2015 New York State Association

Webinar October 26, 2015

Self-Directed Volunteer Teams (SDVTs)

Opportunity Awaits

“Four in ten Experienced Americans indicate they are very or somewhat likely

to increase the amount of time they spend volunteering in the next five years.”

Source: More to Give: Tapping the Talents of the Baby Boomer, Silent, & Greatest Generations, AARP, 2008.

Barriers 1. Organizations and staff are overwhelmed by change and

funding issues!

2. Traditional volunteer management is staff intensive

3. One out of three Boomer volunteers leave their assignment

within the first year!

4. There is a mismatch between the work volunteers want to

do and how nonprofits engage them.

Nonprofits remain in dire need of human capital to address

their mission objectives

Volunteers get discouraged, nonprofits

don’t receive full advantage from their

work, and urgent problems go unsolved

Changing Volunteer Expectations Require

Innovative Approaches B

efo

re

Recruitment

Org-affiliated

Contribute

Supervised

Unskilled Jobs

Available Long-term

Consistent Schedule

Few Tech Tools N

ow

Engagement

Cause-related

Make a Difference

Self-directed

Skilled Jobs

Time Bounded

Mix of Commitment

Flexible Schedule

Many Tech Tools Adapted from: Jill Friedman Fixler and Sandie Eichberg, Boomer Volunteer Engagement, 2012 4

Boomers and Volunteering Some Facts:

• Boomer retention highest (74.8%) with more challenging assignments.

• They want the opportunity to lead and have greater responsibility.

• 79% continue volunteering when they serve 12 or more weeks a year.

• 33% leave service within first 12 months due to dis-interest or dis-satisfaction

Source: Corporation for National and Community Service study, Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering: A Research Brief on Volunteer Retention and Turnover, 2007

Secret of High Performance

Core Motivation: Autonomy Mastery Purpose

Essential Factors: Meaning – Fulfillment - Passion Significant Contribution and Impact Important , caring relationships Healthy Activity

Sources: Drive, Daniel Pink; Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy Until Your 80,

by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge; Maslow

The deep human need to: direct our own lives, create new things, and to do better by ourselves and the world.

Factors That Reap Greater Returns on Investment for Volunteer Programs

•Higher Levels of Responsibility

•Higher Levels of Autonomy

•Leadership Roles

NCOA study, The Boomer Solution: Skilled Talent to Meet Nonprofit Needs, National Council on Aging, 2010

Messaging

Vision – Why important? Who benefits? What lasting effect?

Strategy – What specifically do you want to do?

Tactics - How do you want to do and what will it take?

What is a Self Directed Volunteer Teamtm

(SDVT)?

A multi-skilled group of volunteers who share

responsibilities for addressing a community

problem or need.

In partnership with a community organization,

each team is empowered to take full

responsibility for designing solutions and

executing actions resulting in tangible results

and outcomes.

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Self-Directed Volunteer Teams …

ARE …

• True teams (vs. groups)

• Self-managed

• Issue-based

• Outcome focused

• Where leadership is shared

• Successful when the organization’s culture is aligned with them

• Volunteers empowered!

ARE NOT …

• An advisory board

• A governing board

• An ongoing committee

• A short-term event planning committee

• A team managed by paid staff

• A team supervised by a volunteer leader

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Factors for SDVT Success

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Issue Brief

‘Leadership’ Style

Charter

Readiness Checklist

Clear buy-in exists at multiple levels of the organization

Ready to learn a new way to lead though transformative (shared) leadership

Able to be fully transparent about processes and outcomes (the good and not so good)

Open to diverse input

Have a safe space to encourage and manage conflict

Prepared to support diverse decision-making strategies

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Roles & Responsibilities

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Key Staff Person (KSP)

Team Facilitator

(TF)

Volunteers

Assigned staff member(s) who receive SDVT

training and represents the agency to ensure

that the team has the training, support and

advocacy it needs to be successful.

Team member(s) who have received SDVT

training and are responsible for facilitating the

team process and coordinating with the KSP to

support team progress and outcomes. Role

rotates as team and project develops.

Volunteers make a commitment to function

in a team to achieve the team and project

goals.

Purpose = Mission = Issue Brief

Purpose: The Issue Brief generally identifies an issue, need, or problem that is vital to the mission of the organization.

80% Planning and 20% Doing = Highest Impact

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What problem or issue needs to be resolved?

• Why does the issue exist/how did it originate?

• What are its impacts?

• Who is impacted?

• What are the risks or ramifications of not resolving?

• What work has been undertaken & with what results?

What impact will be achieved?

• How will you know?

• Agree on how to determine

• Quantify

These questions are on your Issue Brief template, which will be distributed and worked on in small groups.

Issue Brief

Issue Brief & Project Examples

Increasing Population of

Older People in Need of Services

Medicare Training Team

Increased Number of Medicare Counseling

Volunteers

Ageism Training for small

businesses on age-friendly strategies

Local community feels more age-friendly

Lack of Viable Transportation

Non Drivers or those without a vehicle are

unable to get their heah and basic needs

met

Replicate/expand Volunteer Driver Program into two counties unserved

counties

Elder Abuse Abused elders have a

300% higher risk of death than unabused

Determine the nature and prevalence in our service area develop solution options our

agency can

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The Team Charter

A written agreement between the team and the organization that

establishes expectations and roles for both.

A living document that can evolve as team and project progress.

…the team’s goals and ground rules are also documented in the charter

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Common Components

Team Name

Goal

Mission Statement

Ground Rules

Roles & Responsibilities

Available Resources

Authority to Act

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TEAM GROUND RULES

Guidelines agreed upon by the team that describe how

members will work together to achieve success.

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SHARED LEADERSHIP – An invitation to join in a cause!

Leadership that is distributed broadly across the team rather than being concentrated in just one person.

WHAT SHARED LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE

Leadership rotation

Inclusiveness

Open and welcoming

Differences are expected and respected

Open to conflict

Builds consensus

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n4a.org/n4a INITIATIVES/Volunteer Resource Center

Highlights PowerUp! Institute and PR Materials

Contact: tendres@n4a.org or 202-872-0888

http://sdvnetwork.com/sdv/

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Respond to Chat Box Questions