry a little bit more weight like checking people in or being a project captain for a specific area.

What Travelers need from you:

Stage Two

๏ If there are training events scheduled for community involvement activities, offer these opportunities to travelers. The offer will affirm them and motivate them to further commit to volunteering.

๏ Travelers really care about the volunteering they do with you. They are on their way to becoming leaders. Because of this, they tend to take a little extra effort to manage. Don’t forget, they’re worth it. Check in with them regularly and listen to what they have to say.

๏ After an event, follow up with travelers and ask if they’re interested in any further opportunities or training. Let them know that you think their participation is particularly important and you’d like to see them come back.

What Travelers need from you:

Stage Two

๏ The third stage in the journey of the volunteer is one of alignment and internalization. Like a guide who introduces friends and strangers alike to the charms of his favorite country, third stage volunteers are motivated entirely by personal, intrinsic reasons. Guides can be trusted to run the program when no other leader is around and will recruit new volunteers without being asked. Guides make up only about 5% of any group of associate volunteers and should receive the greatest percentage of time and energy from their managers.

๏ Volunteers who demonstrate a high potential for leadership may in fact be guides. The only way to know for sure is to have a conversation with them after an event.

3rd Stage Participants

Stage Three

Stage One Stage Two Stage Three

Shared • Vision • Mission • Cause

Tourist Traveler Guide Transformation

The Best ValueREALITY TWO:

Transactional versus Transformative Value

Nonprofit CapacityREALITY THREE:

The work before the work

Scoping Skill-Based and Pro Bono

1.Find the existing champions of volunteering 2.Discover their experience and interests (past problems with the program)

3.Design a sustainable leadership structure 4.Provide Orientation Calls 5.Provide Training Calls 6.Provide Monthly Check-In calls 7.Ask Champions to form teams 8.Ask Champions to find more Champions

Growing Your ResourceREALITY FOUR:

The Responsibility to Create New Volunteers in Hungary

Step by Step

• Identify existing volunteering employees

• Find employees who volunteer on their own time

• Create/adapt governance framework

Preparation

• Begin Orientations, Training and monthly support calls

• Develop Playbook in formats that fit associate contexts

• Provide training for online tools

• Develop Pilot area/projects

What Counts as Volunteering?Examples of Non-actual (not eligible for matching gifts) volunteer hours include but are not limited to:

1. Time spent training for a charity walk/run

2. Time spent driving to and from volunteer activities

3. Time spent shopping for food or clothing drive donations counts actual volunteer hours that can be

attributed to an approved nonprofit organization.

What Counts as Volunteering?Actual (eligible for matching gifts) volunteer hours include but are not limited to:

• Time spent onsite at a nonprofit's volunteer event

• Time spent collaborating with a specific nonprofit to organize a volunteer activity

• Time spent participating in an official volunteer activity

counts actual volunteer hours that can be attributed to an approved nonprofit organization.

‘The Why of Volunteering at your Company

Thank you.