Have you ever had a volunteer who did not show up for a very
important task, educational class, support group, etc.?
“Now That You Have Volunteers, What Do You
Do With Them?”
NAMI Center for Excellence Liz Smith & Jinneh Dyson
June 27, 2013
Team Mission:
To provide technical assistance and develop the resources, tools and education needed by NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates for excellence in nonprofit and organizational management.
[email protected]@nami.org
www.nami.org/excellence
‘Nita Brown – Vice President, NAMI Colorado Board of Directors
Colleen Duewel – Director, NAMI Education, Training & Peer Support Center
1. Organizational Self-Assessment
2. Volunteer Recruitment Strategies
3. Volunteer Management & Policies
4. Volunteer Retention Practices
A Quick Review:Creating a Successful Volunteer Action Plan for NAMI Affiliates
Key Planning Areas:
Isn’t obligated to work for you,Often works long hours,
Frequently travels long distances,
Doesn’t receive any money, and
May actually spend money on gas, food and office supplies to fulfill their role.
A way to help others; do good deeds
Volunteerism increases self-esteem and competence; training for employment
Studies show that people who volunteer live longer, healthier and happier lives.
Volunteers want to “give back” to organizations like NAMI, who have been there for them.
What are the benefits of volunteering?
Builds organizational capacity
Builds friends
Provides training opportunities
Builds leadership
Decreases current volunteer burn-out
Provides peers with roles and responsibilities
A volunteer program requires organization
Can make you vulnerable - risk management
Demands timely responses and meeting deadlines
Creates new responsibilities
Will need job descriptions and supervision
Volunteers cannot be taken for granted
You must develop real roles with real outcomes and structured time and results
Volunteer Assessment Checklist
Review your Affiliate Annual Action/Strategic Plan.
Review the status of your Goals and Objectives.
Review your yearly Program Activities and Events.
Assess your need to grow your presence in the community.
Assess what you don’t get done and why.
Study how many people currently do how many tasks.
Next: Hold an Affiliate Board/Membership Meeting and complete the Volunteer Needs Assessment Checklist.
Define community stakeholders – traditional & nontraditional partners
Hold community events
Direct mail, print & social media
Radio & broadcast media
NAMI Signature Programs
1. Bring your NAMI Affiliate leaders together.
2. Use the Volunteer Needs Assessment Checklist to prioritize where you need help.
3. Use the Volunteer Project Worksheet to define the task and responsibilities, skills required, and time commitment.
4. Recruit volunteers with a clear and compelling message.
4 Steps to Success:
There is only one thing worse than
training your volunteers and having
them leave, and that's not training
them, and having them stay.
- Unknown
Step 4:
Know the need of your organization◦ Why?◦ What?◦ How?
Develop your vision and mission
Build the foundation◦ Utilize and engage your stakeholders◦ Create policies and procedures◦ Create job descriptions for volunteers
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program…
Step 4:
Tracking and Evaluation◦ How will volunteer information be tracked?◦ How will the success of the program be evaluated?
Training and Orientation◦ Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Risk Management◦ How will risks and challenges be addressed?◦ How will they be mitigated?◦ By whom?
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program…
Step 4:
Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation◦ Recognizing volunteers leads to retention!◦ How will they be recognized and appreciated?◦ What time frame?◦ Who is responsible?
You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.
-- Winston Churchill
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program…
Step 4:
About Us
Why a Volunteer Management Program?◦ More volunteers = meeting more affiliate needs
1st step was to assess the needs of our affiliate
2nd step was to determine who do we have in our affiliate to help develop this program
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program—Part 2
Step 4:
Defined Our Vision and Mission
Created an infrastructure ◦ Needs list with job descriptions◦ Application◦ Policies◦ Orientation/training◦ Supervision◦ Database◦ Liability Insurance◦ Track hours◦ Appreciation Event
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program—Part 2
Developed Process to Engage Volunteers◦ How do we recruit and sustain more volunteers?◦ How will our volunteer program evolve?
Tools We Used◦ Family to Family Classes◦ Meetings ◦ Website◦ Volunteermatch.org
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program—Part 2
Various Roles of Volunteers◦ Education, Advocacy, and Support (Please see Needs List)
Who is in charge????***Volunteer Coordinator (Yes this is a volunteer position!)
Key to program Engaged with Affiliate and sees the need for the
program Good with people Serious about the responsibility Has the time to commit and is a self-starter Persistent Co-coordinator
How To Create a Volunteer Management Program—Part 2