You Want to Use Volunteers to Do What?
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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.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:41 am
One of the keys in Drew’s message needs to be repeated frequently! That is, the relationship between staff and volunteers is a critical element in the success of any volunteer program, particularly when developing new roles. Job descriptions that make clear what paid staff is responsible for and what volunteers are responsible for can reduce this tension substantially. And reviewing it often helps too.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Drew, your point about internal marketing is a very important one, and something that is often overlooked.