Pacific Business News

October 8, 2004

Good management shows respect for volunteers

by Sally Little

With few exceptions all tax-exempt nonprofit corporations have at least one thing in common—they rely on volunteers.

Volunteers provide valuable assistance to clients, help with fundraising, and perform clerical tasks. They also play a critical role in the governance of nonprofits. By statute, each organization must have a board of directors consisting of a minimum of three persons. Although directors of nonprofits may receive reasonable compensation, in actuality very few do.

It is important for nonprofits to recognize the significant impact volunteerism has on their financial bottom line. Independent Sector, a national coalition of nonprofit and philanthropic groups, placed the value of a volunteer hour at $17.19 in 2003.

Managing volunteers requires the same commitment an organization would make when managing their own employees. According to a recent report from the United Parcel Service Foundation, “ Guide to Investing in Volunteer Resources Management: Improve Your Philanthropic Portfolio,” the primary reason people stop volunteering is because of poor management practices.

Whether you are starting a volunteer program or have volunteers in place, these tips should help strengthen your program.

* Determine what you want the volunteers to do. Planning is critical. Creating a staffing pattern for volunteers requires the same due diligence as establishing one for paid staff. Realistic job descriptions are a must. Sadly, volunteers report that one of the reasons for leaving an organization is because there was nothing for them to do.

* Communicate the roles and responsibilities of the volunteers clearly with your employees. Effective volunteer managers prepare staff and encourage their “buy-in” by helping them understand how volunteers will complement their projects. This creates a positive and supportive working relationship between volunteers and staff.

*Dedicate both financial and staff resources to managing volunteers. Give the coordinator of volunteers the same stature as your program directors and director of fund development. The above-referenced UPS study found a direct relationship between the time the director of volunteers allocated to managing volunteers and the organization’s capacity to increase their number of volunteers. The study also noted that effective programs had paid staff that spent substantial time managing volunteers.

*Practice effective risk management. Disclose fully with your insurance agent and attorney the tasks you are assigning to volunteers. State whether the volunteers will transport clients in their private vehicles or will work with children. Insurance coverage for volunteers is complicated and challenging. It is important that the volunteers and the organization clearly understand whom and what is covered. This is best explained in writing to all parties.

* Use community resources when recruiting volunteers. Volunteer Hawaii, a service provided by United Ways of Hawaii, maintains a database of agencies requesting volunteers. From their own desktops, agency staff may enter volunteer opportunities directly on the database. Volunteers search for possibilities that might interest them and contact the organization directly.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), is a federally funded placement program for volunteers 55 years of age and older. RSVP provides training and screening of volunteers for specific organizations.

* Join the Network of Volunteer Leaders (NOVL) and attend its annual statewide conference on Nov. 5. This professional organization is dedicated to enhancing volunteer leadership in Hawaii. Steve McCurley, an internationally known speaker in the field of effective volunteer involvement, will be speaking on “Taking your volunteer program through the 21st Century” at the Network’s conference. For more information on Network visit their web site at www.hawaii.edu/osa/ServiceLearn/novl.htm or contact Atina Pascua at 956-4641.

*Earn the Certificate in Volunteer Management. The Volunteer Resource Center of Hawaii along with the University of Hawaii Manoa are in the process of selecting the first class for their new volunteer management program. This year-long, 48-hour course will be both field and academic based. The certificate is issued by Windward Community College. For more information call 236-9201 or email at mail@vrchawaii.org.

*Use the Internet as a resource for managing volunteers. Put these web sites on your favorites list and visit them often— www.casanet.org, www.energizeinc.com, www.pointsoflight.org and www.serviceleader.org.

* Recognize your volunteers. Reward and celebrate the contributions they make to your organization. Volunteers give from their heart and expect little in return. They deserve frequent acknowledgements, smiles, and thank yous.

Volunteers not only provide valuable services to nonprofits, they are also good- will ambassadors. They help tell the story of persons in need and they are a reminder that we can all make a difference in the lives of those in our communities. Volunteers deserve the respect and support that effective management can provide.

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