How To Create A Volunteer Friendly Organization

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How To Create A Volunteer Friendly Organization

• Trainer Betty Stallings
• www.bettystallings.com
• bettystall_at_aol.com

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Agenda

• Introductory comments/participant activity
• Elements of a Volunteer Friendly Organization
• Philosophy of Volunteer Engagement
• Understanding Todays Volunteers and designing
  effective outreach and internal support to
  enhance volunteer satisfaction
• Creative and Effective Use of Technology in
  Volunteer Friendly Organizations

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Volunteer and Staff Friendly Volunteer Programs

• For volunteers -
• What creates the atmosphere and experience that
  keep volunteers satisfied and wanting to continue
  to support the organizations mission in some
  capacity?
• For Staff -
• What creates a staff-friendly volunteer program?
• (Resistance will occur if these issues are not
  addressed)

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Group feedback

• What creates a volunteer friendly program?
• What creates a staff friendly program?

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Real Success involves the TEAM Approach

• Volunteers (Program/service)
• Staff who utilize volunteers
• Executive management/Board
• All must be satisfied to build a solid successful
  program!

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Elements of a Volunteer Friendly Program

• The Organizations Philosophy of Volunteer
  Engagement Possible components.
• Partnership concept
• Volunteers to be engaged in all aspects and at
  all levels of the organization
• Volunteers are essential to the mission
• Staff are expected, prepared and rewarded for
  effectively involving volunteers in their work
• Volunteer Manager is on the Management Team
• Volunteer Program is a TEAM effort
• Executive Management gives leadership and support
• Volunteer input is encouraged.
• Volunteers receive meaningful appreciation

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Elements of a Volunteer Friendly Program

• 2. Understanding Todays Volunteers and Designing
  effective outreach and internal support to
  enhance volunteer satisfaction.
• Creation of a variety of ways for volunteers to
  give time
• Targeting recruitment strategy and message
• Smooth, efficient system to connect and be placed
• Interviews that uncover the volunteers
  motivation to serve
• Clarity of commitment and scheduling of mutual
  re-commitment discussions
• Staff who are trained and rewarded for effective
  partnering with volunteers
• Efficient but sufficient orientation/training for
  the position
• Excellent staff delegation skills for work
  performed by volunteers
• Mutual on-going recognition
• Keeping volunteer connected when not active

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Elements of a Volunteer Friendly Program

• 3. Use of Technology to streamline
• Recruitment and Placement (website online
  inquiries and applications)
• Communication between staff and volunteers and
  volunteers to other volunteers and to staff and
  executives and board
• Record keeping and internal systems
• Volunteering virtually

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How Can you make your organization more volunteer
friendly?

• Organizations philosophy about engaging
  volunteers
• Understanding Todays Volunteers and Designing
  effective outreach and internal support to
  increase volunteer satisfaction
• Enhanced technology