Plugging People In (Part 1 of the Holding the Hammer Series)

The more opportunities that you give to allow people to be involved with your organization “hands on”, the more connections you strengthen with current and prospective donors. You also can reduce the work that your staff needs to do. The challenge is that you need someone from your organization that can manage the volunteers.

The process of involving volunteers can be daunting. There may be training involved; you need time to get to know the volunteers to make sure they are qualified; and you want to provide volunteers with a meaningful opportunity to make a difference with your organization.

Here are some pointers:

1. Develop policies for the volunteer process

• What training is necessary for the volunteers and for those who are managing the volunteers
• What clearances or approvals do volunteers need
• What do those who supervise volunteers need to know

2. Try to find opportunities for people to serve at various commitment levels

• Ongoing regular service on a weekly or monthly basis. This could be helping sort clothes at a thrift shop, stuffing envelopes for a monthly mailing, etc.
• Annual commitment for a specific fundraiser. The volunteers could serve on the committee to plan and execute the fundraiser and/or assist at the event.
• Assistance with certain aspects of program delivery. You may need volunteers to assist with yard work twice a year on low income properties, to answer the hotline phones, or to deliver meals.
• Consulting commitment to serve on your Board or Committees. Your committees do not necessarily need to have only Board members on them. Opening up the committee to non Board members gives you the opportunity to involve past Board members or others who may want to help you but don’t want a full Board commitment.
• Consider a “junior Board” for younger adults (late teens to mid twenties) to participate in. Determine what rights this Board would have and what Board meetings they would attend. This is basically a Board in training from which hopefully you will develop future board members. Make sure that input from this Board will be valued by the “Senior” Board.
  

3. Brainstorm a list of every task that someone could help you with. After you are done brainstorming, go back and cross off items that you absolutely cannot assign to a volunteer.

4. Divide up the tasks in the different categories noted above

5. Delegate managing the volunteers to those involved in the various areas-fundraising, program delivery, consultation.

6. Make sure everyone—the volunteers, those who are supervising the volunteers, and staff working alongside the volunteers understands your policies for volunteers.