supporting and sustaining volunteers nonprofit learning point september 23, 2015
TRANSCRIPT
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Supporting and Sustaining Volunteers
Nonprofit Learning Point
September 23, 2015
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Faculty
Melissa M. Gilmore, M.Ed., CVA
Mary Ella Douglas, CVA
Managing Partners
Make It Happen Now, LLC
Achieving Optimal Volunteer Engagement
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Introductions
Name
Organization
Years in Volunteer Administration
The 1 thing your organization does best to retain volunteers
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Learner Objectives
Recognize today’s volunteer needs and expectations
Identify organizational strengths and weaknesses related to sustaining volunteer engagement
Identify and create effective methods for coaching, recognizing and supporting volunteers.
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How are volunteers different today from twenty years ago?
Write down 3 ideas you have on 3 post it notes
Pair up with a partner and share your ideas; pick the top 2 from your combined ideas
Share your top 2 with the whole group
Similar ideas will be placed together and small groups will work together to find solutions and then share with the whole group
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Today’s Volunteers Want and Need:They want you to be
prepared for them
They want to feel welcomed
They want good training
They want to do interesting work
They want to know up front how much time the assignment will take
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Today’s Volunteers Want and Need (cont’d.):
They want to feel appreciated
They want you to communicate with them well and often
They want to know that they are helping to make the world a better place
They want to be socially connected
They want to learn something new
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Evolving Needs- The “Relationship Timeline”
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Organizational Culture
What’s your organization’s acceptance of volunteers?
If there was one thing you could change about your organizational culture toward volunteerism, what would it be?
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Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Organization
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StrengthsWhat does my
agency/organization do well?
Does my agency/organization have a strong sense of purpose?
Do we have a positive culture?
Is our mission well known?
Are we well respected in the community?
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Weaknesses
What does my agency/organization do poorly?
What problems could be avoided?
Does my agency/organization have financial problems?
What is our reputation in the community?
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Opportunities
Are there trends that could positively affect my agency/organization?
Are there new products, goods and/or services my agency can utilize?
Can we use technology in new ways?
Have potential partnerships been investigated?
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Threats
What are competing agencies doing well?
What obstacles are we facing?
Are there troubling changes on the horizon?
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AdvocacyWhat are some ways we can advocate for more resources for supporting and sustaining volunteer involvement?
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Types of Advocacy
Internal: Advocating for individual volunteers, volunteerism efforts and the volunteer administrator’s position
External: Advocating for the organization, the organization’s cause and the profession of volunteer administration
Both types of advocacy are very important to educate and raise awareness.
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Volunteer Retention
“One out of three people who volunteer one year do
not volunteer the next.”
Source: The Corporation for National and Community Service
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Improving Volunteer and Staff Relations
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What are some things your agency does to
encourage volunteer and staff teamwork?
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Staff AssessmentPart of organizational plan to
engage volunteers
Most common form is a survey or questionnaire
Results are confidential; collective themes, ideas and recommendations will be used to enhance efforts
Training topics; areas of awareness
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StaffingVolunteers are part time “staff” with widely
varying schedules
Volunteers are also diverse and have different backgrounds and skill sets
Volunteers come alone and/or in groups; virtual
Volunteer ages can vary greatly
It is ideal to have someone manage the volunteerism efforts for your organization- could be a paid staff person or potentially a volunteer
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Effective Volunteer EffortsBalance is needed between
Volunteers – Volunteer Managers – Paid Employees
Communication is needed between
Volunteers – Volunteer Managers – Paid Employees
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Volunteer/Employee Relationships
Staff need to be educated and trained to accept, work with and potentially supervise volunteers
Teamwork is necessary in any successful organization that utilizes volunteers
Close attention also needs to be paid to relationships between long time volunteers and new volunteers
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“Treat volunteers the way you’d like to be treated.If that doesn’t work, ask
them how they would like to be treated.”
Steve McCurley
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Staff will do:
What they feel safe doing
What they feel rewarded for doing
What they view as important
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If working with volunteers is not a
stated expectation and evaluated, why would
staff want to do it?How many of you have a written
policy in regards to staff working with volunteers? How was it developed?
How many of you have working with volunteers as part of your job performance evaluation?
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These Staff Actions can Make a Volunteer feel like Part of the Team:
Respect volunteer time and schedule constraints
Welcome the volunteer
Have materials/tools ready
Invite the volunteer to meetings; keep them informed
Help the volunteer achieve success
Smile and say “thank you”
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Volunteer Position Description
Why have them?
Communicate clear expectations
Identify roles and responsibilities
Mutual agreement with supervisor and volunteer
Hold staff and volunteers accountable
Foundation for annual review
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Great Leaders Ask…
1) Where are you looking to anticipate change?
2) What is the diversity measure of your network?
3) Are you courageous enough to abandon the past?
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Peer Consulting TipsClarify goal/client’s needs-
listen first
Avoid “war stories”
Be supportive, not negative
Offer specific ideas; feedback
Move from problem to solutions as quickly as possible
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Peer Consulting Scenarios
Break into small groups (3 people)
10 minutes to review and discuss each situation
Discuss with your consultants possible solutions and potential next steps
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Parking Lot
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ResourcesCVA Credential www.cvacert.org
Everyone Ready® www.energizeinc.com
Volunteer Match www.volunteermatch.com
GRAVA www.greaterrichmondava.com
NLP Emerging Leaders http://nonprofitlearningpoint.org/enlp/
Hands On Greater Richmond www.handsonrva.org
Connect VA www.connectva.org
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Winding Down
Share one take-away
or
one thing that you will implement when you
go back to your workplace.
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Reflection Activity
Did we fulfill the Learner Objectives?
Recognize today’s volunteer needs and expectations
Identify organizational strengths and weaknesses related to sustaining volunteer engagement
Identify and create effective methods for coaching, recognizing and supporting volunteers.
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