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Jennifer Bennett, CVASenior Manager, Education & Training

VolunteerMatch

jbennett@volunteermatch

@JenBennettCVA

NOVAA

May 14th, 2015

Welcome!

Take a few minutes and write any questions you hope I’ll

answer or any goals you have for today’s training on the

post-it notes.

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What story are you telling now?

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What story are you telling now?

What kind of information are you sharing about

volunteer engagement now?

• Numbers

– Hours, people, trees planted, etc.

• Are you including an answer to the question

Why?

• Does the story tie back to your mission?

What’s your story?

CASA Guardian Ad Litem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc9Ew6uHddY

– Some quantitative information, but mostly answering the

question why?

– Outlining and illustrating the impact

Even if you don’t have cute kids (or puppies) there

can still be an emotional connection to the work

your organization does.

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What kind of information is out there?

• Quantitative – can be measured or counted with

numbers

– Hours given, trees planted, meals served

• Qualitative – descriptive, can be observed but

not counted or measured

– Compassionate, friendly, outgoing, skilled

Both can be used to describe volunteers and the

work they do, and the impact on your community

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What are you measuring now?

The usual stuff

• Number of volunteers

• Hours given per volunteer and an estimated

dollar value

• Amount of trees, meals, etc.

• Money donated

• Cost per volunteer to run your program

– not always a good measure of how successful your

program is or how engaged your volunteers are

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What could you measure?It starts to get a little tricky…

• The Scarce Resources Model – ROI for

Volunteers - Tony Goodrow, Better Impact

http://www.betterimpact.com/ROI/

• The actual value of the work

– Move beyond an average $ amount

• The impact on the community

– What difference does that tree, sandwich, etc. make?

• The impact on your volunteers

– Increased health, sense of contributing, place in the

community

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Why does it matter?

• What questions do you want to answer?

• What kind of information is persuasive?

• Who wants or needs this information?

– You, organization leaders? Funders? The

community? Volunteers?

• What story do you want to tell?

• What do you want others to know about the work

volunteers do in your organization?

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Volunteer Impact Worksheet

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How can you find this information?

Quantitative Information

• What are you tracking now?

– Where is it, and is it easy to get it out? Reports,

queries, etc.

• Can you answer the questions you need to

answer?

– If not, why are you tracking that information?

• What other questions do you need/want to

answer?

– Where is that information? If you’re not tracking it

now, can you? And can you report on it effectively?

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How can you find this information?Qualitative Information

• Surveys

– Clients, visitors, members. Volunteers – past and

present. Paid staff – program managers, those that

do/don’t work with volunteers

• Interviews

– As a volunteer what kind of change do you see in

your clients after they are comfortable reading?

• Evaluating impact from a different perspective

– Not just numbers. Volunteers planted 250 trees –

Why does that matter? What does that change?

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How do you find this information?• Work with volunteers!

– Track the quantitative information effectively.

Database volunteer, best practices for data entry.

– Reports that work! SQL volunteers, database

administrator, applications engineer

– Ask the right questions. Surveys written and

conducted by volunteers, evaluated by volunteers.

– Ask your volunteers – Qualitative information about

their experience, the differences they observe in

clients, visitors, the community.

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Getting past numbers

What kind of information is informing your story

now?

• What matters to your organization?

– How do you deploy your mission in the community?

– What are the values or goals that drive your work?

• How are your clients, or the community, helped by

the work you do?

– What’s the problem you’re trying to solve?

– What’s different or better because of the work you do?

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Getting past numbers

• Who are your volunteers?

– What do they do?

– Why does it matter?

• What does it look like or feel like to be a part of

your organization?

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Tell your story!

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What informs your story?

What do you need to know (besides volunteer hours)

to tell your story?

• Things that you track now

– Clients, outcomes, trends over time, etc.

• Other information from within your organization

– Volunteer interview, client stories, etc.

• Information from outside your organization

– Research, reports, studies, etc

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What’s your story?

• The 5 W’s

– Who, What, When, Where and (W)How and of course

Why!

• Build your story arc

– Set up the story

– What’s the problem or conflict?

– What’s the resolution or solution

– What’s the call to action?

Tell Your Story Worksheet

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What moves you?

Your story should reflect the values and culture of

your organization.

• Be authentic

– Stay true to your mission and your work.

• Humor is hard

– You might want to be funny, but you are not actually

that funny.

– Humor is subjective and can be insensitive.

• What matters in your organization?

– What do your volunteers, donors, clients tell you is most

important about the work you do?

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Getting Started

Get the ideas flowing

• What’s your story? Workshop it. Creativity works

best with other brains present.

– Who else should be involved?

– What’s the voice of your organization?

– What do you sound like? What does it feel like?

– Identify the places you’ll need help or support

– Where could that come from? Who do you know?

• Remember there’s a learning curve

– Changing the way you talk about volunteer impact

happens over time

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Getting Started

• Find the overlap between minimal and viable

– You can spend a long time trying to tell the perfect

story, don’t let being perfect keep you from sharing that

impact!

– Don’t over think it!

• Just do it!

Let’s watch another video

VolunteerMatch’s Fighting Hunger Together Initiative with

Walmart Foundation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Y-

ibkBpUs&list=PL888C27F940F2C800&index=31

– Created by our high school intern

– Basic art supplies and my Cannon PowerShot (point & shoot) +

$15 tri-pod

– One afternoon to film, one afternoon to edit

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Best practices for videos

Think about what makes a video watchable

• Short!

– About two minutes

– Don’t expect people to “schedule time” to watch your

video

– The internet is full of distractions

• Steady

– Get a tri-pod, use it. Shaky videos are hard to watch

and distracting

• Hold your scenes

– Quick cuts are hard to follow

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Best practices for videos

• Storyboard

– It doesn’t have to be fancy but you need to outline your

scenes

– Online tools note cards, cartoon panels

– The internet is full of distractions

• Sound

– People talking require additional tools/editing

– Consider word panels or music to start

• Camera

– We have powerful camera in our pockets. Point and

shoots have exceptional video

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Finding resources

What do you need help with?

• All of it! I have no idea where to start.

– Find a professional – recruit a skills-based volunteer

– Reach out to journalism or visual arts classes

– Approach corporate partners or other CBOs

• I could just use a little support or advice.

– Crowdsource or engage micro-volunteers for feedback

– Do you have experts in your volunteer corps?

– Online how-tos and discussion groups

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How are you telling your story?

Now that you have your story share it!

• Informally, internally, externally, formally

– Updates and town hall meetings

– Infographics and videos

– Board and funding reports

– Social media channels and community partners

• Incorporate the story into your volunteer

engagement program

– Recruitment channels

– Recognition events

– All of your stakeholders – especially your volunteers!

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Tell your story!

• Use the worksheet to think through your story

– Remember to include others in the brainstorming!

• Engage others with the skills or experiences to

make it happen

– Database administrators, researchers, interviewers

– Graphic designers or videographers

• Determine what story is the best fit for each

communication channel

– Not everyone is inspired or influenced by the same

information

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Tell your story!• Share your story and solicit feedback

– Evaluate the results for education and outreach

• Social media

– Facebook, YouTube, Twitter

– Spread the word

• Promote on your own channels

– Website, newsletter, email

• Tap those community connections

– Who do you know?

– Who do your board, volunteers, donors, know?

Thanks for attending!Join us online:

Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch

Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch

Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog:

blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/

Find the slides and resources:

http://www.slideshare.net/volunteermatch/novaa-storytelling

For any questions contact:

Jennifer Bennett

@JenBennettCVA

jbennett@volunteermatch.org

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Resources for videos and infographics

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More Video Examples

DoGooder Video Awards http://www.youtube.com/user/nonprofitvideoawards

Free Resources I’ve Used

Windows Movie Maker http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-movie-maker-download

Screencast-o-matic http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

(Free or Low Cost)

Top lists for Free Editing Downloads

Macs - WonderShare.com http://www.wondershare.com/video-editor/free-video-editing-

software-mac.html

PCs – Tech Radar http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free-

video-editing-software-9-top-programs-you-should-download-1136264#null

Best Practices and Guide

Into Focus http://see3.com/intofocus

Infographics

5 Online Tools Article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-krum/5-great-online-tools-for-

_b_5964874.html