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Understanding
and Managing Direct and
Episodic Volunteers
To
download Volunteer Administration in the 21st Century: Understanding
and Managing Direct and Episodic Volunteers (D-1455), authored by
Angela Burkham and Chris Boleman, please click the pdf button.
All
people have circles of influence within their homes, among their
friends, and in their communities that help them contribute in a
positive way to society. Many find that volunteering helps them
contribute to a better society and a brighter future for the next
generation.
Many organizations
rely heavily on volunteers, and Texas Extension is certainly one
of them. Extension volunteers help identify the educational needs
in their communities and determine how those meets can best be met.
They are also responsible for delivering many of those programs.
Without effective volunteers, many Extension programs would not
exist.
There are challenges
to recruiting and working with volunteers. Windy Biro Pollard, in
her workshop "The Long and Short of Nonprofit Management",
has identified several trends that affect volunteer management today.
Time
poverty
- Lack of
time is the number one barrier.
- The perception
is that volunteer work requires a long-term commitment.
- Fewer people
are commit to long-term volunteer work.
- People
weigh their return on investment.
Responsiveness
- People
expect answers, information and resources NOW.
- They want
24/7 accesses to information and resources.
- They want
to be well informed (monthly newsletters may not be sufficient).
Technology
(We must use technology to help us change how we are doing business.)
- Chat rooms/listserves
offer ways to link, share and dialogue.
- Web sites
offer new marketing options.
- Teleconferencing,
video conferencing, virtual meetings, digital members, and virtual
volunteers encourage participation.
Changing
expectations (The younger generation is more entrepreneurial and
less likely to be attracted to a large, bureaucratic structure.)
- They see
technology as a way of connecting to a global world.
- They are
comfortable working alone or in a virtual team.
- They want
a variety of exciting, fun projects.
- They look
for projects that can advance their careers.
- It is best
to contact them via email.
Changing
expectations (The older generation likes to come together to solve
problems.)
- They like
working in teams.
- The are
comfortable making commitments and assuming leadership roles.
- They often
like things the way they are and are reluctant to implement change.
- They prefer
conformity, uniformity and order.
Types of volunteers in Extension
Direct
volunteers
Direct volunteers fulfill many roles within Texas Extension. A direct
volunteer may work independently or with other volunteers to meet
the goals and objectives of a program. Generally, a direct volunteer
will have considerable knowledge about the program, be motivated
to help the program succeed, and commit to long-term service.
Episodic/random
volunteers
Today, there may be more people interested in being episodic or
random volunteers. These are volunteers who are involved with a
single or limited activity, event or program on a short-term basis.
Volunteer administrators often find it difficult to manage episodic/random
volunteers. Here are some things you can do to make the experience
successful for everyone involved.
Develop creative ideas for using episodic volunteers.
Have a brainstorming
session with staff and long-term volunteers
to identify tasks that could be delegated. Turn these tasks into
opportunities for episodic volunteers. But be sure episodic volunteers
are given meaningful tasks and not just menial ones. Find out
what special skill the volunteer has and take advantage of it.
Ask a management
consulting firm to do pro bono work in helping
your organization identify roles for episodic volunteers.
Create an
effective volunteer management system.
Train staff
members and other volunteers to support episodic volunteers.
Plan how
episodic volunteers will be used and who will train and supervise
them.
Use current
volunteers as team captains for episodic volunteers.
When recruiting,
ask a staff member who has had success working with episodic volunteers
to advertise for you.
Be sure episodic volunteers have the help they need to be successful.
Design a
15-minute orientation. Episodic volunteers need less information
than long-term volunteers.
Make instructions
clear and concise. Standardize instructions when possible. Assign
tasks they can begin to work on quickly.
To prevent
confusion and frustration, be very clear about who will give them
their directions. If there is confusion about tasks or responsibilities,
be prepared to intervene immediately. With short-term volunteers
there is no time to wait and hope it will get better. When issues
are not resolved, volunteers may leave thinking the volunteer
program is not well managed. This can create bad publicity for
the organization.
Be creative
and flexible.
Arrange for
episodic volunteers to work flexible hours, when it is convenient
for them.
No matter
what, make it a positive experience for the volunteer. Make sure
the volunteer finds the program interesting and is motivated by
others with whom he or she is working.
CLICK
ON ANY OF THE LINKS ON THE LEFT FOR MORE
INFORMATION REGARDING RANDOM (EPISODIC) VOLUNTEERS!!!
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