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Part 2: Magnets Repel - How can a Volunteer Program Repel? Martin J Cowling and Rob Jackson

Turn Your Organisation into a Volunteer Magnet

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

All about Magnets

✓ 1 Magnets Attract -How does a Volunteer Program Attract?

• 2 Magnets Repel - How can a Volunteer Program Repel?

• 3 Magnets Hold Fast –How does that manifest for us?

• 4 Magnets Produce Electricity-Volunteer Programs?

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

Your Volunteer Pool

• 1. Those that will always volunteer 15% of popl• 2. Those that will volunteer once or twice a year 25%• 3. Those that don’t volunteer -are repelled by us 40%• 4. Those that won’t volunteer 20%

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

Key Repellants

• Costs• Timing and Time3. Messaging • Agency Response5. Agency Flexibility• Gatekeeper Volunteers• No connection between mission and work

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

Costs v Benefits

• The cost of volunteering appears to outweigh the benefits

• I+S+R > T+M+R

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Balance

Time MoneyEnergy

Impact

Satisfaction R’ships

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

I+S+R > T+M+E

• Impact + • Satisfaction + • Relationships

Needs to be greater than

• Time + • Money+ • Energy

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

Your Agency?

• Impact• Satisfaction• Relationships

• Time• Money• Energy

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

2. Timing Issues

• <24 don’t volunteer-they cannot find something that fits their schedule

• 28 to 45 year olds...what are they juggling?• 50-56 year olds - committing for more than an hour a

week for longer than six months?

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

How to work with timing

• Bite Size• Variety of Options• Flexible Training• Recognition of prior learning

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

3. Messaging

• Three types of Messages:• Silence• Stereotypical• Desperate

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4. Agency Response

• 60 per cent of volunteer queries are never followed up

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Our Response needs to be

• Rapid• Respectful• Relevant

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5. Agency Flexibility

• We want your labour not ideas• Only these roles are volunteer roles

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6. Gatekeeper Volunteers

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7. Mission and Work

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© Rob Jackson Consulting and People First - Total Solutions

Key Repellants

• Costs• Timing and Time3. Messaging • Agency Response5. Agency Flexibility• Gatekeeper Volunteers• No connection between mission and work

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10/04/11© People First - Total Solutions

Volunteer Management Checklist

• What does your organisation already have in place?