This page introduces and shares a Volunteer Management Best Practices template. The intent is to provide a framework for planning, operating and improving a volunteer program.
What is a Best Practice: A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to any alternatives because it produces results that are superior to those achieved by other means or because it has become a standard way of doing things, e.g., a standard way of complying with legal or ethical requirements. Source: Wikipedia.
Background: This work originated with the Volunteer NKY initiative, one of our “Solutions”. This tool was developed by a team of Volunteer Coordinators across NKY. These professionals offered their time and experience to enable volunteerism to be elevated beyond their organizations. The starting point for our work was the Canada Volunteerism Initiative. Click here for their extensive and excellent documentation. One of our goals was to simplify this long document into a 1-2 page action planning document. In 2019 we integrated the work of Mentoring.org to better reflect the specific needs of volunteer mentoring programs.
Why This Was Developed: Volunteer coordinators “come and go” to their roles. The big organizations have experienced professionals but the smaller ones typically add volunteer coordination to another role. The tool is intended to help organizations implement sustainable systems and procedures.
Best Practices Framework:
Organizational Readiness:
The following are things you typically do once per year. They may be led by the Volunteer Coordinator but many people in the organization are probably involved. Use the Volunteer Management Best Practices Tool to do an assessment and identify priority activities.
- General planning, including organization design, volunteer vision development or renewal and goal setting.
- Recognize the need for and value the role of volunteers including board and staff readiness and resource allocation (money, facility).
- Define rules and expectations including developing policies and processes and associated record keeping.
- Establish effective volunteer management including staffing of a volunteer coordinator with a personal development plan.
- Create clear assignments including developing position descriptions, develop a Volunteer Model.
- Reduce risk (client and program) including completion of a risk assessment.
The following are key operational processes and are probably in motion throughout the year. Consider developing Process Summaries for each.
Generate Awareness, Recruit & Screen:
- Develop a recruiting strategy, create awareness in the community through speaking events and media, review prospective volunteer’s application, conduct interviews, complete an assessment and necessary background check and drug test, align skills and interest with needs, and approve or decline the prospect’s application.
Orient, Train and Develop:
- Develop volunteers by providing an overall orientation to the organization and providing initial training and ongoing training. Consider developing a Mentor Development Roadmap.
Provide Supervision & Coaching:
- Help volunteers be their best by supervising, scheduling, mentor/mentee matching, coaching, monitoring and closing of mentor/mentee relationships.
Make Volunteers Feel They Belong and Recognizing Contributions:
- Retain volunteers by communicating through e-mail and newsletters, encourage participation in planning, appreciate contribution through informal and formal “thank you’s” (and release poor performing volunteers).
Additional Resource & Reading: This Best Practices Tool was based on the work of a Canadian volunteerism initiative.
Accessing the Tool: Contact Tony Aloise to arrange for a facilitated assessment. You can download the Excel version of this file at this link. There are instructions on how to use the tool on the “Instructions” tab of the Excel file.
Other Resources:
- CAVA. If you are a volunteer coordinator at a local organization in the NKY/Cincinnati area, we highly recommend that you become a member of the Cincinnati Association of Volunteer Administrators (CAVA).
- Mentoring.org. The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR) is the unifying champion for expanding quality youth mentoring relationships in the United States.
- Kentucky Non-Profit Network. Their best practices focus on the total non-profit organization but there is an excellent section on volunteer management. Consider becoming a member.