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Guest Post by Andrew Matlins

When most people think about what volunteers do they conjure up images of people providing straightforward, one-on-one activities such as mentors, drivers and fundraising event staff. Volunteers can do far more than this. For example volunteers can also assist with:
• Event coordination
• Information & referral programs

Hold on, before you start writing new position descriptions you need to stop and consider how you are going to get buy-in from the rest of your agency. While everyone is comfortable with volunteers in some roles they are not so comfortable with them in others. When you propose adding new volunteer positions organizational leaders may want to know about the risk management issues; others will probably be concerned about being tasked with additional responsibilities for supervision; and front line staff may see this as the first step to firing them to save money. Once you have determined there are other positions volunteers can fill, you need to start explaining what you have in mind to the people at the top of your organization. If leadership doesn’t support your idea there is no need to explain your goals to staff.

Once you have leadership’s support you need to be prepared to communicate the change(s) across all levels of your organization. No one gives the importance of marketing to potential service users and funders a second thought, but it is equally important and frequently overlooked to conduct internal marketing. There is no one way to successfully accomplish this. You may work for a small agency and be able to discuss it as a group at a staff meeting, or your organization may employ hundreds and be spread out across the state requiring a combination of email, newsletter articles and meetings. Determine what works best for your organization and be prepared to repeat the message or try other methods. Your message should be clear, simple and targeted to the intended audience. Front line staff probably won’t be overly concerned about cost benefits but they will want to know how this change might lighten their work load.

In my current position, as the Family Program Coordinator for the Maine Air National Guard, I was tasked on my first day to develop a volunteer program to support our airmen and their families. This objective came from a working group consisting mainly of senior leadership. Developing the program wasn’t as hard as figuring out how to get the message out and how to get support from all subordinate commands. I started by identifying the people who would have the greatest contact with the volunteers. I sent emails, spoke at meetings, provided presentations, and wrote newsletter articles. Then I did it all over again. I was initially met with some skepticism, but as time progressed I received support from first line supervisors. They in turn helped get the attention and then the support of unit leaders. In the end everyone who needed to has bought in and supports the program.

Don’t be afraid to try using volunteers in new roles as long as you are prepared to take the time to get the message out to your co-workers.

Andrew Matlins is the Family Program Coordinator for the Maine Air National Guard.

by Margaret Puckett

National Volunteer Week is less than two weeks away, and for those of us who hold our annual volunteer recognition event during that week, the big push is on to get everything done. The late arrival of National Volunteer Week meant we had some extra time to get everything done this year – but where did the time go?

Time– or more appropriately the lack thereof — is the perpetual cycle of the volunteer manager. When I first started working at St. Joseph Hospital, I had a PLAN. I figured the first year I would spend trying to figure out what needed to be done and learning how to get it done. The second year I would concentrate on defining the annual cycles of tasks and events. By the third year I would have gained enough experience to develop action plans for all my functions and events. Year four was for revising and fine tuning systems. By year five every function and event would be clearly defined and organized. Tasks would be easily spread out throughout the year to avoid any need for crisis management. Feeling overwhelmed by it all would be a distant memory.

It’s been almost six years now. The sense of always needing to explain to people that “this is a busy time of year for me,” seems to have settled into a year round pattern — a perpetual state of being that has never gone away. I’ve come to the conclusion that the “busy time of year” for a volunteer manager is really all year. Perpetual commotion, it would appear, is an occupational hazard.

The truth of the matter is, the more you get accomplished, the more you want to accomplish. But high energy jobs like ours can take their toll on us and our programs. Get more done! Do everything faster, better, and for less! Be innovative and try new things! The horses on the merry-go-round start going faster and faster — and we face the very real possibility that the whole kit and caboodle will begin to spin out of control.

So how do we get back in control and, hopefully, regain not only our energy but possibly our sanity as well? First, we need to accept the fact that as much as we would like to, we can’t do everything. I’m not saying abandon all those great plans, I’m just saying that sometimes we have be able to give ourselves permission to let some things go. Just doing these two simple things can make an enormous difference in our effectiveness as volunteer managers and in the effectiveness of our volunteer programs.

So what’s next you ask? Ah… Summer — with those wonderfully lazy days– is fast approaching … along with our annual summer Junior Volunteer Programs. And it’s off to the races we go …again.

Margaret Puckett is Volunteer Services Coordinator at Saint Joseph Hospital in Bangor, Maine.

by Chris Wolff

Working with many rural communities in Maine, I am always in awe of the level of civic engagement within these communities. Many small towns are governed by volunteers who serve as selectmen and school board members. Some small towns are lucky to have a local library and historical society. If these do exist, they are only open and organized because of volunteers dedicated to having these services available or preserving artifacts for future generations.

Matinicus Island, the Historical Society places all of their artifacts in the home of a local volunteer, since a designated building or room does not exist. If this person was not willing to store these objects, they may become damaged and unavailable for future generations. On Swan’s Island, the Librarian position is a very part-time, paid position. The Library then relies on community volunteers to open the library and provide programming. If a community has a recreation center or after school programming for youth, the success of these programs almost always relies on a volunteer effort.

Many of the volunteers in these small, rural communities don numerous volunteer hats. When your community consists of less than 100 individuals, there is an expectation to participate in the sustainability of the community, whether it’s volunteering with the school, participating in a subcommittee of the town’s comprehensive plan, helping out with the local solid waste efforts, or alternative energy research. Without this volunteer effort, these communities would not function. But, on the flip side of it, these same volunteers experience a high level of burnout. They attend meetings almost every night of the week. They have families and full-time jobs. For some of these volunteers, they have a strong desire to volunteer and help out with community efforts, but may be lacking the necessary skills to further the mission of the organization or planning effort.

For instance, the small Community Center on Long Island has requested an AmeriCorps member to help with sustainability initiatives. They would like to have help with researching grants, and finding support for programming and infrastructure/building rehabilitation. The current staff and volunteers either do not have the time or the skills to move their projects forward. On North Haven, the North Haven Historical Society has recently completed the construction of a new building, with a state-of-the-art climate-controlled archival storage room. The Historical Society is run by community volunteers, and they would like to have an AmeriCorps member help out with digital archiving and creating community programs. The volunteers do not have the technical skills and time to move their mission forward.

Though AmeriCorps members fill a great niche in providing much-needed support for community initiatives on a 1-2 year full-time basis, some communities have specific needs requiring expert skills. The Island Institute is getting more and more requests from older citizens who will be retiring to Maine and who want to volunteer their time with the Island Institute and the communities we serve. These individuals have been CEOs and consultants with corporations. They have been leaders of large non-profits. They’ve been teachers and superintendents. They possess a breadth of experience and expertise and could be a great resource for the small communities that rely on volunteers to get things done. Their volunteer effort could help enliven volunteerism in these small communities.

In a preliminary survey conducted in January, Casco Bay islanders were asked to report on their volunteer needs. Speaking with a number of representatives in the Casco Bay island communities, a number of potential volunteer needs were identified:

• Grant Writing Advice & Support
• Business Plan Development
• Brush Removal & Beach Cleaning-Ups (Arms & Legs)
• Legal advice regarding affordable housing: buy-back options, land leases, land trust models, eligibility language, etc.
• GIS mapping and data management
• Town ordinance language and planning and development
• Small business development- marketing, website development, etc.

These volunteer-led organizations need help coordinating activities, furthering their mission, and completing many projects. Volunteers can help catalyze projects and create energy and excitement for the work. By creating public interest around projects, outside volunteers can provide opportunities for further local volunteer participation.

It will take a little work to help train the island volunteers in volunteer management. And, in turn, it will also take some work to bring potential volunteers up to speed on island culture and the projects. But, even if the Island Institute is successful in having 2% of its membership volunteer with our communities, that is an additional 40-50 people who will be able to provide much-needed assistance to a group of dedicated volunteers and hopefully prevent volunteer burnout.

Chris Wolff is Community Development Director at the Island Institute.

by Bessie Wright

Maine is teeming with volunteers and volunteer opportunities. Though I’m no expert, I’m willing to bet that a good proportion of those opportunities are less like the Red Cross and more like the local high school athletic boosters—volunteers who come together, work together and manage each other to meet a desired goal. In addition to athletic or music boosters, some examples might include:

Angling Clubs
Garden Clubs
Road Associations
Lake Associations
Service Fraternities and Sororities
Snowmobile Clubs
Hunting Clubs

Admittedly, many of these groups have membership fees, but they all operate in similar fashions. Most often this means the group relies only on the members to donate their time, energy and resources toward the respective mission. These organizations basically run themselves.

Membership Makes a Big Difference
Understaffing is problematic for all organizations, but for volunteer-based programs it can be a serious detriment. Non-profits suffering from low numbers will start showing considerable wear. For instance some organizational goals might be only partially met while others will be dropped altogether. Existing members will begin feeling the stress of trying to do the work of multiple volunteers. Under this kind of pressure many members burn out and leave the organization – further depleting a crucial resource. Finally, members who do stick it out just don’t have fun anymore; they stay solely out of a dogged sense of duty. A volunteering experience should never be viewed as only a chore.

Sometimes it’s hard for organizations to realize they just don’t have the capacity to do everything they want to do. But realizing there is a membership problem is the first step to revitalizing an organization; the next is making membership top priority. Often this means temporarily setting aside the group’s main purposes, and that can be a tough pill to swallow. But a volunteer-based program without enough volunteers is doomed to struggle.

All that being said, here are a few things worth thinking about when trying to increase membership:
- When recruiting, start by trying for about 10-15% of your target population. Shooting for 100% is setting yourself up for failure.
- Don’t forget your original goals entirely. After all, people will want to join to make a difference. Instead, use your efforts to further recruitment – Advertise your meetings, successes and where you need help via newsletters; press releases; signage; etc.
- Laura Wilson, at UMaine Cooperative Extension, did a survey on email versus paper newsletters. She found that people prefer to have that paper in their hands; emails are much easier to ignore and you run the risk of missing potential members because you don’t have their email addresses.
- Have Fun! Serious projects are always more successful when those working on them are enjoying each other’s company. Think about having an event specifically not related to work.

Readers, what other suggestions or considerations can you offer for increasing membership?

Bessie Wright is an AmeriCorps member serving with the Maine Conservation Corps.

by Penny Kern

I found this great site by Shar McBee, who posts short articles on volunteerism and gives permission to reprint them.

The one I downloaded was called “How to Delegate: The 3 L’s”. To summarize, because you can download the entire article yourself, if you’d like:

Look for Good People - You don’t want people to be growling through their tasks. You want people who will gleefully participate. Pay attention at meetings. Stand off to the side and see who is energetic in one direction or another and who just wants to get through with it.

Listen to Them - Learn what people need from you before you try to delegate to them. By listening first, you learn what they like to do and what they want to do. Then delegate things to them that they like and want to do.

Let them Shine - Give credit to others.

On Shar McBee’s website, she has this quote that I love - “Your job is not to get people to perform. Your job is to make it possible for them to succeed.”

Great stuff out there.

Penny Kern is a retired volunteer manager from Aroostook County.

by Christy Monroe

No matter what line of work you are in …meetings happen. Managers of volunteer programs are no exception. Efficient and successful meetings might not be on the top of your wish list, but I’d wager that improved time management and successful results are contenders.

Recently, I had the privilege to be part of a Great Meetings workshop by Dee Kelsey, an accomplished trainer, facilitator, and author. Throughout the day she challenged our group with questions and offered tips on overcoming meeting mishaps as a facilitator and as a participant.

One of my favorite parts of the workshop was a discussion around the question, “Should we have a meeting?” As simple as it sounds, how many times have you found yourself in a less-than-worthwhile meeting situation, checking your watch and the path to the door for your best escape route?

The point that Dee made is that unless interactive communication is needed in order to achieve a clear objective, a meeting is not necessarily the action needed. For example, team-building or sharing of information is often mistaken as an excuse for a meeting.

Let’s take a poll:
What would make you feel more bonded with your co-workers as a team?

a) Monday morning team meetings in the conference room

b) A scheduled social or team-building activity like a volleyball or baseball game, a team picnic, or working together at a hands-on community service project

Meetings need clear outcomes that justify their purpose. Taking on the roll of facilitator requires planning, preparation, and practice. Dee has lots of tips and tools to offer novice to expert meeting leaders from her years of experience in training and facilitation with organizations like Hewlett Packard, L.L.Bean, Bates College, and the Nature Conservancy.

Great Meetings! Great Results,written by Dee Kelsey and Pam Plumb, is a worthwhile resource for anyone who regularly attends or facilitates meetings.

Meetings happen, but with some practical tips and tools great results will happen too.

Christy Monroe is the Training VISTA at the Maine Commission for Community Service.

by Margaret Puckett

For years I had a magnet I kept on a file cabinet right next to my desk. The message it conveyed was one I found myself referring to on a fairly regular basis. It said “When you are up to your ears in alligators, it’s sometimes hard to remember you were supposed to drain the swamp.” Somewhere along the way the magnet was lost, but the words still echo in my mind.

I accepted my current position at St. Joseph Hospital not knowing a thing about volunteer management in a healthcare facility and facing a projected Joint Commission Accreditation Inspection in six months. The person who had filled the position for more than ten years had departed and was replaced by another individual who had purged the files during her approximately three month tenure. The place had been running on auto-pilot with no coordinator for about two months when I began. Most institutional knowledge was lost and documentation was virtually non-existent. It took me over three months just to figure out who all the volunteers were! Sound familiar? I think most of us have faced similar challenges at one time or another. But one thing the experience did for me was to reaffirm my belief in the importance of documentation.

Now, almost six years later, I finally feel I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on what I am doing. I’ve learned so much and I now have multiple systems in place to help me juggle the many tasks associated with my job. Above all, almost everything is finally organized. It’s comforting to know that whoever follows me will have the benefit of all this knowledge – but will they?

How can we help ensure the continuity and continued success of our volunteer programs? In the U.S. Army we called them S.O.P’s, or Standard Operating Procedures. In healthcare I’ve learned we call them Procedural Journals. Whatever name they go by, their purpose is the same: documentation of not only what we do every day, but also why we do it, and just as importantly how we do it.

“Oh”, you say, “I don’t have time to write all of that stuff down.” Up to your ears in alligators you say? Believe me… I know just what you mean. I have a whole list of proposed procedural journals I haven’t even begun to write yet. But I have found the time to write some, and those have been enormously helpful documents. Taking the time to develop procedural journals yields many benefits beyond just documentation. It helps us focus on just why we do things, evaluating our success or failures and gets us thinking about the possibility that there may be an even better way to accomplish a task. These documents help us to establish standards for what we do, and provide the additional benefit of being great tools for use in training others.

Facing all those alligators everyday is daunting task, but sometimes we all need to stop and remember to expend some effort in trying to drain that swamp.

Margaret Puckett is Volunteer Services Coordinator at Saint Joseph Hospital in Bangor, Maine.

by Paula Gagnon

Maine has one of the highest volunteer rates in our region and in fact our rate is well above the national average (33% compared to 26.9%). However Maine is a huge state and being able to communicate across this state is a challenge. As Chair of the Maine Commission for Community Service I understand how distance, time and weather contribute to our challenge in communicating and getting together. Each year we cancel at least one meeting of the Commission due to weather and some months making a quorum is a challenge. There are some wonderful things going on in the different regions of our state with managing volunteers and yet until now volunteer managers and non-profits have had no easy way to share best practices or to problem solve as a group. Technology to the rescue!! Now we have this blog!

The purpose of this blog is to create an online community for Maine’s volunteer managers. You can participate by reading, leaving comments, and writing guest posts. The easiest way to keep track of new postings is by subscribing. To do so, simply type your email in the box in the right hand column and click “sign up.” Or, if you are already using an RSS aggregator to subscribe to other blogs, you can subscribe to our feed as well. To leave comments, click on the link at the bottom of this post. See our submission guidelines to submit a guest post of your own.

The practices I have used for volunteer management and the managing of un-paid student interns at the college level have been very similar to the practices I use in managing or supervising a paid staff. In my day job I am a college administrator and work closely with administrators, staff, faculty, adjunct faculty, temporary employees, student employees, and student interns. As Chair of the Maine Commission, I work closely with paid staff and with volunteers. I have a list of requirements that work in both of my worlds.

1. Everyone should have a job description (written) that clearly articulates outcomes and they must be measurable. There is nothing more frustrating for a volunteer than to show up and have to wait while someone finds you something to do!

2. Everyone needs to receive the training or obtain the skills to enable them to be successful. We all see the value in investing in our employees. It’s the same for our volunteer force. The better they are trained the more likely they are to not only be successful but to stay in our organizations and continue volunteering.

3. Everyone needs high quality supervision. We would not think of spending funds to conduct a search for a new employee, invest in training them and then leave them alone to either sink or swim. And yet this happens to volunteers all the time. In some of our organizations the supervision of our volunteer force is assigned to the receptionists or even another volunteer. Volunteers represent a sizable resource in our non-profit sector. In Maine, in 2006 our citizens logged over 42 million hours of volunteering. If we do the math that is a value of approximately 400 million dollars….now that’s a natural resource!

4. Everyone deserves and needs feedback. Supervision of volunteers has to be more than just a work schedule. They need the same kind of performance reviews that our employees do. Volunteers want to know how they are doing and they want to know how to improve. The managers of our volunteer force must have the time allotted in their jobs to conduct these very important feedback sessions if we are to retain our volunteer work force.

5. Everyone needs recognition. The employee of the month philosophy applies to volunteers too. In our own state the Governors Service Awards and the volunteer honor roll give us an opportunity once a year to recognize outstanding service by our volunteers. It’s even better if it is integrated into the culture of your organization.

6. Everyone needs to be informed when they are not doing a good job and volunteers are no different. It is better to professionally “fire” a volunteer with respect and dignity than to let them continue to perform below your organization’s standards. Both the liability of the organization and the future of the volunteer culture are at risk if we do not address poor performance.

Finally, those of us in management positions need training and education so we can manage our workforces effectively. In Maine right now over 60% of those individuals who manage volunteers learn either by self-study or on the job training. It is my hope that this blog, the various partnerships that have developed across our state among non-profits and the work being done to offer volunteer management education will change that statistic.

Paula Gagnon is Vice President and Academic Dean at York County Community College and Chair of the Maine Commission for Community Service.