So you want to start a nonprofit? You’ve got a dream, objective or cause you wish to see to fruition for the good of society. Good on you. It’s people like you who provide this country with vital services or goods that many could not do without. But no matter how lofty your goals, you’ll likely need help achieving them. And if you’re running a nonprofit or a charity, chances are much of your help will be coming from likeminded, kindhearted and idealistic people who believe in your operation. Many of these people will be volunteers.
Statistics show that the Canadian voluntary and nonprofit sector is made up of more than 161,000 organizations, comprising nearly 12 million volunteers and 2 million paid staff.
I asked two experts in the field of volunteerism to provide their advice on how best to recruit and retain a voluntary workforce. Their answers are as enlightening as they are practical.
Do your homework
Betty Ferreira, principal at ReStructure Non-Profit Consulting in Toronto, urges executive directors and HR personnel to know who they’re bringing into the organization.
“Conduct reference checks and criminal checks on your potential volunteers,” she advises. “Organizations often neglect [this] due to lack of time or resources. However, reference and criminal-vulnerable sector checks often pick up information that you were unable to obtain through the interview with the potential candidate. If your volunteers are going to interact with money, or with vulnerable clients, residents and customers, background and criminal/vulnerable checks are a must.”
Call a volunteer a ‘volunteer’
Donna Lockhart, CVRM with the Rethink Group in Ontario, says that one of the first things one must understand is to use correct terminology when going about finding a volunteer workforce.
“I would not use the term ‘hiring’, but rather ‘recruitment’…there are enough issues between paid staff and volunteers let alone use of the term ‘hire’. This implies a paid work arrangement,” she states.
Lockhart also suggests breaking down the recruitment process into two categories: at the organizational level and at the opportunity or activity level. She counsels asking pertinent questions such as, how do volunteers fit with the mission of the organization? How will they help achieve the organization’s goals? And most important, clearly differentiating between the work of paid staff and the tasks volunteers will do.
“It is important that both the board of directors, as volunteers, and senior management staff understand and clarify these issues before engaging volunteers,” Lockhart says. “Commitment at this level paves a smoother road for building a team of people (paid and unpaid) to do the work of the organization. Also, a commitment to provide the support and resources needed to engage a volunteer force – this means both money and designated staff to coordinate the efforts of volunteers. Research supports a more formal approach to voluntarism; those organizations that understand and dedicate funds and trained staff, in volunteer management, to support volunteers are more successful in all aspects of volunteer engagement.”
At the activity level, Lockhart thinks the necessary questions and steps should be: what do you want the volunteers to do? Clarify with paid staff where and how to engage volunteers, which “increases both staff support for volunteers and education about roles and differences.” And finally, how can volunteers best support or supplement the work of staff?
“Volunteers should never replace the work of paid staff,” Lockhart cautions. “Although this gets very fuzzy when organizations lay off staff and replace them with volunteers. We have witnessed great changes in the tasks that volunteers actually do. Develop clear descriptions of the roles volunteers will take on.”
Ferreira adds that volunteers should also be part of the same orientations, training and discussions as paid staff. “Volunteers and paid staff alike need to be effectively oriented to their role and to the organization so they can perform their role effectively and feel that their efforts will help the organization to achieve its mission,” she says. “An effective orientation means more than giving volunteers a tour and brochure of the organization. Volunteers should be oriented to the mission, vision, strategic initiatives and the values of the organization and trained in their area of focus.”
Cater to volunteers as much as possible
While you’re sharing the organizations goals with them, be aware that volunteers will also have goals of their own, say the experts. In order to buttress a volunteer workforce and keep them happy, it’s essential to provide for their particular needs and take note that volunteerism isn’t what it once was.
“Volunteers have changed…many no longer respond to traditional roles [like] stuffing envelopes or feeding clients,” Lockhart says. “Volunteers want meaningful opportunities where they can use their skills and experience, and gain benefits for themselves. Many underemployed or unemployed [people] use volunteering to acquire skills and experience for the workplace, and new immigrants also see the benefits of volunteering leading to paid work. Organizations that have used volunteers in the past but may be having a hard time recruiting today need to re-examine the tasks they offer and reconsider a more flexible approach.”
A volunteer workforce should also receive accolades when warranted, adds Ferreira. “Recognize your volunteers by holding volunteer recognition events; invite them to events and important meetings, introduce them to guests and highlight their contribution and importance to the organization…include their names and photos in your annual report and newsletters,” Ferreira says. “And tell them often how much you appreciate their support and ongoing participation. This cheapest, simplest and perhaps most important form of praise is often overlooked.”
Volunteers are people too
According to the experts, it’s easy for organizations to undervalue the work and contributions of volunteers. So don’t slip into that trap, lest you lose them or worse.
“People volunteer to do good work. No one volunteers to fail,” Lockhart says. “Organizations with poor image, lack of planning, lack of good leadership supportive of a volunteer-staff team, and lack of communication to volunteers, discourage anyone from being attracted to them.”
So be good to your volunteers, and they’ll be good to you. This in turn, benefits us all.
Tip sheet: Volunteer recruitment/retention ‘best practices’
Regardless of the size of the nonprofit, Lockhart believes the following general best practices will help retain a compatible and productive volunteer workforce for any given organization:
- Match the right person with the right tasks.
- Meet the expectations of the volunteer. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver and be honest about time and commitment.
- Provide the necessary support, like orientation, information, recognition.
- Provide shorter time-limited opportunities that appeal to the new volunteer.
- Accept that volunteers leave and dispose of the perception that volunteers will stay forever.
- Build a climate in the organization with staff, clients and volunteers where everyone is supported and treated with respect.
- Build a relationship with volunteers and connect them to your cause.
Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf is president of WordLaunch professional†writing services in Toronto.†He can be reached at andy@wordlaunch.com
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