Sustain and Maintain: Creating a Structure for Maximum ... · Create community leaders Leaders...

Sustain and Maintain: Creating a Structure for

Maximum Volunteer ImpactKimberly Elman

Kimberly ElmanManager

National Outreach Volunteer Programs

Best Friends Animal Society

kimberlye@bestfriends.org

2

Today’s schedule

10:45 – 12:00 Topics: position descriptions, effective recruitment

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

1:15 – 2:15 Topics: creating a welcoming culture, successful onboarding and training, sustaining engagement

Position Descriptions

Be specific!

• Specific position

– Position description

– Set expectations

• Specific schedule

– One time

– Ongoing

What’s your flavor?

Create a position description

Position name

Function/impact

Reports to (position title, department or function)

Time commitment and location of work

Core responsibilities (Use as many bullet points as

needed, listing brief action-oriented duties)

Qualifications and requirements

Volunteers can help you write position descriptions!

Positiondescriptions

Recruitment

Recruitment

Rule #1The best recruitment strategy is to have happy, enthusiastic volunteers.

Recruitment

Rule #2Don’t do any recruiting until you areready to give volunteers a quality experience.

Rule #3Be clear about what you need.

Recruitment

Ask people directly — in person if possible.

Rule #5

Rule #4Don’t recruit more volunteers than youcan actually work with.

Recruitment

Rule #6Make it easy to get started.

Rule #7Create community ambassadors.

Recruitment

• YOUR VOLUNTEERS

• Within your circle

• Schools

• Volunteer centers

• Service organizations

• Clubs or groups

• Churches

Where to look for volunteers?

• Community events

• Community bulletin boards

• Animal-related locations and events

• Retirement communities

Recruitment

• Your website

• Social media

• VolunteerMatch

• LinkedIn

• All For Good

Where to look for volunteers:

• Create the Good• Serve• Do It• Idealist

Recruitment

• Where to find them*

• How to recruit them

• How to interview them

• How to support them

Skilled volunteers:

*Catchafire

Action plan

Lunch time!

Together, we can Save Them All!

Creating a Welcoming Culture

When volunteers enter your facility, are they:

a) Acknowledged immediately with a friendly smile?

b) Acknowledged immediately in a business-like manner?

c) Ignored until they press the issue?

365 Ideas for Recruiting, Retaining, Motivating and Rewarding Your Volunteers:A Complete Guide for Nonprofit Organizations – Sunny Fader

When volunteers enter a work area, does:

a) A member of the staff get up and greet them?

b) Staff look up and acknowledge them with a smile?

c) Staff remain focused on their work until approached?

When showing a volunteer around, does staff:

a) Make an effort to introduce the volunteer to everyone by name?

b) Only introduce the volunteer to people who come up to them?

c) Make no introductions?

On breaks, are volunteers:

a) Invited to join staff?

b) Directed to facilities?

c) Ignored?

During gatherings, does your staff:

a) Involve volunteers in conversations?

b) Remain in their own cliques, but treat the volunteers politely when approached?

c) Ignore volunteers?

What else?

Onboarding

Onboarding

ACTIVITY

Discuss with your table what your organization does to welcome, orient and support new volunteers. Make a list!

Choose the three items on your list that you think arethe most critical to volunteer success.

Select a spokesperson to share your top three items.

Onboarding

The process of integrating a newvolunteer into your organization

• Initial response• Orientation• Training• Support

Onboarding

Initial response

Contact the new volunteer byemail or phone within 24-48 hours.

Be welcoming — but not desperate.

Onboarding

Orientation

Decide when, where and how.

• Individual, small group, large group?• How frequently?• Is the location convenient and comfortable?• Does the day and time accommodate people’s

schedules?

Onboarding

Orientation is not the same thing as training.

Coming to an orientation does NOT make a person a volunteer.

Onboarding

Purpose of an orientation:

• Give information about your organization —its history, mission, values, structure, etc.

• Give information about volunteer opportunities, processes and expectations.

• Answer questions.

• Discover if your organization is a good fit for the potential volunteer.

Activity

Orientation checklistand questions

Onboarding

If it is a good fit, have the volunteer:

• Fill out your volunteer application• Choose an opportunity they are interested in• Sign up for a training session

Create community leaders

Leaders expand the capability to engage and activate more volunteers and fulfill critical mission goals.

Leaders empower people on behalf of your organization and serve the brand of your organization.

Leaders increase your opportunity to do more.

Be the kind of leader who creates new leaders!

Onboarding

Training

Things to consider:

• Who is going to create the training?• Who is going to deliver the training?• Where will you conduct the training?• When will you offer the training?• How will you do the training?• What information do you need

to include?

Onboarding

Support:

• Make sure volunteers know who to go to with questions.

• Prepare staff to work with volunteers.

• Pair up new volunteers with mentors.

• Provide job aids.

• Check in with new volunteers.

Onboarding

Volunteer engagement

Initial contact

Short-term commitment

Reliable regular

Skill development

Leadership opportunities

Sustaining Engagement

How to keep them coming back

Why do volunteers

quit?

Lack of communication

Unclear expectations

Inadequate training

Little or no flexibility

Unprofessional environment

Asking too much or too

littleNo feedback or

appreciation

Don’t feel they’re making

a difference

Volunteer engagement: From “I” to“We”

• Name badges

• T-shirts

• A dedicated space

• Consistent schedules

• The 10-4 rule

• 360-degree feedback

• Formal performance support

• Opportunities for advanced responsibility

• Effective risk management

How to keep them coming back

Rule #1Make them feel welcome.

Rule #2Make sure they’re prepared.

How to keep them coming back

Rule #3Give them feedback.

Rule #4Give them support.

How to keep them coming back

Rule #5Communicate impact.

Rule #6Express appreciation.

How to keep them coming back

Rule #7Don’t waste their time.

Rule #8Give them opportunities for growth.

How to keep them coming back

Rule #9Ask for their feedback and ideas.

Rule #10Periodically reassess your needs.