Unlimited Potential
The Importance of Volunteers for Extension Success
Improving Lives. Improving Texas.
Why do we want volunteers?
Volunteers: A Valuable Asset
Volunteers help Extension:
• Reach more people in Texas
• Ensure that our programs are
relevant
• Deliver Extension education
• Interpret the value of Extension
to others
Volunteers: A Powerful Force
2009 Texas AgriLife Extension
Volunteer Statistics:
• 104,672 volunteers statewide
• Total number of hours given:
4,058,422
• This is an average of almost
40 hours per person in 2009
Volunteers: A Powerful Force
2009 Texas AgriLife Extension
Volunteer Statistics:
• The dollar value of the volunteer
time given = $83,183,053.40
(figured using the value of volunteer time given by
the Independent Sector, currently $21.47/hour)
• Contributions of Extension
volunteers equal ~ 2,140 FTEs
(full-time equivalents)
Volunteers: A Powerful Force
2009 Texas AgriLife Extension
Volunteer Statistics:
• 18,639 volunteers helped teach
and lead educational programs,
reaching 3,023,932 Texans.
Without volunteers,
our Extension programs
will never reach their
true potential.
It’s All In Our Attitude!
• If our view of working with Extension
volunteers is a negative one, we will never
fully utilize volunteers.
• If we never fully utilize volunteers, our
programs will not have positive outcomes.
• Weak outcomes means not having an
impact.
• Not having a true impact leads to
becoming irrelevant.
• Irrelevancy is a great reason to downsize
or do away with our organization.
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers have credibility
because they are unsalaried.
Benefits of having Volunteers
Receiving assistance from a
volunteer (rather than from an
employee) makes a difference
to the recipient.
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers are
insider/outsiders
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers extend our
sphere of influence
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers are valuable as
objective policy or program
makers/creators.
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers bring the
luxury of focus
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers are more free to
criticize
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers feel less
pressure and stress
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers are always
“private citizens.”
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers can experiment.
Benefits of having Volunteers
Volunteers extend our budget.
Volunteers offer Extension unlimited
potential.
They are gold. If, and how, we discover
and capitalize on that gold is up to us!
Presentation References
Burkham, Angela & Boleman, Chris. 2005.
Volunteer Administration in the 21st Century:
Roles Volunteers Play in Extension. Texas
AgriLife Extension Publication (D-1451).
Ellis, Susan J. 1999. From The Top Down: The
Executive Role in Volunteer Program Success.
Energize, Inc. Philadelphia, PA