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Sustain and Maintain: Creating a Structure for
Maximum Volunteer ImpactKimberly Elman
Kimberly ElmanManager
National Outreach Volunteer Programs
Best Friends Animal Society
2
Today’s schedule
10:45 – 12:00 Topics: position descriptions, effective recruitment
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:15 – 2:15 Topics: creating a welcoming culture, successful onboarding and training, sustaining engagement
Position Descriptions
Be specific!
• Specific position
– Position description
– Set expectations
• Specific schedule
– One time
– Ongoing
What’s your flavor?
Create a position description
Position name
Function/impact
Reports to (position title, department or function)
Time commitment and location of work
Core responsibilities (Use as many bullet points as
needed, listing brief action-oriented duties)
Qualifications and requirements
Volunteers can help you write position descriptions!
Positiondescriptions
Recruitment
Recruitment
Rule #1The best recruitment strategy is to have happy, enthusiastic volunteers.
Recruitment
Rule #2Don’t do any recruiting until you areready to give volunteers a quality experience.
Rule #3Be clear about what you need.
Recruitment
Ask people directly — in person if possible.
Rule #5
Rule #4Don’t recruit more volunteers than youcan actually work with.
Recruitment
Rule #6Make it easy to get started.
Rule #7Create community ambassadors.
Recruitment
• YOUR VOLUNTEERS
• Within your circle
• Schools
• Volunteer centers
• Service organizations
• Clubs or groups
• Churches
Where to look for volunteers?
• Community events
• Community bulletin boards
• Animal-related locations and events
• Retirement communities
Recruitment
• Your website
• Social media
• VolunteerMatch
• All For Good
Where to look for volunteers:
• Create the Good• Serve• Do It• Idealist
Recruitment
• Where to find them*
• How to recruit them
• How to interview them
• How to support them
Skilled volunteers:
*Catchafire
Action plan
Lunch time!
Together, we can Save Them All!
Creating a Welcoming Culture
When volunteers enter your facility, are they:
a) Acknowledged immediately with a friendly smile?
b) Acknowledged immediately in a business-like manner?
c) Ignored until they press the issue?
365 Ideas for Recruiting, Retaining, Motivating and Rewarding Your Volunteers:A Complete Guide for Nonprofit Organizations – Sunny Fader
When volunteers enter a work area, does:
a) A member of the staff get up and greet them?
b) Staff look up and acknowledge them with a smile?
c) Staff remain focused on their work until approached?
When showing a volunteer around, does staff:
a) Make an effort to introduce the volunteer to everyone by name?
b) Only introduce the volunteer to people who come up to them?
c) Make no introductions?
On breaks, are volunteers:
a) Invited to join staff?
b) Directed to facilities?
c) Ignored?
During gatherings, does your staff:
a) Involve volunteers in conversations?
b) Remain in their own cliques, but treat the volunteers politely when approached?
c) Ignore volunteers?
What else?
Onboarding
Onboarding
ACTIVITY
Discuss with your table what your organization does to welcome, orient and support new volunteers. Make a list!
Choose the three items on your list that you think arethe most critical to volunteer success.
Select a spokesperson to share your top three items.
Onboarding
The process of integrating a newvolunteer into your organization
• Initial response• Orientation• Training• Support
Onboarding
Initial response
Contact the new volunteer byemail or phone within 24-48 hours.
Be welcoming — but not desperate.
Onboarding
Orientation
Decide when, where and how.
• Individual, small group, large group?• How frequently?• Is the location convenient and comfortable?• Does the day and time accommodate people’s
schedules?
Onboarding
Orientation is not the same thing as training.
Coming to an orientation does NOT make a person a volunteer.
Onboarding
Purpose of an orientation:
• Give information about your organization —its history, mission, values, structure, etc.
• Give information about volunteer opportunities, processes and expectations.
• Answer questions.
• Discover if your organization is a good fit for the potential volunteer.
Activity
Orientation checklistand questions
Onboarding
If it is a good fit, have the volunteer:
• Fill out your volunteer application• Choose an opportunity they are interested in• Sign up for a training session
Create community leaders
Leaders expand the capability to engage and activate more volunteers and fulfill critical mission goals.
Leaders empower people on behalf of your organization and serve the brand of your organization.
Leaders increase your opportunity to do more.
Be the kind of leader who creates new leaders!
Onboarding
Training
Things to consider:
• Who is going to create the training?• Who is going to deliver the training?• Where will you conduct the training?• When will you offer the training?• How will you do the training?• What information do you need
to include?
Onboarding
Support:
• Make sure volunteers know who to go to with questions.
• Prepare staff to work with volunteers.
• Pair up new volunteers with mentors.
• Provide job aids.
• Check in with new volunteers.
Onboarding
Volunteer engagement
Initial contact
Short-term commitment
Reliable regular
Skill development
Leadership opportunities
Sustaining Engagement
How to keep them coming back
Why do volunteers
quit?
Lack of communication
Unclear expectations
Inadequate training
Little or no flexibility
Unprofessional environment
Asking too much or too
littleNo feedback or
appreciation
Don’t feel they’re making
a difference
Volunteer engagement: From “I” to“We”
• Name badges
• T-shirts
• A dedicated space
• Consistent schedules
• The 10-4 rule
• 360-degree feedback
• Formal performance support
• Opportunities for advanced responsibility
• Effective risk management
How to keep them coming back
Rule #1Make them feel welcome.
Rule #2Make sure they’re prepared.
How to keep them coming back
Rule #3Give them feedback.
Rule #4Give them support.
How to keep them coming back
Rule #5Communicate impact.
Rule #6Express appreciation.
How to keep them coming back
Rule #7Don’t waste their time.
Rule #8Give them opportunities for growth.
How to keep them coming back
Rule #9Ask for their feedback and ideas.
Rule #10Periodically reassess your needs.
