Volunteer Program Management
April 12, 2013
Kris Sulpizio, CVA
Director Volunteer Services
Your Volunteers Are In It To Win It!
The 3 R’s
Volunteer Program Management
•Recruit
•Retain
•Recognize
Putting the pieces together
Recruitment
• Assessment
 Identify missing pieces or
disconnected & collaborate with
staff
 Define how volunteers would
help
Identify any budget
implications
• Create a work plan
 Strategy
 Steps
 Timeline
 Owners
Creating a Work Plan
•Identify every potential volunteer task
 Make a list and rank in order of importance and
feasibility
 Choose which one(s) to recruit
• Create a job description for each task – use
a template
 Include – Requirements (age, skill, day(s),
time(s), duration is this a one time or ongoing and
location
 One time – generally easier to recruit for
 Ongoing – requires more specifics such as
skill set, frequency
Creating a Work Plan
• Identify the recruitment process
 Where are potential volunteers?
 social, spiritual
 active adult communities
 students in school, college and
vocational centers
 corporations and businesses
 AARP, singles groups, affiliations, i.e.,
retired teachers,
 Current clients
 Court reported
Creating a Work Plan
• Law of attraction
 Make volunteering appealing – put some
“sizzle” into recruitment
Target identified groups
Hold recruitment meetings
Prepare user-friendly website on how to
get connected
 Plan and market “bring a friend”
 Provide a booth at volunteer fairs
 Get your program in the newspaper
Selection Process
• Creating a good fit
 Know when to interview
Manage upfront (Volunteer
Agreement)
 Requirements, Code of Conduct
 Always remember your Mission
 It’s okay to say “no thank you”
 Have a back-up plan
All Aboard the Retention Train
The Journey Begins
• Communicate
 Review JD
• Clarify
 Roles &
Responsibilities
• Connect
 Volunteer with staff
Continuous Process Improvement
• Internal
 Program Evaluation
 Staffing
 Course Correction
Internal
• External
 Survey Says
1. Define
7.
Manage
2. Map
6.
Improve
3. Define
Measures
5.
Analyze
4. Set
Targets
Retention Cycle
• Ready
 Be Prepared
• Recognize
 Personalize & Thanks
• Respond
 Timely &
Knowledgeable
• Repeat
 Consistency
Cycle, Rinse & Repeat
What happens if there is
overload?
 Unforeseen circumstances
Life happens
• How do you balance the
load?
• How do you hit “reset”?
•
Ready
Repeat
Retention
Respond
Recognize
The Little Engine That Could
• Handling difficult situations
Remember the Little Engine that
could
• Practice empathy
Self-Awareness
Self-Regulations
Self Motivation
• Call on the highest good in you
& your volunteer
BUT IF…
The Talk
•Prepare before you meet
 Be curious as to why?
Get your facts straight and
together
Are you set on the outcome? Y/N
Open or closed conversation
Solo or witness? Location?
Determine how long the meeting
will last
Conflict Resolution
Be Prepared
visualize a successful, peaceful
conversation.
Don't Wait
The sooner you resolve conflict,
the easier it is to resolve.
Identify the Problem
Give specific details, including your own
observations, valid documentation.
Listen Actively and with Compassion
Listen actively and remember that things
are not always what they seem.
Find a Private, Neutral Place
Talking about conflict has almost no
chance of succeeding if it’s carried
out in public.
Find a Solution Together
Ask the other party for his or her ideas for
solving the problem.
Be Aware of Body Language
Agree on a Plan of Action
Say what will be done differently.
Share Your Feelings
Nine times out of 10, the real
conflict is about feelings, not facts.
Express Confidence
Thank the other party for being open with you
and express confidence that your work
relationship will be better for having talked
the problem out.
Saying Goodbye
•Begin with a thank you
Stay the course – be objective
use “I” or “it”
Stick to the facts
If the outcome is set – state it
If the end is not clear – seek
collaboration
•End with empathy
Recognition
How many ways do I love thee,
Let Me Count The Ways
Thank you every time
Ask for their input
Thank you notes
Certificates of appreciation
Bulletin board
Letter of recommendation
Quantify their impact
Formal nominations
Pot Luck getting together
Let Me Count The Ways
Walk of fame
Radio/Newspaper
Namesakes
Small Token Gifts
CD, Candles
Themed events
Valentine, Spring
Engage others to help
This One’s For You – Thank You
For caring
For lifting others up
For your patience
For your smiles
For your understanding
For your hugs
For making things better
For teaching & sharing
For giving others a purpose
Feeling Good
Volunteer Resource Guide
• Energize Inc.
www.energizeinc.com
• ePhilanthropyFoundation.org
www.ephilanthropyfoundation.org
• e-volunteerism.com
www.e-volunteerism.com
• Hands On Network
www.handsonnetwork.org
• Idealist.org: Action Without Borders
www.idealist.org
• Independent Sector
www.independentsector.org
• Volunteer Match.org
• www.Volunteer2.com
•National & Global Youth Service Day
http://www.ysa.org/nysd/resource/planning.
cfm
• National Service Resource Center
www.nationalserviceresources.org
• Network for Good
www.networkforgood.org
• Service Leader
www.serviceleader.org
• ServeNet
www.servenet.org
• Students in Service to America
Guidebook
http://www.studentsinservicetoamerica.org/
guidebook/index.html
It’s Your Turn
1. Your 85 year-old volunteer of 15 years is starting to
forget things; she gets confused, sometimes even
losing her temper with other volunteers – what do
you do?
2. You’ve recently recruited a new volunteer with a lot
of talent, his background is in computers, he’s
offered to help other staff learn your new software
program, but the IT person hasn’t responded to your
request. Your CEO has said we need to cut costs –
what do you do?