Category Archives: prospective volunteer

Captains of Our Destiny: Captain Obvious Part 2

21 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by in charities, corporate volunteering, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, Uncategorized, Volunteer, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer project, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention

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Captains of Our Destiny

Ha, ha, working with volunteers is like herding cats. …non-profit staff member.

It is time we become captains of our own destiny. It is true that our work is not glaringly evident to all, so we can’t be Captain Obvious.

So, now what? We can captain our future and redefine our work in terms that befit its importance while illuminating our professional skill set. It’s on us to redefine volunteer services, to flip it from one of cutesy, fluffy extra touches to a dynamic and professional service.

How? Well, first off, we have to change the loose descriptions of volunteer engagement and instead use the professional terms they deserve. To do this, let’s look at two highly regarded and compensated jobs and re-imagine our profession in those terms and descriptions.

Instead of volunteer managers, what if we were called Volunteer Account Managers? In reality, volunteers open accounts with us, in the same way as donors or clients. (an account is something of value or worth-in this case a volunteer’s time, expertise, resources, knowledge, sweat equity, donations, word of mouth marketing, etc)

As such, we would use these terms:

Volunteer Account Management: the management of volunteer accounts, including the relationship with volunteers and the pursuit of volunteer satisfaction.

Volunteer expectations: the value a volunteer seeks from our organizations, such as training opportunities, positive feedback, admittance to the team, creative outlets etc.

Volunteer centric: the emphasis an organization places on volunteer involvement, including timely appreciation, seats at planning meetings, designated volunteer managers who are supported, educational opportunities, partnership opportunities.

Volunteer journey: the steps a volunteer goes through to become a viable and satisfied member of the organization.

Volunteer journey mapping: the process by which a volunteer manager maps the journey a volunteer takes from first contact to integration through onboarding-and more importantly, the ability to reconfigure the steps when necessary.

Volunteer profile: the ongoing process by which a volunteer manager educates staff about volunteers, including their needs, their changing dynamics, their skill levels, their rate of participation and their future involvement.

Volunteer satisfaction levels: measuring and reporting the satisfaction levels of volunteers through one on one interviews, surveys, questionnaires, etc. And more importantly, the ability to change areas in which volunteers lack satisfaction.

Volunteer benchmarking: the continual process of improving the relationship with volunteers. There are many methods of benchmarking, such as:

  • do volunteers choose our organization over others and why or why not?
  • do volunteers make time for us over other activities and why or why not?
  • do volunteers recommend our organization to their circle of influence and why or why not?
  • do volunteers increase visibility, donations and resources and how? (we all know instinctively that this is true, but benchmarking will prove it)

Volunteer benchmarking will then be a tool to change the processes that need change, in the same way fundraising evolves.

In order to Captain our own destiny, we must begin to flip volunteer services from the outdated idea that volunteers are summoned to fill a job and volunteer coordinators “herd those funny cats around, lol, isn’t that cute.”

Instead:  Volunteers hold an account with us and we are responsible for cultivating that account by continually improving our relationship with the volunteers. And this is where the highly skilled volunteer account manager comes in.

Next week: KAVM-the key account volunteer manager-what does this mean for us?

-Meridian

Volunteer or You’ll Lose Everything!

31 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in group volunteering, messaging, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, Uncategorized, volunteer ads, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer recruitment

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Volunteer or You'll Lose Everything

In decision theory,  a loss aversion  means that the pain of losing something is much greater than the pleasure of making an equivalent gain. Marketers everywhere utilize this theory to hawk their goods.

“Get it before it’s gone!”

“Act fast. Limited supplies available!”

In volunteer management, we prefer the gain theory when marketing to potential volunteers. We use phrases such as “the life you change may be your own,” or “do something meaningful” to entice others to join our cause. But what if these researchers are correct and we are hard wired to respond more to fear of loss?

How would this advertising trick work with volunteer recruitment ads?. To find out, I stopped in to see my good friend, Svin Dler who runs an ad agency in town. He’s the genius behind such memorable ad campaigns as “Proud to Be Under Federal Investigation” and “Without Our Product, You’re a Worthless Pile of #$%@.”

I walked into his inexplicably empty office and asked Svin to take some of our volunteer ads and apply the loss aversion theory to them. Here’s what he came up with. (after I passed a ten spot under the table to him-no, really he made me pass it under the table)

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to file papers! All the beautiful people are doing it. File those papers before they’re gone and then you won’t be beautiful!

Volunteer now, or our charity will go out of business. Then, when your family needs help, no agency will help you because all agencies share a list of slackers. Don’t get turned away you slacker.

Volunteer now or keep being your worthless selfish self. BTW, everyone hates you.

Save the world by volunteering. If you don’t, the world will end and it will be YOUR FAULT.

Hmmmm, I don’t know if those will work. Well, maybe the third one will….. no, no, they won’t. But can we write worthwhile ads and throw in a bit of the loss aversion theory?

How about:

There’s only a limited number of volunteering slots. Call 555-5555 to get started before the good ones are gone.

Don’t miss our next life changing volunteer orientation. Refer to this coupon code:

Act now! Don’t lose your chance to be a better person. Call this number:

Well, that’s soul-less, isn’t it? Maybe loss aversion can’t be applied to volunteer recruitment. But wait. Perhaps if we lightly sprinkled in some loss aversion techniques, we could:

Create an ad using the wish list and implied loss:

“Do you wish to be more (circle all that apply): accomplished, social, engaged, in-tune, appreciated, worldly, satisfied, prepared, rejuvenated, self-aware, respected, content, experienced, understood?  Join us next Saturday. We have just three Volunteer Training slots still open. Come, let’s explore your wish list.”

Create an email reminder for those who have expressed an interest:

“Our volunteer training is this Saturday at 1pm. Seats are filling up and we would love to see you there. Click here to join our amazing volunteers.” (or diverse, or award winning or whatever adjective fits)

Use urgency:

“Our last volunteer training of the year is being held next Saturday at 1pm. As one of our volunteers, Jamal says, Don’t miss out on this life changing experience!”

So, can we actually use marketing techniques for volunteer recruitment? Is that ok?

Well, here’s a question: When designing volunteer recruitment ads, do we inadvertently give these impressions:

There is no limit to the amount of volunteers we take

Time is never of the essence-we’ll always be there kinda like death and taxes

The choice volunteer positions never get filled

Is there a boring and stale element to our ads that imply volunteering is a never-ending constant so heck, why not put it off?

We are not gimmicky marketers looking to sell something and move on. We deal in cultivating real human beings who offer meaningful involvement, so tricks and slick words are not us. However, we are also not complacent.

Here’s a recent ad I came across:

“Join us for a Volunteer Orientation (date) to learn more about our organization and the many different ways you can help us. You will get an overview of our work and learn how you can help improve the lives in need by volunteering. To learn more about our volunteer program, check out our website.”(here)

Now, let’s re-imagine this ad with a sprinkling of loss aversion theory:

“A limited number of slots are still available for volunteer orientation on (date). Don’t miss out on exploring the many flexible ways you can help.” Visit our website (here) for a quick sign up. See you on (date)!”

So, as long as we are truthful about our ads, why can’t we use some marketing techniques to recruit volunteers?

Try it before it’s too late. (ooops, sorry)

-Meridian

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, There Is No Parade

24 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in charities, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, Uncategorized, volunteer background checks, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention

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Sometimes, There is No Parade

Awww, you shouldn’t have.

 

 

Not everything volunteer managers do will be visible. Rather, in reality, most of our meaningful work is not about measurable numbers or stats. For this out of view work, there will be no awards, no pay raises and no parades. Yet, when recalling the moments that matter, these are the ones that usually spring into our minds.

Helga was a volunteer who came to America after WWII. She married an American soldier, left her home in Germany to forge a new life in a new country with her new husband. Helga still retained her German accent. She was a tiny woman with a smile that reached up to her eyes, even after her beloved husband had died. I asked her to take a shift on the reception desk.

We were in the process of initiating fingerprinting (Level 2) for our volunteers. It is a cumbersome and tedious process and the digital prints are hard to capture. Until this point, I submitted background checks (Level 1), read each report and challenged every anomaly I found. With Level 2, a central system approved or disapproved our volunteers, taking it out of my hands.

We slowly filtered all of our volunteers, new and existing through the fingerprinting process. And, Helga was rejected. The rationale was that fingerprinting picks up “things” that a level 1 does not. I had to call Helga and tell her. I remember calling her and asking her to come in and talk to me. She knew immediately that it had to do with her fingerprints. She started to cry.

We made an appointment for the next day. I hung up and felt…….. enraged. I wanted to know why this beautiful lady was being rejected, so I found an empty office and began to call the reporting agency, bouncing from person to person. It took the afternoon to get through to someone who could spend a minute to help me. She put me on hold, then came back on the line. “What’s her social security number again?” she asked. I told her. After another long hold, she came back. “Well, it seems it was a computer error. Your person has a clean record.”

I called to tell Helga the good news, but something told me to keep our appointment. She did not answer so I left the message to please come in so I could explain in person what had happened.

Helga came in the next day. I found a secluded spot to talk with her. We sat, knees to knees and I explained to her that it was a computer glitch. She burst into tears, crying deep and long as though a dam had given way. I hugged her. “Are you sure it was a mistake?” She asked.

I wondered if this was about something other than her volunteering. “It was just a mistake, Helga. Do you trust me?” I said. “I would not lie to you.”

She nodded and dabbed at her eyes. “I thought you might,” she said, “think I was a Nazi.”

Suddenly, the present fell away.  I could see her, a young hopeful bride after the war was over, arriving in her new home. I could feel her trying to ignore the suspicions while desperately proving she was a good person. I could imagine that the past did not lie buried.

We cried together for a good, long time. I called her the next day. “Helga, do you still believe me? Do you really, honestly know how much we love you?” At that point, I did not care how much time I had to spend convincing her.

“Yes,” she said in a clear voice that removed my doubt. We did not speak of it again.

That day I learned, for most of the time we spend doing our work, there will be no parade.

But, my heart does not really want parades. It wants to hug Helga.

-Meridian

The 1pinion Effect

17 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, recruitment, staff and volunteer relationships, Uncategorized, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer recruitment, volunteer statistics

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the-1pinion-effect

“Our CEO has a next door neighbor who has a son who got into minor trouble,” Marlee, a volunteer manager says. “The neighbor asked our CEO if his son could do community service at her organization. I called the son repeatedly, left messages, but he never returned my calls. Wouldn’t you know it, my manager told me our CEO was annoyed because the neighbor blames me for not connecting with the son. My manager said our CEO made the comment that volunteers never seem to be able to get started here.” Marlee sighed. “I can’t win.”

Ehhhhhhhhhh. How can one opinion or circumstance create a belief? Why didn’t the CEO say, to her neighbor, “that’s certainly not typical of OUR volunteer department.” How could she seemingly frame an entire belief on one opinion?

There is something known as Confirmation Bias, an effect that feeds our assumptions. So maybe, Marlee’s CEO might have simply felt that her neighbor’s son was just one more example of the volunteer department’s failure to properly onboard volunteers because she already believed it to be true.

Where did this belief come from? Did the CEO hear other examples (and it doesn’t matter how accurate they are, it’s the perception) of volunteers not onboarding quickly while not hearing enough success stories? Or maybe it has nothing to do with Marlee. Perhaps the CEO had a poor experience volunteering when in college. Maybe the CEO heard horror stories at networking events and applied those stories to all volunteer departments.  Is that fair? No, and even worse, perceptions are really hard to change.

So what should the strong volunteer leader do when hearing these 1pinion comments?

Don’t get mad or hurt-get curious: What is fueling these opinions? Do some research via surveying the staff or a one on one chat with senior management to find the sources of these perceptions. Say, “I heard something that concerns me. I think there is a perception that I don’t get in touch with new volunteers and I’d like to find out what happened to create that perception.” Then, be prepared to act! Refuting assumptions is one route to take, but there are better ways as in…

Double down on positive reporting: Counter negative perceptions by offering facts supporting positive volunteer department accomplishments. Review your stats to find areas that are lacking. Create new categories of reporting to freshen up the numbers. But, again, this is somewhat akin to refuting, so there is another thing to try…

Create your own performance improvement plan: No one wants to be unfairly criticized, so if there is a perception floating around that volunteers are not being contacted in a timely manner, embrace it on your terms. Let go of the frustration at having been unfairly labeled. A self-imposed performance improvement plan accomplishes two really important things.

One, it says a great deal about you-that you are always willing to improve (and here it’s not about being unfairly labeled, it’s about always striving for excellence).  Say, “If there is a perception that new volunteers are not called back in a timely manner, well it came from somewhere and I’m here to change that. I don’t want one prospective volunteer to slip through the cracks.” This approach shows that you don’t harbor an us (volunteer department) versus them (upper management) attitude, that you are solution-oriented, and that you are proactive and approachable.

Two, it allows you to create a new narrative by moving forward from this point of misconception.  (It’s so much easier to create new impressions, than fix old ones). By acknowledging the old perception, you are not positioning yourself for a fight. You are forging a new, cooperative path, one in which your future statistics will be embraced in a positive light. And you will find your critics becoming supporters along this journey.

We are all prone to confirmation bias. As proactive leaders, we must put aside our personal feelings when hearing negative perceptions, and work to change those perceptions by creating new, positive ones.

Let’s face it. Opinions are not facts. Opinions can be unfair. While we may not be able to control each and every negative opinion, as proactive leaders, we certainly can control what we do about them. And the thing we do best is understand people and their motivations.

When confronted with 1pinions, we can gear up for a pointless fight or we can use our strengths to create new and more positive realities.

-Meridian

Interview With A Volunteer: Ellie

03 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in charities, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, staff and volunteer relationships, treatment of volunteers, Uncategorized, Volunteer, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention, why should I volunteer

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contacts

We all know volunteer feedback is invaluable, during and after projects and assignments. There is also value in gathering feedback from former volunteers who have had the time to process their experiences and take aways.

Recently I was able to catch up with a retired volunteer, Ellie, and I asked her to look back on her years of volunteering for a hospice.

VolunteerPlainTalk (VPT): How many years did you volunteer?

Ellie (E): (laughs) “oh about 18.”

VPT: That’s a long time.

E: It was a long time, but it was good.

VPT: What was your favorite part of volunteering?

E: Hmmm, my favorite part. I liked the idea of giving and I always felt that I was receiving so much in return, but I guess you hear that a lot.

VPT: Do you remember the beginning?

E: Yes. I remember my training. At the end of training, the volunteer trainer handed me my first assignment. She told me that she believed I was ready. And she took me over to the window and pointed to the house of the person I was assigned to. She sort of let me know that it wasn’t far away and I would be close to help if I needed it.

VPT: How did that go?

E: I was nervous, but I felt prepared.

VPT: Was your first assignment the impetus that kept you going?

E: Actually, it was my first long-term patient, who came right after. We became incredibly close. Before she passed away, she said that she had added one more daughter to her family. And shortly before she died, she called me in and said that she needed to know that I was going to be ok. The extent of our connection was something I never expected.

VPT: How much of a role did your volunteer manager play in your success?

E: Oh my goodness, so much. The fact that my trainer and my supervisor, Jim trusted me, had faith that I could do this was huge. And, I always felt that if I had a question, he would be there. I remember I was sitting with one patient whose wife had a part-time job. He had a morphine drip and he thought it wasn’t working and he said to me, I don’t understand why this is not working, can you find out? Now, I have no medical knowledge at all, but I immediately got on the phone and my supervisor got me to the right person. That went a long way to building my self-confidence.

VPT: So, having someone to contact was hugely important.

E: Absolutely. I always counted on being able to knock on his door, go in and receive the support I needed.

VPT: You are also a thirty year now retired school teacher. Why did you volunteer at a hospice and not with children?

E: (laughs) I think I needed to do something different. After my husband died so young, I felt like I wanted to do something that was meaningful.

VPT: Did his death influence your decision to volunteer for a hospice?

E: I don’t think so. It was over three years between his death and my decision to volunteer.

VPT: How did you find hospice?

E: I saw this ad, and I knew right then it was a way to fill my life with some meaning.

VPT: So, there was no magic formula for recruiting you?

E: Sorry, no.

VPT: Many people think hospice volunteering is depressing. Were you burdened with sadness?

E: No. It was quite the opposite. It was fulfilling.

VPT: Was there any opportunity for fun?

E: Oh, my yes. I had so much fun with the staff. We let loose all the time. The seriousness of our work was a contrast to the silliness we experienced. I remember the time we made over 100 pumpkin pies for a Thanksgiving dinner in our care center. We laughed the whole time. Having that fun kept us wanting to do more, you know what I mean?

VPT: I do. Was having fun a good use of your volunteer supervisor’s time do you think?

E: Absolutely. Life is full of balances. The balance between serious work and letting off steam goes a long way to bond us together. It strengthened our team.

VPT: I’m pushing here, but I wonder. Have you ever connected your losing your husband, the man you had planned on retiring with, and your work in hospice?

E: Ehh, no. I just know that I had a lot of years to give and it was a way to fill my life with some meaningful work.  But I do remember one year, I signed up to volunteer at a children’s grief camp.  That day, while driving on the way to camp, I thought about all the little kids who were coming. They had all lost someone important in their lives and I had a little meltdown. I missed my husband.

VPT: That must have been tough.

E: I thought about these kids and it occurred to me that I went through this years ago. It brings something home. While I was there, we had a ceremony at night. I was really grieving for my husband. It comes when you least expect it. Sometimes you have an epiphany to a particular circumstance you’ve been through. It was almost like a total realization I had been through a significant loss and I released that.

VPT: I’m at a loss for words.

E: I even had grief counseling after his death. But my meltdown shocked me. I thought I had processed the grief.

VPT: So, in retrospect, did your volunteering have a personal positive impact on you?

E: Oh my, yes.

Next time: Part 2 of this interview. Ellie moved away from her hospice, but she stopped volunteering before she moved. Why?

-Meridian

New Words Added to the Volunteer Management Dictionary

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in charities, corporate volunteering, group volunteering, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, staff and volunteer relationships, Uncategorized, Volunteer, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer project, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention, volunteer statistics

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Added to the Volunteer Management Dictionary

It’s that time of year when the Committee to Define Volunteer Management gets together at a back table in Pete’s Bar, Grill and Bait Shop. Together, these brave members scratch their heads over several pints and attempt to come up with a succinct explanation of volunteer management. This year, they gave up once again after rejecting the phrase “herding cats,” but they decided to add the following words to the dictionary of volunteer management.

Volvorce: When a volunteer divorces the organization as in “No, I just can’t go get new volunteer Dinesh, because since no one called him back about getting started after I introduced him to finance, he volvorced us.”

Meetcolepsy: When too many meetings cause you to simply fall into a stupor at the thought of another talk-fest as in “No, I couldn’t make that fourteenth meeting about using the volunteers to stand by the back door in case someone gets confused because I contracted meetcolepsy. Want to see my doctor’s slip?”

Latespectation: A last-minute request for volunteers that is expected to be filled as if you were given weeks to prepare, as in “Oh, so you need 5 volunteers tomorrow morning for an assignment that you said was extremely important? Your latespectation is showing.”

Creditjacking: When another staff member takes credit for a successful endeavor that you or your volunteers accomplished as in “Yes, I’m glad you praised that project during the senior managers’ meeting, but let’s not creditjack the volunteers’ work, ok?”

Duhtistics: Stats that are so incredibly obvious, like volunteers are super nice as in “I won’t bore the board with duhtistics that you’ve heard before. No, instead I want to point out some new and exciting projects we are undertaking.”

AVOL: A volunteer who inexplicably does not return calls, emails or letters as in “I’m glad you noticed volunteer Myrna has been missing lately. I’m trying everything in my power to get in touch with her. Right now she’s AVOL.”

Volunteer Lite: A request for a volunteer to do a menial, mindless task as in, “You’re asking me for one of our highly trained volunteers to clean out the storage closet so you can use it for your supplies? You don’t want a full-bodied volunteer, you want a volunteer lite.”

Miracalls: Calls made to volunteers for an especially challenging or late request as in, “Woah, that’s a really challenging request (or time frame). I’ll be holed up in my office for the rest of the day, making miracalls.”

Informashunned: (pronounced in-for-may-shunned) Not given the essential information needed to properly place a volunteer as in “I have recruited four of our best volunteers for that assignment, but my pleas for crucial information have been ignored. Right now, our volunteers are informashunned.”

Nopinion: Volunteers wanted, but not their opinions as in, “I’m glad you were able to use volunteer Mark’s expertise, but he felt rebuffed when he offered additional knowledge. I guess you really want an expert but nopinion volunteer.” 

Vombie: That volunteer everyone is afraid of and no one wants to council or fire, as in, “I know Janey is a handful and she’s been here for what, twenty years now. I guess she’s been allowed to attain Vombie status and now that I’m here, I will deal with it in a professional manner.”

Callwaiter: The notion that volunteers sit by the phone just waiting to hear from us as in, “It is Friday afternoon and most of our volunteers have already made plans for tomorrow. I’ll make some miracalls, but our vibrant and diverse volunteers aren’t callwaiters.”

Marathonitor: The running around, checking, double-checking and rechecking to ensure that volunteers have all the information and tools they need to succeed as in “Our fifteen volunteers are ready for Saturday’s important annual event, but in order for them to excel, I will be marathonitoring their involvement, so I won’t be attending any meetings tomorrow or making miracalls to fill latespectation requests.”

Well, there you have it. As one of the senior members of the Committee to Define Volunteer Management said after several glasses of Pinot Grigio, “Dang, defining volunteer management is really impifficult.”

-Meridian

Induction vs. Orientation: The one year volunteer committment

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in corporate volunteering, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, recruitment, treatment of volunteers, Uncategorized, Volunteer, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention

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Induction vs. Orientation

Two volunteer managers, Jessup and Chloe were both excited when the brought in new volunteers.

Jessup, who manages volunteers for a start-up, said, “I was asked to find volunteers to help with our kick off campaign. I brought in a trio of talented volunteers and one of our marketers patiently showed them what needed to be done. The volunteers did exceptionally well, but they didn’t stay with us very long. I had to recruit again and again.”

Chloe, meanwhile, who manages volunteers at a different start-up said, “I recruited a few volunteers to help with our kick-off. I was a bit worried because the volunteers were from varied backgrounds and had really different talents. But, you know, although it took them a bit to get going, all the staff here helped out. Those volunteers are still with us today.”

Volunteer retention is a nuanced and complicated concept. Some parts of it can be controlled and some cannot. But one thing we can control is induction and orientation. Why does a seemingly perfect volunteer become disinterested? Why does another volunteer fit in like a glove? How do volunteers gel with the mission?

Let’s look at induction and orientation: Can we get away with offering one and not the other?

Induction is the formal process in which to introduce a volunteer to their job. (the mechanics)

Orientation is the integration of the volunteer into the organization. (the gel)

Jessup’s organization lost volunteers because they did not orient them. Chloe’s on the other hand, used both induction and orientation.

As volunteer managers, we need to use both induction and orientation to retain great volunteers. And, our entire organizations must be involved. Here is an example:

Induction:

  1. Volunteer manager shows volunteer where break room is, supplies are kept, what the policies are, etc.
  2. Staff member who best knows the job shows volunteer how to do the work, where bathroom nearest station is located, etc.

Orientation:

  1. Volunteer manager welcomes, presents organizational goals, history etc.
  2. CEO welcomes volunteers to organization, emphasizes contributions from volunteers.
  3. A seasoned volunteer is paired with newbie to mentor and encourage.
  4. Staff introduces themselves to volunteer, thanks, offers assistance, assures volunteer they are appreciated and part of team.

Both induction and orientation are vital to engaging volunteers. If we make them feel a part of the team, but do not give them the knowledge and equipment to do their jobs, they will leave. If we give them all the training in the world, but do not integrate them into our mission, they will also leave.

And here’s the thing. Most of us toy with the idea of having a volunteer sign a one year commitment. But maybe that’s just backwards. What we might do instead is ask our entire organization to sign a commitment for each and every volunteer. This commitment would look something like this:

I, the undersigned, ___________________________ commits to do my part in  orienting, inducting and engaging each and every new volunteer for as long as that volunteer is ethically representing our organization and mission.

Ask the CEO to require each staff member to sign this commitment. And maybe if you are feeling a bit ambitious, you can point out that volunteer engagement should be part of each employee’s yearly evaluation.

Woah, be still my heart.

-Meridian

 

The Inner Volunteer

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in charities, corporate volunteering, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, Uncategorized, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer project, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention

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The Inner Volunteer

Do the words, skilled volunteers make you shudder?

One day Marcel reported his recruitment efforts to the executive action committee. “I had just reported on the addition of several new corporate groups when the executive director stopped me and asked why I couldn’t just get public school teachers to come in on Saturdays and read to the children at our shelters.”

The CEO asked, “wouldn’t it be a lot easier because teachers already have the skill set?”

Marcel continued, “In my head I wanted to ask her if, after a hectic week directing a charity organization, why didn’t she go on her day off and volunteer to run a startup charity organization. I mean, yes, I’m recruiting teachers because of their skill sets, but so many other types of volunteers passionately want to read to our clients’ children. To me, passion is what makes for a great volunteer.”

Skilled volunteers are often equated with perfect volunteers. Often, the term skilled volunteer becomes synonymous with the notion that volunteers are easy to recruit. Why not just get a lawyer, or a carpenter or an IT technician? But we know it isn’t so simple. Does a person with a certain desirable credential want to use that credential in volunteering? Sometimes, but of course, not always.

We’ve all had volunteers who wanted to forgo their professional skill set. We’ve seen them unlock their inner volunteer and utilize a side that would never appear on paper, but one that excites them and ultimately serves us so well. For example:

The FBI agent that becomes a hand holder for older male clients, This agent’s inner skill set came from having to listen carefully when interviewing suspects. Now he uses that skill in a new and gentle way.

The IT professional that creates an art therapy program. While her left digital brain is writing code, her right analog brain thirsts for the inner creativity she passionately exercises while volunteering. Ironically this volunteering outlet makes her better at her IT job.

The Stay at Home Mom who takes charge of a new program and excels at giving direction and getting results. At home, her inner manager directs her family’s activities, finances, and schedules with a precision borne out of love and necessity. She brings these honed skills to the program and treats her fellow volunteers as beloved family. They flourish under her direction.

And on the flip side, what about the skilled volunteer who taps into their inner director or educator and looks for more ways to help? What if they offer their expert advice and opinion on the workings of our organizations? Are our organizations prepared to accept this advice? For instance:

  • The teacher who wants to replace the reading program at the shelter because it is outdated and insensitive.
  • The carpenter who advises that the repairs on a project are unsafe and non-compliant with code.
  • The attorney who suggests that policies and procedures are antiquated, potentially a risk management nightmare and need a complete overhaul.
  • The marketing expert who points out that the latest campaign is fraught with errors and tired themes.

This begs these questions:

  • How does an organization define a skilled volunteer?
  • Are organizations willing to accept the advice that comes with experienced and accomplished people?  
  • Do organizations view skilled volunteers as peers, useful tools or something else?

This is why clarification is so important. When an organization asks for skilled volunteers, we need to ask these questions:

  • Do we value skill over passion and commitment?
  • Who is responsible for a skilled volunteers’ mistakes? Are these volunteers’ licenses or credentials at risk?
  • What are the legal ramifications of utilizing volunteers in a professional capacity?
  • Who is going to field expert questions from skilled volunteers? The CEO?

As organizations ask volunteer managers to recruit skilled volunteers for expert help, clarification is essential. Clarification goes far beyond a simple job description. It goes to the very core of the inner volunteer. Passion vs. skill. Sideline expertise vs. full skill set participation. Legal consideration vs. a laissez-faire attitude. Hands on vs. hands off risk management.

With skill there is ramification. Are we prepared legally to engage volunteers with licenses and certifications?

With skill comes expert advice. How much skilled advice are we willing to accept?

Or, are we just throwing out a poorly defined concept?

-Meridian

For a great article on skilled volunteering, please see Rob Jackson’s post on this subject.

 

 

 

The Honestly Honest Truth

08 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in charities, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, recruitment, Uncategorized, Volunteer, volunteer coordinator, volunteer retention

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Brad sighed. “I haven’t had a response from our volunteer, Ashwan in several months. He hasn’t answered emails or phone calls, or come to our monthly meetings. He was a good one. I just don’t know what happened. Did we do anything wrong?”

This frustration ranks up there along with wondering why I was never employee of the year. Why do good volunteers fade away? Why don’t they tell us the truth about why they leave? Why aren’t they honest with us? We’re really nice people and we listen, right?

Well, maybe because we need to be more than honest with volunteers right from the start. We need to be honestly honest.  Oh sure, we say to them, “hey, this volunteering might not be for everyone,” but doesn’t that just smack a bit of sanctimonious superiority? Doesn’t that just have an undercurrent of “oh, our volunteering is only for the good volunteers, and that’s probably not you?” If someone said that to me, I’d be looking for the nearest door and planning my exit move too.

Maybe the breathy tales of our great volunteers can be a bit, well, off-putting for new volunteers. Who wants to have to live up to a Gandhi or a Mother Teresa?

Maybe, instead of peppering our new volunteer training with story after story of long-term volunteer successes, we could also talk about volunteers who leave and how that’s ok.

Maybe we could say things like:

“Take our volunteer Shirley for example. She only stayed with us for three months, but we are so grateful for those three months. We still keep in touch with her. No matter how much or long you are with us, when you’re done, you’re done. Only you know when that is. And that’s ok. All volunteers leave and each volunteer that leaves has made a huge difference and trust me, we are grateful for each one.”

“Volunteer Craig left after he tried a few different positions and found that they weren’t what he was looking for. Let’s be honestly honest here. We MAY FAIL YOU. Yes, that’s right, we may not intend to, but we may seem to take you for granted, or fail to use your skills. We’re human too and we want to fix things, for you and for other volunteers, so please, tell us when something is not right, because we are not perfect. Craig discussed this with us and we fixed some things because he shared his experience.”

“Believe it or not, we don’t expect you to stay forever! And believe it or not, losing interest or moving on is something we experience all the time. That happened with our student volunteer, Sheri. She finished her degree and moved on. She got what she wanted from her experience here and took those skills with her when she left. That’s great! You are growing and changing and so are we. Nothing remains the same and if you find yourself feeling restless and wanting to move on, let us know. We want to have the opportunity to talk about it with you. Please don’t rob us of the chance to say thank you.”

“If you find volunteering elsewhere a better fit for you, let us know so we can send a great recommendation along with you. All volunteering is good work and we are not in competition with other organizations. Our volunteer Marvin found that another organization was a better fit for him. We were so pleased that he took his volunteering to the next level. He comes back and helps us with special events and we love to hear about how he’s doing.”

Every volunteer leaves a lasting impression on us. And while we strive to make volunteers comfortable with us, they may not be comfortable enough to share the reasons they leave. They may just think that our conception of a good volunteer revolves around how long they stay. Then, when they fade away, we lie awake and night and wonder why.

So why not be honestly honest from the beginning and try to make it easier on them. And ultimately, easier on us too.

-Meridian

A Corporate Volunteering Interview Part 2

01 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in charities, corporate volunteering, group volunteering, NGO, non-profit, organizations, part time volunteer manager, prospective volunteer, recruitment, Uncategorized, Volunteer, volunteer coordinator, volunteer management, volunteer project, volunteer retention

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Part 2 of the interview with Sadie on corporate volunteering-the day of the event.

 

VPT: So, on the day of the event, you and several other employees met up at the location. How did it go?

S: Well, we had an issue with parking. There were street parking spots, but a sign said ‘two hour parking only.’ We parked anyway. It was a four-hour shift so we figured we would have to come out and move the cars. Later, when we asked, they told us that the city had waived that rule and we could stay in our spots.

VPT: After you parked, you went in and what happened?

S: The building was a warehouse type of building and we had no idea how to get in.

VPT: What did you do?

S: We went around back, found a back door and went in through there.

VPT: And then what?

S: We found the makeshift kitchen where there was coffee and donuts and we announced ourselves to the people in there. They asked if this was our first year and we said yes, so they got another person to come and train us.

VPT: Were they volunteers or staff? How did you know they were part of the event?

S: I honestly don’t know if they were paid or not. But they wore stick on name badges.

VPT: Did they greet you?

S: They seemed stressed. It felt like they didn’t know what to do with us. They consulted the printed out sign up sheet and saw that we were listed so they said they would try to find a spot for us.

VPT: What did the training consist of?

S: About two minutes worth of what we were supposed to do.

VPT: And that was….

S: We were to walk around with the clients. They would have a shopping cart and we would go from station to station where they would pick out toys according to how many children they had and their ages. Then we would escort them to the stations where they would get boxes of donated food. I will say, the person who showed us what to do was very nice.

VPT: How were the stations?

S: The stations were very well set up, and organized. You could tell they had done this many times before.

VPT: Were you given any information on how to act around the clients, anything about sensitivity or confidentiality?

S: (laughs). At one point we were told to try to get stories of hardship from the clients so that we could direct them to a station that had extra toys. They had more toys than they needed, so I guess that’s a good thing.

VPT: Did someone check in with you during your shift to see if everything was ok.

S: Not with me, I don’t know about the others.

VPT: And you were there for four hours.

S: Longer. One of our group, Justin, who was helping at a food station, was told he could not leave until his replacement showed up. After thirty minutes of waiting, we just left. Some of us rode together and had to go.

VPT: Did anyone acknowledge you when you left?

S: No. Justin told his station manager and we left.

VPT: How was it working with the clients?

S: That was great. The people were very grateful and appreciated our being there to help.

VPT: Were you comfortable with the clients, given you had minimal training?

S: Surprisingly, yes. It felt very natural.

VPT: Did your firm get any acknowledgement, thank you, write-up, mention on website, anything?

S: No, nothing that I am aware of. In hindsight, we should have worn company t-shirts or brought something for them to use. They didn’t ask, though.

VPT: Did you have some sort of follow-up meeting with your fellow employees after the event?

S: No, we probably should have done that. But I did check in with them individually.

VPT: What feedback did you get from the other employees?

S: They thought it was worthwhile. They felt like they made a connection with the people being helped.

VPT: Will you be back next year?

S: Yes.

VPT: What will bring you back?

S: As much as I didn’t appreciate how it was run, it is about the people I was helping and it makes me feel good to help them. I wasn’t able to volunteer until I was a point in my life where I felt I was able to help others. Now that I can do that I feel like I’m also able to take on obstacles such as the people running the show. Maybe they started off like me, caring about the people more, and they never transitioned over to caring for the volunteers that help the people in need. I’m not sure, but I do feel like it comes with the territory.

VPT: Anything else?

S: Second reason I’ll go back is because it might not be the best environment to make me feel appreciated, but I’m comfortable now. I do have a busy life and I chose this organization for a reason. To find another one like it is time-consuming and what if it was just the same or worse? I feel comfortable at this organization now and next year I will be able to walk in, do what I came to accomplish and leave.

VPT: Thank you Sadie for sharing your experience with us.

Huh. Well, that was definitely eye-opening. So, I guess the takeaway is we should be relieved when volunteers put up with us because it’s just too darned time-consuming to find another place to spend their time and talents. And luckily for us, that new place might be worse.

And hey, here’s a thought. Maybe we should thank the people we serve for being needy. Maybe we could just give them a reward for keeping our volunteers coming back. We could call it the “Sob Story of Retention” award.

Or maybe we could just do better.

-Meridian