Michigan’s Campaign
to End Homelessness
AmeriCorps Program
Volunteer Handbook
A guide to volunteer program development
Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
Revised 10/21/13
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Expectation: Volunteers are free
2
3
PART A
Benefits of Volunteerism
The difference between needing and wanting volunteers
4
4
PART B
Ten Steps to Designing a Successful Volunteer Program
5
PART C
Determining Volunteer Necessity
6
Step 1: Needs assessment
6
INSERT
Risk Assessment
8
PART D
Designing a Volunteer Program
Step 2: Gaining buy-in
Step 3: Creating a position description
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PART E
Volunteer Recruitment
Step 4: Design a recruitment strategy
Volunteer motivations
Step 5: Start recruiting
12
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14
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Volunteer Management
Step 6: Volunteer orientation and screening
Step 7: Volunteer training
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16
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Volunteer Implementation
Step 8: Run your project and implement your volunteers
Volunteer Retention and Recognition
19
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PART H
Program Evaluation
Step 9: Evaluate your volunteer program
23
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Sample Sign-In Form
PART I
Program Reporting
Step 10: Report your results in OnCorps
Measuring “Change in Knowledge”
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Appendix F:
Recruitment Challenges
Take the Boomer Challenge!
Take the Veteran Challenge!
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Appendix G:
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Sample Intake/Exit Survey
Appendices
Appendix A:
Volunteer Position Description
Appendix B:
Volunteer Motivation Chart
Appendix C:
PART F
PART G
PART J
Conclusion
Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
Volunteer Resources
Appendix D:
Sample Evaluation Survey
Appendix E:
Sample Evaluation Survey
Partnering Organizations:
AmeriCorps is made up of three main programs:
AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for
adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a
network of partnerships with local and national
nonprofit groups.
Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH) is a
statewide association of housing, shelter, and service
providers to the homeless as well as concerned citizens.
It provides information, data, training, best practices,
and advocacy on issues pertaining to affordable housing
and human services. In 2008, MCAH and Michigan State
Housing Development Authority partnered to develop
Michigan’s CTEH AmeriCorps Program. Managed by
MCAH, the program places members with agencies that
offer services to homeless or at-risk individuals.
Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness (CTEH)
AmeriCorps program members fill a critical gap in
services at agencies working with homeless
populations. Acting as housing and services liaisons,
they perform outreach activities and assist
individuals experiencing homelessness or those atrisk of homelessness to assess barriers to housing,
develop strategic plans, and identify housing
opportunities.
The Michigan Community Service Commission
(MCSC), through the Corporation for National and
Community Service, funds national service programs
in Michigan, in the form of AmeriCorps and Learn
and Serve. It also supports a variety of other
initiatives related to service and volunteerism. The
MCSC is housed in the Michigan Department of
Human Services.
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Introduction
Volunteerism is widely respected for its value as an operative approach to service-based living. Both
individuals looking to volunteer and those looking for volunteers understand the importance of
volunteers in projects large and small.
According to the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS), 13,000 volunteers in the state of
Michigan helped meet local needs, strengthened communities and increased civic engagement in 2012.
The CNCS will commit more than $28,640,000 to Michigan communities through national initiatives to
help increase volunteerism within the communities.
Not only is volunteer recruitment a requirement for our program, it is a requirement for all AmeriCorps
programs delegated through the CNCS. Some programs that have volunteer requirements in the state of
Michigan are the Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps, Goodwill Grand Rapids AmeriCorps
Partnership and Michigan’s Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps program.
Volunteering helps enhance the communities of Michigan, but also adds valuable experiences to your
service year. Rarely does a potential volunteer just walk through the front door, but rather the process
of recruiting, training and managing volunteers must be thoughtfully approached. If you put a little
thought and planning into volunteers and you continue to invest in your volunteers over time, it will be
rewarding for your term of service, the volunteer and the agency you are serving.
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Expectation: Volunteers are free
Creating a successful volunteer experience takes work. In order to implement an effective volunteer
recruitment and retention strategy, it is important for one to have a basic understanding of the steps to
create a successful volunteer program.
But before jumping into these steps, it is important to point out that volunteers are not without cost.
Volunteer programs cost time and money; they require planning and support from the board,
management, staff and any existing volunteers. The monetary value of a volunteer is dependent on a
number of contributing factors (e.g., job description, hourly wage, benefits), but simply considering
volunteer hours as free service fails to account for the various hidden costs involved with supporting
volunteers.
These costs may include:
 Volunteer advertising/
recruitment
 Training and orientation
 Supplies and equipment
 Travel expenses
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Accommodations and food
Daycare/babysitting expenses
Staff time (supervision, etc.)
Insurance
Building costs and expenses
Quality volunteer programs are able to master the values exchange (i.e., program costs versus volunteer
value). They provide volunteers with a satisfying, meaningful experience while at the same time
delivering high quality services to clients of the community. A well-managed program prevents many of
the pitfalls of volunteerism, including staff dissatisfaction and volunteer turnover.
AmeriCorps members dedicated to increasing volunteerism in Michigan and creating successful
volunteer experiences may use this handbook as a reference guide. This handbook is designed to take
you through the steps to volunteer recruitment from the beginning of the program assessment to the
evaluation of the volunteer program.
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PART A: Benefits of Volunteerism
Before introducing recruitment strategies, it is important to understand that the quality of a program
will directly impact the programs results. Well-planned programs will create results that manifest as a
series of perceivable benefits, both by the nonprofit/organization and by the individual volunteers.
In order to create a beneficial volunteer experience for everyone involved, consider the following point:
There is a difference between needing and wanting volunteers
Wanting a volunteer is all about unrealistic expectations – lofty ideas about what volunteers do for the
organization. Volunteers should not be used to boost the organization’s profile within the community;
they should not be used as talking points in media (e.g., “We have volunteers here today…”). Even
though service organizations are supposed to have volunteers, if volunteers are not utilized for
meaningful projects, it wastes organization’s, volunteers’ and your time. Staff may also feel unsettled by
volunteers without clearly designated roles. Valuable staff time may be spent assigning and supervising
menial tasks. Furthermore, the volunteer will be able to recognize their role as impractical or
unnecessary. They might feel bored or uncomfortable and in the worse case scenario they may lose
interest in volunteering.
Social service organizations keep volunteers because they need
and have a use for them. The prestige and talking points
provided by volunteers are a secondary reason to benefit the
organization. A volunteer is needed – and thereby valued – in an
organization when they have a specific role. In other words, the
volunteer has a specific place within the mission of the
organization and there is time and money dedicated to them.
Finally, volunteers are needed when they are supervised and put
into organizational structures. In these instances, everyone
benefits. The organization is able to allocate important tasks to qualified volunteers and therefore, use
their time to complete their personal position responsibilities. The volunteer recognizes their role as
valuable and feels like an integrated member of the organization. They will feel as if they have
accomplished something useful and will look forward to volunteering again.
In short, needed volunteers are integrated into the organization, whereas wanted volunteers won’t
accomplish much and may cause frustration. To create the best results through your volunteer program,
ensure that the volunteers are incorporated as a valued team member, completing a necessary role.
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PART B: Ten Steps to Designing a Successful Volunteer Program
STEP 1
Complete a needs assessment
STEP 2
Gain buy-in from the agency you serve
STEP 3
Create a written position description(s)
STEP 4
Design a recruitment strategy
STEP 5
Start recruiting
STEP 6
Volunteer Screening and Orientation
STEP 7
Volunteer Training
STEP 8
Run your project, implement your volunteer
STEP 9
Evaluate your volunteer program
STEP 10
Report your results in OnCorps
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PART C: Determining Volunteer Necessity
Step 1: Complete a needs assessment
Understanding appropriate instances of volunteer service will help to ensure that a volunteer is needed
rather than wanted. Although there is no single factor that determines when a volunteer position is
necessary or not, there are some simple considerations to take into account. Consider the following
questions when deciding the necessity of recruiting a volunteer.
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What is the timeline? – Determine how long you have to plan for a volunteer and if you have a
reasonable timeline of implementation. Remember that volunteers expect a well-organized and
specified role.
How long? - Consider whether the volunteer position would be on-going or a one-time event.
Clearly communicate this to interested volunteers.
Will the volunteer position(s) require training? – If yes, calculate the costs of training (including
staff time) and decide if the price is worth the benefit. If this is a one-time position requiring
training multiple volunteers, consider a group training session.
Will the position be meaningful? – Ask yourself: Would I enjoy the volunteer position? Make
sure the position will be meaningful if you are hoping to earn loyalty from your volunteer.
Will staff be available? – Remember that volunteers require dedicated staff time. Will you or
another staff member/volunteer be available to recruit, train, and direct the volunteer? Will
he/she feel included?
How big is the event/project? – Assuming that the volunteer position is created for some sort of
event, how many volunteers would you need? Do not assume that a big event requires huge
numbers of volunteers. Volunteers do not like to stand around, so be ardent about creating
actual positions and not just general categories for volunteers.
Could we do it without a volunteer? – If enough staff is available, do not waste time on creating
unnecessary volunteer positions. Ask yourself whether a volunteer position might cause staff
discomfort through its potential to “steal” current staff responsibilities.
Will the benefits outweigh the cost? – Complete a “values exchange” form to determine
whether or not the volunteer position would be worth the effort.
Once you have answered these questions, you can decide whether or not to move forward with
volunteer position creation. To get a better idea of how these questions might determine volunteer
necessity, consider the following examples.
Example A:
The family shelter you serve has a playroom that is dark, dingy, and generally dirty. The
toys are so tangled that no one can play with them and many are broken. Kids are sent
to the playroom to give their parents some time alone in the evenings, but they rarely
spend time there, complaining of being bored. The staff of the shelter is busy – there are
too many families in need and not enough time in the day.
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There is some money, donated by a community member, to paint the room and buy
organization shelving, but members of staff have been too busy with daily
responsibilities to do so.
Example B
Your Continuum of Care is hosting a Project Homeless Connect event. At your last PHC
event, the volunteer turnout rate was high, but volunteer surveys revealed that many
seemed dissatisfied with their position. Some wrote that they were unprepared for their
position duties and others mentioned that they were “standing around” for much of the
event. The event is expected to be bigger this year, so there is pressure to have a similar
(if not larger) volunteer turnout. You are taking the lead on volunteer recruitment and
recognize that volunteers form the backbone of the event.
Example C:
The Habitat ReStore you serve has had a lull in business as of late. Staff members inform
you that the time of year plays a major role in the number of patrons that are likely to
make donations and/or purchases at the store. Everyone seems to have less to do than
normal. You want the ReStore to be given the attention it deserves and believe that
volunteers would be a great way to boost the profile. Volunteers would be easy to find
and could complete some of the simple daily responsibilities.
As illustrated in these examples, decisions about volunteer necessity are not always black and white.
Rather, the necessity of volunteer positions is almost entirely situational. If you can answer the final
question in the list above positively when designing volunteer positions, you most likely will have a
successful experience.
The important thing to remember is that volunteer positions must be valuable, both for the volunteer
and the agency/organization being served. There are various volunteer positions that can create a
meaningful volunteer experience. The following list of volunteer positions is in no way exhaustive, so
feel free to be creative when designing your own agency volunteer program.
Instances of Volunteerism may include:
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Community projects
Project Homeless Connect
Fundraising (though limited)
Distributing food
Mentoring youth
Building projects
Awareness campaigns
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Driving
Event registration
General labor
Teaching/tutoring
Special skill positions
And many more…
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INSERT: Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is the identification, assessment and prioritization of risk followed by an action to
minimize, monitor or control the effects. The process of risk management can seem intimidating, as
there is risk in almost every worthwhile volunteer position. However, going through the risk assessment
process enables effective risk management and risk reduction.
The most important aspect of risk assessment is the inclusion of clear, consistent volunteer
management policies and procedures. Policies and procedures (including steps regarding volunteer
screening, training, supervision, evaluation, and even recognition) help to ensure that risk management
is incorporated into the volunteer position(s). Many host sites will already have a set of policies and
procedures concerning volunteer management, so it is important to familiarize yourself with these.
Often the procedures will include volunteer forms. These forms should be relevant to the position.
Waiver forms may include Informed Risk or Liability Release Forms, Confidentiality Forms, Internet
Acceptable Use Policies, Press Release Forms, Youth Parent Permission Forms, Background Check
Release Forms, etc. There is not any form that can prevent someone from filing suit. However, good risk
management helps to limit the possibility and provides a basis for winning any suits
You also need to determine the areas of risk for your specific volunteer position, recognizing that
different positions will have unique risks and therefore, management strategies. Areas of risk
consideration include:
People
 Physical safety – as it relates
to the environment, use of
equipment, driving, etc.
 Social and emotional issues –
discrimination, volunteer’s
treatment of others, sharing
of personal information
Property
 Is all property
protected from
potential damage,
loss, or theft?

Income
Community Goodwill
 Possibility of lawsuits,
theft, and associated
insurance costs
Is the cost worth the
risk?
 Public perception
could be at risk in
instances of injury or
harm to the volunteer
When assessing risk, it is important that you remember that risk can be multidirectional. The volunteer
or organization may be at risk. For example:
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Volunteer liability – risks of lawsuits to the individual volunteer
Organizational liability due to the volunteer - include actions involving fraud, breach of
confidentiality, damage to the organization’s property, and any actions of volunteers that may
cause harm to other volunteers, clients, or employees
Organizational liability to the volunteer - includes damage that may be done as a result as
actions (or inactions) including unsafe working conditions and discriminatory practices that may
cause harm
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Make sure you consider each of the previous areas and the direction(s) of liability. Note that certain
state and federal laws and the purchase of insurance mitigate some of these risks.
Risk Management Process
Phase 1: Establish the Context
 Assess the environment of the volunteer position or project
 Consider creating a risk checklist to evaluate the environment
Phase 2: Acknowledge and Identify the Risk
 Clarify the potential for risk
 Consider the areas of risk
Phase 3: Evaluate and Prioritize the Risk
 Categorize the risk as one of the following
o Must be prevented
o Can be prevented or controlled
o Is acceptable
o Requires insurance to limit exposure
Phase 4: Determine the organizational response to the risk
 Avoid: avoid the risk entirely by dissolving the position
 Accept: accept the possibility of risk when the benefits
outweigh the costs
 Reduce and eliminate: modify the environment to reduce risk
 Transfer: example: holding the event offsite usually means
some of the risk is transferred to property owners
Phase 5: Develop a plan
 Implement relevant policies and procedures
 Make necessary modifications and equipment purchases
 Train staff
 Complete checklists, relevant forms, etc.
 Purchase any necessary insurance
Finally, familiarize yourself with requirements regarding vulnerable populations (the elderly, minors, or
those with disabilities), as these populations may require some specific forms and processes.
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Resources to learn more about Volunteer Risk Assessment:
1. Insurance agents, lawyers and human resource department offer information about volunteer
coverage, liability claims, etc.
2. Volunteer Centers of Michigan hold webinars on risk assessment and may direct you to more
resources
3. Volunteer Risk Management Tutorial by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center includes risk
assessment questions, safety checklist, sample disclaimer and background check release
statement at http://nonprofitrisk.org/tools/volunteer/intro/1.htm
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PART D: Designing a Volunteer Program
Step 2: Gain buy-in from the agency you serve
AmeriCorps language dictates that as a member you serve, but do not work, at your hosting agency.
Although AmeriCorps members are integral parts of the host site, it is important to secure staff support
before making decisions on volunteer program implementation. The paid
staff at your agency has likely been working there long enough to
recognize staffing gaps. They may be able to help you come up with ideas
for where and when volunteers can serve, as well as what they can do.
They might even be able to direct you on where to find volunteers!
Furthermore, staff can educate you on set policies and procedures
concerning risk assessment, which will likely save you a lot of time.
Encouraging the staff to assist you in volunteer generation and
programming will not only increase your understanding of the agency itself
and local volunteer pools, but also will help educate staff on your role as
an AmeriCorps member.
Make sure to keep them updated on program progress. Report your
successes and seek input on places that need improvement. Discuss the program goals and objectives
(e.g., number of volunteers, number of clients served) as well as the program budget with staff.
Remember to ask about policies and procedures. Prior to implementation, provide the staff with
training on the workings of the volunteer program so they can help you create a welcoming
environment.
Finally, do not forget to make it clear to paid staff that volunteers are brought in to support and enhance
their work, not to replace them.
Step 3: Create a written position description
A volunteer is entitled to know just what their position expectations are. A good way to communicate
those expectations is to write a project position description. This description should include the position
title, description of duties/responsibilities, qualifications, any required training, and the name of the
volunteer supervisor. Specificity in the position description will encourage volunteer interest. Refer back
to Example A for a sample position description:
Project Title: Revitalized Play Room
Supervisor: Head of Children’s Services (include name and any necessary contact information)
Description: Sort and organize toys, discarding broken ones; clean the playroom including mopping and
dusting; paint the walls in a professional manner with sharp lines and a drop cloth.
Qualifications: Experience painting preferred
Training: None
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Providing a position description is essential to guarantee the best outcome for the volunteer program. A
written position provides structure and clearly lays out expectations. The description should help the
volunteer and staff members avoid unnecessary
See Appendix A for Sample Volunteer
confusion about volunteer roles and responsibilities.
Position Description
PART E: Volunteer Recruitment
Step 4: Design a recruitment strategy
Steps 4 and 5 will likely take as long, if not longer, than all the other steps combined. These two steps
contain the bulk of the process, both in time and in resources. Make sure you leave enough time to plan
and execute your specific recruitment strategy. Since organizations cannot often depend on their own
reputation to draw in volunteers, it is important to know where to look, what to say and how to act
when recruiting.
Where to look
When seeking and determining a viable candidate to become a volunteer, first consider the position
description. If you are looking for someone with painting experience, you most likely will not advertise
the position at a local middle or high school. Low-skill positions that require little experience allow you
to access a much larger volunteer pool, whereas positions requiring specific qualifications may force you
to be more strategic in your approach.
The traditional volunteer pools are either groups of people who are looking to volunteer such as service
organizations or groups of people who are apt to volunteer like churches. These groups will not
necessarily have personal or professional ties to an organization where they volunteer. Other
unconventional places to look for volunteers are where people will likely have personal or professional
ties to an organization. This type of nontraditional volunteer pool may create a body of volunteers with
pre-existing loyalties.
Examples of traditional pools:
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Volunteer centers
Retired and senior volunteer
programs
Schools and college
service-learning programs
Service clubs
Religious Groups
AARP
Sororities and fraternities
Professional organizations
Volunteer fairs
Examples of nontraditional pools:
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Current clients
Former clients
Families of clients
People with disabilities
Unemployed people
Donors
Interns
Court mandated community
service
Stay at home parents
Family of employees
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Every pool of volunteers has its own potential difficulties. Volunteers have a diversity of commitments
and it is important not to make the mistake of assuming that they will be available whenever you need
them. They may be unavailable during normal operating hours or unwilling to make long-term
commitments.
Furthermore, many volunteers will have expectations of you: letters of recommendation, references for
a job application, a signature for probation hours, childcare or bus fare money, etc. In each of these
cases, you must decide your level of flexibility – consider what needs you are willing to accommodate
and what sorts of changes you would be willing to make in order for a volunteer to accept a position.
What to say
However you ask people to volunteer (face-to-face, presentations to a group, flyers, website posting,
postcards, etc.), make sure you are specific about what the position requires. If the volunteer position
requires training, a background check, or a TB test, make sure to include that information.
Tailor recruitment messages for different volunteer motivations (see below for Volunteer Motivations).
Think about the types of motivations that the volunteer position is likely to fulfill, and make the
recruitment materials reflect that sort of language. For example:
Volunteer Motivation
Sample Recruitment Message
Altruism
“Think of all the good you can do!”
Social
“Your friends will be proud of you.”
Value
“Help make housing a human right.”
Career
“Even the President volunteers…think of where volunteering can take you!”
Understanding
Protective
Enhancement
“Want to understand the housing crisis? Ask someone without a home.”
“Why not keep busy helping others?”
“They need you.”
How to Act
Apply your research methods and start recruiting. Always be recruiting. Many volunteers, especially
baby boomers, are most likely to volunteer simply because they are personally asked. Personal
invitations to volunteer at agency or community events can go a long way toward filling positions.
In addition, remember that volunteers require your best hosting skills. If an interested potential
volunteer walks into your agency, make them feel welcome. If you can, show them around and
introduce them to available staff. Similarly, if an individual makes volunteer inquiries via phone or email,
be responsive! Respond quickly, answering any questions and providing any necessary information. Do
not put volunteer inquiries off. Let them know that you are excited to have them on board and look
forward to meeting them face-to-face.
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VOLUNTEER MOTIVATIONS
Volunteer motivations are often overlooked in the recruitment process. However, it is important to note
that knowing the motivations of volunteers will help you create meaningful volunteer opportunities.
Volunteers are more likely to feel like an important part of the project or organizations goal once their
motivations are understood. By building a relationship with the volunteer and engaging them in
activities that reflect their motivations, you are more likely to increase retention of volunteers.
Think about the times you have volunteered. Why did you volunteer? Do you always like everything you
do while volunteering? Would the experience have been better had the volunteer managers understood
your motivations or needs?
Do not make the mistake of assuming that all volunteers are motivated by altruism. As much as we
would like to believe that all volunteers are unselfishly devoted to the welfare of others, these types of
volunteers are more likely to be the exception, not the rule. We know from personal experience with
volunteering that our motivations are usually more complicated than that.
Instrumentality Theory of Motivation
The following chart is based upon the Instrumentality Theory of Motivation and has been adapted for
volunteer management purposes. Instrumentality theory predicts that people will be motivated to
volunteer if they believe that volunteering will help them get something they value. Consider these
reasons for volunteering when you are recruiting volunteers.
Motivation
Social
Value
Career
Understanding
Protective
Enhancement
Desired outcome/reason to volunteer
To satisfy the expectations of friends and close others
To express humanitarian and pro-social values through action
To explore career options and increase the likelihood of a particular career path
To gain greater understanding of the world, the people in it, and ultimately, oneself
To distract oneself from personal problems or to work through problems in the context of service
To boost self-esteem, to feel important and needed by others, and to form new friendships
Adapted from “Motivating People to Volunteer Their Services,” by Milena Meneghetti, in The Volunteer Management Handbook.
Be sure to consider these motivations alongside the altruistic motivation. Often the reasons for
volunteering are mixed, so it is important to get a sense of what motivates your volunteer to encourage
a meaningful experience and volunteer retention. Knowing what motivates a volunteer helps put into
perspective what they might enjoy doing, and thereby provide a
See Appendix B for a list of
good experience.
volunteer motivations, their
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
resulting outcome, sample
roles, and target recruitment
messages.
Another theory to explain volunteerism is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The theory explains how each
need (based in a pyramid fashion) must be fulfilled before going onto the next level. These five needs
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are physiological; security and safety; love and belonging; self-esteem; and self-actualization.
Physiological needs are vital for living (e.g., breathing, food water), safety and security needs are
important for survival (e.g., security of body, employment, morality), and love and belonging needs (e.g.,
friendship, intimacy, and family) make us feel complete. After those needs have been met, esteem
becomes important—individuals need to be respected. The last level refers to the person’s full potential
and the realization of that potential (i.e. “best of the best”). When applying three descriptors of
volunteerism (achievement, affiliation, and power), it helps explain volunteer motivation in more
simplistic terms.
Power
Achievement
Affiliation
When one is seeking the need for power and it is used for the purpose of bringing about change that
benefits others or mirrors a strong concern for the organization, then it is a positive aspect. It is when
actions are such that the overpowering pressure is self-focused that we associate power in a negative
light. When considering the response to volunteering through achievement, this is generally when the
volunteer is in a position that allows them to satisfy their need in being challenged. It coincides with
Maslow’s need of self-esteem. In situations where the individual lends to sacrifice people for their goals,
it results in a negative outcome. When one wants to volunteer to have affiliation towards an
organization, it is the answer to those volunteers who are attracted to the goals or ideals of the
organization. When a person would sacrifice the organization’s goals or ideals to keep people happy or
become overly concerned in seeking approval it is also seen as negative. Affiliation is tied to Maslow’s
need for love and sense of belonging. Now that you have taken these theories into consideration, you
can apply them to recruiting.
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Step 5: Start recruiting
Now, it is time to start recruiting! The most important thing to remember for this step is to give
yourself and the volunteers enough time. Planning a recruitment strategy is only half of the recruitment
process. So again, make sure you leave enough time to execute your strategy.
1) Determine your target audience. It will depend on what type of volunteers you are gathering. You will
want to target traditional and non-traditional pools.
2) Construct recruitment message based on target audience. Messages should:
-Catch attention with a good opening
-Present a complete picture of the volunteering experience
-Make sure the message is clear and intelligible
-Test the message on others to ensure it is correct
-Make sure the message is inviting
3) Determine what method you will use to distribute your recruitment message
-Social media (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, various volunteer websites, etc.)
-Word-of-mouth (e.g., campuses, local schools, church groups)
-Personal and/or professional contacts
-Professional advertisements (e.g., pamphlets, newspapers, etc.)
4) Apply your research and methods and start recruiting.
See Appendix C for a list of websites where you can post volunteer positions for free. For more ideas on
volunteer recruitment or for a more comprehensive list of local resources, contact your program’s Volunteer
Coordinator.
PART F: Volunteer Management
Step 6: Volunteer screening and orientation
Screening
Volunteer screening is a step that is potentially more useful
for long-term volunteers, or for volunteers whom you
would like to use in leadership positions (i.e. project
manager). Screening is also important if you work with
clients that need to be treated with high confidentiality,
such as domestic abuse victims. Screening professionalizes
volunteer programs while also helping to minimize possible
risk. Use screening to test compatibility and volunteer
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experience in order to ensure that the volunteer is a good fit for the position.
When screening a volunteer, be sure to follow the agency’s established rules and procedures. They may
already have a volunteer orientation process that you will be expected to follow. When using volunteers
for a one-time event, you will still need to screen members depending on the service agency and
project. For instance, if you are doing an outside project with a domestic abuse shelter, you will need to
adhere by their screening process. Most often, one-time volunteers will sign a confidentiality form.
Other screening processes begin with an application.
See Appendix D for Sample Volunteer
Application
Applications can be used to collect demographic
information for organizers, or as a way to learn
about the volunteer’s personality. You can make a basic application that asks for general information or
a complicated application asking for a resume, references, or even essays. The simplest applications will
likely get the most responses, so it is best not to request additional information if your site does not
require it.
After the application has been reviewed, you can set up an interview with the prospective volunteer if
you want to get to know them better on a more personal level. Use this time to reaffirm expectations –
what the volunteer expects of the agency and what the agency expects of the volunteer.
Finally, there may be additional requirements. Some shelters, for example, require TB tests and some
positions may require background checks. Make sure that these potential liabilities are covered before
allowing any volunteer to work with your agency.
Orientation
Depending on the structure of your organization, an orientation can occur immediately after a
successful interview, or later on in a group setting. Volunteer orientation should provide the volunteer
with four essential things:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Position description
Program policies
Code of Conduct
Orientation to organization and position
The position description is simple enough; this was already completed back in Step 3, so it is just a
matter of handing it out or answering any pertinent questions relating to the position. Explaining
program policies might require some reading and paperwork. Allow the volunteer time to look through
the paperwork or read it aloud if necessary. Again, be ready to answer questions. If your host site
requires signed paperwork (such as a code of conduct or waiver of liabilities), make sure the volunteer
knows what he/she is signing. If there is no code of conduct, have the volunteer sign the position
description as evidence that he/she understands the expectations.
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The amount of paperwork required to read through should be limited. A lot of paperwork shows that
you are taking the position seriously, but too much can be off-putting to those who “just” want to
volunteer. Provide any forms that the volunteer may need, such as background check paperwork,
information on how to receive a TB test, any other additional forms your organization requires. Make it
as easy as possible for the volunteer to complete these steps.
Orientation should also provide the volunteer with the agency’s mission and function. By the end of
orientation, the volunteer should understand the agency’s mission, purpose and clients the agency may
serve. Tell the volunteer about exciting new development, so they feel like they are a part of the larger
mission. You may want to prepare a welcome packet with a note, newsletter or other useful
publications.
Show volunteers around the agency. Introduce them to all relevant staff and give them a tour of the
place, making note of important landmarks (restroom facilities, volunteer work stations, copy machine,
etc.). However, do not overdo it and bore the volunteer. Too many introductions or too much
information might cause the volunteer to feel overwhelmed or lose interest. Include all pertinent
information and nothing more. Volunteers will likely enjoy learning more as they go.
Most importantly, use this as a time to familiarize yourself with the volunteer and build mutual trust.
They are likely a new face in an already-established place, so make yourself helpful, and assure them
that you or another staff member will be available to help them.
For one-time projects, a quick tour and time to educate the group about the agency may suffice. Again,
the most important thing to remember is that the volunteers should feel welcome and that their work is
valued and they can see the effect they have on the organization.
Step 7: Volunteer training
Volunteer training can fall into two major
categories: formal or informal training.
Formal training is usually required for more
intensive or sensitive volunteer positions, often for
reasons of liability. It will likely take place in a
classroom setting for a set period of time,
following a specific curriculum. Formal training
methods might include: case studies, role-playing,
Q&A, panels, lectures, demonstrations, or group
discussions.
Informal training, on the other hand, is generally on-the-job and is targeted for episodic or one-day
project volunteers. Volunteers with no-risk or low-risk positions probably can get by using informal
training methods. Informal training could easily be combined with orientation. This method also
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includes placing a volunteer directly with their supervisor to shadow their work as a form of on-the-job
training.
The training needs of an organization are determined both by the volunteer manager/supervisor, who is
interested in reducing liability, and by the volunteer him/herself, who wants to know what to do and
how to do it. But be careful - too much training might lead to boredom or intimidation and has the
potential to alienate the volunteer. On the other hand, too little training leaves the volunteer feeling
uncertain of their responsibilities. Be selective about what kinds of training you will offer the volunteer
and remember that they don’t need to know everything at once.
Training should be on going, as well. If you have a long time volunteer interested in learning new tasks
or new skills, training should always be readily available for that person interested. The volunteer may
want to take a more active role in the organization, so they should be adequately prepared.
PART G: Volunteer Implementation
Step 8: Run your project and implement your volunteer
Volunteer implementation is what makes all of your hard work and planning worth it. It is at this point
that your volunteer is finally able to step into the role that you designed. You will want to make sure
that you have your volunteer sign in using a sign in
See Appendix E for Sample Sign In Sheet
sheet.
One-time Volunteer Supervision
If a volunteer position was created for a one-time event, such as a Project Homeless Connect, then it is
likely that you, or a designated other, is responsible for supervising a number of volunteers. Supervision
may also come from leaders of the volunteer group. You may also appoint volunteers as designated
leaders, especially if you have a large-scale project with multiple jobs. For example, if you are organizing
the donation room for your agency, you may assign one person to be in charge organizing shelves,
sorting clothes, and labeling food, each group forming subcommittees of remaining volunteers. Do not
be intimidated! As long as you developed clear position descriptions and held an informative training
session, the volunteers should have a strong grasp on what they are expected to do.
Supervising volunteers at these types of events generally means adapting to the circumstances;
anticipate making changes when necessary. For example, if a volunteer is responsible for distributing
hygiene kits, consider what they will do should the supply run out. A second major feature of
supervision requires you to “make rounds.” Volunteers should not have to wait for unreasonable lengths
of time to have questions answered, have a break to use the restroom, or get something to eat. Be
considerate of their needs. You may want to communicate this to your volunteers. Try and have a backup plan if things go awry. Obviously, you cannot anticipate for everything, so allow for flexibility. Do not
be hesitant to ask for help of others, as well.
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Long-term Volunteer Supervision
Supervising long-term volunteers allows you to take a more formalized approach. There is more time
involved and fewer volunteers. However, strong supervision of long-term volunteers is as important, if
not more, than one-time volunteers. These volunteers are the ones who are willing to really dedicate
their time to your organizational mission. Strong supervision will encourage loyalty and continued
volunteering.
Do not assume that “strong supervision” means micromanaging. Checking in with them periodically with
formalized scheduled meetings is the most effective way to answer any questions, address any
concerns, and receive feedback on their orientation and training. It is also a time to check on their
progress and brainstorm for any new ideas. Formal meetings help the volunteer feel important to the
agency’s mission and encourage volunteer satisfaction and retention. Allowing for meetings provides
the volunteer with accountability and ownership of their activities.
Finally, these meetings also provide you with a time to talk with volunteers. Offer them feedback on
their performance. If their performance is poor, consider constructive feedback in combination with
recognition of their skills and strengths. Always ask them what they think of the volunteer program, and
act on these suggestions, so they know you are listening.
VOLUNTEER RETENTION AND RECOGNITION
Considering volunteer retention and recognition is key to implementing a sustainable volunteer
program. Long-term volunteers will build an important skill base that will serve your agency well. This
will also save you time and energy that would otherwise be spent on volunteer recruitment.
Retention
Retention, on the most technical level, is a formula of how many volunteers you retain over a period of
time. For example, if you start out with ten volunteers at the beginning of a three-month period, and
you have six at the end of the three months, you have a 60% retention rate. A 100% retention rate is
usually unattainable. Even if you have everything planned to a T and find exact fits for volunteer
positions, you still may lose a few volunteers to circumstances outside anybody’s control.
The important thing to understand is that retention is about helping your volunteers learn and grow.
The highest retention rates will be found for volunteers whose motivations you have taken the time to
learn and accommodate. If you understand their wants, needs, and expectations within the context of
the organization, you are more likely to make an effort to develop these areas, causing the volunteer to
feel valuable.
Retention goes back to understanding the volunteer’s motivations, which couldn’t be stressed
importantly enough. Some factors that may contribute to volunteer retention are volunteers’
expectations, the rules and regulations of the organization, the people involved (volunteer and staff),
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the climate and environment where the volunteer serves, and the success and impact of the volunteer
towards the organization. You should ensure that the volunteers feel as if they are treated as equals and
that you facilitate ownership for the volunteer’s activities. Volunteers will leave if they are viewed as
staff just to fill menial duties. As mentioned earlier, when gaining staff buy-in, you should survey the
staff about their volunteer’s activities in order to improve upon future experiences. Evaluation will be
explained more in depth later on in the handbook.
Recognition
Recognition is crucial in volunteer retention and both go hand-in-hand. It should begin from the initial
orientation to the end of the volunteer’s service time. It may even go beyond that. Agencies may hold
Volunteer Appreciation Events throughout the year for former and current volunteers. Following up
with volunteers is quite important and helps increase retention.
Recognition is one way to give your volunteers the respect and attention they deserve; it communicates
to the volunteers that they are valued and appreciated. Both public and private recognition are
appropriate and may be adapted to suit the needs of the volunteer.
General examples of recognition, followed by specific examples:
o
o
o
o
o
Involve volunteers with organization presentations to the wider community
“Promote” a volunteer to a leadership position
Reimburse volunteers for their costs (e.g., public transportation)
Provide benefits (e.g, free parking, beverages, and snacks)
Keep personnel files and provide letters of recommendation
Motivation
Social
Value
Career
Enhancement
Public
Balloons, recognition lunch, posted
pictures
Acknowledgment that legislation
wouldn not have passed without their
work
A report with their byline, a letter to
their boss recognizing their
achievements, a promotion
A picture in the paper, a radio or
television interview, their picture with
important people
Private
Personal note, birthday card, invite for
coffee
Observation that they are developing
leaders in the organization
A letter from the Executive Director or
the Chair of the Board
A letter from important people such as
the governor or mayor
*Examples mapped to volunteer motivations
Whether or not you have structured supervision in place for your volunteers, always take the time to
work with the volunteer and understand their motivations. Keep them engaged by speaking about
volunteer enthusiastically and praise them for their impact.
For one-time volunteers, public recognition may be more appropriate. Long-term volunteers should be
continually recognized. Depending on the situation and volunteers’ motivations, you will have to adjust
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accordingly to appropriately recognize the volunteer for their efforts. A key thing to remember with
volunteer recognition is that a personal thank-you will go farther than an impersonal email blast.
Volunteer recognition, most importantly, is about maintaining those interpersonal relationships
between you and the volunteer.
PART H: Program Evaluation and Reporting
Step 9: Evaluate your volunteer program
Completing a program evaluation, a fairly easy task, is an essential step to creating a successful
volunteer program. Input about your volunteer program from agency staff and volunteers can help you
to determine if changes should be made and methods to make those necessary changes. Evaluations
strengthen your program by making it more accountable, sustainable, effective and focused.
Furthermore, evaluating your program offers you the opportunity to interact with volunteers and help
them feel like an important member of the team.
Formal evaluations might be in the form of a written survey or a structured evaluation session. In formal
evaluations, you will ask specific, planned questions, often targeted at providing you with certain types
of feedback. For example, you might have a survey that includes the following question:
Q. As a volunteer, you feel free to ask questions to your supervisor or other agency staff members:
Never
Rarely
Don’t Know
Sometimes
Always
This is the type of question you might include in a formal survey - a specific question with predetermined answer options. Formal surveys allow you to evaluate specific parts of your program since
you determine what will be asked. Consider using online evaluation forms, such as surveymonkey.com.
Surveymonkey allows free survey creation and distribution and calculates the responses automatically.
Online evaluations will likely save you a lot of time, though both paper and virtual evaluations are
beneficial.
One important thing to remember is to implement the suggestions from the survey. You must take
caution when evaluation the results of the survey. Not all suggestions will be plausible. The most
important thing is to evaluate the feedback and try to implement as much as you can.
See Appendix F for a Sample Evaluation Survey
PART I: Program Reporting
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Step 10: Report your results in OnCorps
Because volunteer mobilization is one of the performance measures we are tracking, your volunteer
mobilization reports will be one of the most important reports you submit. This report will allow you
to report the total number of volunteers recruited during a time period. It will also allow you to
report on specific volunteer activities or events you’ve facilitated. It is important to remember that
you are only reporting on new volunteers for each report.
For each time period, create an entry for the total number of new volunteers recruited. You may not
report the same volunteers for other projects, nor can other members report your volunteers.
Volunteers may only be counted once. For instance, if your friend volunteers for a PHC and you
partner up with another member to do a Movin’ On In later during the year, the member may not
count your friend, who attends, as their volunteer.
In order to keep track of all the volunteers, the Volunteer Coordinator will create a Google
Document that will be accessible to all members. Members are required to input volunteers names,
so no repeats are included. Members may upload volunteers monthly or after each event. The
Program Director and Volunteer Coordinator will ensure volunteers are not counted again. More
instructions will be given during your first training.
To measure volunteer mobilization, you must report a Change In Knowledge. As an AmeriCorps
member, you want to show an increase in the volunteer’s understanding of homelessness and
related issues. You should be offering this sort of information to your volunteer during orientation
and throughout their service. There should most often be a change in knowledge, unless they are
experts in homelessness. It is important to note, not everyone will report a Change in Knowledge.
That is acceptable; you may just want to try to expand your volunteer pool when considering your
next service project.
See Appendix G for a Sample
In order to collect the necessary information, including the
Intake/Exit form
volunteer’s change in knowledge, have the volunteer
complete an intake form, survey or a useful combination.
If you have a volunteer event or activity that occurs regularly (for example, you organize volunteers
to come in monthly and tutor homeless youth), you can do one entry for each reporting period. For
the example shared, you would enter the event as “General Tutoring” or “Monthly Tutoring” and
provide the total number of volunteers performing this service for the reporting period.
To complete your report…
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1. Log into OnCorps and proceed to the Reporting menu option. Select Submit Reports from the
dropdown menu.
2. Select Volunteer Mobilization.
3. The entries you have entered previously will already be listed. If you have started an entry for a
specific reporting period and need to modify it, click Edit.
4. To add a new entry, select Add a New Volunteer Mobilization Event.
Thirteen fields are available for reporting purposes (example located on next page)
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1. Event Name: Example: Movin’ On In, Organizing Donation Room
2. Date: If the event was one time, select the date of the event. If it is ongoing, select the date the
event started.
3. Duration: if the event is a one time event, like a Project Homeless Connect, select One Time; if it
is volunteer project with a longer length of time, select Ongoing.
4. Impact Area of Project: Every event that you plan should go under the impact area of Housing
and Homelessness. If it is not, then you should not be doing the project, contact your Volunteer
Coordinator/Program director for any other questions.
5. Other: Ignore this field, since you have already chosen the impact area
6. Number of volunteers: Insert the total number of volunteers recruited and/or supported.
7. Number of volunteer hours served: Insert the total number of volunteer hours. (i.e., You have 5
volunteers serving 3 hours, total number of hours would be 15 hours). If it is a one-time event
and volunteers served for a varying amount of time, just put the length of the event. (i.e, 20
volunteers serve at a PHC lasting 5 hours long, coming in at varying times, you would report on 5
hours). If it is an ongoing event, put the total hours the volunteers have served thus far (i.e.,
Volunteer mentors children and comes in an hour weekly, they have served for a month, put 4
hours).
8. Number of Volunteer Opportunities: Not required; basically the same question as #6.
9. Disadvantaged children and youth: recruiting disadvantaged children and youth for volunteer
opportunities is not a program goal; however, if you collect this information, add it here.
10. College students: put the amount of college students who volunteered here.
11. Baby boomers: put the amount of boomers who volunteered here (born between 1946 and
1964).
12. Narrative text: Describe the volunteer event or project and include data on the change in
volunteer knowledge. Remember that it is REQUIRED for our performance measure to include
the change in volunteer knowledge that you measured from the pre/post surveys. If you do not
include this, your report is not complete.
13. Reporting period: Select the correct quarter. The quarters are:
October – December ’13: Q1
January – March ’14: Q2
April - June ’14: Q3
July – September ’14: Q4
October and beyond: final report
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1
1
1
1
2
3
v
13 1
v
6
1
v1 1
1
1
1
10
00
v1
12
1
v1
1
1
8
1
v
1
1
1
5
1
1
4
1
7
v
9
1
v
111
71
1
v11
1
1
11
1
1
Examples:
-KELSY Rachel 02/14/2013
Q2
Housing and Homelessness
One-Time
1
1.5
0
0
0
0
Rachel Schut is a member 12th Avenue Christian Reformed church, which is an official support church of
Family Promise. They do not host our families at their building, but help other churches when they host.
12th Avenue just became a support church, so some of the members have been very interested in Family
Promise and volunteering with us in other capacities than just Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN).
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26
Dates volunteered:
2/14/13 - 1.5 hours - Rachel organized our school supplies drawers, as well as organized some of the
shelves in our staff office with all of our craft supplies on them.
Change in knowledge informationBeginning of service - Understanding of the causes of homelessness – 2
End of service - Understanding of the causes of homelessness – 2
-LISA
Hosting Bingo/Service project
05/18/2013
Q3
One-Time Housing and Homelessness
My name is Lisa and I serve at Degage Ministries in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I recruited a youth group
from my church to come to Degage for a service project. The group consisted of youth and three youth
leaders. They hosted bingo for our patrons in the dining room and brought items to give away as prizes.
After bingo, we had an information session with a question and answer session at the end. After the
information session, the group helped to organize and sort clothing donations that Degage has received
from donors.
All 14 volunteers filled out a pre-and-post survey to record a change in knowledge. The survey had a
scale of 1 through 5, with 1 being no knowledge and 5 being very knowledgeable about issues
surrounding homelessness and affordable housing. All 14 volunteers recorded an increased change in
knowledge about homelessness in our community. Ten volunteers increased their knowledge by one
point and four volunteers increased their knowledge by two points according to survey results.
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PART J: RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES
AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service encourage members to harness
the volunteering power of baby boomers and military veterans. These target groups provide unique sets
of Michigan residents who offer exceptional skills and knowledge. Be proactive and take one or both of
these recruitment challenges by making it a point to recruit baby boomers and/or veterans during your
AmeriCorps service term!
Take the Boomer Challenge!
A brief history of boomers: Baby boomers were born during an historical bulge in the nation’s birth rate
from 1946 to 1964 (now aged 46-68 in 2013). These 77 million boomers first began turning 60 in 2006
and have been recognized as being the “largest, healthiest, best-educated generation in history.” With
such a reputation, it is no wonder that nonprofit organizations have continually sought out the most
effective strategies for recruiting boomers as volunteers.
Research has indicated that as boomers begin to work less or retire, they often look for ways to improve
their communities through volunteer opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26% of
boomers volunteered in 2012.
Profile of Boomers




Employment Status: Volunteering among boomers is highest for those who work part-time
(33.4%), followed by those who work full-time (30.9%). Nearly a quarter (23%) of those who are
unemployed or not in the workforce volunteer.
Gender: Boomer women volunteer at a higher rate (30.9%) than boomer men (23%), though
boomer men volunteer at a higher rate than all other male age groups.
Education: College-educated boomers are twice as likely to volunteer (42.2%) than non-college
educated (17.3%). Minorities without college education volunteer at higher rates than noncollege educated whites.
Community Ties: Boomers are more likely to volunteer when asked by a close family member or
friend. Similarly, a large percent of boomer volunteers find opportunities and positions through
their church community. Strong community ties increase the rate of volunteering.
Questions to Ask Before Recruiting Boomers
1.
2.
3.
4.
Will staff be available to orient, train and supervise senior volunteers?
Is there diversity represented within the volunteer positions offered to senior volunteers?
What types of incentives, both tangible and intangible, are available for older adult volunteers?
Do marketing materials adequately represent and target the Baby Boomer generation?
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Boomer Motivation and Management
Boomers are an eclectic generation fitting a wide range of demographics. These generational
differences make it difficult to establish an image of an “ideal type”. Because of this, there is not just
one strategy for approaching and motivating boomers to volunteer. When asked why they volunteer,
boomers have responded with such answers as working with youth, an opportunity to try new things,
providing information and options to an individual not aware of choices, stretching your own mind,
setting an example for your own children, and getting involved with something that makes you feel
good. The diversity of the group makes for a diverse set of motivations and management techniques.
Tips to successful boomer motivation and management:
Tip 1 - Evoke Generational Pride
Boomers believe that everything they have done so
far as a generation has challenged the status quo.
For that reason, only a minimal number of boomers
have expressed interest in retiring the “conventional
way” and many are anxious about what they will do
as they age. Many boomers have had successful
careers and are now searching for other significant
ways to make their mark. Appealing to the
generational pride by advertising productive and
creative community service opportunities offers
boomers a unique way to further mark their legacy.
Tip 2 – Be Organized, Professional and Well
Managed
David Eisner, chief executive of the Corporation for
National and Community Service stated that,
“Boomers are motivated by higher-skilled, higherordered volunteer activities.” In fact, research has
indicated that boomers who perform more
challenging volunteer roles show higher levels of
retention. Because they already have experience in
both professional and personal/familial
management, boomers have high standards and
expectations concerning professionalism and good
management. Boomers are not afraid to leave an
organization that is disorganized, has managerial
shortcomings or fails to make the most of the
volunteers’ time.
Tip 3 – Appeal to Boomer’s Interests and Education
Because of boomers expressed interest in education,
it is also wise to present volunteer opportunities that
will advance their current knowledge or introduce
something entirely new to learn about. Boomers are
more informed and better educated than any
previous generation so menial tasks (such as stuffing
envelopes) will rarely meet their volunteer needs.
Consider providing boomers with volunteer tasks
that develop their skills in a way that is both
beneficial to themselves and the organization.
Boomers will not be satisfied fulfilling a role based
solely on the needs of the organization. Instead,
choose a position that utilizes their talents and
interests.
Training is a great way to offer unique educational
opportunities to boomers, but it must be relevant,
meaningful, and well presented. However, do not
make the mistake of training just for the sake of
training, but make sure they are able to make use of
the new things they have learned. Boomers learn
best in environments of equality, so avoid “topdown” authoritarian approaches and take advantage
of more collaborative group methods.
Tip 4 - Express Social and Familial Benefits
Not only are boomers motivated to volunteer by
challenging work, but also as a means to participate
in a socially active environment. In fact, the largest
single inducement for boomers to volunteer is being
asked by someone with whom he/she has an
established relationship. By offering boomers a
vision of camaraderie in which their middle and later
years can be seen as expanding or opening up,
rather than shutting down, boomers will be able to
look forward to their volunteering as a new means of
social fulfillment.
Boomers are most likely to volunteer in mid-life,
usually in activities associated with parenting. For
this reason, the younger boomers can be enticed
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with family-based activities or those that allow them
to act out their parental obligations and skill sets.
Tip 5 - Illustrate a Common Goal
Similar to the previous motivation, boomers are
more likely to volunteer if there is a sense of
cohesiveness and connectedness. It is important for
boomers to feel connected to people by working
toward a common goal. Uncertainty about purpose
and impact is likely to create a poor volunteering
experience among boomers, but new relationships
based on common goals and purpose will likely
create a volunteer who will come again. It is
important to relate the volunteer position to the big
picture and show, in an organized manner, how their
position will impact the organization as a whole.
Tip 6 – Remember your audience
Boomers have taken a unique stance on their
response to aging. Perhaps as a result of their
important historical impacts, age has become a
sensitive issue. Boomers think of age more as a state
of mind and therefore prefer organizations that
come across as young, creative, and energetic,
rather than old, worn-out, and uninteresting. A
youthful message is important to boomers looking
for a challenging and creative volunteer experience.
Tip 7 – Maintain Flexibility
Boomers have become masters of multi-tasking and
strict time management. Unfortunately, their rigid
schedules have left many boomers time strapped
and stressed. Volunteering on a long-term basis, for
many boomers, is an impossibility. For this reason, it
is important to have short-term and time-specific
volunteer positions available and, most importantly,
to be flexible.
Boomer Retention
Potential volunteer activities performed by boomers can be split into two basic categories,
direct and indirect services. Some types of boomer volunteer activities may include:


Direct Service: collecting and preparing food, tutoring, teaching, and mentoring
Indirect Service: fundraising, professional and management services, and general labor
The most important thing to a boomer is having a job that meets their personal needs and
expectations. The type of volunteer work boomers do has a big impact on whether or not they
will stay with it over time. Retention from the first year of volunteering to the second year is
highest when they are involved in professional or management activities (i.e. strategic planning,
marketing or volunteer coordination).
The numbers:




75% return for volunteers performing white-collar duties
71% return in music or performance activities
70% return for mentors and coaches
56% return for general labor and tasks such as meal preparation, driving, and
construction
It is important for boomers to feel that their volunteer experience performs a community
service. It is also important for boomers to think of their experience as social fulfillment – as
both a chance to socialize with community members and help out a family member or friend.
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A Boomer Volunteer Must: Making the Most of Time
For boomers who are unable to commit to long-term volunteer positions, offering short-term
and time-specific positions is a must. Maintaining flexibility, especially with hours, is one of the
most important strategies for boomer volunteer retention. Following are a few examples of
ways to fit the schedules of busy boomers.



Family volunteering: Develop tasks that could potentially involve all members of the
family (children up to grandparents). Engaging this strategy allows boomers to combine
spending time with their family with doing something meaningful for their community.
Plus, it enables boomers to instill important community values in their children and
allow them to feel pride in their community and family.
Online Volunteering: This allows boomers to volunteer without ever leaving home or the
desk at work. This strategy allows volunteers to save time and money spent on travelling
while still allowing them to impact their community.
Employee volunteering: Private enterprise or public sector employees providing paid
release time for employees to volunteer for nonprofit organizations is an ideal way to be
able to contribute as a volunteer without having to sacrifice limited time with the family
or compromising careers. This sort of volunteering would allow boomers to undertake
volunteering which met their specific interests and perhaps create an interest worth
further pursuing later down the road.
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Take the Veteran Challenge!
A lot less research has been done on account of veteran
recruitment, so the information concerning veterans will
be brief in comparison. This means that any information
you might glean from taking this challenge could
potentially be useful for veteran volunteer recruitment
research!
The veteran population is a unique sector of society, one
worth our special attention and efforts. Veterans often
have trouble adjusting once they return home, but
volunteering may offer them a unique transition back into
civilian life. According to a report written by Civic
Enterprises and underwritten by Target and the Case
Foundation, 92% of service men and women say that
serving the community is important to them. With this in
mind, we can begin to make some assumptions about
veteran motivation and recruitment strategies. Consider
the following tips when looking to recruit veterans:
Tip 1: Present the volunteer opportunity as a
transition back to civilian life and into the
workforce
Tip 2: Explain how volunteering is an
opportunity to build an impressive resume
(veterans have a high unemployment rate)
Tip 3: Compare volunteerism to their service
experience – one serves country, the other
community
Tip 4: Emphasize the “community” aspect of
volunteering – this is a chance to make friends
and build camaraderie in a project with a clear
mission.
Tip 5: Keep in mind that not all veterans were
combat vets or stationed overseas. Your
strategy should be adaptable.
It is also important to approach veterans in a way that would hold personal meaning to them.
Consider presenting volunteer positions with a patriotic theme such flags and colors and holding
a pinning ceremony to thank them for their work.
If there is one thing that is known about recruiting veterans, it is that vet-to-vet exchanges
produce the most powerful impact. Consider planning monthly veteran meetings where
veterans can gather together to discuss their service experiences, both at home and abroad. If
you have a veteran on staff or currently volunteering, see if they would be interested in helping
you recruit veterans since they already share a common bond with other veterans.
When approaching volunteers to volunteer, in the initial interviewing process you may want to
ask them about their service. Do tread lightly on how you approach this topic. If you are having
vet-to vet interactions, it will benefit you and the veteran volunteer to know the client’s service
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status. Knowing the client’s status might enable the veteran volunteer and client to bond over
shared experiences.
Ways to look for veteran volunteers are to contact local veteran service organizations
(http://va.gov/vso/) or contact veteran shelters. You may also want to tap into people whose
family members served, those who work closely with military families, those employed by an
organization that serves veterans or those who are passionate about helping the veteran
community.
Because there is so little research on veteran recruitment, this is somewhat of a wild card. If you
take this challenge, do not get discouraged if you have little results – every bit helps! As long as
you remain sensitive to the needs of the veterans, you will build trust among veterans and a
foundation for veteran volunteer service.
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Conclusion
Congratulations, you have learned a lot about how to manage volunteers. If you have not been
implementing the plan as you have gone along, now is your chance to do so. This is your call to
action!
Steps to Success:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Complete a needs assessment
Buy gain in from the agency you serve
Create a written position description
Design a recruitment strategy
Start recruiting!
Volunteer orientation and screening
Train the volunteer
Run your project, implement your volunteer
Evaluate your project
Report your results
If you need more resources, check out the various appendices. Use this handbook as a reference
guide and direct any unanswered questions to your site supervisor, program director, or
volunteer coordinator.
Volunteer mobilization would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of
AmeriCorps members like you, so thank you, thank you, thank you! And good luck!
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Appendix A:
Volunteer Position Description
Consider using or adapting this worksheet to develop position descriptions for the volunteer
positions in your nonprofit. Sections of the Explanation and Example Job Description
Purpose:
This section describes the specific purpose of the position in no more than
two sentences. If possible, the purpose should be stated in relation to the
nonprofit’s mission and goals.
Example: The position of After-School Tutor support [Name of
Nonprofit]’s educational program for high school students. The tutoring
program is designed to help high school students achieve academic
success and graduate on time.
Job Title:
What title has been assigned to the position?
Example:
Location:
After-School Tutor
Where will the volunteer work?
Example: The After-School Tutoring Program is conducted at the County
Library on Main Street
Key Responsibilities: List the position’s major duties.
The After-School Tutor:
(1) works with an assigned high school student to provide
assistance in one or more academic subjects;
(2) Assists a student develop a better understanding of in
class and homework assignments;
(3) Coaches the student in identifying resources to complete
assignments;
(4) Reviews completed assignments and suggests ways to
improve or supplement assignments; and
(5) Provides positive feedback on the student’s progress and
encourages the student’s continued focus on academic
excellence.
Indicate the title of the person to whom the volunteer reports.
Example:
Reports to:
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Example:
Length of
Appointment:
Note the time period in which the volunteer will serve, and include
restrictions, if applicable.
Example:
Time Commitment:
The After-School Tutor position requires a minimum
commitment of two hours, and no more than four hours per
week, for each week that school is in session. In addition,
each volunteer must attend a two-hour orientation during the
week before the semester begins. The program is held from 35 p.m. each Wednesday.
List education, experience, knowledge, and skills required. If a criminal
history record check or other background check will be conducted, it
should be indicated here.
Example:
Support Provided:
The After-School Tutor will serve for the Fall 2001 and Spring
2002 semesters. The tutor is eligible to continue in the
2002/2003 school year with approval from the director of
tutors.
Indicate the approximate number of days or hours required per week.
Example:
Qualifications:
Director of Tutors
Eligible candidates for the After-School Tutor position include
adults over 21 years of age who have earned a Bachelor’s
Degree and who pass a criminal history record check.
List resources that will be available to the volunteer.
Example: Training for this position will be provided at the four-hour
orientation session. In addition, the director of volunteers is
available on an ongoing basis to answer questions and provide
other assistance as needed.
This document is from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center’s
Accident Preparation and Response Tutorial (www.nonprofitrisk.org), which was
made possible by financial support from the Public Entity Risk Institute.
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Appendix B:
VOLUNTEER MOTIVATIONS CHART
Volunteer
Motivations
Altruism
Definition
Sample Roles
Recruitment Message
Unselfish regard or
devotion to the welfare of
others
To satisfy the expectations
of friends
To express humanitarian
and pro-social values
through action
To explore career options
and to increase skills
All
“Think of all the Good you can
do”
Childcare, serving
meals, mentoring
Mentoring, speaker’s
corps, serving meals
“Your friends will be
impressed.”
“Help make housing a human
right.”
Editing organizational
newsletter, mentoring
Understanding
To gain insight into the
world
Editing organizational
newsletter
Protective
To distract oneself from
personal problems
To enhance self-esteem,
to feel important and
needed
Childcare
“The president volunteers…
imagine where it will take
you.”
“Want to understand the
housing crisis? Ask those
without a home.”
“Why not keep busy by
helping others?”
“They need you.”
Social
Value
Career
Enhancement
Cleaning up, office
work, childcare
Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs
Motivations for
volunteering
Volunteer Roles
Self-actualization
Power
Esteem
Power/Achievement
Love/Belonging
Affiliation
Public speaking, fundraising,
program planning and policy
committees and chairing events
Fundraising, chairing committees,
membership campaigns,
researching/analyzing and
reporting
Public relations activities,
program planning, mass mailings,
childcare
Safety
Physiological
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Special Cases: Baby Boomers and Veterans
To learn more about Boomer motivation, refer to PART J: Take the Boomer Challenge!
To learn more about Veteran motivation, refer to PART J: Take the Veteran Challenge!
Appendix C:
Volunteer Resources
1. VolunteerSpot
– http://www.volunteerspot.com
Description: Web-based volunteer management software that allows organizers to set
up an online calendar which lists event dates and volunteer opportunities. Volunteers
are invited to participate by selecting a volunteer shift and assignment. Reminder emails
are sent prior to event.
Recruitment: Volunteers are recruited in three ways: (1) entering their emails directly
into VolunteerSpot, which will send them an electronic invite, (2) pasting a URL link in an
email message, or (3) creating a “Volunteer” button on your website.
Price: Two categories
Complimentary
 365 day calendar with an easy planning
wizard for shifts, jobs and supplies to
bring
 Participants sign up with a few clicks - no
registration required
 Quick multiday copy
 Automated email reminders
 Easy smartphone sign up and calendar
sync
 Print sign in sheets, calendar summaries
and rosters, export data including basic
hours
 Send thank you notes
 One activity organizer
Always free to those in need.
Premium
EVERYTHING IN COMPLIMENTARY, PLUS
 Participant hours tracking report
 5 customizable activity registration fields
(e.g., T-shirt sizes, group affiliation,
teacher's name, child's name)
 Advanced reporting
 Up to 10 assistant organizers
Up to 30 Participants: $4.99/month
Up to 50 Participants: $9.99/month
Up to 150 Participants: $19.99/month
Up to 400 Participants: $29.99/month
More than 400 participants? Email for special
pricing.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _
2. Charity Transformation (Charitra)
- https://projectcharitra.sap.com/
Description: A non-monetary “need” (collection of activities – goods or services) is
created in the ASK page where it is then posted on the GIVE page. Registered volunteers
are able to browse and select where they want to donate their goods/services. Each
Need provides a description of what a volunteer would be expected to give or do.
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Experiences can be posted back in to Charitra through photographs or written project
descriptions.
Recruitment: Use the recommended button on the “Needs detail” page to recommend
a need on popular social network websites, other websites, and the Charitra
Recommendations section.
Price: Free registration.
_______________________________________________
3. Volunteer Match
- http://www.volunteermatch.org
Description: VolunteerMatch membership is limited to qualifying nonprofit
organizations. Members are able to post volunteer opportunities, manage interested
volunteers, and promote their organization. Interested volunteers search for
opportunities by location and/or keyword.
Recruitment: Post volunteer listings and applicable zip codes.
Price: Free for all qualifying nonprofits.
_______________________________________________
4. All for Goodhttp://www.allforgood.org/posting
Description: All for Good's facilitates volunteerism and community service. To meet that
goal, they have developed a custom volunteer opportunity oriented search engine that
is powered by the largest database of volunteer opportunities on the Internet. The
database includes activities those from many prominent non-profit partners as well as
those provided directly to the website by smaller, grass roots based organizations.
Recruitment: Organizations post volunteer opportunities in 3 ways: 1) Through the
website’s spreadsheet template where organizations must register 2) Creating own XML
data feed directly to All For Good’s website, or 3) posting opportunities through partner
websites.
Price: Free registration/posting
_______________________________________________
5. CharityAmerica.com - http://www.charityamerica.com
Description: Nonprofits register for online donations and to post their volunteer
opportunities. Site places higher emphasis on monetary donations than actual volunteer
opportunities, though both are present and possible. Volunteers search by location and
interest.
Recruitment: Post donation needs or volunteer listings directly on site.
Price: Free registration/posting
_______________________________________________
6. Idealist.org
- http://www.idealist.org/
Description: Idealist connects people, organizations, and resources to help build a world
where all people can live free and dignified lives. Organizations have the ability to create
job profile enabling them to post job opportunities and volunteer opportunities.
Volunteers search by location (local, national or international), interest, time
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commitment and other categories.
Recruitment: Post volunteer listings through the website.
Price: Free registration/posting
_______________________________________________
7. United Way
- http://www.unitedway.org/
Description: United Way Worldwide is the leadership and support organization for the
network of nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 40 countries and territories.
United Ways are categorized locally, by city or county, depending by the area. Volunteer
have the ability to search by location, availability, interest, organizations and various
other methods.
Recruitment: Volunteers may become a part or a group, sign up on the website or
receive email alerts based on their interests.
Price: Free registration/posting
_______________________________________________
8. Volunteer Centers of America
- http://www.mivolunteers.org/
Description: Volunteer Centers mobilize people and resources to deliver creative
solutions to community problems. Through the convening of organizations, the
promotion of community service, and the matching of volunteers to nonprofit programs
and events, Volunteer Centers take a leadership role in addressing key community
issues. People interested in volunteering may locate their volunteer center for that
specific agency or get in contact with their local United Way.
Recruitment: Volunteers search for opportunities by contacting their local volunteer
centers. Volunteers may become a part or a group, sign up on the website or receive
email alerts based on their interests.
Price: Free registration/posting
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _______________________________________
9. Michigan Volunteer Registry - https://www.mivolunteerregistry.org/
Description: An internet-based system enabling healthcare personnel and citizens to
pre-register to volunteer their assistance during an emergency. During an emergency,
volunteer information will be gathered and appropriate volunteers contacted by
authorized personnel. Individuals willing to assist during a disaster may choose to
register as part of the General Volunteer unit, Michigan's State Animal Response Team,
Michigan Mortuary Response Team, or any of the five partner Citizen Corps Programs.
Recruitment: Volunteers register through the agency’s website and may be asked to
provide additional information if they have any health credentials or licenses. It may be
used as a way to find volunteers to serve in certain service projects. All volunteers are
encouraged to apply.
Price: Free registration/posting
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_______________________________________________
10. Various University/School Websites
Description: Numerous schools will have places that post volunteer descriptions.
Depending on the size and student body of the school, the school may have a separate
website for volunteer postings. A quick search will allow one to post volunteer positions.
High schools will have guidance counselors that will post positions or notify the students
about various volunteer opportunities.
Recruitment: Depends on the school’s method of recruiting volunteers. Larger schools
tend to have a section dedicated to volunteerism, such as career service center, to
gather volunteers. Smaller schools may have a volunteer coordinator that posts
positions.
Price: Depends on school’s method. Most schools do not require prices, but do require
you to create a profile.
_____________________________________________
11. United We Serve www.serve.gov
Description: Serve.gov is an online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities
in a community, but also creating one’s own. National database for volunteering
opportunities powered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Recruitment: Volunteers may create their own volunteering opportunities or use the
search engine to find opportunities near them. Serve.gov uses the volunteer database
AllforGood (mentioned earlier in this resource).
Price: Free but requires registration
_______________________________________________
12. Michigan.gov Volunteer Database www.michigan.gov/volunteer
Description: This website takes one directly to the Michigan Community Service
Commission’s home webpage. It provides multiple links about AmeriCorps and
volunteer resources.
Recruitment: Depends on which website one chooses to post volunteer positions. The
websites provide descriptions on how to post volunteer postings or search for
volunteers.
Price: Depends on the website. Most websites provide free postings but may require a
company to register through their website.
*Do you know of other websites that allow you to post volunteer positions? Tell your Volunteer
Coordinator!
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Appendix D:
Sample Volunteer Application Form
Name:
Date of Birth:
Street Address:
City:
State:
Email address:
Phone Number:
College Student, Veteran, or Baby Boomer?
Zip:
Fluent Languages Spoken:
Please indicate your desired shift:
____ Set up (8 – 10)
____ During the event (10-2)
____ Tear down (2-4)
____ All Day (8-4)
If you would like to volunteer for a timeframe not listed, please call ________________.
Please indicate your desired placement area:
____ Wherever needed
____Greeter
____ Intake/ Check in
____ Client Escorts
____ Food
____ Clothing Monitor
Boxed Lunch Choice:
____ Vegetarian
____ Non Vegetarian
____ Other dietary restrictions
Please send completed application to: ___________________________
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Appendix E:
Sample Volunteer Sign In Sheet
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Home phone: __________________________ Email: _____________________
Emergency Contact:
Name: _______________________ Relationship: ___________________ Number: _________
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Home phone: __________________________ Email: _____________________
Emergency Contact:
Name: _______________________ Relationship: ___________________ Number: _________
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Home phone: __________________________ Email: _____________________
Emergency Contact:
Name: _______________________ Relationship: ___________________ Number: _________
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Home phone: __________________________ Email: _____________________
Emergency Contact:
Name: _______________________ Relationship: ___________________ Number: _________
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Appendix F:
Sample Evaluation Survey
Please take a moment to complete this anonymous survey. Your experience volunteering with
(Agency) is important to us and we take your evaluations seriously. Please consider the
following questions and answer as honestly and accurately as possible. We appreciate your
service and feedback.
Date: ______
Hours served: ____
For the following statements, circle the answer that most closely expresses your opinion:
1.
The time you spent volunteering was useful for the agency
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
2.
You made a meaningful contribution through your volunteer service
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
3.
You understood your position’s responsibilities prior to your service
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
4.
You felt prepared for your volunteer position
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
5.
You gained something valuable from your volunteer experience
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
6.
You felt comfortable asking clarifying questions about your position
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
7.
Your interactions with staff were positive
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
8.
You felt welcomed into the agency
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
9.
You were able to gain a better understanding of housing and homelessness
issues as a result of your service
Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t know Agree Strongly Agree
10.
Please write any additional comments in the space provided below
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________
11.
If you enjoyed your experience and would like to volunteer again, or are
interested in receiving agency publications, please provide your contact information
Appendix
E:
below (name, address, phone number)
_____________________________________________________________________
SAMPLE
INTAKE/EXIT FORM
________
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Appendix G:
Sample Intake/Exit Form
Volunteer Intake Form: This sheet has several functions: to count your volunteers, to provide
demographic data on your volunteers, to measure volunteer knowledge of homelessness, and
to collect information in case of emergency. (Collecting the emergency information is part of risk
management, and not part of the reporting of volunteer statistics.)
The information in RED is data you absolutely must collect in order to correctly report in
OnCorps. The remainder of the information is data you must collect but won’t report on. This
report can have questions added based on the needs of your agency and whether or not they
want to collect additional information (for example, finding out if a volunteer was someone that
ever received services from your agency before).
Example:
Volunteer Information
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: __________________________
Email: _____________________
College Student YES or NO (circle one)
Baby Boomer YES or NO (circle one)
Emergency Contact
Name: _______________________ Relationship: ___________________
Telephone Number: ______________________
Survey Information
On a scale of 1 – 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest, how would you rate your
understanding of the causes of homelessness?
1
2
3
4
5
**Revise as Necessary
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Volunteer Exit Form: This form serves three primary purposes for reporting: collecting hours served,
measuring the change in volunteer knowledge as well as determining how effective your volunteer
management was. It also collects important information about the event for the organizers, so that they
may plan the next cycle’s event.
Most of the fields below will be very helpful for you to keep on the exit form, especially if you want to
maintain a dedicated group of volunteers at your agency. However, your agency may have different
needs. As with the Volunteer Intake Form, fields in red text are pieces of information you must
absolutely gather in order to report out correctly.
Example:
Volunteers, please take a moment to let us know what you think!
Date:____________________________________________
How many hours did you serve today? _______________
Was your time well used today? How so? __________________________________________________
Now that you’ve received training and volunteered, how would you rate your understanding of the
causes of homelessness? Please use the 1 – 5 scale below, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the
highest.
1
2
3
4
5
Do you have any other suggestions/comments? _________________________________
If you are interested in participating in additional volunteer events, please write your contact
information below: (Name, address, e-mail)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
**Revise as Necessary
Remember, you are only reporting on NEW volunteers each quarter, NOT previous volunteers. Make
sure you don’t double-count anyone when you do your reporting!
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