Human Service Agencies Dr.

Carla Bluhm The Oasis ~ Caring for the Homeless and the Nearly Homeless Shamara Thomas
Volunteer Coordination: Strategies for Success This article is a out using si! strategies to successful coordinate a volunteering "rogram for an organi#ation.

Volunteering

Summary
$t is cost effective to have a volunteering "rogram in "lace in an organi#ation. $t is im"ortant for volunteers to e rece"tive to% and familiar &ith% the organi#ation's goals and mission. After all% the first contact a visitor has &ith the organi#ation may e &ith a volunteer. Coordinators need to e "atient and rece"tive to volunteers' needs. Through a""ro"riate volunteer coordination% e!"eriences can e made "ositive for visitors% volunteers% and the organi#ation. There are si! ste"s to successfully coordinate a volunteer "rogram( )* Determining the volunteer needs of staff% +* creating volunteer ,o s% -* recruiting volunteers% .* intervie&ing and "lacing volunteers% /* su"ervising volunteers% and 0* re&arding volunteers. The organi#ation should meet &ith co&or1ers and discuss their needs% so they 1no& the "osition the volunteer &ill "lay. 2ach volunteer "osition must e set u" to meet the agency's needs. To recruit volunteers% loo1 at volunteer ,o descri"tions and rainstorm "otential sources of volunteers3 column in a local ne&s"a"er% volunteer "laces in the community% and also &ord of mouth. 4hen intervie&ing a volunteer clarify the e!"ectations of the "osition and use o"en 5uestions. Volunteers need guidance and goals to successfully "erform their assigned ,o . Once a year% organi#ations should re&ard volunteers through s"ecific recognition% and of course smile and say than1 you to each volunteer daily 6Hurley% )77/*8

Kacey Popham Volunteer Management Basics This article discussed the im"ortance of coordinating and managing volunteers &ell. Summary Volunteers "lay a vital role in 1ee"ing a non"rofit organi#ation u" and running. A

Human Service Agencies Dr. Carla Bluhm The Oasis ~ Caring for the Homeless and the Nearly Homeless Volunteering

volunteer manager or coordinator has one of the most im"ortant "ositions in the non"rofit organi#ation. Their ,o includes many different re5uirements. $t starts &ith volunteer recruitment &hich involves gathering a variety or 5ualified candidates that meet the criteria for the "osition. The ne!t ste" is to screen the volunteers. The ty"e of screening de"ends on the "ositions that are availa le and determining &hich of the candidates "ossess the "ro"er s1ills to fill that "ost &ell. The third ste" is to select the volunteers. This ta1es "lace after the coordinator has come u" &ith a grou" of "otential candidates that have the necessary s1ills and "ic1ing out the one or ones that &ill ecome a "art of the organi#ation. The ne!t ste" is to train the volunteers in the area that they &ill e &or1ing. After they have een "ro"erly trained% the coordinator no& has to su"ervise them regularly to ma1e sure that the ,o is eing done the right &ay. 9astly% and this could e one of the more im"ortant ste"s% is to retain the volunteers. $t is one thing to get volunteers3 it is another thing to 1ee" them. Volunteer coordinators should recogni#e the good &or1 that the volunteers do and ma1e them feel li1e they are im"ortant since it is ecause of their dedication of time and energy that non"rofits survive. Meagan West Motivating Volunteers to Perform This article a out not only the ty"e of volunteers you should see1 out for your organi#ation ut ho& to ins"ire them. Summary The three ma,or "oints this article em"hasi#es are that they feel are im"ortant in your volunteer relationshi"s are :;ecruit% ;etain and ;ecogni#e.< =or the recruiting "art you &ant volunteers &ho &ant to hel" your cause ecause they feel dee"ly a out or "lace value in &hat you are trying to do. >ou don't &ant those "eo"le &ho feel o ligated to volunteer ecause this

Human Service Agencies Dr. Carla Bluhm The Oasis ~ Caring for the Homeless and the Nearly Homeless Volunteering

&on't enefit you% them% or most im"ortantly% those "eo"le your organi#ation is trying to serve. They suggest having several meetings and "rovide "lenty of information to your volunteers so that they feel comforta le that volunteering their time in this "articular organi#ation is right for them. Also% e very attentive so that they feel li1e an individual rather than a num er% and that their hel" is needed% &elcomed% and a""reciated. 4ith regard to retention% they say not to :1ee" volunteers in the same role for more than t&o years.< 6;afe% +?)-* This is ecause you don't &ant them to get ored &ith &hat they are doing% ossy or territorial% &hich can lead to a "oor &or1 ethic and "oor service. >ou also &ant to ta1e "lenty of time to e!"lain the ins and outs of the &or1 your volunteers &ill e doing so they &on't feel com"letely lost eing "laced in their "ositions. 9astly% recogni#e the &or1 your volunteers do y tal1ing &ith them and encouraging them y telling them they are doing good &or1 and that every ,o counts no matter ho& small. Volunteers can also e recogni#ed y "u lic ac1no&ledgement% &hich can then lead to a &hole ne& circle of ;ecruit% ;etain and ;ecogni#e. Our organi#ation% Oasis% &ill definitely use the :;ecruit% ;etain and ;ecogni#e< tool &ith our volunteers. 4e feel that this method &ill &or1 &ell for our "rocess ecause it &ill 1ee" our volunteers interested and enthusiastic a out the &or1 they are "erforming in order for our organi#ation to run smoothly. Trisa Chancey Volunteering Our te!t oo1( @anaging the Challenges in Human Service Organi#ations% A Case oo1% y

Austin% et. al.% +??7 has no section s"ecific to volunteering% ut scatters volunteer information throughout. Summary $n Case -.)+% :4hose $nterests Are Being Served%< &hen the original organi#ation% &hich had een a "art of the community for +/ years for the "ur"ose of assisting &omen and children

Human Service Agencies Dr. Carla Bluhm The Oasis ~ Caring for the Homeless and the Nearly Homeless Volunteering

&ho &ere suffering from domestic a use% had to close due to mismanagement% it &as 1e"t alive y volunteers &ho hel"ed address crises their clients e!"erienced during the months the organi#ation &as closed. Case ..7% :Aro,ect Home%< uses volunteers as role models for homeless children &ho come to their agency. :Aro,ect Home< has e!"erienced a lot of em"loyee turnover% so the volunteers are their most consistent resource. Both of these cases reflect the im"ortance of :recruiting% retaining% and recogni#ing< de"enda le% res"onsi le volunteers.

Synthesis Volunteers &ill e recruited through &ord of mouth and y lin1ing to our &e site. 4e &ill also list our organi#ation &ith Camden County's .)) assistance line% as &ell as through Volunteer@atch.org. These seem to e the most relia le means of locating "eo"le &ho are "ersonally interested in hel"ing the "eo"le that de"end on our organi#ation to meet their needs. Volunteers &ill undergo the same ac1ground chec1s% drug screening% and intervie& "rocess as our em"loyees through Satilla Tem"s. They &ill receive orientation and training similar to that of em"loyees% and as em"loyee "ositions ecome availa le it may e "ossi le for volunteers to fill those "osts. Volunteers &ill receive recognition daily in the form of :than1Byous and smiles< referenced in Shamara's article. 4e &ill recogni#e a :Volunteer of the @onth< ased on

comments from clients% staff% and other volunteers. Once a year &e &ill conduct a volunteer an5uet at &hich volunteers &ill e served their food y our management% oard% and cele rity donors.

Human Service Agencies Dr. Carla Bluhm The Oasis ~ Caring for the Homeless and the Nearly Homeless ;eferences Austin% @. C.% Brody% ;.% D Aac1ard% T. 6+??7*. Managing the challenges of human services organizations. Thousand Oa1s% CA( SAE2 Au lications% $nc. Hurley% @. C. 6)77/*. Volunteer coordination( Strategies for success. Northern $llinois Fniversity 9i raries% Northern $llinois Fniversity% $llinois. ;afe% S. C. 6+?)-*. @otivating volunteers to "erform. Non"rofit 4orld% -)6/*% )GB)7. ;etrieved from non"rofit&orld.org. Volunteer @anagement Basics% @innesota Council of Non"rofits. 6n.d.*. ;etrieved from htt"(HH&&&.minnesotanon"rofits.orgHnon"rofitBresourcesHmanagementBhrHvolunteerB managementHvolunteerBmanagementB asics. Volunteering