Engaging Strategic Volunteers

1. Engaging Strategic Volunteers Don R. Simmons, Ph.D. www.creativepotentialconsulting.org

2. Overview • Why Volunteers Should Matter to You and Your Organization • The Case of the 2 Hour Volunteer • Review of Findings on Organizational Readiness • The Changing Face of the California Volunteer • Profile of Your Organization’s Volunteer

3. Overview • Steps to Engagement • BREAK • Boundaries, Borders, and Benefits • Designing Positions • Design Activity • 5 Reasons

4. Overview • Transforming Time Donors to $ Donors • The Ongoing Need for Professionalism • Q&A

5. Why Volunteers Should MatterThe Stats • 26.3% of Americans volunteered in 2010. • 62.8 million people volunteered for or through an organization at least once in 2010. • Women at 29.3%, Men at 23.2%. • 35-44 year olds most likely (32.2%). • Early 20’s least likely (18.4%). • White, married, with children, college graduate. Bureau of Labor Statistics – U.S. Department of Labor – January 2011

6. Why Volunteers Should MatterThe Stats • Most are involved in 1 or 2 Organizations. • (the more educated = more organizations) • Most frequently religious (33.8%), youth services (26.5%), social/community (13.6%).

7. Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering • Median – 52 hours. • 96 hours – Age 65 and over. • 40 hours – Age 16-34. The Dollar Value of Volunteer Times. • $21.36 per hour (up 2.3%). (Independent Sector)

8. The Case of the 2 hour Volunteer SOC150T-01-36672-2113: Effective Administration of Volunteers

9. The Requirement: • 2 Hours • Use a search tool, such as VolunteerMatch.com, Serve.gov, Allforgood.org, etc. • A non-related organization • Something you enjoy, a challenge, or an exploration • Record the process

11. The Results: • 100% served more than 2 hours. • 98% used a search tool. • 74% have returned to their organization. • 50% are likely donors. • 9% receive a follow-up contact. • 0% receive an acknowledgment/written. • 21% added to database.

13. Activity • Who is your prototypical volunteer? • What area utilizes the most volunteers? • What area has the most potential for volunteer engagement? • Who are our untapped markets? • What are we doing to attract new markets of volunteers?

14. What Works?

15. What Every Volunteer Needs • Boundaries • Borders • Benefits

16. The Value of Clarity Volunteer Position Description

17. Volunteer Wisdom The word “volunteer” is a pay category, not a title!

18. Elements of a Volunteer Position Description • Compelling Title • Duties • Supervisor/Leader • Location and Schedule • Commitment(Daily?Weekly?How long?) • Skills Needed • Training Provided • Benefits

19. Volunteer Wisdom “Don’t invite volunteers unless EVERYONE is clear about what they’ll be doing first.”

20. Design Activity • Develop a volunteer position description for a task that is currently not being done. • Use the template provided. • Think about orientation and training. • Work as a Team.

21. 5 Reasons Volunteers Quit • Lack of acknowledgement • Inadequate training and preparation • Lack of trust • Disregard by paid staff • Competing loyalties

22. Volunteer Time Donor Donor

23. 10. Your Volunteers are already in your world. • 9. Your Volunteers know your Organization. • 8. Your Volunteers understand your Organization. • 7. Your Volunteers are bing selective with their money in the same way they are being selective with their time. • 6. It’s never too late! • 5. It’s not too much work – GO VIRAL! ( Your Volunteers know more people than you do!)

24. 4. Volunteers can tell your story in a way staff can’t! • 3. You must Position yourself to engage Volunteers. Intentional. Planned. • 2. Your Volunteers are more likely to give to your organization because they volunteer there. • 67% of Americans who volunteered in the past year say they “generally make their financial contributions to the same organizations where they volunteer.” • Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund • Have you asked your volunteers to donate? Have you made it easy for them to do so?

25. Volunteers donate, on average, 10 times more than non-Volunteers. • Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

26. Keep in Mind • Volunteers are free, Volunteer Programs are not. • Managing Volunteer Programs IS a profession. • Volunteer Administration requires high ethical standards.

27. Don R. Simmons Ph.D., C.V.A. www.creativepotentialconsulting.org