To help celebrate National Volunteer Week this week, I asked a few of my way-smarter-than-me-volunteery-type-friends to share some advice for volunteer coordinators on how to enrich the experience for volunteers.
Yesterday, I asked them to help me help you if you’re new to volunteering or would like to get more out of it.
Question: A new volunteer coordinator is starting for a not-for-profit on Monday. What advice do you have for him?
Karen Grindler, Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center: Ask questions, Listen, and be honest about what you know and what you do not know. Be ready to help and be flexible, no day goes as expected.
Jessica Macy, Boone County Council on Aging: Funny … I had a new one start last Monday. My first piece of advice to her was like any job this will be overwhelming … take it piece by piece day by day. Not every day will be a picnic but this job should be fun. You are getting people to help those in need. You are providing hundreds of people with meaningful experiences.
This is no reality show … it volunteer coordinating. Like reality shows, you will not be able to make up the stories that will come your way in this job. 🙂
Take time to learn what your organization does well and what the processes are, then jump in and make it stronger, better and more engaging.
Get out to the community you can’t recruit volunteers sitting at your desk.
Follow through … people are trusting us with their time. Everyone only has 24 hours. When they give us an hour or two, make it count.
Return calls and emails. Give volunteers a good introduction to the organizations. Give them solid work to do and leave no loose ends. Say thank you. Write a thank you notes or letters.
Cassie Ukele, The Food Bank for Northeast and Central Missouri: The hardest part of starting a new volunteer coordinator position is getting to know all of the groups and people that come in. The more you establish relationships, the easier it is to request volunteers to come and work with your organization.
Gudrun Dunt, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bloomington, IL: The single most important goal that I have is to encourage volunteers to develop their own particular gifts. I encourage them to try different things – always encouraging a trial period. If something is not their cup of tea, we’ll find something else for them.
Mariann Bernlohr, Indiana Governor’s Office, OFBCI: Given that one-third of Americans volunteer, it is important to know your volunteer profile.
Who are the people most attracted to volunteering for your organization (socio-economic background, generation, student or non-student, parent, religion, political stance, etc.)?
Know that profile and get to know it well because you are not just recruiting volunteers from all able-bodies in America; you are recruiting volunteers from one-third of able-bodies and not all of that one-third is going to be interested in volunteering for your organization. For that reason it is important to know who is willing AND able AND where does that volunteer potential hang out AND how does he/she receive information.
When that big piece is figured out, have a plan of how to keep them. What are ways to ensure your volunteers feel valued?
Actually, I am not sure which one of those pieces comes first because they rely so heavily on each other. You will not have volunteers to treat well if you don’t know who your volunteers are and you won’t have volunteers if you don’t treat them well.
Karen Visovsky O’ Connor, Challenger Baseball League, Columbia, MO: With some of my work with the Challenger Baseball league and coordinating volunteers I’ve learned (through a lot of trial and error) that it is so important to be clear about the roles/expectations of volunteers and it is even more important to show them how much you appreciate their hard work!
I’d also give the advice (Which I need to tell myself regularly), things can always be improved and you will always feel like you are not doing enough but it’s important to realize how well things are going at that moment.
Liz Tesar, Volunteer Coordinator, United Way, Valparaiso, IN: Never, ever, ever, ever, ever forget how valuable your volunteers are.
I have heard horror stories from friends who gave their time and money to an organization, and never received a follow up or thank you. With cut budgets, and staff members doing the job of 2-3 people, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the nitty, gritty details of everyday work and forget the basics of volunteer management.
Be sure you communicate with them regularly and make your volunteers feel appreicated and valued. ALWAYS follow up with a hand written thank you note. It might sound old fashioned, but it means so much more than a mass e-mail. Trust me on that.
Thank you, smart-volunteery-genius-types!
How about you? Do you have anything you’d like to add? How can/should someone get started volunteering and then get the most out of it?
How can volunteer coordinators help enrich the experience?
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