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Chapter3.pdf

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-1

a. screen, interview and place To get volunteers who will be effective, efficient, committed and fun to work with, cautious screening, interviewing and placing is advisable. As the volunteer coordinator, it should be your responsibility to screen, interview and place volunteers appropriately, or work with programme staff to do so.

The extent of work needed to do the above work depends on your organisational needs and what volunteers are required to do. For example, more information must be sought and checks made for a board or committee member, or befriender of vulnerable children or elderly persons, compared to an usher for a one-hour event.

03 iMpLeMeNtAtioN

sCreeN iNterVieW pLACe

orieNtAte trAiN superVise reCoGNise

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE: ELEMENTS

Initial Contact Potential volunteers may contact your organisation by phone, email, through social networking or in person. Anyone answering public enquiries would be expected to offer information about your organisation and the volunteer opportunities available. Find out the interest and motivations of the potential volunteers to make an initial match. At this stage, the potential volunteer would be able to gather some preliminary information and ascertain interest in volunteering for your organisation.

Application If there is an initial match, send an application form to the potential volunteer. The purpose of the application form is to elicit enough information for screening, to determine whether an interview is necessary.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-2

SAMPLE vOLuNTEEr APPLIcATION fOrM (GENErAL PurPOSE)

Important: a general purpose form may not be suitable for certain positions, eg, less information is needed for an ad hoc usher and you may need different information for specialist positions.

18. Have you ever been convicted in the court of law in any country? Yes / No. 18. If yes, please give details (“spent” criminal records may be excluded):

I declare that the above information is true and correct.

Name of volunteer applicant Signature and Date

FOR OFFICIAL USE Interviewer’s remarks: Follow up action:

Name of interviewer Signature and Date

PERSONAL DATA 1. Name (Dr / Mr / Mrs / Ms / Mdm):

3. Address:

(Postal Code)

5. Marital Status: 5. Single / Married / Widowed / Divorced

7. Highest Educational Level Attained:

9. Occupation:

11. Skills and Experience Language Proficiency 11. Written: 11. Spoken:

13. Reason for volunteering:

14. Volunteer Commitment: hours available per week . Ad hoc or project basis 16. Area of Volunteer Interest: Befriending Organising Activities Giving Tuition / Teaching Administrative Support Others:

2. NRIC/FIN/Passport No.:

(*Singaporean/ PR / Other: )

4. Telephone: (Mobile) (Office) (Home)

6. Race:

8. Religion:

10. Name of Employer:

12. Past / Current Volunteer Work Experience or 12. Skills (eg. counselling, health care): . Spoken:

13. Reasons for volunteering:

15. Preferred Days for Volunteer Work: 15. Mon / Tues / Wed / Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun / 15. Ad hoc or project basis

17. Preference to work with: Children Youth Senior Citizens Disabled Others:

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-3

INTErvIEW

SAMPLE MATTErS TO cONSIdEr bEfOrE INTErvIEWS

SAMPLE INfOrMATION TO GAThEr AT INTErvIEW

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-3 © Igorko82 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Who conducts the interview

How to stage the interview (eg. setting appointment, selecting venue, meeting etc.)

What are the follow-up steps after the interview

How to deal with unmatched cases (eg. work on trial basis, KIV )1 2 3 4

1 4 2 5 3 6

Willingness and ability to commit time and meet VHO’s performance expectations

Overall impression of the volunteer Volunteer’s strengths and weaknesses, work type/style preferences and aversions

Volunteer’s communication and interpersonal skills

Verification of the above with background checks and references

Volunteer’s experience and qualifications, knowledge and skills relevant to the volunteer position

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-4

SAMPLE ScrEENING ANd INTErvIEWING PrOcEdurE Use the job descriptions as the guide to shortlist a pool of suitable candidates from the applications received. Acknowledge receipt of applications.

Prepare for face-to-face interviewing – schedule and set up appointments with shortlisted candidates, review their profiling results and your screening notes.

Sample interview process • Introduction (eg. greetings and introducing everyone involved) • Seek information (eliciting relevant information to assess potential volunteer) • Give information (share of job description and other information of interest to potential volunteer) • Clarify issues (for both parties to ask questions, etc.) • Closure (ie. decision making time – to place, KIV, further checks or refer or reject) Some tips for conducting effective interviews

• Listen carefully • Observe body language • Don’t ask only questions that lead to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers • Seek out the thoughts and feelings of the potential volunteer

Prepare for the face-to-face screening. Schedule and set up appointments with the shortlisted candidates and review their application forms within 2 weeks of receiving them.

Reference and background checks: if there could be a match between the potential volunteer and the volunteer position, you may introduce additional screening especially if the volunteer’s work involves coming into contact with vulnerable clients or beneficiaries.

Sample list of vulnerable clients/beneficiaries • Children under 18 years of age • Senior citizens over 65 years of age • People with mental or physical disability, chronic illness, • People going through emotional crisis, alcohol or drug misusers Assess if there is a need for additional checks and what types of checks to be done.

Sample list of checks and references • Employment reference • Criminal background check2 • Substance abuse check • Health screenings

From the pool of candidates you screened, shortlist those most suitable for the “second interview”. Whether there’s a need for further interview (or even reference checks) depends on several factors eg. on type of volunteer work and who the candidates are.

At the screening session, warmly welcome your candidates, give them some background information to your organisation, explain the purpose of the screening consultation, determine their motivation for volunteering, allow time for questions from the candidates, administer profiling tools1 to check on personality/behavioural traits, passions, talents, styles, etc. Take notes during the screening for follow up.

1 Additional information may be obtained from profiling questionnaire administered as part of the application process (DISC, MBTI, etc.). However, the potential volunteer may decline to fill in such questionnaires. A proper explanation about the

need for profiling, debrief and confidentiality of information has to be assured if you require the volunteer to complete the questionnaire.

2 Absence of past criminal record does not make a person a trustworthy volunteer nor does having one automatically render the person unsuitable. Checks and references are not foolproof. Practice close supervision of your volunteers who are dealing with vulnerable beneficiaries. At all times, the welfare of your clients/beneficiaries is your paramount concern.

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A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-5

SAMPLE INTErvIEW ASSESSMENT fOrM

Name of Interviewee:

Volunteer position applied for:

Interviewed by:

Name of interviewer Signature and Date

Volunteer’s Overall Communication Skills

Very Good Good Average Bad Comments:

Volunteer’s Overall Interpersonal Skills

Very Good Good Average Bad Comments:

Overall impression of the volunteer

Very Good Good Average Bad Comments:

Recommended next step:

Select for requested position KIV Arrange for another interview session Rejected Suggest another position

Comments on the volunteer’s strengths:

Other comments:

Does the volunteer have skills that would help him/her in the volunteer work he/she is interested in? Yes No

If no, can the volunteer be directed to other areas?

PLAcEMENT Match volunteer assignments to the volunteer’s skills where available. If there is a match, the volunteer has the choice to accept or reject the offer.

If there is no match, have some alternatives to offer to the potential volunteer (eg. offer another volunteer position, KIV for future positions). The potential volunteer can then decide whether to accept any of the alternatives or not.

Send personal notes to rejected applicants within a month of reviewing and screening their applications. End with encouragement that there could be other opportunities to volunteer and you may contact them again should these opportunities arise.

Others:

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-6

Dear

Volunteer website designer for XYZ Centre We are glad you can join us as our volunteer website designer for XYZ Centre.

As our volunteer website designer, your main role will be to conceptualise the design of the Centre’s website and provide the graphics design.

You will work with us on the website from August to December 2001. The website is scheduled to be launched on 5 December 2001. You will work closely with the Centre’s Communications Department, which will provide you with the necessary information to help you in your work. You may contact Ms ABC at (phone) and (email address).

You are warmly invited to attend an orientation session specially planned for you on 1 August 2001 at the Centre. At the orientation, we will hand you an identity badge to wear whenever you are working in the Centre. We will also provide you with more information on the Centre.

We hope this volunteer experience will be a meaningful and enriching one for you and will spur you on to other volunteer opportunities.

Thank you for offering your time, skills and knowledge to work with us on the website. We look forward to working closely with you.

With warmest regards Executive Director XYZ Centre

In consideration of my appointment as Volunteer Website Designer with XYZ Centre, I clearly understand the role and responsibilities assigned to me. I agree to abide by the rules and regulations stipulated to me by the Centre, including copyright and confidentiality.

I also undertake to indemnify the Centre against any claims, actions, suits, proceedings whatsoever, including any costs and expenses incurred, which may be against the Centre by any person arising out of anything which I may do or omit while in the course of my attachment with the Centre.

And I further agree that I will not institute any claims, actions, suits or proceedings against the Centre in respect of any injury, whether fatal or otherwise, which I may suffer, or damage to or loss of my property which may arise out of or be caused or suffered as a result of, or in the course of my attachment unless the injury, damage or loss was due to a wrongful act or neglect of the Centre.

AGrEEMENT

SAMPLE Of WhAT TO INcLudE IN AN AGrEEMENT

SAMPLE APPOINTMENT LETTEr

SAMPLE AGrEEMENT fOrM

If there is a match and the volunteer has agreed to accept the position, formalise the commitment made by both the volunteer and the VHO.

Send appointment letters clearly indicating the terms of service, start a personal file each for all your selected volunteers and prepare for the next stage – orientation and training – a week after the interview.

Both the volunteer and the VC should be given a copy of this signed agreement.

Schedule that the volunteer needs to commit to

Job description

Relevant policies to adhere to

Reporting structure including the name and position of the volunteer’s immediate supervisor

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4 3

Name of interviewer Signature and Date

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-7

b. orientate and train A comprehensive orientation programme and an investment in continuous training for your volunteers will help them quickly adapt to your organisation’s working environment, perform their tasks at a higher level and also reinforce their commitment to you.

Give your new volunteers an overview of your organisation and its culture, systems, policies and procedures. Augment this information with your expectations of their responsibilities and what would be considered satisfactory performance. Be as comprehensive as you can, as this sets the tone to your working relationships.

SAMPLE OrIENTATION PrOGrAMME ANd TrAINING PrOcEdurE ANd fOrMS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Send a welcome letter to all new volunteers. Invite them to a group orientation within 2 weeks after confirming their appointments. This orientation also gives the opportunity for networking and bonding among new volunteers

Prepare for the orientation – set up venue, prepare new volunteers’ kit, name badges, order refreshments, etc.

Orientation – welcome speech, ice breaker games, go through new volunteers’ kit and group information, network, etc.

Set up individual orientation and training session with volunteers to go through specific information pertaining to their jobs a week after the group orientation

Prepare for the individual orientation and training session – confirm appointment, prepare materials for orientation and training, involve relevant programme staff as necessary, etc.

Individual orientation and training – welcome volunteer, go through specific orientation and training materials, introduce volunteer to relevant paid staff for networking and bond building

As a closure to this procedure, you would have to do regular periodic checks to ensure that your new volunteers are fitting in well and getting the necessary support to do their jobs

It is helpful to conduct a training needs analysis to identify what training is needed.

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A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-8

SAMPLE OrIENTATION KIT

Organisational information

Volunteer specific

Volunteer management initiatives

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iNforMAtioN iteMs proMpters • Corporate vision, mission and goals • History and achievements • Organisation structure • Physical environment and facilities • Safety, emergency and risk management procedures

• Job description • Lines of reporting and support structure • Terms of appointment, code of conduct and behaviour • Performance expectations and reviews • Training plan – on the job coaching, buddy or mentoring scheme, regular updates, acquiring new skills, etc.

• Conflict resolution procedure

• Volunteer management vision and values statements • Benefits of being a volunteer in your organisation • Recognition programme • Administrative provision details – use of forms, obtaining office supplies, use of telephone and equipment, etc.

Training may be one or more of the following types:

• Before-the-job training: usually incorporated in the orientation phases, upon acceptance of volunteers into the volunteer programme.

• On-the-job and on-going training: given at later stages where appropriate, to help maintain interest, sharpen skills and increase competency and confidence of the volunteers.

SAMPLE chEcKLIST fOr TrAINING NEEdS ANALySIS

What is the aim?

Where will the training take place?

What are the objectives?

Who will conduct the training?

Who is to be trained?

What will the training be about?

When will the training take place?

How will you know that the training was successful?

Who has overall responsibility for the training?

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A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-9

c. supervise volunteers As the saying goes: different strokes for different folks. Be a situational leader to effectively manage and foster close relationships with your volunteers. Based on the maturity continuum scale below developed by Hersey and Blanchard ( The Situational Leader, 1984), different leadership styles can be used to manage your volunteers.

d. recognise and retain The cost and benefit of retaining a volunteer far outweighs that of recruiting a new volunteer.

Experienced volunteers are assets. They are an excellent source of knowledge, experience and skills, provide ideas for continuous improvement, contribute to organisational history, and can serve as mentors to new recruits. An experienced volunteer knows your people, policies and processes, and may help to orientate and train new volunteers. In some situations, experienced volunteers (such as board members or volunteers with specialist skills) may even be able to help you recruit and train staff.

Recognise and motivate your volunteers to keep them committed to your organisation and your projects. Recognition shows that your organisation values volunteers and this may motivate your volunteers to continue with you. Recognition should be both formal and informal, such as through events supported by your organisation and personal notes to your volunteers. Ensure that the recognition given is meaningful to your volunteers. Make recognition and motivation part of your operations.

When volunteers take on new tasks, they usually start at the dependent end. How fast they move up depends on their experience, abilities and supervisors. At this stage, volunteers need to be told what to do, constant direction and feedback on whether they are doing their tasks well. You may need to plan out the steps and direct volunteers accordingly. Their learning and development could be stifled if they stay too long in this stage.

At the coaching stage, volunteers need to be sold on the idea to perform without close direction. But they still need feedback to move forward to complete the task. The coach, along with guiding them to accomplish their given task, will help them to build and develop new ideas and plans.

Volunteers are confident of their abilities and are able to decide on the steps to take to complete the task. This group of volunteers would go for a partnership type of management requiring a say in the decision making process and wanting to be allowed to try out new ideas and plans too.

At the delegating stage, volunteers need only be given a sense of what is expected of them and they can take charge from there on. These volunteers need a leader who can inspire them with vision and motivate them to do their best to realise their vision.

Directing Coaching Supporting Delegating

SITuATIONAL LEAdErShIP STyLE (depeNdeNt) (iNdepeNdeNt)

Many management problems occur when we lead and/or manage according to our own preferences, rather than adopting a leader-management style that the volunteers need. Observe your volunteers and, where necessary, recommend the appropriate leader-management style to their supervisors.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-10

SAMPLE rEcOGNITION ANd MOTIvATION METhOdS

Treat volunteers as you would paid staff – placement in a job that matches their skills and passions, supervision and clear communication, good orientation and training, opportunities for development, etc. People volunteer for various reasons and the VHO that is able to meet its volunteers’ needs and interests is better able to retain them. Stay current on the needs and interests of your volunteers. Such information may be gathered eg. from informal chats, observations, short surveys and formal feedback sessions.

Make them feel a part of the organisation. Give them ownership by listening to them and adopting their suggestions whenever possible, provide support facilities to them, have an attitude that extends basic courtesy and consideration towards them, involve them in meetings, keep challenging your volunteers to excel, etc.

Celebrate little victories along the way with your volunteers. Express appreciation often – seize all possible moments to thank them, be sincere. Thank those who fulfilled their commitments with you, etc.

• Write personal notes or thank you letters to your volunteers • Email or SMS your thanks and appreciation to your volunteers • Send notes and cards to your volunteers on festive and special occasions • Have a recognition programme where volunteers receive special awards and testimonials according

to their contributions either by number of hours or number of years or number of projects completed

• Recognise your volunteers publicly through newspaper and/or other media opportunities, your newsletter and annual report, etc.

• Nominate your volunteers for appropriate awards, internally or externally • Encourage and allow your volunteers to involve their families and friends in their volunteer work

where appropriate so that they too can have meaningful time together

• Surprise your volunteers by buying them a drink or taking them out for a meal • Have recognition dinners or fun events which could also include your volunteers’ families • Give them useful and memorable gifts

Be creative and have more ideas to add to the list above. Sometimes, it is not the big events that count but the thoughts and small actions that matter. Give your volunteers a reason to continue with you.

As with marketing in today’s competitive marketplace, once you lose a customer, it is hard to get him back. So it is with volunteers, especially when there is a competition for talent in the volunteer marketplace.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-11

SAMPLE WAyS TO rETAIN vOLuNTEErS

SAMPLE chEcKLIST Of fAcTOrS fOr rETAINING vOLuNTEErS

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4 3

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Career enhancement where you help volunteers get new skills they can use to increase their market value. Show how the purpose, goals, activities and accomplishments of the VHO will serve volunteers’ interests

Offer meaningful and valuable work to volunteers which will not waste your volunteers’ time. In this microwave era, volunteers with limited time are more inclined to opt for quick-to-finish high value assignments

Respect your volunteers. Give them a voice within your organisation. Listening to your volunteers can help you discern what their motivating factors are so that you can effectively remove barriers to continued volunteer involvement

Personal growth opportunities that your volunteers will not be able to get outside of a volunteer position and hence, adding value to their volunteering

Friendships and networking can be powerful magnets to draw your volunteers back to you. Encourage friendship development and networking among your volunteers. Provide social interactions and connections via team building activities, get-together events, etc, to build sense of belonging. Help your volunteers to widen their circle of influence

Set your volunteers up to feel that they can make a difference in the world

Add professional credibility to your volunteers’ work

Let your volunteers learn and demonstrate leadership skills. Delegate work and appropriate authority to go along with it. Increase the level of responsibility and authority for volunteers who have proven themselves

At the beginning: help volunteers to determine their own levels of commitment and involvement. Ensure volunteers are actively involved as quickly as possible

Nature of activities: make them interesting and enjoyable. Match the activities to the individual volunteers. Vary activities, if that is what the volunteer requires

Be organised: provide tools and resources to accomplish the tasks (eg. plans, information, budget, checklist, staff support, etc.)

Expenses: offer to cover out of pocket expenses. Find and update other benefits to stay relevant to volunteers

Training: particularly where the volunteer is working directly with people. Encourage continuous learning through formal and on-the-job training

Performance reviews: evaluate volunteers and provide constructive feedback for growth and development. Allow volunteers to evaluate and give feedback on the support they have received to complete their work.

Recognition schemes: capture opportunities to show timely and meaningful recognition to volunteers

Keep in contact: see how volunteers are doing on a regular basis. Make volunteers feel that they are valued. Explain how the volunteer’s work relates to the whole work of the VHO

Commitment: ensure the volunteer can cope with the level of involvement. Increase involvement gradually. Increase responsibility gradually. Allow volunteers to be flexible and through negotiation, vary their level of involvement

4 Workshop on Volunteer Management System reference materials by Winnie Tang (adapted)

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-12

SOME IdEAS fOr ShOWING vOLuNTEEr APPrEcIATION, AcKNOWLEdGEMENT ANd AffIrMATION

End the final committee meeting with a theme party Have an annual volunteer appreciation party

Have Bring-Your-Own meals before meetings

Buy volunteers drinks or ice cream

Organise a picnic / BBQ where volunteers can bring their families and friends along

Keep a scrapbook

Treat volunteers with respect

Award pins, certificates and plaques according to length of service

Allow social and interaction time at training and team building events

Start a time capsule

Sponsor attendance at training and development seminars and conferences

Nominate volunteers for achievement awards by external organisers

Plan a special recognition edition in your newsletter

Appoint volunteers to speak on the VHO’s behalf at public events

Keep track and be interested in the details of each volunteer

Take time to explain tasks and issues fully and clearly

Promote a creative and innovative environment and culture

Use volunteers as consultants and sounding boards

Deal directly with volunteers on conflicts and keep confidential where appropriate

Support volunteers in their sharing with, training and or mentoring of each other

Offer subsidised or free tickets to events

Write testimonials and references for volunteers

Raffle sponsored gifts amongst volunteers

Send letters of appreciation to volunteers

Invite volunteers to attend important meetings

Feature volunteers in the media

Give away volunteer-specific memorabilia

Take pictures of events and post them on notice board / online

Recognise unique personal needs and problems and resolve them with care

Give adequate information to help volunteers discharge their responsibilities

Conduct general meetings involving cross-volunteer groups

Know the details involved in the volunteers’ job

Put up a volunteer suggestion box and reward good suggestions

Add a personal touch – warm greetings; little cards and surprises for special occasions, etc.

Provide a support system for each volunteer

Seek volunteers to help in developing policies and procedures

Back volunteers on their decisions

Offer excellent training to facilitate growth and advancement

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A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 3-13

ExAMPLES Of SuccESSfuL rEcOGNITION ANd rETENTION IN vhOs:

TOUCH Community Services (TCS)

Apart from the annual volunteer appreciation, VCs also make time to have casual meals with the volunteers to get to know them better and listen to their feedback and comments.

Recognising that volunteers appreciate training sessions and learning as a group, service learning is incorporated into the volunteer programmes. In a group, volunteers come together and share their volunteer experience. Volunteer success stories are shared and small successes or achievements of the volunteers are celebrated to encourage one another.

Creative annual volunteer appreciation events are organised for the volunteers. Examples are a day cruise on a Chinese junk boat and Rock & Roll party. Simple gifts are often given to thank them for their contributions. In TCS’ experience, the best recognition for the volunteers is the improvement made by the beneficiaries whom the volunteers helped. Thus, the beneficiaries are invited to the function to join in the appreciation of the volunteers.

Other small ways which TCS appreciates its volunteers include sending them thank you and encouragement notes, birthday and festive greetings.

Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA)

Besides volunteer appreciation functions and gestures, SINDA also appreciates volunteers by ensuring that volunteers see themselves playing an important role. SINDA makes available many channels for volunteer voices to be heard. Regular dialogue and feedback sessions are organised between the volunteers and the members of SINDA’s Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.

There is also a formalised system to manage feedback and enquiries from volunteers. Volunteer suggestions are carefully studied and adopted where possible so that volunteers can contribute to the design and rollout of programmes. Volunteers thus feel empowered that they can indeed make a difference to the programmes and the beneficiaries.

Dover Park Hospice (DPH)

DPH recognises its volunteers right from the onset when they start to volunteer with the Hospice. Temporary badges are given to new volunteers to recognise them as DPH volunteers. To recognise those who have volunteered continuously for eight months, a gold badge is given to acknowledge them as full-fledged volunteers. With this gold badge, they are recognised as part of the DPH family. Long service certificates are also given to long-serving volunteers.

Another way which DPH recognises and appreciates its committed and regular volunteers is to sponsor training courses for them to pick up new skills or upgrade themselves. For DPH, the best form of recognition is simple, yet personal. The VC is always at hand to say ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘thank you’ to the volunteers.

__MACOSX/._Chapter3.pdf

Chapter2.pdf

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-1

a. Write policies and procedures, and job descriptions Policies and procedures A volunteer handbook is a communication tool between the VHO and its volunteers, and helps ensure a common understanding of policies and procedures among all volunteers.

A well-written handbook introduces the VHO to volunteers and helps them fit in. It gives volunteers a sense of security that your organisation is as committed to them as to your paid staff, establishes clear understanding of expectations and is a point of reference when there are disputes or misunderstandings. It can also serve as a risk management tool.

02 pLANNiNG

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-1

PLANNING STAGE: ELEMENTS

WRITING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR VOLUNTEERS 1. Review your employee handbook to see if there are any policies and procedures that you can adopt for your volunteers

2. Write policies and procedures for your volunteers, especially in basic areas such as:

• Recruitment process – creation of positions, recruitment drive, screening and interviewing, selection, confirmation, etc.

• Terms of appointment – required service hours, probation, termination, training and development, core competencies required, skills and knowledge expansion, targets and expectations, etc.

• Orientation programme – introduction to your organisation’s structure and culture, acceptable code of conduct and behaviour, job description etc.

• Retention process – motivation, recognition, handling conflicts and grievances, etc. • Operations – getting around, use of forms, record keeping, use of facilities and equipment, safety instructions, etc.

poLiCies proCedures JoB desCriptioNs reCruitMeNt

reCord KeepiNG

risK MANAGeMeNt

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-2

SAMPLE GUIDE TO VOLUNTEER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL / HANDBOOK

Adapted from Workshop on Volunteer Management System reference materials by Winnie Tang

1 Include matters such as attendance requirements, procedures for impending absence, confidentiality, record keeping on clients, dress code, reimbursement on expenses, transport, resignation procedure, etc.

1.1 Introduction/welcome

1.2 Brief history of the organisation

1.3 Organisational charts / line of authority

1.4 Staff directory and contact details of key staff

1.5 Mission and vision

1.6 Overview of services

1.7 Profile of clients/beneficiaries

1.8 Source of funding and budget

3.1 Do’s and don’ts1

3.2 Code of ethics and conduct

3.3 Management practices

3.4 Performance expectations

3.5 Disciplinary actions

3.6 Dismissal

5.1 Feedback channels

5.2 Grievance channels

7.1 Annual calendar of events involving and/or of interest to volunteers

7.2 Annual calendar of training opportunities involving and/or of interest to volunteers

7.3 Guidelines for usage of general resources eg. meeting room, computer, printer, copier, fax, internet and

phone, vehicle, etc.

7.4 Guidelines for event planning and execution eg. budgeting, obtaining approval, advertising, etc.

7.5 Essential contact numbers eg. Civil Defence, help hotline, etc.

2.1 Role of volunteers in the organisation

2.2 Programmes, services and volunteer opportunities

2.3 Getting started

2.4 Job descriptions

2.5 Roles and responsibilities

4.1 Performance appraisals and reviews

6.1 Resource support

6.2 Recognition and appreciation schemes

6.3 Training and development plans

6.4 Claims

6.5 Risk protection

6.6 Volunteers’ rights and liabilities

Organisation overview

Policies and procedures

Feedback, grievances

Other information

About volunteering

Appraisal and review

Volunteer benefits

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, 2001

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-3

Where there are many volunteer programmes and assignments running concurrently, some VHOs prepare a job-specific handbook for volunteers. For example, Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) runs numerous island- wide programmes including home reading, tutoring, mentoring, library helpdesks and reading centres. While general policies may be similar for all programmes, the procedures for each job can be quite different. Thus, SINDA has a separate handbook for volunteers of its reading programme, reading centres and library helpdesks.

Once the handbook has been developed, circulate them to your volunteers and paid staff. Ignoring these policies and procedures will soon render them invalid. Some VHOs even obtain a signed receipt from each volunteer acknowledging receipt of the handbook and as confirmation that the recipient has read, understood and agreed to follow its policies and procedures.

Writing a volunteer handbook is not a one-off effort. The handbook is useful only if it contains current information.

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Job descriptions Job descriptions increase VHOs’ ability to manage volunteers and their roles. Benefits of job descriptions include:

Job descriptions help you to place the right person in the right place for the right reason. It also promotes continuity if volunteers leave, and can reduce liability for your organisation by clearly spelling out to volunteers what they are authorised to do.

• Allow VHOs to structure their volunteer jobs to ensure that essential activities, duties and responsibilities are adequately covered

• Help formulate skill sets and behavioural requirements for each role • Serve as a basis for volunteer recruitment • Help place volunteers in suitable assignments • Clarify VHO’s expectations of volunteers • Give volunteers a clear description of their roles • Give a basis for orientating new employees, and for their learning and development • Reduce arbitrary interpretation of roles and responsibilities by volunteers, VHOs and volunteer coordinators • Help programme staff to understand their roles in relation to those of volunteers • Act as a reference point in issues involving discipline or disputes • Offer neutral and objective reference points for appraisals and performance reviews of volunteers

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-4

SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTIONS ELEMENTS

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Job Title

A brief indication of what the job is about

Time period

Duration and frequency, or one-off volunteer project

Responsibilities, assignments

Recommendations on assignments to carry out to achieve the key objective and performance standards. Main responsibilities - both routine and non-routine (eg. daily/ weekly/yearly tasks, meetings to attend, key events or activities)

Department

Where the job is created Reporting relationships

Who the volunteer is accountable to, who the volunteer is responsible for, the job’s network of internal (eg.departments or staff within the VHO) and external stakeholders (eg. VHO’s clientele and supporters)

Performance review and appraisal

Reviews and appraises performance of your volunteer against a competency benchmark, targets and outcomes achieved, assignments completed, etc.

Training and planned progression

Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of your volunteer and contains recommendations on equipping and developing the necessary skills for job enlargement / enrichment

Key objective / contribution

What is required of the job and how the job contributes to the organisation as a whole

Reporting and support structure

Spells out accountability and the available support given to the job, eg. who does the volunteer report to?

Key standards

Spells out the specific targets and outcomes for the job

Core competencies, requirements

Skills, talents, attitude, character required for the job

SAMPLE VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE

1. Position Title:

2. Description of Project / Purpose of Assignment: (Give potential and limits)

3. Outline of Volunteer’s Responsibilities or List of Tasks: (How will you and the volunteer know that the job is being done well or that the project is successful?)

4. Training and Support Plan: (How will the volunteer be prepared for the work and oriented to the agency? Who will supervise/be the contact point?)

5. Reporting: ( What reports will be expected, in what form and how often?)

6. Time Commitment: (Minimum hours per week/month? On any special schedule? For what duration of time?)

7. Qualifications Needed:

8. Benefits: ( What the volunteer gets in exchange of service, (tangibles and intangibles))

For each volunteer assignment created, a job description should be written and updated regularly according to your organisation’s strategies and plans.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-5

SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Job Title Volunteer for Special Programmes (Outings & Special Occasions)

Purpose Assist teachers in the execution of special programmes for the children

Responsibilities Assist teachers in whatever needs to be done for the smooth running of the special programme (eg. overseeing, feeding, pushing a wheelchair, etc.)

Commitment At least one school term (10 weeks)

Trial Period 2 special programmes (“Preliminary Placement”)

Day/Time Usually weekdays; during office hours

Commencement The next upcoming special programme

Frequency As and when special programmes arise

Skills & Qualifications Ability to help, as well as readiness to make a commitment

Training Provided On-the-job, with additional in-house and external training courses

Benefits Immense satisfaction. Free visits to places of educational interest

AsiAN WoMeN's WeLfAre AssoCiAtioN

touCH CoMMuNitY serViCes

Roles and Responsibilities of Children’s Club Volunteers

• Be committed to help out in the club for 3 hours per week, arriving at least 15 minutes before club time and staying another 30 to 45 minutes for debrief.

• Will be assigned to take care of a group of children during club meetings. Be a role model, teacher, friend, parent and counsellor to the children under your care. Will refer difficult children and problem cases to your club leader and be responsible for children under your charge:

o Call them when they are absent

o Visit them when they are sick

o Visit them or call them

o Celebrate their birthday

• Be involved in home visitation with your club leader.

• Be involved in the monthly/bi-monthly meeting with your club leader for feedback and planning of the following month’s programme.

• Be available to meet club leader for any important meetings.

• Willing to take up any additional responsibility (that is within your capacity) as assigned by your club leader.

• Abide by the Code of Ethics for Volunteers and Staff.

• Be committed to serve during the commitment period. In the event of sickness, emergencies with any other unforeseen circumstances, you will seek to notify your club leader at the earliest possible time.

Interested? Please see the Volunteer Coordinator immediately or call 6285 2515

Asian Women’s Welfare Association

TOUCH Community Services

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-6

b. plan recruitment, develop action plans for short-term assignments Volunteers have a choice whether to volunteer and where. They have alternatives, even from activities outside of volunteering, such as their jobs, families and leisure. With intense competition for individuals’ time, VHOs need to be resourceful to attract volunteers.

Recruitment Recruiting, screening, interviewing, placing, orientating, training, recognising and motivating them are important steps to achieving and maintaining effective volunteer support for your organisation.

The suggestions and samples below are just that: suggestions and samples. Do adapt from them based on your organisational needs. For example, the amount and type of information you seek from potential volunteers, and extent of screening, depends on type of volunteer and work you require these volunteers to do. The practice applicable for an usher who works for one event is different from that of a regular befriender or a committee / board member.

Plan and recruit carefully. The recruitment process does not end with interested volunteers responding to your organisation. Work out your recruitment strategies and tactics to attract right-fit volunteers. If you start your volunteers off right from the start, you may not have to do too many volunteer recruitment drives in future.

SAMPLE RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES

Plan recruitment strategies and tactics – know the types and numbers of volunteers needed and where to locate suitably qualified potential volunteers. Develop recruitment techniques – appeal to potential volunteers with a targeted message about your cause, what potential volunteers can do about it, and what’s in it for the potential volunteers. Study your current group of volunteers and tailor a special message to appeal to other similar groups

Get your message across eg. through:

• Informal one-to-one talks • Small group gatherings and arrangements with unions, professional associations and companies • Road shows and special events with speeches and presentations • Special letters, brochures, newsletters, advertisements, web page. Find a sponsor to boost your

recruitment budget so that you can produce quality brochures, advertisements, etc.

• Media coverage

Once you have the attention of your potential volunteers, connect with them immediately, agree on the next step and follow up accordingly

Manage on-going recruitment efforts – keep in regular contact with potential sources of volunteers, constantly profile your recruitment efforts, and enlist the help of your existing volunteers to recruit new volunteers by their testimonies

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-7

SAMPLE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CHECKLIST

SHORT-TERM ASSIGNMENTS

Identify volunteer needs

Implement recruitment plan

Evaluate recruitment plan

Develop recruitment plan

Form a recruitment committee

4 5

2 3

proCess CHeCKList iteMs

Volunteer needs analysis and findings

Job descriptions

Who to staff the committee

Function of the committee

Review results

Suggestions for subsequent campaigns

Publicity

Interview, screen, place and orient volunteers based on pre-established procedures and policies

How to recruit - what approach

Who to recruit

Where to recruit

Publicity strategies to use

Duration of campaign, timeline

Budget

Caution: Ask for help but please do not plead as you would want volunteers who want to be there to serve and not otherwise.

The above sample volunteer job description gives volunteers an idea of what their work involves and is more suitable for long-term volunteers. More volunteers are opting for short-term or project-based volunteer assignments. For project-based volunteers, it may be more useful to develop appropriate action plans to accomplish given projects within specific timelines and with resources given.

These action plans should give your volunteers an idea of the task commitment and desired outcomes required of them. Action plans help to monitor the progress of your volunteers and hence can increase your efficiency and effectiveness in managing and controlling your budget and operations.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-8

SAMPLE COMPONENTS OF AN ACTION PLAN FOR AD HOC PROJECTS

iteMs iteMspurpose purpose

2 6

3 7

Project name

Purpose

Goals

Action steps

Budget

Accountability

Achievements

Gives an identity to the project

Gives a brief description of what the project is about

Sets standards and outcomes to be achieved. These must be measurable at the completion of the project

Lists out sequentially all the action steps needed to complete the project and achieve the goals set

5 Schedule Provides a timeline to all the action steps (eg. which steps must be completed by when)

Provides a resource indication and support to all the action steps (eg. the benchmark for justifiable spending at each step)

Delegates relevant authority and corresponding responsibility to all involved in the project. All parties involved must understand and accept the parts they have to play and there must be one person with overall accountability for the project, coordinating all efforts to pull it together

Checks off action steps completed. Also highlights performance variations and adjustments

The Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) is a self-help group formed in 1991 to address the educational and socio-economic issues facing the Indian community in Singapore. The management of SINDA makes a conscious attempt to include volunteer involvement in all of SINDA’s programmes and SINDA’s processes have been re-engineered to make it a volunteer-friendly organisation. It has worked out a comprehensive plan to recruit, train, motivate and retain volunteers. Since 1997, SINDA’s volunteer strength has grown from 200 in 1997 to 3100 in 2002. The volunteers are from different ethnic and age groups .

Internally, recognising the effectiveness of the word- of-mouth approach in recruiting volunteers, SINDA treats every person as a potential volunteer. As such, SINDA’s staff actively recruits among everyone they come across – be they beneficiaries, resource persons, or participants in events organised by SINDA. SINDA also encourages its existing volunteers to bring their family members and friends along to volunteer.

One of SINDA’s most successful mechanisms is through the SINDA newsletters, SINDA @ Work and SINDA News, which are sent to all Indian households. Tapping on this available channel to publicise volunteer needs, volunteer stories and contributions are featured and readers are encouraged to sign up. SINDA also makes it easier for interested volunteers to sign up by enclosing a postage paid volunteer form. An average of 100 interested volunteers respond to SINDA’s call for volunteers in every issue.

Externally, SINDA works closely with the media and other partners to recruit volunteers. Using the radio as a communications channel, SINDA initiated a live volunteer call-in segment on the radio programme, Thil Thil Manathil, where enquiries on SINDA’s programmes are answered, volunteers share their experiences on air and appeals for volunteers are made. SINDA also enlists the help of other organisations such as the Singapore Reading and Literacy Society to publicise SINDA’s volunteer requirements in their newsletters.

SINDA makes use of information technology to reach out to volunteers. With the support of some telecommunication companies, SINDA sent volunteer appeal messages. SINDA makes a conscious effort to maintain an email database of volunteers, supporters and others that the staff have come into contact with, and sends email appeals regularly to those in the database to help spread the message. Details of volunteer programmes are also posted on the SINDA’s website and an e-registration form is available for online registration. On average, SINDA receives about two online registrations every day. SINDA also uses the websites of related agencies such as the National Volunteer Centre (as it then was) and the National Council of Social Service to recruit volunteers.

ExAMPLE OF VHO RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS USING ExISTING RESOURCES

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-9

c. record keeping A good database on your programmes and your volunteers will help you recruit, develop and assess your volunteers, match volunteers to organisational needs and in budget submissions, to name a few examples. A database may have various broad categories. Type of information would vary with type of volunteers, eg. ad hoc or long-term, and type of skills eg. generalist or specialist.

SAMPLE DATABASE CATEGORIES

Volunteer personal particulars

Appraisals and reviews

Others

Awards and recognition

Training

Work assignments

6 5

2 3

CAteGories usefuL iNforMAtioN

• Name • Gender • Marital Status • Age • Nationality • NRIC/Passport Number • Contact Information: Address/

Telephone Numbers/Email

• Date of assignments • Job descriptions • Attendance / Time log sheets

• Courses attended

• All appraisal and review forms including future development

• Awards received • Awards nominated for • Awards that can be nominated for

• Current Occupation • Company • Contact Person, in case of emergency • Telephone Number • Date joined • Date left

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 2-10

SAMPLE ATTENDANCE / TIME LOG SHEET

Attendance and/or time log sheet is used to record man-hours for service rendered by volunteers. Such a tally of volunteer hours serves as the primary indicator of the contribution of volunteers to an organisation. A log sheet, on the other hand, serves to record the number of contacts a volunteer has with the client.

Adapt the attendance/time log sheet to monitor the progress of the volunteers depending on the nature of your programme, for example, a volunteer-client contact report if it is a befriending programme or a class academic progress chart if it is a tuition programme.

Knowing how many and which volunteers serve on a given day or a given month through attendance/time log sheets gives you management information to help in programme scheduling, planning and eventually reviewing and appraising the performance of the volunteers.

Name of volunteer:

Work assignment:

Date Time In Time Out No. of Hours Comments

Total Number of Hours completed:

d. risk management Volunteers give you their time and talent, creating much value in the process. However, there may also be certain risks, such as accidents.

Sample risk exposures management

• Adequate insurance coverage for your volunteers (public liability, workmen’s compensation, etc.) • Good risk management practices (careful screening and cross referencing, cautious placement, clear job descriptions and authorisation levels, orientation, training, supervision, dismissal, etc.)

Risks can be managed. Get started in learning how to manage risks systematically for your volunteer programmes. Click here to download a copy of a Risk Management primer.

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http://www.nvpc.org.sg/Library/Documents/Publications/Risk%20management%20primer-final.pdf

__MACOSX/._Chapter2.pdf

VMS Checklist.pdf

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST Jun 2015

1. Concept Stage Practice Info source Notes a. Has clearly defined vision,

mission and goals for volunteers

i Key people (such as Board, management, volunteer

coordinator) can articulate the organisation’s

reasons for engaging and retaining volunteers.

 A Vision and/or Value Statement on Volunteers

 Annual reports

 Newsletter

 Minutes of meetings

Sample steps in writing vision statement for

volunteer management in NVPC's Volunteer

Management System Guide or VMS Guide: pg 1-2

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2476

b. Assessed volunteer needs i Organisation establishes where volunteers are

needed and how they will be involved.

 Survey on volunteer needs

 Volunteer request forms

Sample survey on volunteer needs and sample

interview questions for staff in NVPC's VMS

Guide: pg 1-4 of

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2476

For organisations that engage ad hoc

volunteers, refer to Annex 3 from "Engaging Ad

hoc volunteers: a guide for non-profit

organisations"

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2740

c. Designed a budget for volunteer

involvement

i There are adequate financial resources to cover the

volunteer programme and volunteers have the

necessary resources to do their work.

 Budget Eg volunteer support costs: transport,

refreshments, training and development,

insurance, recognition

Sample budget template in NVPC's VMS

Guide: pg 1-8 of

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2

476

ii Organisation provides support facilities where applicable eg working space, office equipment

 Working space (eg desk and chair)

 Equipment (eg office or other tools for the job)

Sample checklist for facilities support in

NVPC's VMS Guide: pg 1-9 of

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=

2476

iii Informs all volunteers what expenses can be

claimed, and the procedure for reimbursement or

payment of allowances

 Volunteer policy

 Expenses claim forms/ petty cash forms

References:

Investing in Volunteers. (n.d.). Investing in Volunteers Standard. Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) (2001). The Essential Guide to a Volunteer Management System. Singapore: NVPC

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) (2007). Risk Management Primer. Retrieved on 13 April 2015 from http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/risk-management-primer-2007/

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) (2008). Engaging Ad-hoc Volunteers: A guide for non-profit organisations. Retrieved on 13 April 2015 from http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/engaging-ad-

hoc-volunteers-a-guide-for-non-profit-organisation-2008/

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2476

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/engaging-ad-hoc-volunteers-a-guide-for-non-profit-organisation-2008/

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2476

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/engaging-ad-hoc-volunteers-a-guide-for-non-profit-organisation-2008/

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2740

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2476

http://www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk/

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/risk-management-primer-2007/

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/engaging-ad-

2. Planning Stage Practice Info source Notes

a. Has written job description and

policies for volunteers and staff who

work with volunteers

i Organisation has written policies and procedures for

volunteers especially in basic areas such as recruitment,

terms of appointment, orientation and operations.

 Volunteer policies

 Procedures

Writing policies and procedures for volunteers and

Sample guide to volunteer policies and procedures

manual/handbook in NVPC's VMS Guide: pg 2-1 to 2-2 of

http://knowledge.nvpc.org.sg/?wpdmdl=2477

ii Organisation has procedures for regularly

reviewing the volunteering policy and its

implementation.

__MACOSX/._VMS Checklist.pdf

Chapter1.pdf

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-1

a. Articulate your organisation’s vision, mission and goals for volunteers Even with paid staff, VHOs may find it useful to have volunteers eg. to develop and enrich programmes and projects, and act as “consultants” to give their views regarding decisions and issues that affect them and the communities they care for.

Vision, mission and value statements give an organisation something to believe in and work towards. Develop a vision statement and a set of values appropriate to your volunteers. A good statement for volunteer management is short, easy to understand and explains why the organisation needs volunteers.

Writing the statements is the first step. Next, work on organisation-wide buy-in so there is support for your volunteer management system at all levels. Finally, encourage all your colleagues and yourself to positively “walk the talk” to establish credibility with your organisation’s volunteers. Mission and vision statements for volunteer management must be effectively integrated with the corporate culture:

• Involve a group of relevant stakeholders, including staff, in the creation of the vision and mission • statements for volunteer management • Conduct workshops and coaching sessions to clearly communicate the mission and vision • statements to all stakeholders • Display the mission and vision statements in prominent areas of the office • Give all employees and volunteers a copy each of the mission and vision statement • Encourage leaders to routinely “walk the talk” in carrying out the mission and vision

01 CoNCept

A good statement for volunteer management is short, easy to understand and explains why the organisation needs volunteers.

“ ”

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-1

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-2

SAMPLE STEPS TO WRITING YOUR VISION STATEMENT FOR VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

• What is your organisation’s vision? • What is the basis for all that your organisation does? What

are the guiding principles?

• Where is your organisation now and where is it heading in 5-10 years’ time?

• What are your organisation’s goals and the strategic plans to achieve these?

• Distil your answers from steps 2 and 3 into keywords

• How would it benefit your organisation to involve volunteers?

• Do you or any staff members have any concerns about volunteers? Any fears or reservations? Any foreseeable problems or conflicts that can arise with volunteer involvement in your organisation?

• Expand or modify keywords for clarity • Gather new ideas on how to involve volunteers

• Do your volunteers have prior volunteering experience? Any examples of good and bad experiences?

• What do your volunteers think of volunteering in your organisation? What are their needs and expectations?

• How do you want your staff and volunteers to treat each other?

• Get endorsement from top management and staff members

• Print and circulate statements

Reflect on your organisation’s vision, mission and goals. This gives a backdrop to frame your vision statement for volunteer management.

Draft vision statement on volunteer management.

Understand why your organisation needs volunteers. These answers will form the basis of your volunteer management guidelines.

Gather some staff from all levels of your organisation to brainstorm on draft statement.

Understand what volunteers are looking for in your organisation. These answers will help you attract and retain your volunteers.

Write volunteer management vision and values statements.

6 sAMpLe VisioN stAteMeNt

Our agency encourages the teamwork of employees and volunteers so that we can offer our consumers the best services possible. Volunteers contribute their unique talents, skills and knowledge of our community to provide personalised attention to our consumers, enable the salaried staff to concentrate on the work for which they were trained and educate the public about our organisation and its cause.

From The Top Down by Susan Ellis, 1996

proMpterssteps

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-3

GETTING THE CONCEPT RIGHT

SAMPLE COMPONENTS OF A SURVEY ON VOLUNTEER NEEDS

Set the vision and goals for volunteers 2 31

b. Assess your volunteer needs One way to find out where your organisation needs volunteers is through an in-house volunteer-needs

survey questionnaire and follow-up interviews to establish where and how to involve volunteers in your

organisation.

3 2

• What is the purpose of engaging volunteers in your organisation? To enhance your services? To strengthen your community involvement and reach?

• What role can volunteers play in your organisation? Where can you place volunteers? What can you delegate to the volunteers? What types of volunteers does your organisation need? What are your expectations of volunteers? What numbers are you looking at? Who will have the responsibility to recruit and manage volunteers?

• How does your organisation perceive volunteers? As an asset or a liability? A cheap source of labour to help you save costs? A tangible value-added resource?

• Do you already have volunteers? Who are your volunteers? What is your source of volunteers? How many do you have? What roles do they play? What contributions have they made?

• What types of volunteers do you have or want to attract? What are the skills or strengths you need? What assignments do you have for them?

• What level and length of commitment are your volunteers giving you? What motivates them?

• What community needs are being fulfilled by your organisation? • How does the public perceive your organisation and services? • What is the financial status of your organisation? Will it make it easier

or harder for you to attract and involve volunteers?

• What is the morale of your paid staff? Would they feel threatened by volunteers?

• How ready is your organisation to involve volunteers? Do you have staff to manage the recruitment and retention of volunteers? Who motivates and recognises volunteers? Do you have a budget for volunteer management? How can you get money for your volunteer management initiatives? Do you have policies and rules in place for everybody to know how to work together? What partnerships can you strike for both volunteers and paid staff?

• What components of a good volunteer management system do you have?

CoMpoNeNts proMpters Your organisation's need for volunteers

Assess volunteer needs Allocate resources eg. Budget

Ability to keep volunteers

Ability to attract and involve volunteers

Ability to manage volunteer initiatives

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-4

SAMPLE SURVEY ON VOLUNTEER NEEDS

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STAFF

7. What would you like to do or improve if you had

more resources?

(a)

(b)

(c)

8. What is your general impression of volunteers?

They are a valuable resource and help

They can be put to good use if managed

properly

They do not contribute much to the work of the organisation

They add to the workload of staff

9. Do you think volunteers can contribute to meeting the organisation’s objectives?

Yes No

10. Do you think volunteers can provide more support for your work in the organisation?

Yes No

11. Are you keen to work with volunteers?

Yes No

1. Do you think we are adequately meeting the objectives of our organisation?

Yes No

2. If no, what areas can we improve?

(a)

(b)

(c)

3. Do you think we are adequately meeting the needs of our clients?

Yes No

4. If no, what areas can we improve?

(a)

(b)

(c)

5. Do you have adequate support in your work?

Yes No

6. If no, in which areas do you most need help?

(a)

(b)

(c)

Interviews would augment your survey findings. Interviews are an excellent way to involve your organisation and get buy-in for the conception and development of your volunteer management system.

1. What are we doing now that we would like to do more of?*

2. What unmet needs do our clients have that we presently can do nothing about?*

3. What are the other areas that staff can be supported in their work?*

4. What might we do differently if we had more skills or time available to us?*

5. Are there areas where you could do with additional help?

6. What are the areas you could improve if you had additional help?

7. What new programmes could you start if you had additional help?

8. What are the skills you think could benefit your work and the organisation but are lacking in the organisation?

9. Do you think diversity would benefit your work and the organisation?

10. Do you think there is enough diversity in the work?

11. What do you think of volunteers?

* From The Top Down by Susan Ellis, 1996

You may do a survey of volunteer-needs in your organisation using the questionnaire below. If appropriate, you may include additional questions from the above list.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-5

Some common assignments that VHOs can involve volunteers in:

• Board or committee member • Management/professional consultancy • Human services such as mentoring, befriending, tutoring • Publicity and promotion

• Event organisation • Office administration • General services such as cooking, driving, cleaning

Before you start looking for volunteers, ensure you have assignments that volunteers can successfully take on, and that you have the ability to manage the volunteers.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO PLAN ASSIGNMENTS FOR VOLUNTEERS

Most people prefer to volunteer ad hoc rather than commit to regular volunteering weekly or monthly. In view of this trend, consider running more short-term volunteer programmes. Look for parts of your regular volunteering requirements that may be done on ad hoc basis.

Urgent and time sensitive assignments tend to put much pressure on volunteers. As volunteers are not paid staff, it would be more difficult to hold them accountable for not completing their assignments on time. Volunteers would be a more viable option for assignments with more flexible deadlines.

Volunteers are not paid salaries but they certainly do not come free. Work out a budget for volunteer involvement in your organisation.

Assignments for volunteers should be broken down into specific and achievable tasks. Successful completion of tasks is a source of motivation for volunteers.

Are the assignments short-term or ongoing?

Are the assignments limited in scope?

What is the budget for each assignment?

Are the assignments urgent and/or critical?

2 3

QuestioNs reMArKs

Organisations need to evaluate and match the skills of the volunteers with volunteer job scope during recruitment, supervise and evaluate their volunteers’ performance.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-6

TOUCH Youth Learning Centre (YLC) helps early school leavers attain the GCE ‘O’ or ‘N’ level qualification by providing a secure and affirmative environment for the youths to continue their education.

From the curriculum which encompasses academic, life and work skills, TOUCH YLC mapped out the volunteer needs to include tutors for the youths after school, class facilitators to assist the teachers in class and facilitators to engage youths in outdoor activities on weekends. TOUCH YLC believes that the volunteers in this programme can play an important role in the academic, social and character development of the youths. Above all, TOUCH YLC hopes that the volunteers would be positive adult role models for the youths.

When a department of a public sector organisation approached TOUCH Community Services ( TCS) with an interest to work with children or youth, TCS first focused on understanding the interests and strengths of this department. TCS thought that the strengths of the department and what the employees could offer matched the needs of the youths at TOUCH YLC.

However, the employees of the department were only given four half-days to be involved in their volunteer work although the programmes of TOUCH YLC needed more regular and long-term commitment from the volunteers. The employees were also concerned about their ability to connect with the youths and were not confident that they could meet the needs of the youths.

Considering the employees’ time constraints, TCS decided to modify the programmes it had planned. Four half-day projects were designed to suit the schedule of the volunteers, instead of regular weekly or monthly commitment, while ensuring that the youths would still benefit from the time spent with the volunteers. To allay the apprehension of the volunteers, TCS gave a comprehensive orientation of the YLC and its activities to the volunteers. To help prepare the volunteers for interaction with the youths, they were also given a briefing on the general background of the youths.

With all the preparation and orientation, the volunteers finally started working with the youths. After going through two sessions, the employees commented that they thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and felt that they were able to contribute positively to the youths.

The whole volunteer experience was so positive that the department planned another three similar projects for the following year. The department also decided to adopt TOUCH YLC on a long-term basis. In addition to time, the employees are also supporting the programme financially with regular donations.

The above example demonstrates that knowing what the volunteer needs is an important first step to starting volunteer programmes, followed by careful planning of the volunteer assignments. A willingness to be open minded and flexible is also key, especially when it comes to successfully matching volunteers to the programmes.

Knowing the organisational need for volunteers and planning volunteer assignments are key steps to starting volunteer programmes. Sometimes, it is the volunteers who identify other needs and offer suggestions to help meet those needs. Welcome such initiatives from volunteers as this shows that volunteers are actively involved.

Consider involving the volunteers by forming committees or working groups to identify the issues and work out practical solutions. Volunteers would feel empowered and assume ownership of the projects or programmes they have started.

For such volunteer-initiated projects or programmes conceived of and run by volunteers, volunteer managers need to understand that they should still provide support and training. Such committees or working groups may fail if they do not have enough direction and appropriate support from VHOs.

EXAMPLE OF CORPORATE VOLUNTEERISM WITH TOUCH YOUTH LEARNING CENTRE

APPRECIATING VOLUNTEER-INITIATED PROGRAMMES

Before you start looking for volunteers, ensure you have assignments that volunteers can successfully take on and have the ability to manage the volunteers.

“

”

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-7

Provide a guide or outline of steps for each of these committees to begin their volunteer assignments (eg. with proper briefing notes on the issues to be addressed, brainstorming and problem solving methods for use, information on the kind of assistance they can expect from their VHO, etc). Take this as an opportunity to set down expectations and goals for the committees.

Have committees evaluate the organisation’s efforts to keep them involved, trained and informed. Based on feedback, explore how else to support such self-directed volunteer efforts.

SAMPLE STEPS TO HELP VOLUNTEER-INITIATED PROGRAMMES

EXAMPLE OF DEVELOPMENT OF A VOLUNTEER-INITIATED PROGRAMME

3 2

Appoint a board member or a staff to attend committee meetings. This shows that the organisation values its volunteers and will encourage the committees. Also, this person can be responsible for regularly updating the organisation and making sure that the committee does not act inappropriately.

Set aside time and staff for the committees to ask for information or help. Give practical help where possible to these committees to facilitate their work.

Involving volunteers in your programmes requires an understanding of the needs, planning and matching of volunteers to meet those needs. Volunteers who are already involved in the programmes are sometimes in a better position to identify gaps to be filled and can offer valuable suggestions and help. They need to be given enough support and help if they are to take on bigger roles and shoulder greater responsibilities. But whether a programme is planned by the staff of the VHO or the volunteers, a successful and effective programme calls for careful planning and matching of resources and manpower.

Community Bicycle Patrol – project of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)

SCDF started the Civil Defence Volunteer scheme in 1982 and to date, more than 5000 interested volunteers have signed up to volunteer with the SCDF. These volunteers are organised into 84 Civil Defence Executive Committees (CDECs) overseen by the SCDF.

The Pasir Ris West CDEC, one of the 84 CDECs that SCDF oversees, saw that there was no available help to users of Pasir Ris Park should they require immediate assistance. Thus the Committee wanted to form a volunteer bicycle patrol team to render emergency assistance to park users. The idea was taken to SCDF, which readily gave its support. SCDF gave training in fire fighting and first aid to the volunteers.

In December 2000, the Community Bicycle Patrol was officially launched and there are plans to extend this programme to other parts of Singapore as well.

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-8

c. design a budget for your volunteer needs, support facilities Volunteers, though unpaid, do not come free. A budget for volunteer management can be quantified. Pointers • State your organisation’s vision, mission and goals • State how your volunteer management system can support the achievement of your organisation’s vision • mission and goals • State the outcomes to be achieved and the performance standards to measure the outcomes by

SAMPLE BUDGET TEMPLATE

Expense Items

• Salary package (salary, CPF, bonus, other benefits, training, etc) of Volunteer Manager

• Salary package of direct support staff • Apportionment of salary package of indirect support staff • Recruitment drives (cost of publicity channels and material, administration–letters, postage, profiling, etc.) • Apportionment of facilities support costs for manager and direct support staff and volunteers (office space, equipment, telephone, stationery, materials, etc)

• Volunteer benefits (transport, refreshments, training and development, etc) • Insurance (public liability for volunteers, for organisation, etc) • Special events for recognition • Recognition gifts • Any other expenses

Income Budget Items

• Value of volunteer hours (you can peg volunteers to suitable hourly rates derived from your paid staff ’s salary scale)

• Grants • Donations, fundraising • Others

Value Analysis

Income - Expense = Contribution

Value statement to support justification report

Amount

A Guide for NoN-profit orGANisAtioNs 1-9

Volunteers should fit into your organisation’s structure to give them a sense of belonging and also set out lines of reporting, accountability and support. Along with this fit, please provide appropriate support facilities for your volunteers.

Factor these into your budget for your volunteer management system.

SAMPLE SUPPORT FACILITIES

SAMPLE CHECKLIST FOR FACILITIES SUPPORT

• Working space (room, cubicle, desk and chair, storage cupboard, etc.)

• Office equipment (telephone, computer, printer, etc.)

• Administrative stuff (identity tag, name

cards, email account, stationary, etc.)2 31

SPACE AND OTHER FACILITIES

1. Easy access from the entrance of the building?

2. Parking arrangements for volunteers who drive?

3. Privacy for interviewing prospective volunteers?

4. Secure storage space for volunteers’ personal belongings?

5. Meeting space for group volunteers?

6. Space for orientation sessions and in-service training meetings?

7. Adequate rest room facilities?

8. Space for volunteer communication mechanisms eg. bulletin boards?

9. Lounge area for volunteer rest periods?

10. Others

FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT

1. Computers for volunteers' use if their work requires it?

2. Equipment for orientation and training eg. TV, projector and screens?

3. Telephones for volunteers' use if so required?

4. Stationery for volunteers' use?

5. Others

MISCELLANEOUS

1. Identity badges for volunteers?

2. On-the-job T-shirts?

3. Insurance?

4. Others

From The Top Down by Susan Ellis, 1996

stationery,

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Chapter4.pdf

A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-1

a. Performance review, appraisal and exit

04 REVIEW

REVIEW

VOLUNTEER PERFORMANCE

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

Reviewing the work of volunteers helps raise both the quality and level of service from the volunteers and for the organisation as a whole.

Plan and conduct performance reviews and appraisals with your volunteers. Regular performance feedback to your volunteers helps them stay on course to achieve and excel.

Reviews and appraisals must be transparent, and your volunteers must be able to see value in them too.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND APPRAISAL

SAMPLE REVIEW AND APPRAISAL PROCEDURE

You may need to have more sessions with a volunteer who is giving you problems (misconduct, unsatisfactory performance, creating conflict with other volunteers or paid staff, etc.).

Keep such sessions objective and supplement your points with concrete evidence. It would be necessary for you to document these sessions and use these reports to justify terminating the volunteer at a later stage if things get out of hand. Remember that how you recruit volunteers is going to influence the number of difficult volunteers you end up having on your hands.

Make known to your volunteers during their orientation that reviews and appraisals are part of the job. As you go through their job descriptions with them, highlight what you will be looking for during the reviews and appraisals. It is also good at this point to set a timeline on the reviews and appraisals.

At the review or appraisal, set up the venue, welcome your volunteer, put him/her at ease with small talk, state the objective, compare assessments and discuss differences to arrive at an agreement on how to move ahead. Talk about training and other development opportunities. Close by thanking the volunteer for contributions made.

Prepare for the reviews or appraisals – refer to the timeline and set up individual appointments with your volunteers. Have both your volunteer and yourself or the immediate supervisor complete a self assessment and make other preparations for the face-to-face discussion, as with any staff appraisal.

After the review or appraisal, keep the notes or forms in your volunteer’s personal files. Note the follow- up action (monitor performance, sign volunteer up for training courses, etc.) for each volunteer and write in your diary the next set of review and appraisal dates.

3 2

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A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-2

Ratings

4=Excellent Clearly exceeds job requirements

3=Satisfactory Meets all requirements

2=Average Meets most requirements, room for improvement

1=Unsatisfactory Does not meet most job requirements

SAMPLE VOLUNTEER PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FORM

Name of Volunteer:

Volunteer Position: Time Period Under Review:

Ratings Supervisor's Comments

A GENERAL

Attendance

Punctuality

Personal Appearance

B WORKING WITH OTHERS

Maintains effective working relationships with staff

Maintains effective working relationships with other volunteers

Relationship with clients/charges

C TRAINING

1. Positive about training

2. Attends training sessions consistently

D ATTITUDES

1. Positive Attitude

2. Accepts supervision and constructive criticism

3. Responsible

E LEADERSHIP

1. Shows initiative

2. Problem solving skills

3. Ability to inspire and motivate others

Total Score:

Appraised by:

Additional comments:

Follow up actions / recommendations:

Name of Appraiser Signature and Date

Supervising Volunteers by Susan J. Ellis, 1999

You may need to include other items relating to the work the volunteer is involved in for review. Look at the job description which you have done earlier to help you.

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A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-3

EXIT

SAMPLE EXIT SURVEY FOR EXITING VOLUNTEERS

Eventually, all volunteers will leave your organisation. While some leave because they are moving, changing their jobs or starting a family, some may leave because they are feeling tired, burnt out and have lost interest in their volunteer work or even the affiliation they feel with your organisation. Find out the reasons and factors that contribute to volunteers leaving. You can only fix the problems when you know what they are.

There may be times when, no matter how hard you try, volunteers leave for reasons of their own that have nothing to do with you. Their volunteer career path could take them into a different direction from what you can offer. In which case, send them along with your good wishes, even make the necessary referrals for them and be thankful that you had them for a season.

Please help us give future volunteers a positive experience volunteering with our organisation by giving us feedback about your own volunteer experience with us. Your feedback is important to us and will go a long way in our future volunteer programmes. Thank you.

Name: Date: Unit/Group:

Were you given appropriate equipment and facilities to do your job well?

Were you given appropriate training to do your job well?

Did being a volunteer in this organisation help you in your everyday life or at work?

Do you think your volunteer work made a positive difference to the community?

Would you recommend others to volunteer with this organisation?

Would you return to volunteer with us? If Yes, when might that be? If No, why not?

Yes No

Teamwork

Make friends

Training / Achievement

Self-satisfaction

Service to the community

Helping people Others:

Get to know the community

What do you like about your volunteer experience with us?

Internal conflicts

Time commitment / hours

Lack of support

Financial strain

Training

Stress level Others:

Lack of recognition

What don’t you like about your volunteer experience with us?

Moving

Change of job / job functions

Health

Lost interest

Taking on new volunteer commitment

Family and/or personal commitment Others:

Dissatisfied

Why are you leaving the organisation?

The feedback you get from volunteers who exit should indicate where the problem areas are. You can then work towards solving these problems.

“

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A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-4

b. Volunteer programme assessment Apply the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do Check, Act) for continuous improvement to achieve desired results. Each event and activity provides important knowledge. This includes information about:

• Who is willing to support the programme • How to effectively run a particular event/activity • How best to explain key information to new volunteers, etc.

An organisation that forgets these lessons will keep wasting time, frustrate staff by reinventing the wheel and repeating the same mistakes. An organisation that can learn and remember lessons, question approaches, develop more effective strategies and continue to build upon this knowledge is a learning organisation. Such an organisation makes much better use of the time of its staff and volunteers, achieves more and reduces frustration for everyone.

You have gone through the planning and implementation stage of your volunteer programmes. Relevant information is available through documentation. Assessment is the review of activities against certain goals, standards or values. It looks more deeply to try to answer the question ‘why?’ and to determine whether the programme should be changed.

Does the organisation regularly review and evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of its volunteer programme? What review and evaluation processes are used?

Are the results of evaluations and reviews documented?

Does the organisation provide opportunities for volunteers to be involved in the evaluation and review process? What mechanisms does the organisation use?

To what extent do the results of the evaluations and reviews influence or change the way volunteer services are delivered and/or managed?

Does the organisation use specific criteria to evaluate its volunteer programme? Does the criteria include:

• Level of volunteer participation • Range of activities • Retention of volunteers • Absenteeism and paid staff substitution • Work satisfaction levels of volunteers • Number of complaints or positive feedback from customer services • Number of volunteer grievances

3 4 5

SAMPLE POINTERS FOR EVALUATION

With the objectives of your assessment in mind, how close are you to a model volunteer programme?

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A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-5

SAMPLE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME EVALUATION

Rate your volunteer programme against each of the components of an Ideal Volunteer Programme

(A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Poor)

Techniques commonly used in assessment include surveys, focus groups, observation, discussions with participants and historical comparisons.

The assessment focus should not just be on programme outputs but on the outcomes as well. For example, when a theatre group gives a performance to children, programme output would be the number of people who attended the performance and the outcome could be greater appreciation of the arts by the audience. Outputs are usually more easily measured than outcomes.

When writing an assessment report it is useful to have a consistent reporting style with well-defined information that is authored and dated for future reference.

Finally, when looking at any programme it is important to highlight the successes as well as the failures. While it is important to understand what can be improved, it is also important for staff and volunteers to receive positive feedback.

Rating Suggestions for Improvement

Strong, positive motivations to have volunteer programme

Leadership support of volunteer programme

• What are the signs of administrative support (or lack of support) in your organisation?

Volunteer coordinator

• Part / Full time • Designated / Recruited • Paid / Unpaid Staff trained to work with volunteers

Linked volunteer programme goals to organisational goals

Written policies and procedures for volunteer programme

Written job descriptions and/or contracts with volunteers

Volunteer record keeping system in place

Orientation sessions/manual

Volunteers involved in planning and evaluating volunteer programme

Staff-volunteer relations: how do the staff feel about engaging volunteers?

Client-volunteer relations

Time to supervise volunteers

Volunteer programme review

• What were you able to accomplish organisationally this year due to the support of the volunteers?

Formal and informal volunteer recognition

Volunteer exit review

• What was the volunteer turnover this past year? • Do you conduct exit interviews with your volunteers? • What useful information did you get from these interviews?

Diversity, creative engagement of volunteers

• Is your organisation engaging volunteers such as pre-teens, seniors?

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A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-6

REFERENCES

Katherine Noyes Campbell and Susan J. Ellis (1995) The (Help) I-Don’t-Have-Enough-Time Guide To Volunteer Management

Susan J. Ellis (1996) The Volunteer Recruitment (And Membership Development) Book

Susan J. Ellis (1996) From The Top Down. The Executive Role In Volunteer Program Success

Energize INC. http://www.energizeinc.com

Paul Hersey (1984) The Situational Leader

Rolf Jensen (1999) The Dream Society: How The Coming Shift From Information To Imagination Will Transform Your Business

Jarene Frances Lee with Julia M. Caragnus (1999) What We Learned (The Hard Way) About Supervising Volunteers

Merrill Associates

Winnie Tang (2001) Workshop On Volunteer Management System Reference Materials

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A GUIDE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 4-7

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ms Sarah Yee our volunteer writer, for the many hours she put into writing the contents

Ms Diong Siew Kuan Manager (Volunteer & Social Services) Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC)

Ms Devi Head (Volunteer Affairs) Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA)

Mr Patrick Tan Executive Director Nature Society Singapore

Ms Alison Kyeo Hack Administrator (Domiciliary Care) Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre

Ms Winnie Tang Trainer

Ms Susan J. Ellis, President Energize INC, USA our resource consultant for availing resources and professional advice to us

Dover Park Hospice for sharing materials from their volunteer management system

Ministry of Community Development and Sports for making available funds from the Mavis Oei Grant towards the printing cost

Generator Creative our creative agency, for designing the guide to our exacting requirements

Our focus group representatives for their critique and contributions

And all who have helped to make this guide come to pass.

Ms Sarah Yee our volunteer writer for continuing her task of writing for the Guide again

Pagesetters our creative agency

Asian Women’s Welfare Association

Dover Park Hospice

Singapore Civil Defence Force

Singapore Indian Development Association

Touch Community Services

Our Volunteer Host Organisations (VHOs) for their generosity in sharing their material with us, and all those who have contributed in one way or another to updating the Guide through these inserts

2001 2003

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kevinlee

Typewritten Text

Creative

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Intro.pdf

www.nvpc.org.sg

DOING GOOD WELL Volunteer Management System A Guide for Non-Profit Organisations

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-2

CONteNt

Copyright © 2012. National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, Singapore. All rights reserved. This document is based on a hardcopy manual published in 2001 and hardcopy inserts published in 2003. We revised the 2-cm-thick manual in 2012, combining most parts of both publications and reissued it to make it more accessible online. This publication may be freely reproduced, transmitted or stored in its entirety provided that the information on this page including copyright notice is not removed. The publication may not be sold without the publisher’s written permission. The information given in this publication is only a guide. It is not intended as legal advice and does not claim to be comprehensive. It was prepared from information believed to be accurate and reliable at the time it was sourced. However, the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre and/or its employees do not give any guarantee, representation or warranty as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information, nor accept any responsibility or liability arising in any way (including by reason of negligence) for errors in, or omissions from, the information here.

Published by National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre 6 Eu Tong Sen Street #04-88 The Central Singapore 059817 www.nvpc.org.sg

iNtrOduCtiON

CONCePt

PLANNiNG

iMPLeMeNtAtiON

reVieW

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-3

a. Why volunteer management is needed Any organisation that runs with the help of volunteers needs to keep their morale high. Two elements in maintaining volunteer morale are:

• Letting them know that the work they’re doing matters and that they are important to the organisation • Showing them that their efforts are making a difference, in the short-term and in the long run

iNtrOduCtiON

Volunteers do come with certain costs … they do require other resources such as space, staff time, out-of-pocket reimbursements and appreciation. Leadership buy-in is essential to put aside the necessary resources for volunteer management.

“

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-4

A Volunteer Host Organisation is any organisation that engages volunteers to help run its operations, programmes or activities. VHOs can be:

• Completely run by volunteers (eg. Cat WelfareSociety) • Employ a limited number of full-time or part-time staff to support volunteer-driven • programmes (eg. Nature Society Singapore)

• Part of a specific volunteer-driven programme (eg. National Heritage Board’s museum • guides programme).

Leadership plays a pivotal role in the success or failure of volunteer programmes, whether it comes from the senior management, chief executive officer or the Board.

There are two common misconceptions some people have of volunteers. Firstly, they see volunteers as secondary and secondly, as free help.

Volunteers bring diversity, additional knowledge, passion, energy and experience. Some volunteers may have skills which salaried staff may not have. Together, volunteers and staff can do more for the organisation.

Volunteers do come with certain costs. While they require little in terms of cash, they do require other resources such as work space, staff time, out-of-pocket reimbursements and appreciation. Leadership buy-in is essential to put aside the necessary resources for volunteer management. They will, if they recognise that to do so is to invest in a resource that can bring them returns many times over.

To have a successful volunteer programme, a VHO must have a designated volunteer manager or coordinator role. Even if that person does not carry the title of volunteer manager/coordinator (although it is encouraged), the job responsibilities must be spelt out clearly and included in his or her performance appraisal.

The volunteer management position could be full-time or part-time, salaried or volunteer, but without it proper volunteer management would be difficult to achieve.

An effective volunteer manager/coordinator is one who understands the responsibilities and demands of the job. It is not enough to “recruit, interview, train and recognise” volunteers. A volunteer manager/coordinator must understand the scope of the work, be able to do the work well, and truly believe in the value of volunteer involvement.

The title “volunteer coordinator” or VC, as commonly used, does not properly describe the job. Coordination is often a minor aspect, as the duties can extend to those of a manager, service provider, HR officer, training officer, administrator, public relations officer and fund raiser. The title “manager of volunteers” or “volunteer manager”1 better describes the responsibilities and range of duties. In this document, the commonly used term “VC” is used interchangeably with “manager of volunteers”.

1 While this term has been used, it is also subject to debate, as some may think it refers to “a manager who is a volunteer”.

VOLUNTEER HOST ORGANISATION (VHO)

VOLUNTEER MANAGER OR COORDINATOR

LEADERSHIP

SOME ESSENTIALS TO A SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-5

SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTION OF A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR (VC)

sCOPe Manage, nurture, train, sustain and motivate the volunteers and coordinate their efforts with the work of the Hospice’s professional staff whether medical or administrative, for the betterment and well-being of the patients.

MAiN resPONsiBiLities Recruitment and Selection of Volunteers • Recruit, interview and select volunteers • Organise programmes for orientation and induction (training) of new volunteers • Maintain close follow up for the first 6 months

Organisation and Support of Volunteers

• Liaise with Hospice staff to define volunteer tasks • Allocate tasks to volunteers, and volunteers for

tasks requested

• Determine training needs of different groups and organise suitable training programmes to equip

volunteers with desired skills

Communication / Motivation

• Liaise with staff and volunteers in matters relating to patients

• Maintain regular communication with volunteers through newsletter, meeting etc.

Other Duties

• Give talks/lectures and topics related to the role of Hospice volunteers to external organisations when

requested to do so

Administration

• Maintain records of volunteer bio data, individual volunteer performance and volunteer activities. Set up procedures for regular updating or records

• Collect statistics and prepare reports for regular updating

• Produce and update the Volunteers’ Manual • Write correspondence, articles for newsletters and

notices for volunteers

• Organise venues and refreshment for volunteer activities

• Evaluate volunteer performance in association with Hospice staff

• Counsel volunteers when required • Conduct exit interviews for retiring volunteers.

• Attend meetings relating to volunteer activities eg Volunteer Committee, Public Education, Hospice Link etc including NCSS meetings relating to volunteers’ activities

• Plan regular Support Group meetings and Volunteer Get-Togethers, Volunteers’ Appreciation parties etc.

• Participate in orientation of employees, volunteers and students as assigned

• Any other duties as required by the Council

• Monitor budget for volunteer services/ programmes to ensure adequacy of materials and support activities

• Provide mechanism for the improvement of the Volunteer Programme

• Coordinate community service programmes eg arrange hosting of visits, educational projects, entertainment for patients etc.

Dover Park Hospice

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-6

VCs should continue to attend relevant training to keep abreast of trends and developments and to learn about other volunteer management techniques. Such training sessions and other occasions also provide opportunities for VCs to network with, learn from and support one another.

• See the big picture without missing out the details

• Focus and have the determination to complete the task

• Think creatively and out of the box to achieve success

• Be flexible and able to adjust and respond quickly to changes

• Sense what others are feeling and thinking, and respond appropriately

• Motivate self and volunteers • Coach volunteers to successfully perform their jobs

• Lead volunteers to work within boundaries, yet challenge these boundaries appropriately for continuous improvements

• Be there for volunteers and share the human side behind the official VC role

• Introduce elements of fun and learning to the work

• Invite and actively involve volunteers in setting volunteer programmes and goals

• Communicate expectations, work instructions and/or guidelines clearly

• Encourage volunteers to think creatively, take ownership of their roles and to

suggest better ways of doing their jobs

• Listen and acknowledge volunteers in a positive and affirming manner

• Be interested in growing and developing volunteers

• Coach and train volunteers to develop the skills to complete their work

• Trust and support volunteers in their decisions, and help them to learn from mistakes and failures as a result of bad decisions

• List everything in the volunteer programme that can be delegated

• Identify who the work can be delegated to • Set expectations and ensure volunteers

understand and accept them

• Give appropriate authority to match the delegation so the job can be done

• Delegate by stages, which is most appropriate for new volunteers, so they

are not overwhelmed. Give them regular feedback to help them get accustomed

to the work

• Write down the details of the delegation for reference

• Allow volunteers to do their work and be available to answer their queries

• Give support and direction and keep track of progress via pre-agreed checkpoints with volunteers • Review and evaluate performance and results at agreed times

• Expect results and accept different work styles in carrying out assignments

• Praise volunteers for jobs well done

CULTIVATE ABILITIES OF AN EXCELLENT VC

DELEGATE TO VOLUNTEERS

EMPOWER

VOLUNTEERS

1 2

BECOMING A MORE EFFECTIVE VC

To be effective, a VC must:

1. Be willing to work with people

2. Believe in the value of volunteer involvement

3. Be absolutely clear about the nature of the VC job (i.e. the role and functions of a VC; expectations of the VHO and the volunteers; etc)

4. Understand volunteers and the volunteer tasks/ assignments (eg why do people volunteer; what can the volunteers do and what do they want to do, how to match the right volunteers to the right tasks assignments etc)

5. Be committed to develop the necessary skills for the job (eg ability to manage volunteer and staff relations, plan and organise, lead and evaluate, etc)

EFFECTIVENESS OF A VC

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-7

How your staff views volunteers translates into how volunteers are treated in your organisation. Volunteer-Staff relations is often the area that requires the most training and consulting for organisations committed to working well with volunteers.

• Free labour • Competition for their paid positions • An additional burden to their work

• Valuable resources • Important parts of the organisation • Additional helping hands

1. What are the procedures when a volunteer does something wrong?

2. If a dispute develops between a volunteer and an employee, is the employee always presumed to be right? Is the employee presumed to have more rights?

3. Are there clear channels for volunteers to give suggestions, feedback etc?

4. How many members of the staff have ever had formal training (not just on-the-job experience) in how to supervise volunteers?

5. Has any member of staff recently refused to work with volunteers? ( This means refusing to develop a job description for possible volunteer assistance; it does not mean turning down a specific applicant who was not

appropriate) Why? Did anyone question that staff member about the refusal?

6. Has any employee ever been evaluated on ability to supervise volunteers?

7. When was the last time an employee was given any tangible recognition for working successfully with volunteers?

8. Have volunteers left the agency in the past year due to dissatisfaction with their acceptance level in the organisation?

From The Top Down by Susan Ellis, 1996

VOLUNTEER-STAFF RELATIONS

HOW DOES YOUR STAFF PERCEIVE VOLUNTEERS?

SAMPLE PROMPTERS FOR VOLUNTEER-STAFF RELATIONS

1. Include a statement about volunteers in the job description of staff. In some cases, the job descriptions will indicate the responsibility for supervising volunteers personally, while others may indicate that the organisation is one which volunteers are active and important, and staff will need to interact positively with them.

2. Have job descriptions for volunteers too, and the staff working directly with volunteers need to be involved in preparing these descriptions. This completes the circle of understanding and documents that volunteers fulfil roles that are different from, but parallel to those of the employees.

3. Be a role model. Explore how volunteers can help you directly and set yourself as an example of a good staff-volunteer team.

4. Train staff in good volunteer management skills.

From The Top Down by Susan Ellis, 1996

SAMPLE GOOD VOLUNTEER-STAFF RELATIONS METHODS

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-8

b. Volunteer management components Volunteer management has four components or stages, which match the chapter numbers in this manual.

2 a. Define your organisation's

vision, mission and goals for volunteers

b. Assess your volunteer needs

c. Design a budget for your volunteer needs, support facilities

CONCEPT STAGE

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

PLANNING STAGE

a. Screen, interview and place

b. Orientate and train

c. Supervise volunteers

d. Recognise and retain

REVIEW STAGE

1 3 4

EFFECTIVE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

a. Write policies and procedures, and job descriptions

b. Plan recruitment, develop action plans for short term assignments

c. Record keeping

d. Risk management

a. Performance reviews and appraisals, volunteer exit

b. Volunteer programme assessment

A Guide fOr NON-PrOfit OrGANisAtiONs 0-8

volunteer resource management. bid only when you're confident

Chapter3.pdf

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Chapter2.pdf

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VMS Checklist.pdf

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Chapter1.pdf

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Chapter4.pdf

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Intro.pdf

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