Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona

Lisa Humeniklhumenik@volunteersoaz.org

Service as a Strategy

Service is most effective when it is part of the program design and less

so when it is an afterthought.

Service as a Strategy

Objectives

Explore the reasons why organizations involve volunteers

Prioritize the components of volunteer management infrastructure

Identify components needed to become a service enterprise

Understand a broad spectrum of volunteerism & create a plan to strengthen volunteer involvement in your organization and/or community

If your organization had unlimited resources, would you still want or need volunteers?

Why Volunteers?

First-Choice Reasons

CredibilityMake a difference to the recipientInsiders - outsidersExtend sphere of influenceObjective policy makersLuxury of focus

First-Choice Reasons

Private citizensStrategy for meeting service goalsFreer to criticizeLess pressure and stressExperiment with new ideasExtend the budget

Ellis, Susan (2010). From the Top Down: The Executive Role in Successful Volunteer Involvement, Philadelphia: Energize, Inc.

Other Benefits

Extra handsDiversitySkillsCommunity ownershipAdvocacyLoyaltyDonor development

Ellis, Susan (2010). From the Top Down: The Executive Role in Successful Volunteer Involvement, Philadelphia: Energize, Inc.

Statement of Philosophy

Expresses your organization’s point of view about volunteer involvement

Establish clear relationshipsRecruit new volunteersDemonstrate appreciation of community

involvement

Statement of Philosophy

Our agency encourages the teamwork of employees and volunteers so that we can offer our clients the best services possible. Volunteers contribute their unique talents, skills, and knowledge of our community to provide personalized attention to clients, enable the paid staff to concentrate on the work for which they were trained, and educate the public about our organization and its cause.Ellis, Susan (2010). From the Top Down: The Executive Role in Successful

Volunteer Involvement, Philadelphia: Energize, Inc.

Cycle of Ineffective Volunteer Management

Need assistance to

achieve mission

Finds financial resources deficient

Leadership looks for “free”

labor

Issues a call for volunteers; may or may not be a

good match

Staff member loosely

oversees volunteer effort

Little achievement;

volunteers blamed

What are the elements that need to be in place in order to have a high

impact volunteer program?

Volunteer Management Infrastructure

Volunteer Management Infrastructure*

1) Conduct an organizational needs assessment

2) Develop volunteer program purpose statement

3) Develop policies and procedures4) Create budget and secure resources for

volunteer program5) Identify appropriate positions and develop

volunteer position descriptions6) Create agency/volunteer agreement* In priority order as reached by consensus of the participants in the workshop

Volunteer Management Infrastructure*

7) Train staff to work with volunteers8) Create a recruitment plan9) Develop outreach and marketing materials10)Evaluate risk and create risk management

plan11)Create volunteer application12)Recruit volunteers13)Review applications

* In priority order as reached by consensus of the participants in the workshop

Volunteer Management Infrastructure*

14)Screen volunteers15)Check references16)Run appropriate criminal and/or motor

vehicle background checks17)Place volunteers in positions18)Sign agency/volunteer agreement19)Orient and/or train volunteers

* In priority order as reached by consensus of the participants in the workshop

Volunteer Management Infrastructure*

20)Supervise volunteers21)Recognize volunteers22)Conduct agency/volunteer evaluation

* In priority order as reached by consensus of the participants in the workshop. Note that there may be differences based on the unique characteristics of various agencies and that some steps may be repeated in cyclical pattern throughout the life of the volunteer program.

Published in 1993 but still relevant today

The Points of Light FoundationParadigm Project

Traditional Volunteer Program Model

The New Paradigm

Volunteers serve in peripheral functions

Volunteers are central to

accomplishment of agency mission

Changing the Paradigm

Traditional Volunteer Program Model

The New Paradigm

Volunteer program exists because of history, accident,

inertia

Involvement of volunteers is tied to

the strategic plan for the organization

Changing the Paradigm

Traditional Volunteer Program Model

The New Paradigm

Management of volunteers is

centralized in the volunteer “program”

Volunteer involvement & supervision is

everyone’s responsibility

Changing the Paradigm

Traditional Volunteer Program Model

The New Paradigm

Volunteers are second class workers

Volunteers are equal partners with equal

involvement

Changing the Paradigm

Traditional Volunteer Program Model

The New Paradigm

Volunteers are just there to do a job

Volunteers have creative ideas

Changing the Paradigm

Traditional Volunteer Program Model

The New Paradigm

Volunteers are thought of as nice

“add ons”

Volunteers are thought of as

Changing the Paradigm

Successful Volunteer Programs

Lay the foundation through mission and vision

Combine inspiring leadership with effective management

Build understanding and collaboration

Learn, grow, and change

Reimagining Service

Service Nation/Be the Change

Points of Light Institute

United WayExperience CorpsIndependent SectorVolunteer MatchHabitat for HumanityCase FoundationCity Year

DeloitteGap, Inc.Stanford UniversitySagawa/JospinBank of America

FoundationTargetTCC Group

Reimagining Service

Identify key characteristics and critical success factors of nonprofit organizations that demonstrate outstanding volunteer management practices.

Illuminate behaviors and best practices other nonprofit organizations could adopt in order to improve their volunteer management programs and practices.

Inform the refinement of the Service Enterprise model through interview findings with identified nonprofit organizations.

Reimagining Service

Provide more detail and insight into the operation of nonprofit Service Enterprise organizations.

Compile a final report highlighting interview findings regarding the characteristics of nonprofit Service Enterprise organizations.

Percent of Nonprofits Conducting “Effective” Volunteer Management Practices

Retai

ning

Recru

iting

Supe

rvisin

g

Clarif

ying

Rol

es

Devel

opin

g

Resou

rcin

g

Balan

cing

Ski

lled

& U

nski

lled

Valui

ng/A

ppre

ciat

ion

0%

10%

20%

30%26%

21%

27%

8%

25%

13%

6%

30%

Nearly 75% of nonprofits describe volunteers as a critical component of their business model but only 11% of

organizations in the TCC Group database have over 50 volunteers and

a strong volunteer management model. (Deloitte and TCC Group)

Top Findings

Nonprofit Service Enterprise

Nonprofit Service

Enterprise

Detailed strategic plan

Prioritized initiatives

Standardized training

Volunteer tracking system

Leverage technology for communications

Clear on-boarding and expectations

Ongoing need for funding

Partnerships with other organizations

Traditional Volunteer Roles

Board service

Administrative tasks

Fundraising

Maximizing the Value of Volunteers

Many pairs of handsPro bonoSocial capital

buildingExtra caringCommunity

knowledge

Community ownership

LeadershipConsistencyUp and coming

talent

Sagawa, Shirley (2010). The American Way to Change: How National Service & Volunteers are Transforming America, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

The Volunteer Involvement Framework™

• Youth mentor

• Troop leader

• Sunday School teacher

• Environmental sustainability advocate

• Hospice visitor

• Park host or docent

• Thrift store manager

• Auxiliary member or trustee

CONNECTION TO SERVICE

Affiliation Focus Skill Focus

Ep

iso

dic

Lo

ng

Te

rmTIM

E F

OR

SE

RV

ICE

• Corporate days of service with work teams

• Weekend house-build by a local service club

• Park clean-up event or trail maintenance

• Walkers, bikers, runners for annual fundraiser.

• A one-time audit of an organization’s finances by a professional accountant

• A sports club teaching a youth group a particular skill and hosting youth for an event

• A student completing a degree requirement.

• A chef preparing a meal for a fundraiser

• Pro bono legal counsel

• No-cost medical service by a physician, EMT, nurse, counselor, etc.

• Volunteer fire fighter

• Loaned executive

• Board member

How can we most effectively manage & engage each type of

volunteer?

The Volunteer Involvement Framework™

Service Initiatives & Trends

Federal Support

1930’s – Civilian Conservation Corps

1960’s – Peace Corps, VISTA and RSVP

1990 – Commission on National & Community

Service

1993 – Corporation for National & Community

Service; AmeriCorps

1994 – MLK, Jr. holiday and Day of Service

2002 – USA Freedom Corps

Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

AmeriCorps State and NationalAmeriCorps *VISTAAmeriCorps *NCCCSenior CorpsLearn & Serve AmericaNational Service TrustState Commission Admin GrantsSocial Innovation FundVolunteer Generation Fund

Initiatives & Trends

National Service

Cities of Service

Get HandsOn Challenge

Youth Volunteerism/Service Learning

Strategically Addressing Community Needs Through Service

Identify stakeholders

Identify related needs

Map assets

Identify current strategies

Agree on needed policies, practices, &

guidelines

Design opportunities for citizen involvement

Strengthening Volunteer Involvement in Your Organization

Service is most effective when it is part of the program design and less

so when it is an afterthought.

Service as a Strategy