Volunteers

Volunteers are vital

Volunteers are a vital resource to the nonprofit sector. The vast majority of nonprofits are governed by a volunteer board of directors. Plus, many nonprofits would not be able to fulfill their missions without the service of volunteers.

Not every nonprofit has the need or capacity to successfully organize and operate a volunteer program. Appreciating the resources required to successfully integrate volunteers into a nonprofit’s operations is key to a sustainable program. Success is not ensured simply by finding a few people willing to spend a few hours helping out your nonprofit. Resources for recruiting, screening, training, supervising, and evaluating volunteers are necessary.

The National Council’s online resources for volunteers are currently under construction. In the interim, we offer the following ideas to help you develop a successful volunteer program at your nonprofit.

Connect with local resources available in your state:

• Find your state association. State associations of nonprofits frequently offer workshops and webinars on topics relating to volunteer management.
• The state offices of the Corporation for National & Community Service can connect your nonprofit with local entities that manage and administer volunteer programs in your state.
• Your community may have a volunteer center that matches volunteers with nonprofit service projects.
• Looking for board members? Visit www.BoardNetUSA.org.

Managing Volunteers – resources, tips and tools

• Review a model Volunteer Policies Handbook courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation.
• Read a Sample Youth Volunteer Waiver and Publicity Release .
  
• See this Sample Minor Waiver courtesy of Habitat for Humanity, San Antonio, Texas.
• Review this Sample Adult Volunteer Waiver .
• Visit Common Ground/Idealist’s: Volunteer Management Resource Center for many resources about best practices in volunteer management.
• Read Exploring the Serve America Act, by Paula J. Beugen.  This document offers comprehensive and timely information about the 2009 Serve America Act.  
• Read The New Volunteer Workforce, by David Eisner, Robert T. Grimm Jr., Shannon Maynard, and Susannah Washburn. This article provides an in-depth perspective on the challenges of volunteer management and discusses findings about why volunteers do not continue in volunteer service unless their experiences are successful.
• Review this list of free software tools for volunteer management.
• Volunteer Spot offers free tools for scheduling, coordinating and organizing volunteers.
• Energize, Inc. offers a variety of resources on volunteers and volunteering, including Satisfying Staff First, an article by Ivan H. Scheier that presents an analysis of the complexities of the relationship between volunteers and staff.
• Read Blue Avocado’s tips for Tracking Volunteer Time To Boost Your Bottom Line – A Complete Accounting Guide.
• Hone your volunteer and risk management skills with this online tutorial on Volunteer Risk Management from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center.

On volunteers and volunteering: The number of Americans volunteering in their communities jumped by 1.6 million in 2009, the largest increase in six years, according to a new report, Volunteering in America 2010 (20 pages, PDF), from the Corporation for National and Community Service. More data, trends, statistics and resources related to volunteering and civic engagement in America are available from the website of the Corporation for National & Community Service.