MEASURING VOLUNTEER IMPACT

1. MEASURING VOLUNTEER IMPACT Evaluation and Outcomes Management…

2. YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Create a Year-End Report What Are You Measuring?

3. Group 1: Who Can Help You Measure? Group 2: Take Your Measurements Group 3: Process the Data Group 4: How Will You Share It? Group 5: What Did You Do With the Results? GROUP ACTIVITY

4. Volunteers Office Support Other Departments Guests Interns Short-term Volunteers And More... Who Can Help You Measure?

5. Database Surveys Intangibles Take Your Measurements

6. Crunch Numbers Create Charts, Graphs, etc. Utilize Volunteer Calculators Illustrate the Intangibles Process Your Information

7. Use Comparisons 2008 2009 • 1077+ Volunteers • Over 50 Assignments • Over 82,000 hours • Up to 40 Volunteers/day • 24 Hours • 253 Volunteers • Few Assignments • 33,000 Hours • 1-3 Volunteers/day • 4 hours

8. Show ‘em the BIG PICTURE… Initial Additional Areas Identified: Additional Areas Actual 2009: • Education (activity booths, craft assistance, program assistance, …) • Animal Care (keeper talks, animal observations, exhibit assistance, enrichment, etc…) • Animal Health (both vet centers, multiple tasks) • Research (Ethograms, special projects, and more) • Enrichment (Zoo-wide) • Special Events – Development • Special Events – Group Sales • Human Resources (office assistance, filing, shredding, etc.) • Database Projects (multiple departments) • Scanning, copying, shredding (multiple departments) • Information Technology • Avian Propagation Center (walking birds, bird observations, database & record organization, multiple projects) • Applied Animal Ecology (reptile assays, biodiversity studies, Panda Research) • Behavioral Biology (bird observations, elephant watch, ) • Genetics (lab work) • Reproductive Physiology (hormone studies, database projects, lab work, newsletter and more) • Wildlife Disease Labs (multiple tasks) • Volunteer Office Administration • Day Captains (assist with scheduling and daily operations) • Panda Cams (also assisted with birth watch) • Web Cams (elephant, orangutans and polar bear cams) • Fundraising (ADOPT) • Community Advocacy • Adopt-a-Highway • Habitat • Rancho Bernardo Warehouse (stocking, projects) • Mission Valley (Interpretive Signage, Creative Services) • Technical (specialized equipment assistance, etc.) • And more… • Education • Animal Care • Animal Health • Research • Enrichment • Special Events • Guest Services • Gift Store • Administration • Technical

9. Illustrate it in different ways…Assignment Overview

10. Historic Total # of Volunteers

11. Historic Service Hours

12. Show ‘em what they don’t see…Volunteers Behind-the-Scenes • 289% Increase in hours • 365% Increase in assignments

13. Why? One Word: FUN • Fun & lively high-energy atmosphere • Exciting new tasks • Informative Monthly meetings • Tours, Field Trips & more • An overall rewarding experience!

14. Skill Matching

15. Highlight the Heavy Stuff • 802 Applications • 353 Newly Trained Regularly Active Volunteers • 847 Requests for Volunteers, 99.6% filled.

16. Identify Staffing Needs ZOO: 560 Volunteers, Over 49,000 Hours WAP: 350 Volunteers, Nearly 25,000 Hours ICR: 78 Volunteers, Nearly 7,000 Hours

17. 2009 Volunteer Appreciation Event • Recognition by location • Raffle Prizes • Hours Award Pins & Gifts • Year Award Pins & Gifts • BIG AWARDS (budget $0)

18. Highlight the Big WOW’s!!! Ham Beardsley: 10,000 HOURS Karen & David Sharpe: 25 YEARS

19. Show Your Direction‘In The Works’ • Additional check-in stations for volunteers • Volunteer Appreciation Month=April • Technological Tools for communication & guest connection • Volunteer field trips planned • Utilizing Lynx to implement system for information dissemination to all Zoo staff/volunteers • 14 out of 31 initiatives on our 3-year strategic plan have already been implemented, with many more in-progress 3/19/10 From J.P. Montagne, Applied Animal Ecology, to Volunteer Services Staff: (Volunteer) Renee was a godsend!  Or, even better, a TAM-SEND!  A million thank-yous!  (How did I ever do this work without you?  It's like trying to remember life before cell phones.  I'll never know!)

20. "Being a volunteer lets you meet guests from all over the country and the world. It is educational and entertaining."—Joyce Pickersgill Make it Personal. The things you can’t measure can be VERY important…

21. Volunteers are Important!!! 3/18/10 From Amy Flanagan, Zoo Birds: Today there was a near drowning in the hummingbird aviary. The volunteers quick response to notify us allowed us to get the bird out of the water and up to the hospital in a very quick manner.  The volunteer definitely saved the birds life. The bird is at the hospital and recovering.

22. Volunteers Build Community… "Volunteering at the Zoo has given a center to my life after retirement. Helping people here and spreading the Zoo’s message keeps me intellectually challenged and gives my life a greater richness and depth." —Ruth Disraeli (Zooma)

23. "I volunteer because I love the Zoo, its animals, its staff and its purpose.. and, I get the opportunity to share in something critically important."—Sheryl Boze Volunteers Care…

24. Volunteers are Invaluable Resources… Interpretive volunteer Sam Nelson was scheduled at the orangutan exhibit when a member and mother of two approached her and said, "I'm so glad you're here - they had to come back and see you!"  Her children, Cole and Lily, wouldn't stop talking about Sam after their last visit to orangs.  This time they stayed with her for quite awhile, visiting and giggling and learning about the animals. They have come back twice since, even bringing her special Valentine's Day cards they made from scratch with her name on the front.  Our volunteers now have groupies!  Thank you Sam, for making our guests feel right at home.

25. Volunteer Services Provides Opportunities to Get Involved… "I have wanted to be a part of the Zoological Society for as long as I can remember. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to scratch the surface of this goal on my Life List!" —Stephanie Hanson

26. "At the end of the day I believe I have made a positive contribution." —Susan Valle Volunteer Service Makes a Difference…

27. SHARE IT!!! Who Requested It Initially? Who Needs to Hear it? Know Your Audience!! Meet Them Where They Are!!! Share it with Your Volunteers

28. Meet them where they are… Initial Focus: Elephant Odyssey Interpretation ZOO WAP -Elephant Odyssey -Keeper Feedings -Koalas -Gorillas -Orangutans/Siamangs -Lion Camp Additional Training 2010: -Polar Bears (soon) -Elephants (soon) -Galapagos Tortoise -Cheetahs Interpretive Volunteers make up about 8% of our Volunteer Corps, and contributed 8% of the 2009 total volunteer hours.

29. Outcomes Management If it ain't broke, don't fix it (but do freshen it up when necessary) Get to the root of the problem Come up with solutions Work through it

30. Identifying Challenges • Survey Your Volunteers – tallied results can be very effective and takes the pressure off of you. • Suggested topics: • Volunteer Services • Orientation • Interpretive Training • Atmosphere and Culture • Communication and Teamwork • Recognition and Value • Engagement Survey • Comments

31. Survey Questions Why have you chosen not to become an Interpretive Volunteer? 18% Not Interested 13% Don’t know enough about it 33% Training is too long 36% Training conflicts with my schedule If you are an Interpretive Volunteer, do you work at these stations regularly? 52% Yes %48 No Explain: training is too long and repetitive, not enough time, family obligations, like to have variety in work stations. What suggestions do you have for future training courses? -More review within the class -On-line training, available at home (overwhelming majority) -On-going or refresher training -Mentoring, on-the-job training

32. If All Else Fails… “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” -Michelangelo

33. THANK YOU! Your continued support allows us to soar to new heights, and we are grateful.

34. THE END… It’s really just the beginning!