CHAPTER 5

Maximizing Volunteer EngagementSarah Jane Rehnborg, CAVS, PhD

Meg Moore, MBAUniversity of Texas at Austin

One of the most distinctive features of the nonprofit sector is its voluntary nature.Nonprofits do not coerce people to work within the sector nor do they possessthe right to mandate the use of their services (Frumkin, 2002). For nonprofit organiza-tions, “free choice is the coin of the realm. Donors give because they choose to do so.Volunteers work of their own volition” (p. 3).

As an unpaid workforce available to further the goals and to help meet an arrayof needs in resource-constrained organizations, volunteers represent one of the criti-cal competitive advantages of the nonprofit sector. And while public-sector (and, to amuch lesser degree, even private-sector) organizations also utilize volunteers, un-paid workers proliferate in the nonprofit sector, where an estimated 80% of organiza-tions report the use of volunteers in service capacities (Hager, 2004).

Despite the idiosyncrasies of volunteer involvement, remarkably few organiza-tions possess the knowledge to maximize this advantage. Equally few nonprofit de-cision makers understand the basic constructs of volunteer engagement. Likewise,many in top leadership positions do not know what they might expect from anengaged volunteer workforce, nor are they aware of the critical importance of aninfrastructure designed to facilitate and support community engagement.

With intentional planning and vision setting, effective volunteer management canmaximize volunteer participation; manage diverse volunteer interests and resources;facilitate productive relations among staff, volunteers, and clients; protect organiza-tions against volunteer-related liabilities; and ensure voluntary labor connects withorganizations’ strategic goals. To reach this goal, organizations must begin by ac-knowledging the diversity of roles and motivations in their volunteer workforce.

Today’s volunteers offer nearly unlimited potential to the agency that is willing tomove beyond traditional conceptions of volunteer roles. Several efforts have beenmade to segment the volunteer population. One is the distinction between policy andservice volunteers discussed by Jeffrey Brudney in Chapter 3. In this context, policyvolunteers serve as strategic advisors to a nonprofit, while service volunteers are

103Connors, T. D. (Ed.). (2011). The volunteer management handbook : Leadership strategies for success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.Created from ashford-ebooks on 2022-04-12 22:59:50.

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engaged in the tactical work of the organization. Such segmentation provides a helpfulstart in refining a definition of volunteers as a group, but still lacks sufficient granularity.

In Chapter 11, Nancy Macduff discusses “episodic” volunteers in contrast to con-tinuous service volunteers and emphasizes that episodic volunteers do not evaporateat the end of their service: Many provide specialized skills on an annual basis. Themaster of ceremonies for the annual gala, for example, might play that role fordecades as his or her only interaction with an organization. The episodic nature ofthe work does not lessen the value of the involvement or the volunteer’s commit-ment to the organization’s mission. Alternatively, an episodic volunteer may offermany hours of service in a short time frame, such as a student’s internship overspring break. While these services are time-limited, they still provide valuable re-sources to nonprofits and should be recognized for the valued investment they are.

These distinctions begin to segment volunteers into categories of similar ser-vices. To manage volunteers effectively, nonprofit leaders need to examine the pat-terns found in these groups of volunteers at a more detailed level. What types ofvolunteers are most successful with different tasks? How should the work of variousvolunteers be recognized to reflect their contributions to the organization? Whatdraws these populations of volunteers to their work? How can a nonprofit sustainlong-term engagement with a diverse array of volunteers?

To define these groups further, the Volunteer Champions Initiative formulatedThe Volunteer Involvement FrameworkTM (see Exhibit 5.1). The Framework takes abroader view of volunteer engagement, considering both the needs of the organiza-tion and trends in present-day volunteerism. This perspective correlates the workthat needs to be done in an organization with the management strategies neededto support that work and combines it with the volunteers’ particular interests, mo-tives, levels of commitment, and time availability. The Framework provides a start-ing point for examining the organization’s current levels of involvement and createsa blueprint for planning for more extensive community input.

Understanding Volunteer Motivations and Trends

Volunteerism is multifaceted. Not only do people serve for a multitude of reasons,today’s volunteers serve in a variety of ways and with various expectations for thereturn on their investment of energy and time. Additionally, not all people who servewithout expectation of remuneration gravitate to the term “volunteer.” Students maytalk about internships or community service requirements. Teachers may seekservice-learning opportunities in area nonprofits. Men tend to describe their serviceby the functions they perform (coach, trustee), while women have historically beenmore connected to the term “volunteer.” Theological interpretations of service vary.Some religiously motivated volunteers feel called to serve, while others say they arecompelled to live out their faith, and still others seek to promote social justice throughservice. Professional associations may talk about public interest work or pro bonoopportunities. The very act of expanding the vocabulary associated with volunteerwork opens up new ideas for envisioning service.

Research on volunteerism provides interesting insights. Volunteering in 2009was at a 30-year high, with a large annual increase over 2008. The bulk of this

104 Maximizing Volunteer Engagement

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EXHIBIT5.1

TheVolunteerInvolvementFramework:Overview

ofTypesofVolunteers

CONNECTIO

NTO

SERVICE!

AffiliationFocu

sSkillFocu

s

TIMEFORSERVICE!

ShortTerm

Episodic

ExamplesofService

Corporate

daysofservicewithwork

team

sWeekendhouse-buildbyalocalserviceclub

Parkclean

-upeventortrailm

aintenan

ceWork

crew

foran

nualevent

TraitsofVolunteers

Strongsense

ofco

nnectionto

thecause,work

group,club,o

rorgan

ization.

Generallyexpectsawell-organ

izedevent

(materialsan

dinstructionsim

mediately

availableto

perform

task,etc.).

May

beusingserviceopportunityto

investigatea

particu

larorgan

ization.

May

bepartofaservicegroupormeetingservice

requirementsofaschool,workplace,orclub.

May

haveunrealistic/naiveexpectationsab

outthe

abilityto

impactclientsorlong-term

work

of

theorgan

ization.

May

preferto

identify

withtheirserviceclubor

compan

yratherthan

thenonprofitbeing

served.

ExamplesofService

Aone-tim

eau

ditofan

organ

ization’sfinan

ces

byaprofessionalacco

untant

Asportsclubteach

ingayouth

groupa

particularskillandhostingyouth

foran

event

Apersonopeninghis/herhomeforafundraiser

Astudentco

mpletingadegreerequirement.

TraitsofVolunteer

Seeksaserviceopportunitytailoredspecificallyto

engagethevolunteer’suniqueskill,talent,or

resources.

Maybeanyage,althoughslightlymore

likely

tobead

ultswithhigherlevels

ofskills/

education.

Likely

expectsmutuality,i.e.,apeer-to-peer

relationship

within

theorganization

(accountantto

treasurer;eventhost

toED;

etc.)

May

seekto

negotiatetimingofservice.

Appreciatesreco

gnitionthatistailoredto

the

uniquedeman

dsoftheposition.

May

preferto

thinkofselfnotas

a“volunteer”but

anintern,p

robonoco

nsultan

t,etc.

(continued

)

105Connors, T. D. (Ed.). (2011). The volunteer management handbook : Leadership strategies for success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.Created from ashford-ebooks on 2022-04-12 22:59:50.

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EXHIBIT5.1

(Continued

)

CONNECTIO

NTO

SERVICE!

AffiliationFocu

sSkillFocu

s TIMEFORSERVICE!

LongTerm

Ongoing

ExamplesofService

Youth

mentor

Trooplead

er

Sunday

Schoolteacher

Environmentalsustainab

ilityad

vocate

Hospicevisitor

Parkhostordocent

Thriftstore

man

ager

Auxiliary

memberortrustee

TraitsofVolunteers

Committedto

thegroupororgan

izationan

dthe

cause

ormissionitrepresents.

Oftenwillingto

perform

anytypeofwork

forthe

cause,from

stuffingenvelopesto

highly

sophisticatedservicedelivery.

May

needspecializedtrainingto

prepareforthe

serviceopportunity(e.g.,literacy

tutoring,etc.)

May

feelaspecialaffinityto

theorgan

ization

because

ofpastbenefit,familyco

nnection,o

rotherpersonalallegiance.

May

bean

yage,althoughagemay

segmenttype

ofcause

mostlikelych

ampioned.

May

beideologicallymotivated(religious,

political,environmental,etc.)to

cham

piona

cause

orissue.

Appreciatesregularreco

gnition,b

oth

form

alan

dinform

al.

Oftenusespersonalpronounsto

talk

about

organ

ization(m

e,w

e,u

s,our)

Inad

ditionto

strongmotivationsforservice,m

aywellbekeydonor

ExamplesofService

Pro

bonolegalco

unsel

No-costmedicalservicebyaphysician

,EMT,

nurse,counselor,etc.

Volunteerfire

fighting

Loan

edexecu

tive

Boardmember

TraitsofVolunteers

Sim

ilarto

thequadrantto

theleftin

commitment.

Generallyprefers

toco

ntribute

throughskills

andtrainingtheybringto

thecause

or

organ

ization.

Mayelect

toco

ntribute

talents

through

specializedserviceormayco

ntribute

their

timethroughpolicy

andleadership

roles

such

asboardgovernance,visioning,etc.

Oftenexpectsvolunteermanagementthat

reflectsthecu

lturalnorm

softhegiven

specialty

orskill.

Oftenco

mbinestheirtalentwithdedicationto

the

cause,althoughthetalentbroughtto

thecause

may

supersedean

allegiance

tothemission.

May

havehistoricaltiesto

theorgan

izationor

cause

and/ormay

haveafamilymember

(orself)whohas

benefitedfrom

theservices

oforgan

ization.

Expectsstaffsupport,assistan

cewithresources

necessaryto

thejob,an

dreco

gnitionforwork

perform

ed.

106Connors, T. D. (Ed.). (2011). The volunteer management handbook : Leadership strategies for success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.Created from ashford-ebooks on 2022-04-12 22:59:50.

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EXHIBIT5.2

TheVolunteerInvolvementFramework:ConsiderationsforMan

agingVolunteers

CONNECTIO

NTO

SERVICE!

AffiliationFocu

sSkillFocu

s

TIMEFORSERVICE!

ShortTerm

Episodic

Necessary

VolunteerManagerTraits

Goodprojectlead

erwithsolidplanningan

dproject-m

anagementskills,attentionto

detail

Stronginterpersonalskills:d

iplomatic,flexible,

andaccessible

Should

beagoodspokespersonforthecause:

knowledgeab

lean

dpassionate

Has

timeto

interfacewithgroupliaisons

OtherConsiderations

Collectco

ntactinform

ationonvolunteersto

follow

upwithotherservicean

dgiving

opportunities

Considerrotatingman

agementtask

among

existingstaffmemberswhomeetqualifications

(butbesure

atleastonepersonismaintaining

oversight,centralizedreco

rds)

Budgetad

equatefundsforproject-related

resourcesincludingrefreshmentsforwork

groupsan

dpossiblereco

gnitionmemorabilia

Necessary

VolunteerManagerTraits

Stronghuman

resourcesskills,respectfor

volunteeran

djob-scu

lptingexpertise

Marketingskills

toleadtargetedrecruitment

effort;should

beable

totellthe

organ

ization’sstory

andto

relate

the

specifictask

toyourmission

Flexible,withwillingness

toad

aptaproject

tovo

lunteer’sexpectationsan

dtimeconstraints

Openan

davailableforfollow-upan

dab

leto

monitorprogress

collab

oratively

OtherConsiderations

These

volunteersexpectto

betreatedas

respectedequals,notas

subordinates

Nonprofitshould

beopento

sharingrelevant

inform

ationasthevolunteergains

knowledgeoftheagency,earnstrust,an

dpreparesforthetask

(continued

)

107Connors, T. D. (Ed.). (2011). The volunteer management handbook : Leadership strategies for success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.Created from ashford-ebooks on 2022-04-12 22:59:50.

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EXHIBIT5.2

(Continued

)

CONNECTIO

NTO

SERVICE!

AffiliationFocu

sSkillFocu

s

TIMEFORSERVICE!

LongTerm

Ongoing

Necessary

VolunteerManagerTraits

Has

significanttimeto

devote

tovolunteers

Isknowledgeab

leab

outoverallorgan

izationan

ditsfuture

direction

Has

stronginterpersonalan

dorgan

izationalskills

andgenuinelylikespeople

Continuityoflead

ership

andinstitutionalhistory

helpful

OtherConsiderations

These

volunteersrequireaco

mprehensive

volunteerinfrastructure

(e.g.,dedicatedstaff

personwithnotless

than

20hoursperweek

dedicatedto

workingwithvolunteers)

Budgetto

covernecessaryprogram

expenses

(e.g.,volunteerexpense

reim

bursement,

regularreco

gnition,etc.)

Necessary

VolunteerManagerTraits

Usuallytheman

agementpersonmostclosely

alignedwithvolunteer’s(orvolunteer

committee’s)skillareamustoverseework

OtherConsiderations

Aswithquad

rantontheleft,d

edicate

considerableinfrastructure

tosupportthese

efforts(includingnecessarytimean

dattentionofexecu

tivedirectoran

d/orboard

members)

Allocate

timeforpersonalstaffinteractions

withskilledvolunteersto

supporttheir

effortsan

dto

learnfrom

theirobservations

Mech

anismsto

keepvolunteersin

the

organ

izationalinform

ationalloopan

dresourcesto

ensure

anap

propriatework

station,expense

reim

bursement,an

dreco

gnitionarecritical

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increase was in women between 45 and 54 years of age who are married andemployed. Together with other volunteers, they constitute a workforce numberingmore than 63 million. Volunteering increases with higher employment rates, and islower in areas with higher poverty rates.

Some researchers find even higher levels of engagement. For example, accord-ing to Independent Sector (2001), when all volunteer involvement is accounted for—not only in charitable organizations but also in religious groups, schools, communi-ties, and informal neighborhood groups—the total unpaid labor contribution climbseven higher. Estimates of the value of volunteer labor suggest the United States bene-fits from the equivalent of $239 billion of unpaid staff time or the equivalent of a full-time workforce of 7.2 million employees (Wing, Pollak, & Blackwood, 2008). (Forspecific information about volunteering in your community, Volunteering in Americaoffers excellent state- and city-level data at its interactive Web site: www.Volunteer-ingInAmerica.gov).

Volunteers continue to be more well educated, more likely to have families, andmore socially connected than the population as a whole. They also have distinct inter-ests and needs. For example:

& Episodic volunteer opportunities. Those with limited time but an interest in doingservice on a temporary basis are being drawn to events such as daylong house-builds with Habitat for Humanity, community park trail maintenance days, or spe-cial vacations featuring “voluntourism” away from home.

& Service linked to the private sector. Corporations and business groups, working tobolster their community involvement, do so by participating in programs to“adopt a” school or stretch of highway, complete a “day of service,” create tech-nological brain trusts for nonprofits in need, or encourage employees to join self-guided “hands-on” service opportunities, often facilitated by a local volunteercenter or United Way.

& Youth and student service. Students competing to build their resumes andenhance their college applications are motivated to help their communities, fre-quently spending long hours in unpaid internships, engaging in service-learningor participating in service clubs and youth groups.

& Opportunities for those who have left the labor force. The most educated group ofretirees in history—as well as the growing number of adults having children laterin life, who may have left the workforce temporarily but seek to apply theirknowledge in giving back—are increasingly available to devote their skills, time,and resources to volunteering.

& Virtual volunteer work. While we generally think of volunteering done in personand on-site, today’s technologically inclined volunteers also find ways to contrib-ute service via the Internet. These virtual volunteers, like persons appearing at theoffice, may be willing to perform a one-time service (e.g., revise an organization’sWeb site) or to sign on for an extended time commitment, such as serving as anonline mentor.

From all these trends emerges a picture of a national community of volunteerspoised to provide talent, labor, and opportunity to any organizational leader savvyenough to capture this workforce and capitalize on that which drives their service.

Understanding Volunteer Motivations and Trends 109

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Understanding the changing face of volunteers in America as well as the top motiva-tions for volunteering provides an essential foundation for applying the Volunteer In-volvement Framework strategically to maximize volunteer contributions.

The Volunteer Involvement Framework

The Volunteer Involvement Framework captures contemporary themes in volunteerengagement and organizes this information for prioritizing and decision-making pur-poses. The tool—developed with assistance from nonprofit leaders—enables execu-tive-level decision makers to identify their current volunteer-engagement practices,examine additional service possibilities, and identify appropriate staffing and othermanagement considerations. The Framework guides agency leaders as they set orga-nizational direction, providing a useful visual schematic that helps organize strategicthinking about volunteer engagement. In short, the Framework examines the fullrange of options available for creating a volunteer-engagement system tailored tomeet the unique needs of nonprofit organizations.

The Framework is a simple two-by-two matrix. The horizontal “connection” col-umns distinguish between the two predominant orientations of volunteers currently inthe marketplace. The first of these is the “affiliation-oriented” volunteer. This persongravitates to a service opportunity in order to associate him- or herself—with thecause or the mission or purpose of the organization, or with the group or networkof friends engaged in the service. For these volunteers, the orientation to the typeof nonprofit, or the friends or colleagues with whom they will serve, is of greater sig-nificance than the type of work being done. By contrast, the “skill-oriented” volunteer,represented in the rightmost column, is a person who is more likely to express aninterest in or a connection with the type of work performed as a volunteer. This personviews the skills that he or she brings to service as paramount and wants to offer thisspecialized expertise to the organization.

The vertical “time” dimension of the matrix captures the person’s availability forservice. The top row represents a short-term service commitment. “Short term” mayindicate a short stint of service (volunteering that occurs over a determined number ofhours in one day or weekend), or it may suggest a specific, time-limited focus, wherethe volunteer signs on for a specific project that is limited in nature (although the proj-ect may occur on an annual or some other recurring basis). This volunteer is fre-quently called an episodic volunteer. The bottom row of the framework representsthe person who agrees to serve on a regular, ongoing basis, potentially making along-term service commitment.

In the sample Framework in Exhibit 5.1, each quadrant contains examples ofvoluntary service that typify that area of volunteer experience, followed by a syn-opsis of the more common traits and motivations for service. Despite the bounda-ries to be discussed, it is worth noting that the Framework’s four quadrants are notmutually exclusive and that the distinctions between them are fluid, flexible, andpermeable. A volunteer may elect to serve in all four ways over a lifetime. Like-wise, an agency or organization will want to examine opportunities for servicethat fall within each quadrant, thereby providing a maximum level of flexibilitywhen recruiting volunteers.

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In the remainder of this chapter, the Framework serves as a basis for conceptual-izing a sustainable volunteer engagement program in four stages:

1. Understanding volunteer motivations and trends. Looking at the research onwho volunteers are and what drives them

2. Creating a vision for volunteer engagement. Thinking broadly about the fourquadrants and how to plan for them

3. Maximizing your investment in volunteers. Management/personnel strategiesand a process for moving from vision to reality

4. Minimizing challenges and embracing opportunities. Advice and resources thataddress executive directors’ top concerns about volunteer engagement

This chapter and its references contain resources to assist with further develop-ment of a specific community-engagement program, including online tools andassessments. Additionally, Exhibit 5.4 (at the end of the chapter), which contains aworksheet for notes on an organization’s particular use of and/or plans for volunteers,allows for customization of The Volunteer Involvement Framework to meet an organi-zation’s needs.

Developing a Vision for Volunteer Engagement

Identifying who volunteers is only one step of a larger process—a process that, in fact,does not begin with recruiting volunteers. Instead, the process begins with an internalassessment and analysis of your organization. Giving forethought to how and wherevolunteers fit within your organization’s larger mission, and how a vision for volunteerengagement fits with other strategic goals, creates a solid foundation for success. Whatfollows is a template for planning or for reassessing your volunteer-engagementstrategy.1

Step 1: Begin with an Open Mind

An important precursor to vision setting is an examination of biases. Nonprofitleaders sometimes get stuck in modes of thinking that limit the possibilities ofvolunteers within their organizations. A key ground rule for guiding your analysisis to remember that there are no tasks volunteers cannot do. A person with therequisite skills, abilities, licenses, training, and time can perform any job. Medicalpersonnel volunteer their time at clinics performing all the duties ascribed by theirtraining; attorneys perform pro bono work on a regular basis; trained communitymembers serve as firefighters, auxiliary police, and poll workers without pay;some nonprofits are run by full-time, nonsalaried executive directors. The list isendless. While it is certainly true that few people have this level of extended

1 For a more detailed accounting of executive leadership in volunteerism, see S. J. Ellis, From theTop Down: The Executive Role in Volunteer Program Success (Philadelphia, PA: Energize, Inc.,1996), which served as a key source in the development of this chapter.

Developing a Vision for Volunteer Engagement 111

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time to contribute, the fact is that a person may do any job, and perform equallyto those with a salary, on a volunteer basis—provided an organization’s leader-ship is open to such limitless possibilities.

Likewise, people from all walks of life volunteer. Overlooking any segment ofthe community unnecessarily closes a door to possible volunteers. Keep in mindthat some of the nation’s most active volunteers include senior citizens, not to men-tion the contributions of people with disabilities, people with limited incomes, par-ents of young children, and even children themselves—any of whom may be willingto serve in a variety of capacities, from hands-on frontline assistance to policy devel-opment and board service. When it comes to working with young volunteers, childlabor laws do not preclude young people from volunteering (Ellis, Weisbord, &Noyes, 2003), so nonprofits frequently engage even elementary students in age-ap-propriate endeavors on behalf of organizations. Research tells us that young people,particularly those who volunteer with members of their family, become lifelong vol-unteers (Musick & Wilson, 2008; Rehnborg, Fallon, & Hinerfeld, 2002). Thus, engag-ing families and youth can help provide a vital community resource for years tocome.

Step 2: Include Staff and Board in the Process

Comprehensive community-engagement initiatives benefit greatly from the inputand active planning of key stakeholders and staff. One of the best ways to preventresistance to volunteers is to include staff and board members in the planning pro-cess from the beginning. Including staff in the planning process enables employ-ees to explore the nuances of service and helps to prepare them to expand theirreach through volunteers. And board members, themselves volunteers, may fail tosee the connection between their type of governance or policy volunteering andthe more direct-service opportunities offered to other volunteers. The planningprocess acts an exercise in staff/board development, leading these key stakehold-ers to begin thinking strategically about volunteers, to articulate a shared languagearound community engagement, and to explore how volunteers fit within the orga-nization’s core values and mission. Thus, engagement becomes not just about thecommunity outside of the organization but also an exercise in building internalcommunity.

Step 3: Take Stock

Because volunteer engagement does not exist in a vacuum, plans for community in-volvement should be integrated within the existing strategic plan for your organiza-tion’s future direction. The most important question to ask when contemplating acommunity-engagement initiative is: What is the work that must be done to achievethe mission and goals of our organization? Asking this question ensures that volunteeropportunities fit within the overall objectives of the organization and the plan for mov-ing forward. Additionally, the question benefits volunteers, who surely care whethertheir time and talents make a difference. Volunteers thrive when they can see that thework they perform is central to the organization: work that impacts the organization’sbottom line—its mission.

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Step 4: Move from Vision to Logistical Reality

Practice wisdom tells us that there are four keys to making a plan or systemoperational:

1. A vision that guides the plan2. Clear targets for progress (i.e., goals and objectives for action)3. A qualified person responsible for overseeing the plan4. The allocation of financial resources to support the plan

The vision for the plan emerged through your planning process. In examiningopportunities for community engagement, the planning committee identified ideasthat fit the needs and concerns of the organization. Look back at that stage of de-velopment and see if any underlying themes or ideas emerged that guided yourdecision making. Capturing those concerns succinctly and framing them into aguiding vision or philosophy is important. This guiding vision should be devel-oped into a strategy or mission statement for community engagement, or someother brief document that is circulated and made widely available. This documentwill provide direction and serve as a touchstone when important decisions need tobe made.

From that statement of vision, a set of clear goals to achieve should flow naturally.By creating measurable statements of intent, including short-term objectives and long-term anticipated outcomes, the planning committee will define the nature of the workto be accomplished. This exercise of refining priorities and goals will present an op-portunity for staff and board to weigh in with a reality check: Where will the resourcescome from to support these objectives? Who will shepherd the civic-engagement ini-tiative through its various stages?

Selecting a point person to drive the volunteer-engagement effort is critical,ensuring it becomes someone’s responsibility to move your plan to action. This personwill need to be someone who enjoys full support and assistance as this new venturetakes shape. Additionally, the person must be given the time to undertake the work.Effective community engagement programs—even small efforts—take time. To be ef-fective in this role, your point person either must be engaged to take on this effort ormust be relieved of other duties so that he or she can invest the time necessary toachieve the important end results.

Finally, your action plan should include a budget, inclusive of not only the dollarsbut other costs to your organization of working with volunteers. These may includestaff time, facilities, supplies, and equipment required to facilitate involvement. Weighhow your nonprofit will accommodate the fact that increased numbers of volunteersequates to increased numbers of people in your organization—people who take upspace, often need to use computers, may want to drink coffee, and will want to parktheir cars. Such creature comforts alone will not attract volunteers to your nonprofit,but the absence of them can assuredly lead to poor volunteer retention. Also selectappropriate lines of communication, set up databases, and determine appropriatescreening procedures. Touching on these types of logistics with the planning teambefore embarking on a new volunteer recruitment initiative can save numerous head-aches down the road.

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Step 5: Benchmark Others’ Successes with Volunteers

Where model program for volunteers exist, it is worth exploring opportunities for rep-lication in systems, approaches, training, and more. Consider looking for examples ofvolunteer engagement from similar nonprofits, particularly those that have achievedsuccesses with volunteers. Such benchmarking could set up opportunities for collabo-ration while also preventing the organization from reinventing the wheel if an existingtemplate fits the agency’s needs.

Additionally, staff will seek a template for volunteer engagement. It may be neces-sary to dedicate some professional development and training time to this topic, or staffsimply may look to the executive team to model effective volunteer involvement.Leadership should model commitment to the plan. Staff will perceive not only whatworking with volunteers may require of them (investments of time, certain behavioralmodifications, etc.) but also the potential payoffs for taking work with volunteersseriously.

Step 6: Decide How You Will Measure Success

Setting up metrics to evaluate the success of community-engagement efforts canprove complex, but several tools exist to provide support. These metrics can help anorganization determine whether the anticipated outcomes of the volunteer-engage-ment initiative were met and provide the data that will make the case for continuedsupport for your efforts to board members, funders, and other stakeholders.

& Quantitative measures

Databases can be programmed to track not only the number of volunteers andtheir hours spent in service but also whether their service correlates with otherimportant outcomes. (For example: Are they raising the public profile of theorganization? Are they donating, attending events, or becoming members in ad-dition to giving their time? Has the agency been able to serve more clients orprovide more effective or comprehensive service because of volunteers? Hasvolunteers’ service secured matching cash contributions from their employerscontingent on hours of service? Have they referred others to the nonprofit?Have they increased their service over time or begun serving in new capacities,perhaps making the shift from episodic volunteers to ongoing volunteers, oradding new skills within the time they give? Have they opened doors with fun-ders or other potential donors?) Such metrics can become part of the agencydashboard, referred to regularly in staff meetings, board discussions, and an-nual reports.

& Financial measures

Another quantitative approach is to determine the organization’s return on invest-ment by placing a value on volunteers’ time. Several methods for this exist (e.g.,comparing the work to its average wage in the marketplace, accounting for theopportunity cost of volunteers’ time, etc.). Resources for conducting volunteervaluation can be found online at The RGK Center’s research center www.rgkcen-ter.org/research/past, including an article, “Placing a Value on Volunteer Time”(2005), that outlines several tools available to nonprofit leaders.

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& Qualitative measures

Scheduling exit interviews or after-action reports with volunteers who have com-pleted a significant project or service commitment provides precious information.Meet with staff supervisors or board members engaged in the action to processthe outcomes, and think about surveying your volunteers periodically or holdingcasual focus groups to garner their input. Report volunteer involvement successesand highlight accomplishments in the organizational newsletter, reports to fun-ders, Web site content, and elsewhere, and clip press reports about the agency,watching for the presence of volunteers. Community involvement often helps togarner positive attention in the community and provides positive public relationsfor your nonprofit.

Managing the Volunteer Investment

Just as thoughtful, careful planning is necessary for any level of volunteer involve-ment, so, too, are resources to do the job, including funds and staff time. Numerousstudies have found that—“free” labor, notwithstanding—the old adage you get whatyou pay for applies to volunteer programs (Adalpe et al., 2006; Grantmaker Forum onCommunity and National Service, 2003; Hager, 2004; Rehnborg et al., 2002). The bot-tom line is this: The more energy and resources nonprofits expend in community-engagement initiatives, the greater their return on the investment.

The level and extent of a volunteer-engagement initiative determines the staff-ing complement. Utilizing The Volunteer Involvement Framework grid shown inExhibit 5.2, we examine the traits of each quadrant and the resultant managementrecommendations. Keep in mind that volunteer-engagement initiatives that span thegrid will require greater levels of management resources.

A Question of Management and Staffing

Making the decision to hire a new person on either a full- or part-time basis isalways complex and requires careful analysis. Because volunteers generally workfor no pay, many nonprofits initially assume that the leadership of the programcan also be secured without a paycheck. In her excellent treatment of the subjectof when to pay for help and when to engage volunteers for a task, Ellis (1996)notes that, while volunteers’ qualifications can be equal to or beyond that of staffin every way, providing a paycheck serves four critical functions: “Offering asalary gives the agency a predetermined number of work hours per week, theright to dictate the employee’s work schedule, a certain amount of control overthe nature and priorities of the work to be done, and continuity” (p. 12). Thus,handling a significant workforce of volunteers (and especially if those volunteersserve over a long period of time and perform highly skilled work) likely requiresthe sort of availability and commitment that an organization usually finds in a paidstaff member.

Once the commitment has been made to hire for the position, some executivedirectors look to fill a volunteer manager opening from within the ranks of existingvolunteers. The underlying assumption—that someone committed to serving yournonprofit would welcome the opportunity to come on board in exchange for a

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paycheck—sometimes misunderstands the challenges inherent in moving from beinga volunteer to managing other volunteers. Having a clear job description and layingout the necessary skills and aptitudes of the job is essential. An excellent resource onvolunteer management, which includes sample job descriptions for the position, canbe found on Idealist.org in its Volunteer Management Resource Center section. Seewww.idealist.org/info/VolunteerMgmt

Position justification is a concern frequently raised by executive directors. Histori-cally, most nonprofit organizations emerged from the work of a committed group ofvolunteers who championed a cause. As the work grew, the founding board soughtfunds to hire a leader for the organization, a person with the time and the expertiseneeded to take the group to its next level of functioning: the executive director. Thesame rationale applies to the position of volunteer manager. Investing time and re-sources in a talented volunteer manager will yield valuable returns.

Minimizing Challenges, Embracing Opportunities

Few volunteer leaders will openly cast aspersions on the dedication of volunteers or thevirtues of community involvement, yet benign acceptance can also mask serious reserva-tions, if not outright hostility, toward volunteers. This section of the chapter addressessome of the more common issues in volunteer engagement, presenting some of the chal-lenges and opportunities inherent in community-engagement activities.

The opportunities, challenges, and liability considerations for service projectswithin each of the quadrants are captured in the Framework shown in Exhibit 5.3.Although the concerns vary by the dimensions of the quadrant, a few considerationsare universal.

Liability

In today’s litigious society, nonprofit organizations need to be careful, thoughtful, andthorough in any project they undertake, ensuring proper consideration of risk manage-ment and liability. Although a thorough risk-assessment analysis is beyond the scope ofthis chapter, nonprofits would be well advised to exercise for volunteers the same cau-tion advocated for client care and general staff protection for positions of equal respon-sibility. A well-managed program should include up-to-date records and well-documented personnel files, noting all trainings attended and reference checks con-ducted, as well as the results of these reference checks. In addition, a comprehensivecommunity-engagement program should include a policies and procedures documentthat outlines regulations pertaining to volunteer/client contact within and outside of thework setting; expectations for uses of personal vehicles and levels of personal insur-ance required if client transportation is anticipated; procedures on how to handle inju-ries received during the course of service; and any other guidelines that would beinstituted for staff serving in similar positions. A comprehensive orientation to volunteerwork provides an opportunity to share this information with volunteers.

Insurance is available for volunteers operating within the regulations of a formalorganization. The low cost of this coverage suggests the relative safety of such under-takings; nonetheless, an exploration of available options is important. For an example

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EXHIBIT5.3

TheVolunteerInvolvementFramework:WeighingOpportunities,Challenges,an

dRisks

CONNECTIO

NTO

SERVICE!

AffiliationFocu

sSkillFocu

s

TIMEFORSERVICE!

ShortTerm

Episodic

Opportunities

Can

help

promote

organ

ization,spread

message,an

dbuildmailinglist

Idealforacco

mplishingshort-term

,intensive

work

togroundsorbuilding

May

use

indatab

aseforad

vocacy,fundraising,

orvolunteerrecruitment

Challenges

Notalwayspossibleto

provideclient-oriented

service

Considerablead

van

ceplanningrequiredto

ensure

thatmaterialsareavailableforlarge-

scaleserviceprojects

Requiresflexiblescheduleforstafflead

ership

Liability

Dependentonserviceprojectselected;b

estto

notify

insurance

carrierofthedate

May

requirean

eventrideronagency

policy

Opportunities

Greatway

tosecu

reim

portan

tassistan

cenot

otherw

iseavailable

Idealtraininggroundformore

intensiveservice

(e.g.,co

mmittee,taskforce,o

rboardwork

aswell

aswork

inlong-term

quad

rant)

Worthyad

ditionto

agency

datab

ase

May

use

serviceopportunityto

evaluateperson

forpossibleemployment

Challenges

Poorlyhan

dledserviceopportunitymay

harm

organ

ization’sreputation

Projectpreparationcanbetimeco

nsuming,may

requireco

nsiderableup-frontsupport

Ifan

internship,m

ayrequiresupervisorwith

sametrainingbackground

May

beaco

verforajobsearch

;ifunemployed

andfindsajob,may

leavevolunteer

assignmentunfinished

Liability

Dependentonserviceproject;investigateneed

forap

propriatebackgroundch

eck

(continued

)

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EXHIBIT5.3

(Continued

)

CONNECTIO

NTO

SERVICE!

AffiliationFocu

sSkillFocu

s TIMEFORSERVICE!

LongTerm

Ongoing

Opportunities

Strongmission-based,consequentialoutcomes

likely

Worthyad

ditionto

agency

datab

ase

Mech

anismsforvolunteerinputstrongly

reco

mmended,ascanim

proveprograms

Cap

able,inform

edad

vocatesfororgan

ization

Challenges

Volunteersmay

beco

meoverinvestedin

work

oforgan

izationan

dmak

edeman

ds

Effectiveim

plementationtimeco

nsuming

Ongoingoversightim

portan

t;dedicated

volunteerman

agementstaffreco

mmended

Staffbuy-inessential

Volunteersneedto

begivenvoicein

organ

ization’soperationsthataffectthem,

inform

edofim

portan

tch

anges,an

dupdated

onprogress

onkeyobjectives

Liability

Check

requirementsforap

propriate

backgroundch

ecks;should

beperform

edif

volunteerworkswithvulnerableclients.

Should

carrysomeform

ofliab

ilitypolicy

May

needto

offermileageorotherform

sof

expense

reim

bursement

Opportunities

Highperform

ereagerto

furtherorgan

ization’s

work

Bringscriticalskillsetto

meetagency’sneeds

Strongrepresentativein

theco

mmunity,likelyto

bean

ablead

vocate

May

proveto

bean

ablerecruiterororientation

lead

erfornew

volunteers

May

bean

earlyretireeeagerto

bemean

ingfully

involved

Ifnotontheboard,m

aybeco

nsideredforboard

position

Challenges

Volunteermay

needcare

andattention,including

dedicatedworkstationan

dco

mputeran

ddirect

lineto

chiefoperatingofficer/execu

tivedirector

Other

staffandvo

lunteersmustbeknowledgeable

aboutthisperson’sroleandopen

toen

gaging

him

/her

indeliberationsthatwillaffectgivenarea

ofwork

Generally,there

aremore

volunteerseagerfor

these

typesofassignmentsthan

nonprofits

read

yto

engagethem

May

perceivethathe/shecanfixtheagency

Liability

Ifbehaviorsproveproblematic,may

require

form

alhonoran

dretirementto

moveindividual

outofservice

Should

stronglyco

nsiderdirectors’an

dofficers’

insurance

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of such coverage, see www.cimaworld.com/htdocs/volunteers.cfm. Intermediaryorganizations for nonprofits and large nation organizations with numerous affiliates fre-quently offer support and information about liability and risk management as it pertainsto volunteer involvement. Another particularly useful resource for nonprofit organiza-tions is the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, based in Leesburg, VA, which offers ahost of references and useful articles (nonprofitrisk.org/library/articles/insur-ance052004.shtml).

While precautions and risk assessment are wise, overestimating the risk associ-ated with volunteers can create undue burdens. It is generally unnecessary to do crim-inal background checks—or even reference checks—for most volunteersparticipating in one-time group events or in positions unrelated to contact with vulner-able clients. Allow the complexity of the assigned task to dictate risk-managementmeasures, and drop any that add unnecessary bureaucracy and obstacles to service.As always, however, check with legal counsel or insurance provider to determine theright line of action for the organization.

Record Keeping

Effective nonprofit management includes accounting for and supporting the agency’svolunteers. Each volunteer’s involvement serving the organization should be a matterof record. Set up the organization’s database and paperwork so that records of volun-teer involvement not only capture the information to protect against liability but alsoto provide needed data to evaluate the success of the program. (For support in devel-oping record-keeping systems, see Ellis & Noyes, 2003.)

Data recorded about volunteers’ service will depend not only on the requirementsof the organization but also those of the volunteer and the agency’s stakeholders. Forexample, a student fulfilling an educational requirement (service-learning or course re-quirement) or volunteering to meet licensure requirements for a particular professionwill require certain documentation of involvement in the organization. Additionally, in-surance carriers may require particular data-keeping practices to cover a volunteer in theevent of injury. Funders may accept volunteer service as part of a match requirement andsometimes have their own reporting requirements on volunteer involvement.

Dismissal

While it is true that occasionally volunteers do not work out, such problems arefortunately rare. A well-managed program is the best prevention from contentiousvolunteer relationships. When volunteers have well-developed positiondescriptions; have been capably screened, oriented, and trained for the positionthey will fulfill; and are given adequate staff support and recognition, programsgenerally run smoothly. However, it is true that, once in a while, a volunteermay need to be dismissed. (Yes, volunteers can be fired!)

As with staff, this situation is never pleasant, in spite of its periodic necessity. Someexcellent online resources provide detailed information about the process of dismissingvolunteers (McCurley, 1993; Rehnborg, 1995). They are available online at:

www.serviceleader.org/new/managers/2005/07/000270.phpwww.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/fire.htm

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Problem volunteers should not be tolerated, nor should the specter of this prob-lem deter leaders from involving volunteers. Many situations where volunteers strayfrom expected protocol are motivated more by ignorance than intent. In the processof gathering the information that appears in this chapter, an executive director told ofa situation where her nonprofit organization accidentally “inherited” the problem vol-unteer of a sister agency. When the aberrant behaviors commenced at the newagency, the executive director brought the volunteer in to discuss the situation. Thegenuinely shocked volunteer had mistakenly assumed that her behavior was whatwas expected, and she was mortified to learn that she had been such a cause for con-cern. The woman grew to become one of the new agency’s most critical supportersand strongest workers—not its greatest nemesis. Yes, volunteers can be dismissed,but volunteers also deserve the courtesy of attention and redirection before drasticmeasures are taken.

Volunteer/Staff Ratios

There are no specific rules that determine a standard volunteer/staff ratio or that triggerwhen a volunteer manager needs to go from a half-time to a full-time position. Like-wise, volunteer hours are not a good proxy to develop equations translating part-timevolunteer positions to full-time-equivalent standards for supervision formulas. Workingwith eight volunteers each giving five hours of service weekly (40 hours of total serviceper week) is significantly more time intensive from a supervision standpoint thanworking with a single individual providing an equal amount of time.

We do know however, that more intensive volunteer expectations require greaterstaff support and closer supervision. For example, the Court Appointed Special Advo-cate program standards specify 1 supervisor to 30 volunteers (National CASA Associa-tion, 2006). For supervision purposes, the San Francisco Recreation and ParkDepartment Volunteer Policy Guide (n.d.) recommends one gardener to 15 volun-teers. Neither number however, indicates the staffing complement of the volunteeroffice that recruits and prepares these people for service. Each organization mustexamine its own goals, activities, and workload in volunteer engagement and decideaccordingly about volunteer management staffing. Benchmarking with other pro-grams in similar areas of service may provide insight about appropriate staffing levelsand expectations.

Volunteer/Staff Relations

Almost any new or changed undertaking naturally is met with resistance. Dramaticallyramping up a community engagement program may cause staff to raise concernsabout already overwhelming workloads, job security, the qualifications of the volun-teers, the timing of the decision, or roles that community members may assume. Fol-lowing the steps outlined in this chapter will address many of these issues. The nextpointers may also help.

& Form a committee of staff and other stakeholders to assist with planning and im-plementation of the community engagement initiative. A willingness to listencarefully to the demands of existing personnel will go a long way in developing

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their receptivity to the new venture. Consider if all of their concerns are founded,but certainly those that are need to be addressed during the planning process.

& Help staff members consider the service they have performed, and relate theirexperiences as volunteers to their work as staff who will now interact with volun-teers. No one wants their time wasted, nor are we eager to be treated poorly.Personalizing the volunteer experience helps staff to regard the new workforcepositively.

& Orient staff to expectations. Not only should staff members be expected to workwithin the guidelines of appropriate expectations, but they also should berewarded for doing so. When recognizing volunteers, thank the staff who sup-ported them too. Connect merit raises and other bonuses to this expectation, aswith other job requirements.

& Inform staff about the expectations and reality of the volunteer workforce. Thevast majority of people offering to serve are eager to help—they are not there totake jobs or to assume 40-hour-a-week responsibilities. Provide staff memberswith an update on who is volunteering as well as how they can become valuedmembers of your organization’s team.

For additional resources on this topic, check out www.energizeinc.com/art/subj/emp.html.

Conclusion

Organizations benefit from expanding their conceptualization of volunteering toexamine the complex interplay between the needs and goals of the organization orcause being served and the concerns and expectations of the people potentially deliv-ering service. Organized on the dual axes of time and connection to service, The Vol-unteer Involvement Framework highlights the complexity as well as the richness ofvolunteers as a resource.

Using the Framework, one can envision relations with a diverse array ofpotential volunteers: people who share the same broad goal—to make adifference—but see it from a number of distinct individual perspectives. As dem-onstrated here, making a difference can occur when one serves a cause one be-lieves in, offers a valued skill, and/or acts as part of a network that holds somepersonal significance.

Responding to volunteers’ specialized perspectives not only leads to more mean-ingful experiences for the volunteer but also creates opportunities for you, as a non-profit leader. Capitalizing on volunteer resources, even those generated throughshort-term contacts such as “days of caring” events, can later lead to a cadre of com-munity supporters: people who know about the organization, value its services, andmay support the mission in an ongoing way. Even brief encounters can build mailinglists, tell a story, recruit more volunteers, and meet new contacts in key organizationsfor collaboration. However, none of this will occur without consciously segmentingvolunteer contacts, planning for effective volunteer engagement, providing resourcesto ensure positive volunteer involvement, and targeting volunteer audiences to buildsupport for the organization.

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Consider the options the Framework presents when planning for volunteerengagement, noting not only the opportunities for volunteer support but also thevarious management expectations associated with service in each of the fourquadrants. Also, capture sufficient information about community participants tounderstand all of the ways in which they might be available and willing to sup-port the organization.

No framework, regardless of how thoroughly conceptualized, is a substitute forgetting to know the unique needs and concerns of your particular individual volun-teers. A highly skilled, powerful business executive may want nothing more than toplant flowers that beautify an urban area or volunteer with his dog, visiting seniors ina nursing home. Likewise, an arborist may relish the opportunity to create a databasefor your organization and use a skill set only marginally connected to her workplace.The wants and needs of volunteers vary over time. Respecting the time and serviceinterest of volunteers turns community members into partners jointly committed to anorganization’s success.

Worksheet: Assessing Current Patterns of Volunteer Engagement

Utilize the grid in Exhibit 5.4 first to capture the ways in which volunteers are currentlyengaged (remember to include the board of directors). Next, fill in the grid with ideasfor how volunteers might engage in the organization’s future work.

EXHIBIT 5.4 The Volunteer Involvement Framework Worksheet

CONNECTION TO SERVICE !Affiliation Focus Skill Focus

TIM

EFORSE

RVICE!

Short Term

Ongoing

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Also, assess the effectiveness of your current situation. Where are volunteers mosthelpful? How are they managed and supported? How effectively does staff work withvolunteers?

References

Aldape, N., Barker, C., Beekley, T., Berger, T., Bies, A., Brown, A.F., et al. (2006). Ananalysis of the nonprofit and volunteer capacity-building industries in CentralTexas. Austin, TX: RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service and theGeorge Bush School of Government and Public Service.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2007, September). Volunteers by how they becameinvolved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performedand selected characteristics. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.t06.htm

Ellis, S. J. (1996). From the top down: The executive role in volunteer program success.Philadelphia, PA: Energize, Inc.

Ellis, S. J., & Noyes, K. H. (2003). Proof positive: Developing significant volunteerrecordkeeping systems (rev. ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Energize, Inc.

Ellis, S. J., Weisbord, A., & Noyes, K. H. (2003). Children as volunteers: Preparing forcommunity service (rev. ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Energize, Inc.

Frumkin, P. (2002). On being nonprofit: A conceptual and policy primer. Cambridge,MA: Harvard University Press.

Graff, L. (2003). Better safe …: Risk management in volunteer programs & communityservice. Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff and Associates.

Hager, M. A. (2004). Volunteer management capacity in America’s charities andcongregations: A briefing report. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved fromwww.urban.org/url.cfm?ID-410963.

Independent Sector. (2001). Giving and volunteering in the United States 2001.Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved from www.cpanda.org/pdfs/gv/GV01Report.pdf

McCurley, S. (1993, January/February). How to fire a volunteer and live to tell about it.Retrieved from www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/fire.htm

Musick, M. A., & Wilson, J. (2008). Volunteers: A social profile. Bloomington, IN:Indiana University Press.

National CASA Association. (2006, May). National CASA Association standards andquality assurance system for local CASA/GAL member programs: Executivesummary—What every judge needs to know. Retrieved from www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5552449/k.349D/National_CASA_Association_Standards.htm

Placing a value on volunteer time. (2005, Fall). Investigator, 2, 1–3. Retrieved fromwww.utexas.edu/lbj/rgk/investigator/issue4

Rehnborg, S. J. (1995, July). A few pointers on the unpleasant topic of firing volun-teers. Retrieved from www.serviceleader.org/new/managers/2005/07/000270.php

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Rehnborg, S. J., Fallon, C. K., & Hinerfeld, B. J. (2002). Investing in volunteerism: Theimpact of service initiatives in selected Texas state agencies. Austin, TX: Univer-sity of Texas.

San Francisco Recreation & Park Department. (n.d.). Volunteer policy. Retrieved fromwww.parks.sfgov.org/site/recpark_page.asp?idD51760

Scheier, I. H. (1975). Need overlap analysis: A technique for job development.Synergist: The Journal of ACTION’S National Student Volunteer Program(ACTION), 3, 14–18.

Stallings, B. (2005). 12 key actions of volunteer program champions: CEOs who leadthe way. Philadelphia, PA: Energize, Inc.

Grantmaker Forum on National and Community Service. (2003, March). The cost of avolunteer: What it takes to provide a quality volunteer experience. Retrievedfrom www.pacefunders.org/publications/pubs/Cost%20Volunteer%20FINAL.pdf

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Connors, T. D. (Ed.). (2011). The volunteer management handbook : Leadership strategies for success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.Created from ashford-ebooks on 2022-04-12 22:59:50.

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