Ten top tips for managing and motivating volunteers

International Animal Welfare ConferenceIstanbul6 October 2014

Who am I?

• Worked in volunteering movement for 20 years

• Formerly Director of Development & Innovation at Volunteering England

• Active volunteer for the last 26 years

• Co-author of The Complete Volunteer Management Handbook (DSC, 2012)

• The “Voice of Volunteering” blogger for Third Sector Online

Be passionate

• “Are you excited about the opportunities you offer volunteers and the difference they will make?”

What a great volunteer role!

• Be passionate about the work of volunteers in your organisation - your enthusiasm with attract people to you.

Give great customer service

• To make ourselves attractive we have to acknowledge that people’s expectations are high and we need to try and meet them.

• Being a charity or voluntary group is no excuse!

• You only have one chance to make a first impression so make it a good one.

Say “Thank You”

• Regularly

• Appropriately

• Whether people say they want it or not

• For outcomes and behaviours you want more of

Provide meaningful opportunities

• Do you make the most of the time people give you?

- Regardless of how much they can give you?

• Do they see the difference they make?

- Or do you just allow them to make a contribution?

Be flexible

• The uber-volunteer time bomb

• Responses:

- Try before you buy

- Scale of engagement

- Keeping people by letting them leave

Provide expenses

• An equal opportunities / diversity issue

• Be mindful of tax liabilities and employment law risks

• Guard against a culture of not claiming

• Make the most of gift aid

• Budget for expenses

Get volunteers to attract volunteers

• Word of mouth

• World of mouth

• Simple steps

- Give people a great experience

- Encourage them to make their networks aware

- Support them in making an ask

Go social

• Making friends and meeting new people

• Offering opportunities for groups to volunteer together

- Families

- Friends and colleagues

- People who don’t know each other

Lead, don’t manage

"So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people

to work"

"Processes don't work, people do"

Provide an enjoyable experience

• Volunteering is a leisure time activity

• What would people rather spend their spare time doing?

- Volunteering with you

- Spending time with family

- Doing a hobby

• How about all of the above?

Questions?

• What one thing will you do now to make your organisation more attractive to volunteers?

• What is one obstacle you are going to have to overcome?

• Share with a colleague

• Follow up after today

What next?

Getting in touch

rob@robjacksonconsulting.com

07557 419 074

www.robjacksonconsulting.com

@robjconsulting

www.robjacksonconsulting.blogspot.com

http://robjackson.thirdsector.co.uk