R ESOURCES FOR W ORKING WITH V OLUNTEERS Informed by 2010 ABE focus groups conducted by the Volunteer Issues Committee of Literacy Action Network Summer Institute 2012

O BJECTIVES Learn about unique resources used by ABE staff in Minnesota to help you with volunteer: Recruitment Training Reporting/data management Risk management Be able to find these resources when you need them Learn about development of volunteer management resources

R ESOURCES B EING U SED N OW The ABE field calls on program staff, in-house resources, and personal connections to help with all aspects of volunteer management. These include: volunteer coordinators, teachers, ABE directors classroom manuals, volunteer management handbooks, existing volunteer policies experienced volunteers as mentors to new volunteers

R ESOURCES B EING U SED N OW volunteer recruitment happens through community organizations, the media, and educational institutions the Minnesota Literacy Council helps in all areas of volunteer management Please see handout for more details!

C OMING S OON In response to focus group results, the Volunteer Issues Committee is working on: A hybrid in-person/distance training option for volunteers to be developed in collaboration with the Minnesota Literacy Council A new and updated Volunteer Management Handbook New tools for volunteer recruitment

C OMING S OON In response to focus group results, the Volunteer Issues Committee is working on (continued): New sample volunteer job descriptions Possible self-assessment/interest tool to place volunteers based on their interests and skills Additional volunteer management trainings

L OOK FOR HANDOUTS AND INFORMATION FROM 2012 SESSIONS ON V OLUNTEER M ANAGEMENT ON THE LAN WEBSITE Surprise! When Volunteers Do Things You Don't Expect Wednesday, August 15 MLC Volunteer Management Conference – November 2012 While the vast majority of volunteers bring us commitment, passion and expertise, sometimes we need to more actively manage a volunteer's involvement. In this session, participants will learn techniques for making decisions regarding volunteer placement and supervision and apply them to specific situations. You'll leave with support and resources for resolving - and preventing - the unexpected.