volunteer mgt workshop

Volunteer management:motivation and retention

Sarajean Rossitto

TUJ Conted - December 2008

Outline for today

I. Introductions

II. Opening Discussion

III. Volunteer roles

IV. Needs assessment

V. Recruitment and selection

VI. Keeping volunteers

VII. Monitoring, evaluating

VIII. Volunteer mgt policies

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introductions

Tell us your name and about yourself:– Your volunteer or intern experience.– Your experience managing interns or

volunteers.– What you want to get out of this

workshop? – Why you are going us today?– Why is volunteer mgt an issue of

discussion?3

Introductions Who am I? Sarajean Rossitto Tokyo-based, Nonprofit NGO consultant Work contents: skills training, project

and event facilitation, linking Japanese nonprofit NGOs to other groups

Projects, Events &Workshops

Different standpoints: Multiple step process of managing vols

and interns

- Proactive Continuous process Similar to regular staff mgt. Planning & needs based Defined roles.

- Reactive Crisis needs based Placing people suddenly. Taking anyone who comes in the door.

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Discussion

Benefits – how do volunteers and interns contribute to nonprofit NGO?

Challenges – what difficulties do orgs face in managing volunteers and interns?

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Proactive Process

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Recruitment

Need assessment

Evaluation

Planning

Orientation

Monitoring

Training

Scenario review

Review the situation and discuss in groups:

1. What is the situation?

2. Where did the org fail the intern/volunteer?

3. What systems/measures might have helped prevent the problem?

4. What could be done to resolve the problems?

Share some observations.

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Finding keeping & retaining Volunteers

Behind what we will talk about today is an understanding that the following are important:

Keep your goal and mission in mind. Volunteers bring a lot to any org.

Need to think win-win. Focus on the areas you can control.

Open communication is key.

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Challenge #1 => boundaries, knowing your position as a volunteer What is the role and function of volunteers and interns in an organization?

The roles of volunteers

Volunteer roles

There are tools for matching needs and interests -

But first

- an org needs to have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for volunteers

- and you have to know your needs.

Does any group you have worked with have clearly defined the role and Responsibility of volunteers and/or interns? Why? Why not?

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Roles and functions

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Depends on the type of orgDepends on the size and capacityDepends on the org structureBUT should be clarified

Organizational structure #1.

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Membership

Volunteers

Board of Directors

Staff

Organizational structure #2.

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MembershipStaff

Volunteers/interns

Board of Directors

Different structures, different roles

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Looking at the 2 different structures – what are the roles and responsibilities of the main actors.

Board members Staff Volunteers and interns Members

– How do their roles & responsibilities differ?– How are they the same?

Role and Responsibility

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BoardGovernance Fiduciary StaffFundraisingMembership

development Legal

Staff– Daily operationsProject

coordination Admin mgt. OperationsFinancesFundraisingPlanningEvents

Volunteers and internsRole and Responsibility in a developed org

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Supplemental role - to org/own lifeProject supportAdministrative supportNo financial responsibilityNo legal responsibilityMay be membersLearning opportunitySocial opportunityWay to make a differenceCommunity involvement

Effective volunteer management starts with understanding what motivates volunteers.

Why Volunteer?

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What volunteers and interns want

Why do people volunteer or intern in nonprofit NGOs?

What motivated people to get involved in the groups you have been involved in?

How do you know this?

Where did you get this info?

Motivation – individual needs

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They should feel the work:◆ Is meaningful and significant. ◆ Is interesting. ◆ Has a purpose ◆ Is doable - that they can accomplish something.◆ Can fit into their schedule - part-time? ◆ Small enough in scope to be understood and

productively approached.

Motivation – individual needs

They should feel:◆ ‘Ownership’ and ‘responsibility’ for the job.◆ That they have some input into and control over

the work they are asked to do.◆ They are ‘worked with.’◆ Appreciated◆ Good about having achieved something.◆ Valued.

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Motivation – org needs

Volunteer work should:◆ Be significant to the organization. ◆ Be needed – should be a reason. ◆ Be ‘Goal’ and Mission centered. ◆ Have defined outputs, expectations, & concrete

outcomes.◆ Have clear dates by which things are to be

completed.◆ Fit within the org’s schedule. ◆ Small enough in scope to be productively

approached in a few hours a week, or designed to be shared among a group of volunteers.

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Needs assessment and planning

Challenge #2 => Finding a balance betweenWhat you need & What volunteers want

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ORG NEEDS & VOLUNTEER INTERESTS

Balancing work needs (objectively based) with interest/feelings (subjectively based)

Org Preparation is very important Simple tools for clarifying needs

and interests #1 Volunteer job description/work agreement #2 Volunteer introduction/inventory/application

sheet

Assessing your needs

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Work areas:◆ Direct assistance to an individual client.

(Counseling, visitation, mentoring, etc.)◆ Office administrative help. (Information

services, filing, messengers, etc.)◆ Direct assistance to staff. (Research, training,

computer assistance, etc.)◆ Outreach. (Speakers bureau, fundraising,

client marketing, etc.)◆ Advocacy (citizens voice, local/global

campaigns)◆ Community organizing (people from the

community can mobilise others)

Assessing your needsObjective factors

Skill sets Knowledge Education Experience

What is required VS what is preferred

More subjective factors

Project or org needs Personality Maturity Sensitivity Experience Desire to learn Flexibility Ability to do grunt work

How flexible are these?

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What type of skills, education and/or experience does the job require?– Office/admin– Tech/IT– Communications– Pr and marketing– Fundraising– Event or project coordination– Language– Professional or volunteer experience?– Interest level – is issue commitment necessary?

– Education level and type - certificate or lisence?


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Timeframe/schedule How often is there a need? One day ? Regular ? Over what period of time?

Can the work be done on a flexible schedule? Do your need the volunteer during set hours? Can this work be done during the evenings?

Weekends?

What is your minimum/maximum time commitment required?


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Location– Is it desk work? in the field?– Is the work done in the HQ?– Can some of the work be done at home?

Must it all be done at the office? – Will some work require travel or other

outside the office responsibilities?


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Decide what types of volunteers could be of assistance to you. Sample categories of work:

◆ Areas of work that staff don’t want to do.◆ Areas in which there is too much work for

staff to do alone◆ Areas where creating volunteer assistants

may extend staff resources.◆ Areas in which you can extend services

because volunteers would allow staff to focus or begin other work.

◆ Also consider jobs based on the recipients of the service.

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Tools - Volunteer job descriptions

Key elements of the JD Project intro Skills needed/to be learned Time commitment/basic time line Key deadlines Impact of the volunteer work Appreciation? Grunt work?

Be careful of overdoing it!

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Tools - Volunteer job descriptions

1. Allows you to outline your priorities and needs:

2. Gives them the chance to show their interest

3. Allow them to design a vol or internship with some parts of the JD to meet their interests - without giving up org needs.

Group Discussion

Review some sample volunteer and intern JDs: What is attractive/Not attractive about the JD? How you revise the JD to make it more appealing? What can be applied practically? Make a sample JD based on one of your group

members experience.

Give a short overview of what you came up with.

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Volunteer mgt toolsVolunteer introduction / application forms Assess their interests and background

– Find out their needs – Match them with jobs or not …

What are some of the questions you would ask?

Review some samples– Which are more effective than others? Why?

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Volunteer mgt toolsVolunteer introduction / application forms Some of the key bits of info you need:

1. Self intro2. Contact info – email, phone3. Why they want to volunteer – interest, required, free

time, lonely, social, community contribution, etc,4. Skills they have – computer, language, project,

volunteer, admin5. What they want to learn – skills, issue, 6. Time commitment and time frame – hours per week,

how many months7. Grunt work related Qs

Be careful of overdoing it!

Group Discussion #4Review some sample forms: Which are more less effective and why? Select one format - How would you

adjust it to best find the person your want for JD #1 or #2 or #3?

Share what you came up with.

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Recruitment and selection

Challenge #3=> Finding those people you need.

How do you bring in the people you want?

Recruiting your targetsYou know what you need but…

Who has the skills and/or experience you require?

Who has the time you require? What will attract those people? What are their interests?

… and how will you find them?

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Recruitment - examplesFor what target groups do these

make sense?What types of volunteers will be

attracted? Your website Blogs Mixi Events NGO/Nonprofit info sites Handing out fliers Group mailings DM Free papers Speed matching events Info sessions/volunteer guidance sessions ( 説明会）

Other?40

What makes an effective info session?

What would you include in an info session?What will you tell them?What materials would you give out?

Org intro Staff introductionsPast successes Board introFinancial report Annual reportPublications NewsletterContracts/agreements Signup sheetFliers on events Slide showHistory Intro to intern/vol needsMgt policy materials Vol/intern policy

materialsSet up email accounts Tour of officeOrg history Other?

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What makes an effective info session?

Info session sample outline 1

Time 60 min

Contents Org Intro (10 min)Intro to staff and roles (5

min)Intro to main projects (5 min)Intro to intern/vol roles,

needs & JDs (10min)Q & A (10min)Time to fill in forms (5min)Gage interest, set up

interviews/ Confirm next steps (10min)

What materials are useful?

Info session sample outline 2

Time 90 min Contents Self intro (5-10 min)Org Intro (10 min)Slideshow /Video (10 min)Q % A (10 min)Intro to intern/vol roles, needs &

JDs (10-15min)Q & A plus time to fill in forms

(15min)Intro to staff supervising each vol

& direct discussion (15 min)Confirm next steps - Set schedule

(10 min)

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Group discussion on Recruitment

Brain storm how to find people your organization needs.

Each group will focus on one JD.

How do you get info to them?– What media works best?– What will appeal to them?

How do you get people to your office?

– Do you have regular events?– When is good to do these?

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Lunch time!

Vol roleplay – 1st day on the job

One person is the new volunteer Others are employees & volunteers in

the organization

Read your role – Understand the situation and you position– Give me back the card

Discuss the role play

What happened? Why did the difficulties occur? How could these have been solved in

advance? How could these have been dealt with

afterwards?

Support at the start & ongoing

Getting off on the right foot– Interview– Orientation

Ongoing support– Training– Supervision – Evaluation

What makes an effective interview?

Personalised interviews Screening of potential volunteers Select vols that match your org needs

and style Be open to diversity You do not need to take every warm

body that walks through the door Give them a sense of long-term impacts

and be realistic about the contents of the work.

Identify and weeds out those with goals related to the positions you have available

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Supporting volunteers from the start

OrientationWhat should be taught?

Some elements:– Show direction.– Organizational intro– Staff/board intro– Policies over time– Workspace, supervisor– Job description and

agreement– Communication/Valuing.

TrainingWhat skills can be shared?

Examples:– Computer/IT.– Project mgt.– Phone manner.– Writing skills development– Network enhancement.– Social &/or global issues

linkages.– Issue and solution connection.– Communication/Valuing.

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Ongoing volunteer support

Supervision Who

Staff partner How

Journal Meetings Outputs

Scheduling Time sheet Regularity Meeting Follow-up

Communication/Valuing

EvaluationOngoing assessment

Set policy i.e. every 2 months, at the

end of each project phase

Regular No surprises Follow-up

Measurable Set questions or check list

Communication/Valuing50


Contracts & agreements

Has anyone had a volunteer or intern contract?

What was included? / What should be included?

How can you use a contract or agreement as a supportive document for the volunteer? For the organization?

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Agreements and contracts

Key contents: rights and responsibilities– Role?– Focus of work?– Expectations?– Deadlines?– Supervisor?– Schedule?– Insurance coverage?– In case of emergency?– Refer to policies or spell them out in detail?

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Evaluation and review review projects/ review basic duties reward/acknowledge successes review training needs /offer incentives independent work - encourage reporting -

accountability. develop work plans - identify obstacles Review past work and decide on next steps

Self eval and eval from other staff

Group workWork in two groups Group A will focus on how to support

volunteers – see worksheet

Group B will focus on evaluation of volunteers – contract and check list as reference materials

Volunteer retention & “Valuing”

Challenge #4 => vol turn overHow do we keep our volunteers?Challenge #5 => appreciationHow do we let them know they are important?

Discussion Why do volunteers leave? Why do volunteer stay? How can orgs motivate volunteers? What are some effective methods for

keeping volunteers?

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Retention Why do they leave?Examples:

Semester is over Life changes Lack of interest Bored by work Project is over Lack of impact Lack of commitment Feel useless Too much grunt work Can not get along with

others

Why do they stay?Examples:

Have to Have time Interested New project Feeling they make a

difference Skills are used Commitment Feel welcome & part of

the team Made friends

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Which are within our control or sphere of influence? Which are not?

Volunteer retentionNecessity for insitutionalisation:

Objective and subjective elements All lead back to goals and mission All lead back to JD Requires leadership.

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ValuingTools and policies => Institutionalised appreciation

and recognition

Feeling valued/showing a person’s value to the org, to the project, to the beneficiaries.

Easy to say they are valued – but do they feel it? How do you know?

Questions to consider

Appreciation/valuing systems

What policies and/or tools do orgs you have worked with have in place?

How do orgs you have worked with show appreciation to volunteers formally and informally?

Who is responsible for doing this? Why those people?

Does this happen at all levels: BoD? Staff? Interns? Vols? Members? Donors? Etc.

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Appreciation/valuing toolsIn Words- Comments at morning

meetings & the end of each vol. session

- Orientation style

- Birthday greetings

- Telling them the impact of their work

- Thanking

Saying thanks

Ways of communicating with volunteers

- Systematic and spontaneous

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Appreciation/valuing systems - tools

ActionsEvents – regularly organized

lunches or coffee breaks

- Parties- Training sessions- Asking them to do

presentations or give trainings

- Mixing boring work with fun

Acknowledgement - In program- At events- In newsletters- Giving a certificate,

award or medal

Giving org items

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Appreciation/valuing systems - tools

Actions - Institutionalise

Database

Checklist

Monthly events

Having a staff person in charge of this.

Words - institutionalise

Training and orientation programs

Communications training for all

Setting a standard for internal communication.

Group Discussion

Valuing Brainstorm all the possible forms of valuing Include

ways that communicate appreciate in both Words and Actions

Review your list - which are the most realistic for your organization.

Why are some possible and other not possible?

Give a short overview of what you came up with.

What can you apply from the other lists?

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Volunteer exit & output strategy

Challenge #5 => volunteers leaving

Different circumstances

1. “Natural” End of contract, position

2. “Forced” ending, asking a person to leave

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Volunteer Output System

End their time at the org Conduct an exit interview - can be useful for determining what

things are working well, and where improvements might be needed.

- can be helpful in helping you to understand why volunteers leave or stay on

Stay in touch => depends on their role & interest

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Volunteer Output System Forced early ending of a volunteer

commitment Not just “getting rid of volunteers” Examples:

– People who need friends.– Those who are more trouble than help.– Those who just to be affiliated with the group.– Those who harass others.– Those who hurt the rep of the org.

Having an agreement, regular evals and meetings help you do this better

May or may not exit interview. Never easy! Ideas for how to do this?

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Volunteer mgt policy

Put all these pieces together + legal requirement+ org requirements => volunteer mgt policy

Other: Volunteer insurance? Allowances?

Leadership & commitment

A volunteer leader and org commitment is necessary for follow through

Mgt skills Institutionalisation Investment in infrastructure Ongoing supervision of volunteer/intern program as

one part of the org Create an inclusive, welcoming climate Communication.

* Retention requires more than mgt skills.

* Soft and hard aspects.69

Volunteer coordinator leadership

Effective leaders involve volunteers in both the group and the work they do:1.Value each person’s uniqueness2.Work with each person’s potential, strengths &

interests3.Understand different levels of commitment4.Provide meaningful work5.Provide opportunity6.Allow for voice to be heard7.Provide choices8.Serve as a coach or mentor

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Final group discussion

In two groups:

take different parts of today’s discussion and develop an outline for volunteer or intern mgt policy.

What systems/measures will help: Find or retain the people your org needs? Address org needs and individual interests? Motivate people to be an asset to your organization? Proactively deal with possible problems?

Discuss then present to all.

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Final notes Always be mission oriented

– jobs need to fit org needs

Give good leadership

Give clear, appropriate assignments – Make the work fulfilling

Help volunteers understand the impact of their work

Respect volunteers – Recognize their contribution

Think of volunteers as org resources– Put their resources to good use

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Wrap-up

Final comments & questions:

Thanks for joining today!

Good luck in your volunteering!

[email protected]://sarajean-r.blogspot.com/

http://sarajeanr.wordpress.com/

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Resources: for this presentation

Volunteer Management Capacity in America’s Charities and Congregations, The Urban Institute

www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/410963_VolunteerManagment.pdf

Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers, The Urban Institutewww.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411005_VolunteerManagement.pdf

Volunteer Mgt . Resource Kit - Volunteering Queenslandwww.volunteeringqueensland.org.au/forms/vol%20man%20resource%20web%20kit.PDF

Volunteer Mgt Audit The Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement

http://www.volunteer.ca/volcan/eng/content/can-code/can-code.php

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Resources: Useful websites

Energize – online volunteer mag

http://www.energizeinc.com/hot.html

Speech on volunteerism

http://www.maq.org.au/programs/conf01/proceedings/dimorg04.htm

Nonprofit mgt. help article: http://www.managementhelp.org/staffing/outsrcng/volnteer/volnteer.htm

Action without bordershttp://www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/FAQ/QuestionViewer/default?categoryid=54&item=1&section=4&sid=58344449-92-vbAPh

Links can be found at http://one-day-workshops.blogspot.com/

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