THE DECISION TO VOLUNTEER AND THE DEVELOPING OF HUMAN POTENTIAL: THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER VOLUNTEER RECRUITING, ORIENTATION, AND MOTIVATION Presented by: Stephanie Glyptis (Director, A&WMA) April 4,2014

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Volunteers have a lot of Choice  1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the United States  Including trade, cultural, scientific, engineering, and technical, federations, educational, social welfare, and chambers of commerce  Canada’s nonprofit and voluntary sector is the 2nd largest in the world – 54% of the nonprofits and charities run entirely by volunteers

The Evolution of Associations  People join together to satisfy basic needs for food, shelter, and to communicate and share  This cohesion develops new ideas, inventions and principles, and creates institutions such as government, schools, and churches  Trade associations and professional societies evolve for the same reasons  They enable people in the same business to freely share ideas and experiences  The constant throughout the evolution of associations  The value of volunteerism to a healthy organization

What Makes Us Successful? An Association’s legacy of success comes down to one thing ~ committed, active volunteers acting in the best interests of the members, the profession, and the association

The Decision to Volunteer  The #1 reason why people volunteer is because they are asked.  The #1 reason why they continue to volunteer is because their needs are met.  The ability of volunteers and volunteer organizations to thrive is not a question of numbers of volunteers  It is about effective management of volunteers through thoughtful recruiting, selection, and motivation

Associations are groups of people who voluntarily come together for a common cause  It is this aspect of the association that most differentiates it from public or for-profit institutions  The volunteer portion does not have to do anything it does not want to do  The traditional concepts of motivation, as they apply in the typical workplace, do not apply

Motivation  Traditional motivation theory uses extrinsic reward  If you do your job you will be rewarded  If you do not do your job you will be penalized

The Management Motivation Equation InputsPerformanceOutcomes Effort Time Experience Skills Knowledge Quantity of work Quality of work Level of Customer Service Pay Job security Vacation Job Satisfaction Promotion Pleasure

Why Do People Volunteer?  Volunteers are individuals with unique feelings, motives, and ambitions.  In return for volunteer input, they will have a chance to:  Contribute to a worthwhile cause  Gain some level of recognition for their work  Socialize and have fun  Enhance skills or develop new skills  Getting others to serve in leadership roles means:  Understanding each person’s unique need to serve, and  Understanding what they expect in return for their service  No matter what “job” people have, if they stop getting “paid” (the motivation of their intrinsic paycheck) they will eventually stop coming to “work”

Feels Under-rewarded and Under-valued

What is Motivation?  The forces acting on or within a person that cause the person to behave in a specific, goal-oriented manner What Does Motivation Feel Like?

Make participation worthwhile... build it so they will keep coming back HOW?  Identify the type of individual or group (skills, knowledge) that you need for the specific outcomes for each position  Calling anyone with a pulse???  The better the match, the more likely you are to have a win-win situation, in which the volunteer feels valued and encouraged while the organization's needs are met as well.  Make the effort to create a volunteer position description.

Build it so they will come... back  Set specific expectations  Know and clarify the outcome required for you and the volunteer at the start  There is nothing more de-motivating than being unsure if you are achieving what is required  Critical to have clarity regarding the needs and desired outcomes of both parties

Build it so they will come... back  Don’t minimize the time requirements  Let your volunteers know up front exactly what is involved in their tasks and what is expected of them, and they will appreciate you for it. Tell it like it is.

Build it so they will come... back  Communicate training and support available  A trained volunteer is an effective volunteer  Recruiting volunteers is only half the challenge. You must properly train them so they will work out to be true assets.  Make sure volunteers understand our organization and the important role they play in the bigger picture  On-going training and regular two-way communication helps volunteers stay motivated all the way through the project  Solicit feedback on the task after it is completed?

Build it so they will come... back  Ask the identified individual or group to accept the position  The top reason given by those who had not volunteered was that no one had asked them  Consider providing a simple contract that both you and the volunteer sign, including agreements on what each of you will do to support the volunteer position, the standards and principles, and the benefits created by the position.  Create a bias for action and a structure for success  Establish a clear vision, set achievable, focused goals, use meetings for action items, regularly evaluate progress, celebrate results, and promote based on accomplishment

Build it so they will come... back  Destroy cliques  Greet members and visitors at the door  Assign board members to contact members within the section/chapter  Seat board members at different tables throughout the group  Profile new members in publications  Ask people to volunteer at joining

Build it so they will come... back  Communicate to connect  Offer regular positive feedback – it’s FREE and doesn’t cost a thing  Keep your volunteers informed – they are your workforce They should be regularly updated on what the greater organization is doing A monthly newsletter targeting volunteers can keep them informed of accomplishments, changes, program status, updates on the key organizational performance indicators

Build it so they will come... back  Be sure to RECOGNIZE and THANK your volunteers  People like being appreciated. Appreciated volunteers are more likely to continue to serve.  Recognition should be commensurate to what the volunteer has achieved – it must be earned. False praise can be counter-productive and offensive.  Formal recognition –banquets, annual meetings, annual reports, newsletters, and website. Use their photos.  Informal recognition – acts of kindness, invitations to events, small gifts. Let their boss or partner know how valuable they have been.

Build it so they will come... back  Don’t punish good performance  This occurs when the volunteer who performs very well is rewarded with more work  Spread the love  Grow leaders at every level  Make leader development a goal  Hold volunteer leadership development sessions  Establish mentor programs

Build it so they will come... back  Be genuine, and passionate about the organization and the mission  Sincerity succeeds over technique anytime  Paint a positive picture. Prospective members are drawn to the energy, focus, and enthusiasm being created by engaged volunteers. And, Most Importantly Keep Smiling, Be Enthusiastic, and Have Fun!!!