A quick reference guide to managing your volunteers better
Coordination
Appoint a volunteer coordinator to your organisation; someone who is
responsible for recruiting managing and recognising your volunteers.
Someone who is a point of contact for volunteers.
Planning
Develop a volunteer management plan. This plan should address:
- number of volunteers required and the roles they are required for
- identification of skills already in the organisation (for example conduct a skills audit of existing members and volunteers)
- recruitment strategies
- roles and responsibilities of volunteers
- roles and responsibilities of the organisation
- training that can be offered to volunteers
- ongoing day-to-day support that can be provided
- recognition strategies.
Job descriptions
- develop job descriptions outlining volunteers' duties
- job descriptions enable potential volunteers to understand what is expected of them before taking on the position.
Orientation
Provide new volunteers with an orientation, including:
- a welcome to the organisation
- details of their position
- information on the day-to-day operations of the organisation
- support that will be provided to them
- introductions to key people in the organisation.
Training
- identify the training requirements of your volunteers
- keep up to date with the training that is available for various positions in the organisation
- include an allocation for volunteer training in the organisation's budget.
Support
- provide volunteers with a central point of contact for example volunteer coordinator
- ensure
open channels of communication are available to volunteers. Provide
them with the opportunity to ask questions, discuss problems, raise
issues, put forward complaints
- make sure that volunteers are not out of pocket; where possible cover their expenses
- ensure that the roles and responsibilities of the volunteers and the organisation are clearly defined and communicated
- keep volunteers regularly informed about what is happening in the organisation
- ensure that recognition of volunteers is ongoing.