Thrive. Grow. Achieve.

Build Capacity With

Dynamic Volunteer

Engagement

Reed Dewey, Principal Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Build Capacity With Dynamic

Volunteer Engagement

Reed Dewey, Principal

www.VolunteerFrontier.com

Getting Started

• Informal, fun & confidential

• About Reed

• About you:

1. Organization & role

2. What you most want to get out of today?

Attendees will:

• Learn about the business case for better volunteer utilization

• Gain strategies for advocating for better engagement of volunteers

• Learn about nonprofit trends and the impact of dynamic volunteering

Continued – next slide

Learning Objectives

Attendees will:

• Benefit from case examples and session discussion

• Have an assessment of where their organization is related to volunteer engagement

• Gain a framework for moving forward

• Take away tools and a first-cut plan of action

Learning Objectives

Including – Real Life Success Stories

Findings from the

Volunteer Engagement Stars Report

A partnership between Volunteer Frontier and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement

• Great recession

• More need, fewer resources

• The toll on nonprofits

• Impact on staff and volunteers alike

The Current Environment

How Agencies Have Responded?

• More time & energy on fundraising

• Reducing costs and services

• Using rainy day funds – if available

• Volunteer Power? Often seen as nice add on but not central to operations.

The Untapped Resource…

Capacity Building Volunteers

• Leaders & Managers

• Professionals for projects and ongoing work

Volunteers that are strategically engaged for results

Nonprofit Capacity Challenges…

Nonprofits…

• 48% struggle with funding core programs

• 38% lack of resources for infrastructure – the top challenge.

• 79% spend 2% or less budget supporting infrastructure

Common Impact Studies, 2008 & 2010

The Challenges...

• 9 out of 10 nonprofits said they need more skilled volunteer support.

yet…

• 57% of nonprofits say they don’t have the capacity to engage skilled volunteers

Deloitte Study, (2009)

Only:

• 6% of NPs think they effectively balance volunteer skills well

• Only 8% think they were effective at defining volunteer roles

• Only 13% felt they provided sufficient resources for volunteer engagement

Reimaging Service Report, 2009

More Challenges…

Talk time…

What have been

your challenges with

engaging volunteers?

Talk time…

What have been

your successes with

engaging volunteers?

The Opportunities

Nonprofits with 50 volunteers AND

strong volunteer management model…

core organizational capacities were

significantly stronger

Only 11% of all nonprofits

met this threshold

Reimaging Service Report, 2009

Opportunities

Nonprofits can get large return on

investment by utilizing skilled boomer volunteers

• Self-directed teams

• Volunteers to orient, train, and coach other volunteers

National Council on the Aging, Respectability

Initiative Study, (2010)

Golden Opportunities…

• Volunteers donate ten times more than non-volunteers ($2,593/yr vs. $230/yr).

• 67% of volunteers donate to the same charities where they volunteer.

(Source: Fidelity, Volunteerism/Giving Rpt, 2009

US Giving:

• 81% from individuals

• 14% from foundations

• 5% from corporations

Volunteers who give – major implications

for Major Gifts (especially older givers)

Source: Giving USA, 2011

Complete the

Volunteer Engagement Self- Assessment

Time Out - Mini Assessment…

Would you fix up this house?

Focus: Home Repair for Low-Income people

(part of National Network)

Volunteers: 1,500 total

Number of volunteer hours: 12,000 hours

Value of volunteer service: $500,000

Agency Budget: $1.2 million

Number of clients served/year: 235

Delivered: $1.3 million in repairs

Engages Broad Cross-Section of

Volunteers:

• Episodic

• Skilled

• Leader

• House Captain

• Area Coordinator

• Ambassador

• Strong business engagement in all areas

Talk time…

To what degree does your

nonprofit leverage the full

spectrum of volunteering?

Evolution of a nonprofit…

See the board.

After hiring staff… See the board run!

Opinions and Beliefs About the

Role Volunteers Can Play..

• Starts early in most organizations

• Is often hidden, unspoken

• Is part of the organization culture

“We tried having a

volunteer but they…” (did something bad or didn’t do enough, etc…)

One strike, volunteer engagement is out

But, staff don’t work out? Hire another one!

• Staff overworked, don’t have time

• Short-term time horizon

• Perceive little benefit

• Staff concerned about their jobs

A Little Bit About

“Organizational Culture”

Edgar Schein (2004) identifies three distinct levels in organizational cultures:

• artifacts and behaviors – (physical, spoken)

• espoused values (values and rules)

• assumptions - (unconscious, deeply embedded)

Talk time…

What is your organization’s

overt and covert attitudes towards volunteers and how

they are engaged?

Senior Management…

What are they thinking about?

Talking Management’s

Language:

Volunteers build our capacity,

by:

1. Raising funds

2. Saving money

3. Doing more mission

4. Leveraging (funders love this)

Trend #1

Agencies Seeing the Interchangeable

Nature of Their Stakeholders

Social media & engagement marketing is driving the

change.

The nexus of donor

and volunteer engagement…

Social Media Frenzy!

80% of internet users participate

in voluntary groups…

Source: The Social Side of the Internet, Pew Internet

& American Life Project, 2011

Source: The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine

Based on the “Ladder of Engagement”

Creators

Evangelists

Donors/Volunteers (Reed added this)

Spreaders

Listeners

Power of Engagement…

DC Region’s Give To The Max Campaign:

• Only one day to give online

• Nonprofits told friends to give

• For Love of Children: $86,000

• Little Lights Ministries: $38,000 (726 gifts)

Through Razoo & local community foundation network

Steal ideas from the fundraisers!

Elements of Cultivation:

• Get people interested

• Seek out their ideas

• Ask for money

• Show results

Invite, Educate, & Engage

Stakeholders move around…

Volunteer, board member, donor, champion…

See volunteers as friends

and champions first.

• Staff: 10 full-time; 2 part-time

• Volunteers: 515 total; 53 ongoing

• Number of volunteer hours: 6,600

• Value of volunteer service: $211,200

• Agency Budget: $800K

• 40,000 e-mail list

• 4,000 members

• 3,750 Facebook followers

• 1,250 Twitter followers

“We’re seeing that with social media, the

lines are blurring between who’s a follower,

volunteer, or contributor.”

- Shane Farthing, Executive Director, WABA

WABA Tips…

• Write volunteer support into grants

• Focus on engagement

• Regular e-mails

• Separate volunteer E-mail list

• Semi-autonomous volunteers

• Encouraging special projects

Talk time…

To what extent does your agency

see the interchangeable nature

of its stakeholders?

and…

Do you see ways in which

stakeholders could be further

cultivated for a variety of efforts?

Human Services – Helping low income

people

Volunteers: 11,000 total; 125 ongoing

Number of volunteer hours: 30,000 hours

Value of volunteer service: $669,600

Agency Budget: $1,150,000

“It’s about giving your time, stuff, and

money. If you understand our work,

our hope is that you’ll end up giving all

three!”

- Mark Bergel, Executive Director

Wider Circle Hot Tips

• Tapping the power of interns

• Education to all who’ll listen

• Inspiring message of hope

• Using volunteer leaders liberally

• Hard to know who’s a volunteer!

The culture: positive, fast paced,

empowering for staff and volunteers.

Trend #2

Agencies Shifting From

Management to Engagement Model

Agencies interviewed said…

• Moving more to two-way dialogue

• More selling and helping people connect with the mission

• More volunteers have WIFM (what’s in it for me) & want to see results

A Changing Paradigm?

FROM TO volunteer management volunteer engagement recruitment cultivation and networking placement negotiation and agreement supervision support recognition acknowledgement controlling empowering Pre-set positions position sculpting

Source: Boomer Volunteer Engagement, by Fixler, Eichberg & Lorenz, 2008 and Scott Martin. Minor modifications made by Volunteer Frontier.

Capacity Building Volunteers -

Especially Boomers and Younger…

• Human Services Agency for Seniors

• Staff: 22 full-time; 12 part-time

• Volunteers: 580 total; 150 ongoing

• Number of volunteer hours: 700+/-

Iona Hot Tips…

• Staffer has volunteer screener (sort direct service & skilled vols up front)

• Skilled volunteers have one-one interview with staff/lead volunteer

• Write volunteer support into grants

• Staff see success - now want more volunteers

• Development volunteer story

Iona Website

• Specific, but also open ended

• Get people to call to find out more

• Engage first, then figure out best fit

(example next page)

From Iona Website…

Specialist Pro-bono Volunteers |

Time : Weekdays 10-5 (and virtually)

Provide professional expertise and tangible

guidance to Iona. Areas of need include:

Marketing/ Communications, Business

Development and Financial Planning.

Talk time…

Pros and Cons of:

Volunteer Management

vs.

Volunteer Engagement

Directions: Break into pairs, talk about what you think are the pros and cons

of each approach & when best used?

Volunteer Engagement Paradigm…

Ties into volunteer motivations and

effective recruitment of volunteers…

characteristics of age cohorts…

Changing Generational Characteristics

Traditionalists Boomers Gen-Xers Millennials

Valued civic duty,

respect for

authority, blending

in, following the

rules,

organizational

loyalty

Suspicious of

organizations;

anti-authoritarian;

motivated by self-

fulfillment

Empty nesters?

Self-reliant and

independent;

questions

authority,

respects

competence,

not titles

Entrepreneurial;

Self-confidence,

sense of

individuality and

uniqueness

Increasing Individuality

Volunteer Motivations based on McClelland’s Motivation Theory

I lead

(Power)

I benefit “Good for me” Added: Not part of original theory

I belong

(Affiliation)

I make it better

(Achievement)

Talk time…

What motivates each volunteer?

Do you know? (it’s OK if you don’t know!)

I lead

(Power)

I benefit “Good for

me”

I belong

(Affiliation)

I make it better

(Achieve-ment)

Trend #3

Well-Managed Nonprofits Are

Investing in Capacity Building

Volunteers

• Fundraising volunteers

• Skilled volunteers

• Leader/project volunteers

Fundraising Volunteers

Staff: 15 full-time; 16 part time

Volunteers: 720 total; 580 ongoing

Number of volunteer hours: 23,295

Value of volunteer service: $1,181,121

Agency Budget: $2,500,000

Arlington Free Clinic – Hot Tips

• Annual Fundraising event - staff support the Volunteer Leaders. Raise $600K with minimal staff time

• Community Council - Members provide professional services and contacts to their network

• Non-Board Members serving on finance committee

Skilled Volunteers…

• Staff: 83 full-time; 11 part time; 5 temporary

• Agency Budget: $24 million

• Network: 700 nonprofit partners

• Skilled volunteers: Provided $228,000 in professional services lat year

“Volunteers bring expertise and passion

to the Food Bank which is profound.” - Lynn Brantley, CEO

Capital Area Food Bank

Capital Area Food Bank

• 145 individual skilled volunteers gave $36,000 in services

• Law firm gives $101,000 in legal services

• Consulting firm gives $25,000 in consulting

• Ambassadors program

Talk time…

To what degree could your agency further

involve volunteers in skilled volunteering?

Directions: Take a moment and jot down 2-3 new

areas where you could utilize professional

volunteers. Note a few areas where skilled

volunteers are already being engaged.

Leader/Project Volunteers

New Your Cares Leadership Ladder Report (2009)

• Improved marketing and communication

• Revamped volunteer orientation

• Better communication with volunteers

• More leadership development opportunities

New York Cares –

“Volunteer Engagement Scale”

1. Shoppers

2. Episodic contributors (one time)

3. Short-term contributors (2-4 projects)

4. Reliable regulars

5. Fully engaged volunteers

6. Committed leaders

Leadership Ladder Report

Results:

• E-mail subscribers (80% increase)

• Conversion to volunteers (70% up)

• Individual volunteering (20% up)

• More team leaders (84% increase)

New York Cares, 2009

Major NY Cares conclusion…

“Organizations wishing to retain

more volunteers should take

serious steps to ensure that

from the minute volunteers walk

in the door, they are cared for,

appreciated, and responded to

as individuals.”

Staff: 4 full-time; 4 part-time

Volunteers: over 390 total; 200 ongoing

Number of volunteer hours: 29,469

Value of volunteer service: $736,725.

Agency budget: $590,350

Number of clients served/year: 1,800+

Hospice

Caring of

Montgomery

County

Hospice Caring of

Montgomery County…

• Volunteer leaders run most agency fundraising events (50% of budget)

• Volunteer house team model

• Good staff-volunteer relations

• Training helps vet volunteers

• Group facilitators

“With the right training and support,

volunteers can take on positions of

great responsibility and leadership.”

Jeannette Mendonca, Executive Director

Hospice Caring of Montgomery County

Putting it All Together…

Action Steps To Greater

Volunteer Engagement

(Review Handout Together)

Putting It All Together…

1. Complete planning sheet -individually (10 minutes)

2. Get into pairs (15 minutes)

Each person talks (7 min) about their thinking from the planning sheet and seeks input from the other person.

Recommendation #1

To demonstrate results…

Track of how volunteer engagement is helping save money, raise funds and

do more mission

Recommendation #2

To be inviting for volunteers…

Create An Organizational Culture

That Embraces Volunteers.

• Assess where you are

• Engage stakeholders

• Start with pilot – new uses of volunteers

• Integrate volunteering across the agency

Recommendation #3

To attract leaders…

Make Capacity Building Volunteers

a Part of the Team.

– Try not calling them “volunteers”

– Give them professional identity

– Give them ownership

Recommendation #4

To get more in-kind services and support

Involve the Business Community –

in Skilled Volunteering &

Ongoing Partnerships.

Recommendation #5

To attract volunteers…

Appeal To the “New

Breed” of Volunteer.

• Find the best fit for volunteers and the agency.

• Roles & assignments with tangible outcomes.

(also a good book by Jon and Tom Mckee)

Recommendation #6

To utilize volunteers well…

Invest in Volunteer Management.

• Train and support volunteers & staff

• Dedicate staffer to volunteer engagement.

Write $$ into grant apps for volunteer

Support.

Recommendation #7

To avoid getting burned…

Verify Volunteer Competency & Dedication - Then Trust Them.

(Especially for leader and skilled volunteers)

Recommendation #8

Strive for longer term volunteers…

Give ownership/leadership to volunteers.

Utilize interns & other regulars.

Thank you!

Reed Dewey, Principal

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(Volunteer Engagement Stars Report)