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July 20, 2007
Charities Grapple With Challenges in Keeping Volunteers
By Ian Wilhelm of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The number of Americans who donated their time to charity fell last year, the first time that figure has declined in four years. And studies show that one out of every three people who volunteer during a given year do not return the following year, a sign that nonprofit groups are successful at attracting people, but not at keeping them...
Volunteer coordination is one of the most necessary administrative functions of many nonprofits, but it's also one of the most difficult. What many NPO managers fail to realize, is that it takes paid staff at some level to properly manage volunteers. Yes, you get free labor (and PR, as volunteers are great for word-of-mouth messaging), but you have to make investments first. Even NPOs with volunteer volunteer coordinators need a budget of some sort for training, development, retention and recognition efforts.
Don't be afraid to propose a budget for volunteer management. People may volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts and for their shared belief in your organization's mission, but, like all human resources, need validation (birthday cards, plaque on the wall), compensation (pizza during mailings, reduced-cost tickets to events) and development (comprehensive training, regular refresher training, performance reviews).
But it doesn't end there. Once you have a program or staff member (and perhaps even technology) in place to manage your volunteers, the number one tip for keeping them is making sure they feel welcome and connected.
The easiest way to do this? Say "hi" every time you see a volunteer. Engage them. Get to know them. Invest some time in them, even if it's just two minutes for every hour they give you.
Volunteers really put their heart into the time and tasks they give you. Make sure your volunteers know that you realize that they are far more than just another pair of hands.
That's pretty much a no-brain tip, but you'd be surprised how some NPO staffers overlook this simple yet essential part of volunteer management. Retention begins with running into someone in the hallway, and asking him how his weekend was.
Posted by tlm42 at July 20, 2007 12:59 PM
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