Rethinking Resources:Responding to New Volunteer Demographics

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© Copyright 2008, NorthSky Nonprofit Network. All rights reserved.

• Introductions• Trends in volunteering• The volunteer profile• Conducting a volunteer assessment

Break• Redesigning volunteer programs & roles• Gaining staff support for volunteers

Lunch• Using volunteers in leadership roles• Volunteer infrastructure

Break• Managing the challenging volunteer

Follow-up training needs• Workshop evaluation

Workshop Agenda

• Your name• Your organization• Your role• Are you currently a volunteer outside of your own

organization? Where do you volunteer and why?Or

• If you were looking for a volunteer opportunity right now, what would it be?

Introduction

• Baby boomers have highest rate of volunteering and lowest volunteer retention rate.

• While overall volunteer hours are down slightly, more individuals and younger people are volunteering.

(US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

According to national polls, in 2007 volunteerism& civic participation were at an all time high.

Trends in Volunteering

• Volunteers are younger and more skilled then in the past.• Family and group volunteering are popular.• More people with professional skills available to nonprofit

organizations.

The types of volunteers are changing.

Trends in Volunteering

• Many volunteers are employed, students, or have young families.

• Desire for freedom, ability to act quickly.• Volunteers want challenging, interesting assignments.• Volunteers come from a broader cross-section of society.• Volunteers expect to be treated professionally.• Volunteers need flexibility in hours.

Volunteers are busier & more discriminating.

Trends in Volunteering

• Boomers are looking to contribute meaningfully to the community.

• Donors want to contribute more than money.• Graduation requirements create a pool of younger

volunteers.• Some are looking for job experience, training, re-entry to

employment.

Profile of the New Volunteer

Profile of the New Volunteer

Feeling compassion for those in need 86%Having an interest in the activity or work 72%Gaining a new perspective on things 70%The importance of the activity to people the volunteer respects 63%

Independent Sector, National Survey

Why do people volunteer?

How Do We respond to Trends?

• Design episodic, short-term positions.• Offer position sharing.• Provide group volunteer opportunities.• Target recruitment to professionals, youth,

retired people, ethnic groups, etc.• Offer flexible hours and locations.• Organize a substitute system of volunteers.

• Breakdown committee work into time-limited task forces• More efficient use of volunteer time• Broaden the ways volunteers are utilized• Develop positions for evenings and weekends• Develop positions that can be performed off-site• Create opportunities for students

How Do We respond to Trends?

What is unique about Northern Michigan?

The population is increasing:10% in Benzie8% in Grand Traverse

6% in Antrim

Retirement communitiesSeasonal residentsRural culture/ sense of community

• Discover the major strengths and weaknesses of the volunteer program

• Gather information which will impact the design of the program

• Create a successful program

Conducting a Volunteer Assessment

Conducting a Volunteer Assessment

Who volunteers for your organization?

Who doesn’t?

What is your volunteer retention?

What is your organizational capacity for recruiting, managing, and retaining volunteers?

BREAKReturning with Designing Volunteer Programs

For New Volunteers

Designing Volunteer Programs for the New Volunteer

• Consider both continuous, ongoing and short-term, episodic assignments

• Consider work that individuals, small teams, and large groups can do

• Work that can be done by anyone with training and work that needs specialized skills

• On-site and off-site assignments• On-call assignments

Designing Volunteer Programs for the New Volunteer

• Work beyond regular business hours- evenings and weekends

• Work in offsite locations

• Work with people and/or work with concepts/planning

Creating Roles for the New Volunteer

• Is the work to be performed meaningful?• Can it be explained to a volunteer?• Can the work be done by volunteers?• Is it cost effective to be done by volunteers?• Is a support framework in place for the volunteer?• Are staff willing to have volunteers perform the work?• Can we find volunteers?• Do we have space, equipment, and supplies?• Is our organization committed or is this just a “quick fix?”

Basic criteria for creating a volunteer role

Creating a Volunteer Role Description

• Position descriptions should be clearly written and include all essential information.

• Sound position design is the foundation of a solid volunteer program, but it should also retain the fluidity necessary to continually undergo change.

• Position Title• Supervisor• Goal or purpose of position• Major responsibilities• Time commitment• Work hours• Qualifications (required, desired)• Work location• Date of position design or re-design

Creating a Volunteer Role Description

Employer/ corporate groups

• Create fact sheet– Organization mission purpose– What type of volunteers you need– Benefits for employer– Benefits for employee– Benefits for your NPO

Creating a Volunteer Role Description

Exercise One

Identify a new volunteer position for your organization that targets a demographic group that you don’t currently attract as a volunteer.

Use the worksheet to outline a role description for the new role.

What barriers will you encounter in implementing this new volunteer position?

Gaining Staff Support

Fears:• Time needed to supervise volunteers without clear benefit.• Client confidentiality.• Concerns that staff will be "stuck" with them if they say "yes."• Justification for reducing a budget• Job security

May not actively sabotage but passively resist.

Methods to Gain Staff Support

• Influence

• Clarity

• Appreciation

• Competency

Sample: Staff Exercise 11) Think about a volunteer in your organization whom you would

describe as ideal! Reflect on what he/ she has accomplished for the organization, for you, and for themselves.

2) After everyone has the ideal person and his/her impact firmly fixed in their minds, ask participants to imagine multiplying this person by 100 (you can choose any reasonable number for your organization).

3) Begin to share what could be accomplished if you had these 100 ideal volunteers working in your organization. Record all the responses.

4) After the ideal is pictured, ask: "What are the barriers, issues, or problems keeping us from accomplishing this?"

5) The last question is: "What can we do to begin breaking through these barriers to accomplish our vision?"

Sample: Staff Exercise 2

• List all the duties of your current position.

• List the things you would like to do but do not have the time to perform now (your “Dream List”).

• Brainstorm programs or services you wish your organization could accomplish but cannot, due to limited resources.

• How can volunteers help?

What’s on your plate this week?

LUNCHReturning with Using Volunteers

in Leadership Roles

Using Volunteers in Leadership Roles

• Types of roles– Managing projects– Leading committees– Managing other volunteers

• Type of person– Experience– Interest/ Motivation– Time– Likelihood of delivering

• Clear role description• Strong fit: interests, experience, ability• Authority to accomplish the role

– Budget– Span of control- when must they check-in before making a

decision-making– Reporting & communication requirements– Communicate role to others in organization

Critical success factorsUsing Volunteers in Leadership Roles

Volunteer Infrastructure Development

• Volunteer record keeping & reporting– Individual and overall volunteer hours– Impact of volunteer work

• Volunteer policies and procedures

• Evaluation and performance reviews

• Routine skills review, file updates, and compliance requirements.

• Individual and overall volunteer hours

• Volunteer data: contact information, characteristics- age, type, etc.

• Date of performance reviews

• Impact of volunteers on programs, departments, and overall organization

Volunteer database

Volunteer Record Keeping & Recording

• Microsoft Excel • Volunteer Works• Database software

• Filemaker Pro• AccessVolunteer• Donor Perfect• Gift Works

• Fundraising databases• Exceed• E-Tapestry• Organizers’ Database

Volunteer databases

Volunteer Record Keeping & Recording

Volunteer Policies & Procedures

• Confidentiality• Absenteeism• Use of organizational equipment,

supplies, including Internet use• Codes of Conduct• Background Checks

– Ichat.com– Watchdogus.com

• Health & Safety

BREAKReturning with Managing

Challenging Volunteers

Evaluation and performance reviews

• Annual volunteer performance review

• Annual volunteer satisfaction survey

• Volunteer input – program evaluation, supervisor evaluation

CASE Study

Performance Problems

• Performance problems are gaps between what is expected from volunteers and what is actually happening.

Performance Problems• First question: have I done everything I need to do

to make expectations clear?

• Why do we often hesitate to deal with performance problems?

• Why is it critical to deal on a timely and effective basis with volunteer performance issues?

Why deal with Performance Problems

• Other staff/volunteers are effected.• No accountability otherwise.• Holds volunteer work in high regard.• Poor behavior is reinforced when not noted.• Volunteers won’t be able to be successful.• Staff will resist utilizing volunteers.• Volunteer may be in wrong position.• Volunteer’s position may need to be changed.• Volunteer may need to be dismissed.

What May Impact Volunteer Performance Problems

• Clear position descriptions• Tailored and honest recruitment• Placement of the right volunteer into the right position• Organizational and position screening• Clear, written, shared volunteer policies and procedures• Excellence in delegation

What May Impact Volunteer Performance Problems

• Organization held accountable for supporting volunteers and volunteers held accountable for what they agreed to perform

• Mutual performance reviews• Honest, timely feedback system• Volunteers given opportunity for input into

work assignment• Effective, supportive supervision• Ongoing appreciation

Rules of Constructive Confrontation• Don’t attack personality; focus on performance

• Be specific. Do your homework and have specific examples of the behavior to share.

• Keep conversations private.

• Make intervention timely but do not approach until you are calm and rational.

• Reiterate expected behavior using “I” not “you” language.

Alternative• Re-assign to new position in your organization.

• Train/coach or re-train.

• Provide a more motivating climate if volunteer has lost interest in the work/mission.

• Give information on where and how to find a better-suited volunteer position in another organization.

• If age or disability prohibits carrying out the position, retire the volunteer with style.

Procedures for Releasing a Volunteer

1. Official warning given to volunteer including specific information of what behavior needs to change and by when.

2. Provide assistance to help volunteer change the behavior – and document changes.

3. Give probation with special goals.

4. Dismissal if goals are not achieved.

Volunteer Recruiting• The recruitment posting/ invitation must, minimally, include

4 elements:

– The statement of need. (The need of clients, not of the agency!)

– How the volunteer can help– Position requirements– Benefits of the position to the volunteer

Volunteer Center of the United Way of Northwest Michigan

www.startherestaynear.com

Where else can you post openings?– On your web site– In your newsletter– News releases

Follow-up Training Sessions

Thursday, June 19 noon to 2:00 p.m.

Monday, June 30 noon to 2:00 p.m.

Bring Your Lunch!

What Questions Do You Have?

NorthSky Resource Centerwww.northskynonprofitnetwork.org

Rethinking Resources:Responding to New Volunteer Demographics

Trainer: Pamela Evans

Thank You

Contact NorthSky at:231.929.3934

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