1. Welcome to Volunteer Management
Amy Thompson

2. Agenda Foundation Introductions Training Overview Agenda M-I-N-G-O!
Volunteer Management Cycle
High Quality Principles
Close

3. M-I-N-G-O! X

4. 2 of 3 volunteers stop volunteering because of poor management.
****************************
Volunteers, especially “Baby Boomers”,
have high expectations:
Good customer service
Meaningful service activities
Well organized experience

5. Volunteer Management Cycle
PLANNING – obtaining buy-in; designing member positions; creating application forms; developing applicable policies and procedures; and educating others in the organization about involving members
RECRUITMENT – who, why, where, when and how. Who would be the ideal member? Why would they be interested in your member opportunity? Where and when can you reach these people? How can you create a recruitment message that encourages potential members to serve for your organization?
Orientation and Training – to give the general information about your organization and the specific information about the member position, provide year long training around position specific, leadership, and life after AmeriCorps.
Supervision and Evaluation – You need to know that the member is fulfilling their role effectively and the member needs affirmation too - assess how the member placement is going and if changes could be made to improve the member’s satisfaction or performance.
Recognition – happens in an informal way every time a “thank you” is said. Formally, members are thanked through celebrations and recognition events planned in their honor. It is important that the thank you fits the member; you need to know your members so that they can be thanked in a way that leaves them feeling truly recognized.

6. High Quality Principles – Initial Discussion
What principles stand out for you the most?
What are your greatest challenges in this area?
What effective practices do you currently do that fit with one or more of these principles?
What ideas do you have that you could implement or talk with other staff back at your programs about that could help you to ensure one or more of these principles are integrated into your program in a high quality way?

7. Activity Guiding Principles
The future in born in webs of human conversation
Compelling questions encourage collective learning
Networks are the underlying pattern of living systems
Intelligence emerges as we connect in diverse and creative ways
Collectively, we have access to all the wisdom and resources we need

8. Activity Etiquette Focus on what matters Contribute your thinking
Speak your mind and heart
Listen to understand
Link and connect ideas
Listen together for insights and deeper questions
Document, Document, Document
HAVE FUN!

9. High Quality Principles – Wrap Up
What are the top 2 priorities that stand out for you
What two steps or ideas are you going to take or implement when you get back to your work?

10. Planning
Conduct a needs assessment that at a min. involves the community;
Get buy-in from all stakeholders in project planning and development;
Project vision, mission and goals that fit with those of the overall organization;
Organization budgets money

11. Planning
Other org. staff see volunteers as assets and understand their roles;
Organization implements strategies to promote positive staff/volunteer relationships;
Top management demonstrates support; and
Regularly assess project strengths and challenges

12. Recruitment and Selection
Written description of the qualities of an ideal candidate based on community needs and program activities;
Written list of benefits volunteers receive as a part of service;
Written position descriptions, developed in conjunction with stakeholders that detail essential and marginal functions, time commitment, workload, supervisor, etc.;
Written, strategic, innovative year-long recruitment and selection plan, developed in conjunction with stakeholders

13. Recruitment and Selection
Recruit and select a diverse pool of volunteers that reflect the communities in which they serve;
Actively recruit individuals with disabilities;
Application elicits enough information to determine whether the prospective volunteer is a potential fit;
Selection process thoroughly assesses volunteer background, skills, accomplishments, motivation, goals, and commitment

14. Recruitment and Selection
Selection process involves a diversity of participants that have a stake in program;
Program matches volunteers to appropriate positions and sites; and
Program gets feedback from partners on effectiveness of recruitment and selection process;

15. Support
Agreement that outlines expectations, agreements, and consequences (signed by volunteer and organization)
Written list of skills and knowledge volunteers need to serve
Assess training needs with volunteers and sites
Orientation is planned and developed with stakeholders and prepares volunteers for beginning of service
Provide volunteers with information on community and agency
Written, year-long training plan, developed in partnership with stakeholders
Regularly assess training effectiveness and make needed modifications

16. Support
Yearly evaluations that provide performance feedback (2 times per year for AmeriCorps State and National)
Yearly opportunities for volunteers to assess program impact and support
Use evaluations to make yearly programmatic and volunteer improvements
Written strategy to retain volunteers
Provide each volunteer with a point of contact that provides support and supervision

17. Recognition
Written plan to internally and externally recognize volunteers for accomplishments and community impact
Implement creative motivational strategies
Allow for reflection opportunities to celebrate and document accomplishments and experiences
Provide documentation to volunteers that demonstrate their impact

18. Amy Thompson CAC Consulting 512.448.0401 CACconsulting@hotmail.com
Thank You and Good Luck!
Amy Thompson
CAC Consulting