working effectively with volunteers

7/17/2019 Working Effectively With Volunteers

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St. John Ambulance of Canada

A Volunteer ProgramManagement Handbook

Prepared for St. John Ambulance by

Linda L. Graff

LINDA GRAFF AND ASSOCIATES INC.




Working Effectively

With VolunteersA Volunteer Program Management Handbook

Prepared byLinda L. Graff

LINDA GRAFF AND ASSOCIATES INC.


400 - 1900 City Park Drive

Ottawa, Ontario

K1J 1A3Telephone: 613-277-5725



© Copyright 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004 Linda Graff And Associates Inc.

Copyright of the Working Effectively With Volunteers Handbook is assigned to St.

John Ambulance of Canada for use by its Councils and Units across the country.Under this licencing agreement, St. John Ambulance of Canada is permitted toreproduce this handbook for its own use.

All rights reserved.

For more information about the application of this material within St. John

Ambulance, contact:

Director of Community Services

National Office

St. John Ambulance

1900 City Park Drive, Suite 400

Ottawa, ON

K1J 1A3

Telephone: 613-236-7461

Fax: 613-236-2425

This handbook was developed for St. John Ambulance of Canada by Linda Graff,President, Linda Graff and Associates Inc., a nonprofit management consultingcompany located in Dundas Ontario. The handbook is based on material previouslycopyrighted by Linda Graff And Associates Inc. For more information or permission to

use any of this material outside of St. John Ambulance, please contact the author by E-mail at: [email protected] or visit us on the Web www.lindagraff.ca

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.lindagraff.ca/


mailto:[email protected]


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/working-effectively-with-volunteers 4/98Linda Graff And Associates Inc. - Consultants

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

A Note On Using This Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Icon Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Best Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Leadership and Service Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Handbook Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Just The Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Volunteer Retention Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Applying Best Practices In Your Volunteer Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1. PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Philosophy of Volunteer Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Goals of Volunteer Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Needs Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Understanding Today’s Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Volunteer - Employee Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Supervisor Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Budgeting Time And Staff Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Developing Systems And Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Policies And Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2. VOLUNTEER POSITION DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Think Outside The Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Principles Of Good Volunteer Position Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Position Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3. RECRUITMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Recruitment Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Face-To-Face Is Still The Most Effective Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Publicize The Rewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Value In Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 New “Markets” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Immediate Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

4. INITIAL SCREENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Human Rights Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Determining Initial Screening Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Available Initial Screening Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37



Documenting Screening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Assessing The Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Making The Decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

The Limitations of Initial Screening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Up-Screening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

5. PLACEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6. ORIENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Social Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Position Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

System Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

7. TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Tips On Training Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Tips On Training Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

8. SUPERVISION AND ONGOING PLACEMENT SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Designated Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Supporting Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Empowering Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Volunteer Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Distance Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

9. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Follow-Through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

10. RECOGNITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Principles of Volunteer Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

11. DISCIPLINARY ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

The Right And The Obligation To Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

12. RISK MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Risk Management Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Rising Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

The Aims Of Risk Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Risk Management Is Not Difficult or Mysterious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Risk Management Means Much More Than Buying Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Using A Risk Management Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Creating A Risk-Aware Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80



A Note On Using This Handbook

This handbook is meant to be a practical tool. While it contains copyrighted material, it is

licensed for use throughout St. John Ambulance of Canada and you are encouraged to share it

widely throughout this organization. Feel free to copy sections, duplicate or adapt checklists, and

integrate its content into other SJA documents and training programs. Be sure to quote this

handbook as the source whenever you use excerpts.

Icon Legend

A variety of margin icons throughout the text point the reader to specific types of information.

Key Idea: The biggest ideas of all.

Tip: A practical pointer.

Reminder: A reminder of a critical point or a critical point to keep in mind.

Policy: Reference to a matter that has clear and direct policy implications.

Caution: Just what it looks like. Notice of a hazard.

Tip To Leaders: Matters of particular relevance to senior administration – executive directors,

supervisors, and board members. If you are a manager of volunteers, be sure to convey these

points to your administrators.

How To - A list of specific steps or procedures that lead you through an action or task.



“Organizations that rely on volunteers appear to be

most successful when they manage their volunteers

efficiently and effectively and keep themmotivated.”

Source: Key finding of the Capacity To Serve

report on the challenges facing nonprofit

organizations in Canada. (Michael H. Hall et al.,

2003: 31)

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

Working Effectively With VolunteersA Volunteer Program Management Handbook

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Working Effectively With Volunteers Handbook . This resource has been prepared

to help employees and volunteer leaders at St. John Ambulance of Canada (SJA) to coordinate the

involvement of volunteers throughout its administrative structures and community service

programming.

Volunteers have always been exceedingly important throughout the long and distinguished history

of St. John Ambulance. Indeed, it would be fair to say that without volunteers, St. John Ambulance

would cease to exist. In particular, volunteer participation is the life blood of SJA services in the

community. Volunteers are the public face of the organization.

Leadership volunteers plan, organize, and direct overall agency

operations, and service volunteers deliver programming in

hundreds of communities across Canada every year.

While volunteers have always been involved with SJA, as is

the case with so many things, changes in the wider societyare requiring new structures and new methods in the way

that we involve and work with volunteers. Indeed, with so

much change around us, including changes in people, demographics, technology, work, leisure time

pursuits, values, and mobility to name just a few, why would we think that organizing the efforts of

volunteers could remain unchanged and continue to be successful? People - volunteers - are looking

for new challenges and new forms of engagement, and they have quite different expectations of their

lives and their relationships with others than was the case even a short while ago.

Above all else, and in keeping with its mission, it is

the aim at St John Ambulance of Canada to offer

safe, effective, productive, and satisfying volunteer opportunities through which citizens can join the

SJA team to further the organization’s mission.

Changes in the wider society now require every

nonprofit organization to pay careful attention to the

kinds of services delivered in the community and the

kinds of activities volunteers are asked to undertake

in service to the organization’s mission.

The St. John Ambulance Mission

To enable Canadians to improve their

health, safety and quality of life by

providing training and community

service.



ST. JOHN AMBULANCE OF CANADA - Working Effectively With Volunteers Handbook Page 2

Linda Graff And Associates Inc. - Consultants

It is in light of these rapid social and cultural changes that organizations find it necessary to

update their volunteer program management principles and practices, and it is towards that

end that this handbook of best practices has been developed to guide the involvement of

volunteers and our work with them at St. John Ambulance.

The kinds of settings and the nature of the work in which volunteers participate vary widely among

St. John Ambulance Councils across Canada. For example, some volunteer positions involve

ongoing, direct contact with vulnerable people such as children and youth, older people, and people

who have been injured. Other volunteers seek leadership roles or come forward to help with short

term, single-event positions of an instrumental nature. The work of some volunteers takes place in

isolated settings without direct supervision; other volunteer roles occur in locations where there are

always others in the immediate vicinity and backup is always available. While this wide variety of

roles represents a wealth of opportunity for citizens to engage in volunteer roles at SJA, it also makes

the selection and application of “best practices” more complex.

Best Practice

What follows is an overview of proven best

practices and effective methods of involving and

coordinating the efforts of volunteers in nonprofit

organizations. Working effectively with volunteers

has become much more complex than ever before,

and there is much more depth to the field than is

fairly represented in this handbook.

We have distilled from a rapidly growing body of

literature on volunteer program management what

we think of as the “top layer” of the most

important, fundamental, and directly applicable

wisdom and practical tips.

It would be an error to assume that everything

one needs to know about working with

volunteers can be found in this small volume.

Program directors, event planners and supervisorsof volunteers are encouraged to extend their

learning beyond this handbook, particularly in

some of the higher stakes areas such as planning,

screening, risk management, and volunteer

supervision. Additional references are noted at the

end of each section and a fuller reading list is

located at the end.

What Is Best Practice?

The term “best practice” is used in a variety of fields

and can mean quite different things. Indeed, there is

no universally accepted definition of a "best practice".

In its most simplistic form, the term “best practice” is

used to describe an industry accepted way of doing

something, that works. (Aidan Lawes, CEO itSMF *)

Best practice is often defined as a method or approach

that has been judged to be superior to other methods.

It is assessed to be the best, most efficient, or most

effective way to perform a task or achieve a desired

outcome. In some applications, the term implies

rigorous testing and evaluation. In other cases, best

practice is an approach to a situation that has been

shown through the observation and experience of

others to be effective. Implied in the term is the sense

that lessons learned can be transferred to other

organizations or settings with a high likelihood of

success.

For our purposes, the essence of the term "best

practice" rests on the premise of not "re-inventing the

wheel." This handbook is about learning from others

and implementing what has been shown to work well

in a wide range of settings and programs





The volunteer program management strategies outlined in this volume do not necessarily reflect

structures or approaches already in place at SJA. Rather, they represent what the broader field of

volunteer program management in the nonprofit sector has identified as “best practice.”

Some SJA Councils will already have many of these strategies in place, while other Councils aremoving in the direction of upgrading volunteer management systems and infrastructure. Each

Council, program, and volunteer supervisor will decide which of these methods are appropriate to

any given volunteer situation. However, while flexibility and adaptation are entirely appropriate in

the application of these methods, do keep in mind that the volunteer coordination strategies

outlined throughout this handbook represent the accumulated wisdom of countless managers

of volunteers over decades of work with volunteers in a myriad of settings. Following these

guidelines will, in almost all circumstances, increase the likelihood of finding, involving, and

retaining excellent volunteers in safe and productive positions throughout St. John’s programs and

activities, and that, in turn, will surely lead Councils to a more complete fulfilment of the

organization’s mission.

Leadership and Service Volunteers

A broad distinction might be made among the enormous variety of roles available to SJA volunteers

across Canada between those volunteers who choose to work in the delivery of direct services in the

community and those who prefer to perform administrative functions or hold leadership positions.

While the literature notes that volunteer motivation may vary between these two broad types of

volunteers, there is wide consensus that best practices in working with these two groups of

volunteers share more similarities than differences. The same set of volunteer program

management functions should be undertaken for both leadership and service volunteers. All

volunteers need to be recruited, screened, placed, monitored and supported. The broad

principles described in this handbook therefore apply equally to both leadership and service

types of volunteers.

Some leadership volunteers may resist this strategy, believing that they are fundamentally different

from their service counterparts. It is typical in nonprofit organizations to find a minority of

leadership volunteers who reject the application of the label “volunteer” to themselves, choosing,

instead, terms such as “director,” “officer,” “board member,” or “trustee,” terms which they feel

more accurately befit their status in the organization. This unfortunate tendency often reflects the

broader social conception of volunteers as somehow less important or less worthy, and tends to set

up a two-tier system within organizations that can both signal, and contribute to, an unhealthyattitude towards, if not an actual abuse of, power.

The work of all volunteers is important at SJA and in reality, SJA is an organization in which service

volunteers become leadership volunteers, leadership volunteers become service volunteers, and some

volunteers hold both kinds of positions simultaneously. Distinctions between the two types of roles

is spurious at best and harmful at worst, and more to the point, meaningless from the perspective of

how to effectively stimulate and coordinate effective volunteer involvement.





This handbook is written with equal applicability to working effectively with all kinds of

volunteers at SJA, and the principles it embodies are as effective when applied by volunteer

volunteer coordinators as by paid professional managers of volunteer programs. Indeed, the

more consistently and uniformly they are implemented throughout the whole of the

organization the better.

Handbook Design

Like many other large and well-established nonprofit organizations, SJA involves many volunteers

in leadership and administrative roles. This is true in the volunteer program structure as well, where

leadership volunteers guide the involvement of other volunteers. This volunteer program

management handbook has been prepared to assist both paid and unpaid supervisors of volunteers

throughout St. John Ambulance to develop the most effective volunteer involvement strategies. It

is a fundamental premise of this resource that good volunteer program management practices remain

constant, no matter the pay scale of the person doing the management. Consequently, we make nodistinction between paid and unpaid supervisors of volunteers, based on the belief that all

supervisors of volunteers should strive to achieve the same high standards in volunteer program

management.

Chapter Sequence

The chapters in this manual follow the typical sequence of volunteer program management from

planning and recruitment through screening, placement, orientation, training, and so on. Each

chapter is a stand-alone segment and readers are welcome to focus on those areas which are of

greatest concern in their programs or projects. However, it is worth noting that the effectiveness of

each step of volunteer program management is dependent on the degree of effectiveness of the

previous steps. Hence, recruitment is much more difficult if the positions on offer are unattractive

to the majority of available volunteers; screening is more lengthy and distasteful if large numbers

of candidates need to be turned away because the recruitment campaign was not directed at

prospective volunteers with the necessary qualifications to do the work; all of the other steps in

volunteer program management become much more difficult if screening has not been thorough.

In this sense, each chapter of the handbook is connected with all other chapters of the handbook and

problems in a specific aspect of volunteer program management may have their roots in some

previous step.

A full read of the resource is recommended whenever the time can be set aside to do so.





Just The Beginning

We have attempted to include in each chapter the essential kernels of wisdom, action and theory

distilled from a wide range of professional literature on how to work most effectively with

contemporary volunteers.

Brevity and ease of use have very much shaped the design and content of this guide. There is a

quickly growing body of literature on volunteer program management available in both hard copy

and electronic format, making more detailed information about effective volunteer program

management easily accessible. Since operating a volunteer program is so much more complex now

than in even the recent past, and certainly more complex than most people initially imagine,

practitioners are encouraged to read further on these topics. A list of resources by topic is located

at the end of each chapter, and a more lengthy resource list, including both hard copy and web-based

materials is provided at the end of the handbook as a starter list for those who wish to learn more.





The Volunteer Retention Cycle

Working with volunteers involves a series of specific functions which typically follow a

standard sequence. Building on the original “volunteer retention cycle” (Marilyn

MacKenzie and Gail Moore, 1993: 4) the sequence that we will use to guide us through the process of coordinating volunteer involvement looks like this:

1. Planning

2. Volunteer Position Design

3. Recruitment

4. Initial Screening

5. Placement

6. Orientation

7. Training

8. Supervision & Ongoing Placement Support9. Evaluation

10.Recognition

11.Disciplinary Action

12. Risk Management

Best practices in each of these twelve functions are profiled in sequence throughout this handbook.

There are five important functions that, under ideal circumstances, take place before the first

volunteer is recruited into a program. These are: Building Program Support, Assessing Readiness,

Determining Program Goals, Identifying Volunteer Assignments, and System Development. While

many volunteer programs come into being without all of these critical steps in place, best

practice recommends that they be undertaken as soon as possible in the life of a volunteer

program so that the program is constructed on a solid organizational foundation. If you do

not have all of these elements in place in your program, or if you haven’t reviewed any of them

recently, now is the time to do so. More effective, more satisfying, and less costly involvement will

surely be the payoff.

The reader will note that Supervision, Evaluation, Recognition, and Risk Management are located

in the inner circle of the volunteer retention cycle model diagram which follows. This graphically

represents that these four functions take place pretty much continuously.





Recruitment

Reassignment

Initial Screening

PlacementSupervision

Evaluation

Recognition

Risk Management

Review &/or

Corrective Action

Orientation

Training

The Volunteer Retention Cycle*

Pre-Recruitment: Building Program Support

Assessing Readiness

Determining Program Goals

Identifying Volunteer Assignments

System Development

* Adapted from: Marilyn MacKenzie and Gail Moore. The Volunteer Development Toolbox. (1993:4)

Volunteer

Leaves





Applying Best Practices In Your Volunteer Setting

Even in the most straightforward of settings and positions, it is highly recommended that the person

who is supervising or overseeing volunteer involvement (called the “supervisor” throughout this

handbook) thinks through each of the functions in the volunteer retention cycle to ensure that allnecessary steps have been taken. While it may not be appropriate to undertake all of the best

practices outlined in the guide for every one of the twelve functions in the volunteer retention

cycle, it is likely that every instance of volunteer involvement can be made more productive

and satisfying with the application of at least some of the principles and methods of best

practice outlined here.

In general, the more extensive the volunteer

involvement, the greater the necessity to implement

best practices in its management. The more

complex, sophisticated, and/or risky the work done by

volunteers, the more conscientious and thorough themanagement of their involvement should be. For

example, if you are inviting a small number of

volunteers to help out on a short term (a couple of

hours) project in which they will be performing

instrumental duties involving relatively low risks to

themselves or others, and for which no particularly

specialized knowledge or skill is required, the

planning and coordination of the volunteer effort will

be a relatively uncomplicated endeavour. On the

other hand, if larger numbers of volunteers are

required for the activity or event; if any number of

volunteers are involved in complex or risky activities;

if volunteers gain even incidental access to vulnerable

people through the course of their volunteer duties;

or if specialized skill, knowledge or assurance of

trustworthiness are important requirements in the

selected volunteers, then more careful planning and

coordination of the volunteer effort are called for.

In any event, there will be helpful information and practical tips throughout this guidebook that will

be applicable in every setting where volunteers are invited to participate.

“Over the years there has been much debate over

the use of the word ‘management’ in relation to the

supervision of volunteers.

“Some feared that applying management practices

would inhibit the freedom and spontaneity of

volunteers, while others argued that you don’t

manage ‘people’ - rather you manage programs,

equipment or other resources. ...

“Effective management does not mean organising

volunteers in a way that limits their initiative. The

reverse is true. Effective management involves

understanding the concepts and issues involved in

volunteering and ensuring that the expectations of

the volunteer are met and that their personalattributes and skills are matched to organizational

requirements in a way that is mutually beneficial.”

Joy Noble, Louise Rogers and Andy Fryar.

Volunteer Management: An Essential Guide.

Pp. 27-78.





1. PLANNING

Planning for volunteer involvement is the first task in the volunteer retention cycle. It can be

tempting to just go and grab a few volunteers and put them to work, but a bit of forethought usually

pays off in safer, more productive volunteer involvement that, in the long run, absorbs fewer

organizational resources and creates fewer headaches for the supervisor and the organization in

general. When volunteers become involved, the

organization takes on both responsibilities and liabilities

relating to that involvement. It is better for all concerned

if the ground work is done before the volunteers arerecruited and set to work. A few simple planning steps

will help to ensure that the volunteer work is accomplished

as needed, and that no harm is done along the way.

The planning process involves setting out the purpose of

volunteer participation, the role volunteers will play, the

expected value that volunteers will add to the program or

activity, and how volunteers fit into the overall project plan.

Once those background components are assembled, the

program infrastructure needs to be constructed to enable and

support volunteer involvement.

While this section of the manual is written from the

perspective of setting up a new volunteer program or

establishing a new volunteer position, it is advisable to review these steps from time to time for

existing volunteer positions and programs as well. This helps to ensure that volunteer

involvement is supported appropriately, that the program and/or position are operating effectively,

and that all current best practices in volunteer program management are in place.

Philosophy of Volunteer Involvement

Typically, planning for volunteer involvement includes the establishment of a “ philosophy of

volunteer involvement” which establishes the philosophical basis for volunteer participation

throughout the organization. A philosophy of involvement statement articulates the value that

volunteers add, and helps the organization identify where volunteer involvement is, and is not

appropriate. It is through this kind of statement that the organization sets out its beliefs about

volunteer involvement and establishes the foundation upon which the whole of the volunteer

program rests. For some sample philosophy of involvement statements, see Appendix A.

As Marlene Wilson, volunteer program

management expert, first noted more than25 years ago, and clearly it is even more

true today:

“What we are just beginning to realize is

that as our communities grow and the

problems increase and become more

complex, helping one’s neighbor becomes

more complex as well.”

Source: Marlene Wilson The Effective

Management of Volunteer Programs.

(1976).





Goals of Volunteer Involvement

At a level more specific than the philosophy statement discussed above, it is always helpful to ask

the question: “Why are volunteers being invited to participate in this activity/program?”

Being clear about the broad goals of volunteer involvement from the outset will help to ensure that

those goals are actually met in the long run.

HOW

Identifying Goals Of Volunteer InvolvementTO

To determine the goals of volunteer involvement in a specific program or activity, ask:

• why are we inviting volunteers to help out?

• what needs (as identified in the community, by employees, other volunteers, other

organizations, clients) will volunteer involvement address?

• which program outcomes (or parts thereof) will volunteers be expected to achieve?

There can be a wide variety of reasons to engage volunteers. Building on the organization’s overall

philosophy of involvement statement, consider the following questions as you seek to delineate the

essential purpose of volunteers in each specific program or project:

• Are volunteers merely additional sets of hands?

• Will they contribute skill sets that are currently missing from the team?

• Are they representing specific populations, opinions, perspectives that are important to the

program’s success?

• Are volunteers able to develop special relationships with event participants, mobilize additional

resources, or open access to spheres of influence that will benefit the program or project?

HOW

Using Identified Volunteer Involvement GoalsTO

Defining goals of volunteer involvement not only helps to clarify what work volunteers might be asked

to perform. Involvement goals can be used in other ways. Ask yourself:

• How might these goals help us to recruit appropriate volunteers? Can they be used in our

recruitment publicity?• Might these goals help us to select the right volunteers for the position? Might they form the

basis of some of the questions we ask in our initial screening process?

• Can these goals form the basis of the volunteer-agency contract?

• Can these goals form at least a portion of the foundation of the volunteer performance or

program evaluation system?





Needs Assessment

It is always helpful to conduct a needs assessment early on in the volunteer program planning

process. Start by forming a clear picture of all of the work that must be done in the program or

activity at hand, and then think about where volunteers will be most helpful.

Even if you are planning an event that has involved volunteers in the past, it is still useful to repeat

the needs assessment process from time to time because so many things can change over time. For

example:

• staffing may have changed

• elements in the environment may have changed

• numbers or types of participants in the program or event may have changed

• new community partners may have joined or left the scene

Influences such as these can have an impact on what volunteers should or should not be asked to do.

Just because volunteers have filled a certain role in the past does not necessarily mean thatthat role will continue to be appropriate for volunteers forever into the future. For example:

• new standards and regulations may make volunteer involvement more costly than the

outcomes it generates

• emerging liabilities may recommend against the involvement of volunteers in certain settings

• certain types of volunteers or volunteers with certain types of skills might be harder to find

and retain than in the past

• new roles can emerge for volunteers when planners take the time to “step outside the box”

every once in a while and consider new possibilities

SJA has a comprehensive community needs assessment tool which will facilitate the process of

determining where volunteers might be involved. Called Assessing and Meeting the Needs of Your

Community, the full document is downloadable from the “Community Services” section of the SJA

Intranet. A four page summary of the full needs assessment tool is located in Appendix B of this

document.





“The most frequently identified human resources

capacity issue was the need for more volunteers.

Most participants reported that the volunteer pool

has shrunk considerably over the past five to ten

years. Many also expressed the view that volunteers

are increasingly unwilling to take on leadership or

administrative roles or to make long-term

commitments. They attributed these problems primarily to the social and economic environment

in which nonprofit and voluntary organizations

operate. Changes in the availability of volunteers

have led to challenges for volunteer recruitment,

management, and retention — all of which were

identified by most participants as major capacity

issues.”




2003: 28)

Understanding Today’s Volunteers

An up-to-date understanding of modern volunteers is critical to the successful mobilization

of volunteers in any organization. It may seem obvious, but ask yourself: "How can we expect

to work effectively with volunteers if we don't understand who volunteers are and what they wantto do?" And the critical point is that today’s volunteers are very unlike the volunteers of just a short

while ago.

As with so many other things that have changed over recent years, volunteers, their interests, needs,

motivations and limitations have also undergone profound transformations. The volunteer labour

pool in twenty-first century Canada hardly resembles at all what it looked like as little as fifteen years

ago. The organization that does not track such changes in volunteers and modernize its

volunteer program management practices accordingly is doomed to declining success in

recruitment, shortened volunteer retention, premature attrition rates, and generally increased

costs (as well as headaches) related to the involvement of volunteers.

While a detailed qualitative and statistical profile of the volunteer labour force in Canada is beyond

what we can cover here, following are a few things

that we do know about changes in the pool of

prospective volunteers available to volunteer-based

organizations.

• The number of volunteers in Canada is

declining. It is still too early to understand all

of the factors contributing to the decrease in

numbers, but the pattern is both clear and

significant.

• The demographics of the volunteer labour

force are transitioning along with

demographic shifts in the general

population. As common sense would tell us,

baby boomers, who have been the mainstay of

many volunteer programs over the last two or

three decades - largely because there have been

so many of them and they have been of an age

when people are inclined to volunteer - areaging. What is less well know is that they are

now approaching an age when research tells us

they are inclined to diminish their involvement

in volunteer work. The bell curve of the population which has baby boomers at the apex

reveals that there are far fewer Canadians in the age categories of young adulthood which is

the stage of the life cycle at which most people are inclined to volunteer. The consequence

is that our main supply of volunteers is likely to dwindle and there are simply fewer younger

people to replace them.





“Many organizations need volunteers to perform

tasks that require training and specific, sometimes

fairly lengthy, time commitments. Yet most

organizations are finding that volunteers today

prefer short-term assignments and are less

committed to their volunteer activities than in the

past.”




2003: 30)

“Many organizations need volunteers to take on

front-line service delivery tasks. They also need

volunteers who are willing to accept leadership

roles. However, several participants told us they are

finding that many people, particularly young

people, are less willing to take on leadership roles

than in the past.”




2003: 30)

• Young people may not have inherited the volunteer spirit. Compounding the current and

anticipated decline in volunteers, current Canadian statistics indicate that younger generations

do not volunteer in the same proportions as those citizens who are now approaching

retirement age. So there are both fewer of them and fewer of them volunteer.

• The single most significant pattern of

change in the volunteer labour force over

the last fifteen years has been the transition

to what is termed “episodic volunteering”.

Episodic volunteering means a number of

things. First, volunteers are increasingly

inclined to seek short term positions. Instead

of being willing to take on positions of either

long (measured in years) or indeterminate

duration, the majority of volunteers now seek

volunteer positions measured in hours or days.

• Episodic volunteers value their spare time

and you must too. While they are willing to give you some of it, episodic volunteers insist

that you treat it with the respect it deserves. They want their time to be expended in

meaningful endeavours that demonstrate observable outcomes. In short, they want to make

a difference through their volunteer work. Endless work with invisible products is

unattractive to the growing majority of volunteers these days. And the very worst thing an

organization can do these days is to recruit volunteers and be anything less than totally ready

to engage them immediately. If you call a volunteer in and do not have the workplace ready,

the tools in place, or worst, a specific, meaningful job for them to do, expect to see nothing

but the back of them as they head out the door.

• Today’s volunteers simply do not want to

attend an endless round of meetings.

Committee work and leadership positions such

as those on boards of directors are harder and

harder to recruit to. Routine, monotonous tasks,

or any kind of organizing work that is at some

distance from where the “real work” takes place

are totally unappealing to the majority of

volunteers. For many organizations that have been sustained by long-term volunteers, and in

particular, for those organizations that have

engaged significant numbers of volunteers in

a d m i n i s t r a t i v e , l e a d e r s h i p , a n d

chapter/branch/unit maintenance work, this

trend may turn out to be catastrophic.





• Episodic volunteers prefer positions with a minimum of “entanglements”. That is,

active, product-driven work is in. Relationship- and companionship- based positions are out.

They want positions that are easy to get into and easy to get out of, and the more that they

can see upfront about what they, themselves, will get out of the work the better.

These are just a few of the bigger trends now observable in the Canadian volunteer corps. As with

anything statistical, there are exceptions, of course. We are not suggesting that there will never be

another director on a board of directors, or that long term volunteers are completely a thing of the

past. But the trends are beyond debate, and those organizations that remain ignorant of the changes,

or worse, choose to ignore the unmistakable, do so at their own peril. At a time when the desire of

organizations to engage volunteers has never been higher, the availability of volunteer labour is

declining. The convergence of increasing demand and decreasing supply will almost certainly make

the climate much more competitive among nonprofit organizations over the coming years. Those

organizations that do not, right now, adapt to the visible shifts in the volunteer labour pool will

experience even greater difficulties finding and keeping volunteers in the future.

The changing volunteer labour force is one of the most important variables in volunteer program

planning at the present point. As you consider what you are currently asking volunteers to do

in your Council, think about how those positions “fit” with what we know about today’s

volunteers. Could current positions be modified to make them more attractive to episodic

volunteers? Are there new roles that might be developed that would be easier (and less costly) to

recruit to? Review the section of this handbook on volunteer position design. There are plenty of

tips on how volunteer positions can be developed for a wide range of volunteer preferences.

Keep in mind that shifts in the volunteer labour pool and the characteristics of today’s

volunteers have implications beyond position design. For example, they affect how we work with

volunteers: how we supervise volunteers, the kind of support we offer them, how we recognize their

efforts, and how we manage their performance. A current and in-depth understanding of the

contemporary volunteer labour force is critical to successful volunteer program management.

Volunteer - Employee Teams

Mutually respectful relationships between employees and volunteers are one of the great

hallmarks of successful volunteer programs. When either party is mistrustful or resentful of the

other, program effectiveness and mission accomplishment will suffer.

Both volunteers and employees can become “possessive” about the organization and its work.

Power struggles are not uncommon in nonprofit organizations, and for this reason, it is always

important to pay attention to the nature of the volunteer-employee relationship.





To create effective volunteer-employee teams, develop clear divisions of labour, reporting structures,

and role definitions. It is never advisable to have volunteers and employees performing

essentially the same functions. Everyone should know who is responsible for what, who reports

to whom, and what is both inside and outside of all position descriptions. Making these kinds of

clear distinctions between what volunteers do and what employees do does not have to mean thatthe work of one group is more important than the work of the other. In fact, exactly the opposite can

be true. Giving careful attention to what people do and basing division of labour decisions on

definable competencies, always with mission accomplishment in mind, is a concrete demonstration

of how important everyone’s work is.

When volunteers will be working alongside employees, it is advisable to invite input from those

employees about where they think volunteers will be of greatest assistance. Asking for ideas

from employees early in the planning process will help to build commitment and support from

employees, and that is very important to the overall success of volunteer involvement. Nothing will

chase volunteers away faster than feeling resentment or suspicion from their employee colleagues.

The reverse is also true. Long-term volunteers can become resentful of new employees or expansions

in employee roles. They can grow comfortable with old ways of doing things and resist efforts of

professional employees to integrate new efficiencies and emerging best practice. The resulting turf

wars can drain resources from the organization over long periods of time, stand in the way of

efforts to modernize or, in the worst case scenarios, cripple an organization’s capacity to stay

current and competitive, leading eventually to its demise.

The solution is to help all personnel - regardless of pay status - to keep focussed on the

organization’s mission. Organizations do not exist to give people a place to volunteer or earn a

living. They exist to fulfill their missions, and anyone who is, for whatever reason, unable to put the

organization and its mission first, needs to be held accountable for the damage they do to the very

organization they think they are serving.

Deciding which work should be done by employees and which work should be done by volunteers

is a dilemma that has plagued nonprofit organizations for decades. The only certainty on this matter

is that there is no absolute, no one-size-fits-all resolution. Every organization must discover what

works most effectively in its own unique setting.





HOW

Crafting The Division of Labour Between

Employees and VolunteersTO

Ask these questions to help you decide whether a specific role or function should be assigned

to an employee or a volunteer:

• Who has the most pertinent skill sets?

• Who can do the work most effectively and efficiently?

• Who is readily available to do the work?

• Who is able to keep the interests of the organization and its mission in sharp focus?

• Who is willing to stay current and adopt new ways of doing things as they become

available?

While there are no unions within SJA, the work of SJA employees and volunteers can sometimes

intersect with the work of unionized employees in other organizations or private companies. For

example, SJA volunteers in the Therapy Dog program will sometimes work in unionized facilities;

Medical First Responders will sometimes work alongside or in the company of unionized paramedics

or other health care practitioners. The general rule is to always be alert to any collective agreements

that are in place, and carefully respect the boundaries they establish. Be sure to inquire about the

presence of unionized workers and collective agreements whenever contracts are negotiated or

collaborative projects are undertaken. At no time should volunteers should be asked to do work

that is covered by a collective agreement.

Supervisor Training

Because of their unpaid status, volunteers require somewhat different support, recognition, and

supervision than employees. It is a commonplace mistake to assume that supervisors, regardless of

whether they themselves are paid or unpaid, know how to work effectively with volunteers.

At minimum, (paid or unpaid) supervisors of volunteers will need to know the details of volunteer

roles and reporting relationships. They should receive an in-depth orientation to the duties and

expectations of the volunteer positions that report to them. Training about how to work effectively

with volunteers (perhaps based on the material in this manual) should be considered mandatory for every person who supervises volunteers. Do not make the mistake of assuming that someone who

has experience in the supervision of employees automatically knows how to work effectively

with volunteers. Capacity to support and work effectively with volunteers should be an integral

dimension of the performance review of every person who supervises volunteers.





“A large majority of charities report their

volunteers are beneficial to their operations in a

number of ways. Further, the study concludes that

investments in volunteer management and

benefits derived from volunteers feed on each

other, with investments bringing benefits and

benefits justifying greater investments.”

Source: Volunteer Management Capacity In

America’s Charities And Congregations. (The

Urban Institute, 2004: 4)

Resources

Volunteer involvement is often cost effective, but it is never “free” and there is nothing incongruous

about expending organizational resources to ensure that volunteers are appropriately, safely, and

productively engaged. There are almost always “hard costs” associated with volunteer presence ina program. Here are some examples:

• recruitment costs

• training supplies

• recognition items

• design and preparation costs of information collection systems, data analysis, report

preparation and distribution

• space (office space, lounge, coat room, lockers, etc.)

• equipment

• uniforms

• safety gear

Managers of volunteers in many organizations across North America (and beyond) report that

their supervisors and administrators are inclined to underestimate the real costs of volunteer

engagement. Even experienced supervisors can remain unaware that asking volunteers to help out

will mean some hard costs to the organization. The involvement of volunteers is still very cost

effective in many circumstances, but volunteers are not "free". When volunteers are asked to take

on responsible and/or complex roles, the cost of their involvement is usually greater because those

volunteers will need to be screened more carefully, trained more thoroughly, and supported and

monitored on a more regular basis to ensure that they are meeting position standards. And that all

costs money.

Budgeting Time And Staff Resources

Volunteers almost always require some form of

monitoring, supervision, and support. While the

degree of oversight varies a great deal from position to

position, and from program to program, the

experienced volunteer program manager knows that

time is an important element in the budgeting process.

Even where volunteers are monitored and supported

by other volunteers, the volunteer supervisors,themselves, need oversight and support. Volunteer

supervision, whether by employees or by other

volunteers, draws resources and energy from the

organization, and should be an integral part of the

volunteer program planning and budgeting process.





“While many organizations have paid managers of

volunteer resources, many others do not. A paid

manager or coordinator of volunteer resources was

noted repeatedly as the single most important factor

in facilitating volunteers’ contributions.”




2003: 32)

As the work of volunteers becomes more responsible, and as more and more external factors

bear on the work of volunteers (legislation, increasing accountability, regulations, civil

liability, etc.) the task of organizing the work of volunteers becomes more complex as well.

Coordinators of voluntary efforts need to stay current with best practices such as those outlined in

this handbook. But that is just the beginning. Theyalso must stay on top of a host of other regulations,

trends and standards that bear on the engagement of

volunteers. While this is not to suggest that

volunteers cannot effectively manage the work of

other volunteers, it is undeniable that the effective

mobilization of volunteers is an increasingly

demanding role that fewer and fewer volunteers are

able to keep up with, if only from the perspective of

how much time it requires. More and more nonprofit

organizations are recognizing that this is a position

calling for specialized knowledge, unique skill sets,and professional training. It is a position that is more

and more appropriately delegated to a paid employee.

A recent large scale study of nonprofits organizations and congregations in the United States found

a clear correlation between investing in paid staff resources to coordinate volunteer efforts and the

effectiveness of the volunteer involvement, once again reinforcing sufficient staffing as a best

practice:

“The percentage of time a paid staff volunteer coordinator devotes to volunteer management is

positively related to the capacity of organizations to take on additional volunteers. The best

prepared and most effective volunteer programs are those with paid staff members who dedicate

a substantial portion of their time to management of volunteers. This study demonstrated that,

as staff time spent on volunteer management increased, adoption of volunteer management

practices increased as well. Moreover, investments in volunteer management and benefits derived

from volunteers feed on each other, with investments bringing benefits and these benefits justify

greater investments”. (The Urban Institute, 2004: 4-5)

HOW

Budgeting Time In Volunteer Program DevelopmentTO

When planning for a new volunteer position, consider these questions:• who will recruit, screen, place, orient and train new volunteers?

• what kind of ongoing support will volunteers need in their roles and who will provide that?

• what training and support do the volunteer supervisors need, and who will provide that?

• to whom will volunteers report, in what format (verbal, written, electronic), and with what

frequency?

• who will develop and maintain the infrastructure to support volunteer involvement (policies,

procedures, accountability systems, information systems, etc.)?

• who will step in if trouble arises?





When volunteer involvement is thoughtfully planned and managed, it can generate truly amazing

outcomes. Being certain that the necessary resources are in place before volunteers are recruited is

a key ingredient in the planning process.

Developing Systems And Infrastructure

A fundamental premise in volunteer program management is that volunteer involvement

requires infrastructure. It does not happen by spontaneous combustion and it does not

magically monitor or manage itself. As with employees, systems need to be put into place to

support volunteer efforts.

HOW

Systems Planning In Volunteer Program DevelopmentTO

All volunteer involvement requires some systems planning. As you consider each of the following

questions, check what already exists in your Council and what enhancements might be necessary.

• What policies and procedures are needed to guide both volunteers as they work and the

management of their involvement?

• What record keeping is needed?

• What initial screening protocol will be used in the selection process for each position?

• What is the “chain of command” in the volunteer component of the program or activity?

• How will volunteers’ performance be monitored, evaluated?

• Is there a system in place to ensure that the volunteer continues to be the right person for the

position?

• What will happen if a volunteer steps out of line and disciplinary action, or even dismissal, becomes necessary?

• How will the effectiveness and outcomes of volunteers’ work be measured? Against what

standards?

Best practice recommends that these kinds of systems all be in place before the first volunteers steps

into a position. The national operational policies and procedures manual (formerly referred

to as the St. John Ambulance of Canada Instructions - StJCI) provides a framework for

ensuring this work is done.





The Action Plan

When the above planning steps have been completed, it can be helpful to establish a more or less

formal action plan which sets out the what, where, when, and how to’s of finding, placing, and

supervising volunteers. Be clear about who is doing what, and attach a time line to the process.Keep in mind that volunteers can be hard to find, particularly for positions which are long-

term or require specialized skills or knowledge, so be sure to leave enough time to find, screen,

orient, train, and place the volunteers you are counting on.

Even for programs that are already in operation, it is useful to review the planning steps

outlined in this section on a periodic basis to ensure that all of the pieces are in place and

working well.

Policies And Procedures

Policies and procedures provide structure for sound management. They improve program quality

and client service, ensure continuity over time and promote equity and standardization. Polices are

probably the most important risk management tool available to organizations since they define

expectations and regulations, and act as guides to action and decision making. Perhaps most

importantly, policies contribute to increased volunteer satisfaction, productiveness, and retention.

Following is only the briefest of commentary on policy development for volunteer programs. The

St. John Ambulance national operational policies and procedures manual is a comprehensive policies

and procedures guide that includes a good deal of material on the essential policy framework for

volunteer involvement throughout SJA. All volunteer program managers and leaders should be

familiar with the national operational policies and procedures manual, and someone in each

Council, typically the Director of Community Services, should be designated as the person

responsible for ensuring full compliance with the national operational policies and procedures

manual as it pertains to volunteer involvement throughout each Council.

In most settings, the volunteer program will require specific policies that apply to the unique features

of volunteer roles and the environment in which volunteers function. Policies relating to volunteer

involvement are of two broad types. Some polices will be written for volunteers themselves.

These policies guide volunteers’ actions. Examples of such polices include:

• dress code

• respect in the organization• anti-racism

• health and safety

• communicable disease

• confidentiality

• conflict of interest

• use of organizational affiliation





The second type of policies pertaining to volunteer involvement are written to guide the

management of the volunteer program, Examples of these kinds of policies include:

• initial screening and ongoing placement support

• training

• discipline and dismissal• volunteer position design

• risk management

• volunteer-employee division of labour

• record keeping, data protection, and information management

While policies evolve over time and must be reviewed regularly and revised as necessary, it is

advisable to have as much policy development as possible in place in advance of volunteers’

entrance into the program. At SJA, most policy development takes place at the national level,

although the current system provides for input from all Councils in the policy development process.

All national policies allow for provincial and territorial statutes to be taken into account but keep in

mind that standardizing policies as much as possible across the whole of SJA allows all parts of theorganization to move together in the same way. This provides an important measure of protection

to Councils against risk and liability. For this reason it is important to check in with national staff

as you identify the need for policy modification or amendment.

Further Information on Planning For Volunteer Involvement

On the role and importance of volunteers

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

Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

Jenkins, Shirley. (2004). “Preparing For Volunteers”. Chapter 7 in Management of Volunteer

Services In Canada: The Text . Ginette Johnstone (ed.). (Third Edition). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone

Training And Consultation (JTC) Inc.

Mary V. Merrill has written two columns on developing a philosophy of involvement statement.

They are available at:

http://www.merrillassociates.net/topicofthemonth.php?topic=200311

http://www.merrillassociates.net/topicofthemonth.php?topic=199908

In “Volunteers As A Third Branch of an Organization” Susan J. Ellis explores volunteer involvement

as critical to the operation of the organization. Available at:

http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/aug97.html

Merrill, Mary V. (2000). “Effective Relationships Between Staff And Volunteers.” Topic Of The

Month. April. Available from:

http://www.merrillassociates.net/topic/2000/04/01/effective-relationships-between-staff-and-volu

nteers/







On trends in volunteering

Esmond, Judy. (2001) “Boomnet: Capturing the Baby Boomer Volunteers.” Monograph. Perth:

Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Western Australian Government. Retrieved from

http://www.dpc.wa.gov.au/volunteer/boom.pdf

Hall, Michael H. et al. (2004). Cornerstones Of Community: Highlights Of The National Survey

Of Nonprofit And Voluntary Organizations. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 61-533-XPE.

Available at: www.statcan.ca

Hall, Michael H. et al. (2003). The Capacity To Serve: A Qualitative Study Of The Challenges

Facing Canada’s Nonprofit And Voluntary Organizations. Toronto: Canadian Centre For

Philanthropy. Available at: http://www.nonprofitscan.ca/nsnvo_intr.asp

Graff, Linda L. (2002). “Emerging Trends And Issues In Volunteerism And Volunteer Program

Management”. e-Volunteerism. Vol. III (1). Available by subscription at:

www.e-Volunteerism.com

Macduff, Nancy. (2004). Episodic Volunteering: Organizing And Managing The Short-Term

Volunteer Program. Walla Walla, WA: MBA Publishing.

McClintock, Norah. (2004). Understanding Volunteers: Using The National Survey of Giving,

Volunteering And Participating To Build Your Volunteer Program. Toronto: Canadian Centre For

Philanthropy. Available at:

http://www.givingandvolunteering.ca/pdf/reports/Understanding_Volunteers.pdf

Selbee, L. Kevin and Paul B. Reed. (2004). “Why is Volunteering Declining in Canada? An Age-

specific and Cohort-specific Analysis of Volunteering Rates, 1987-2000.” A Research Report

Prepared for the 2004 ARNOVA Conference. November. Selbee and Reed offer the most in-depth

analysis of the decline in volunteer involvement currently underway in Canada. It’s a chilling

portrayal, but should be mandatory reading for anyone currently trying to mobilize volunteers in this

country. Available from the “Musings” page at: www.lindagraff.ca

The Urban Institute. (2004). Volunteer Management Capacity In America’s Charities And

Congregations: A Briefing Report. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute. Available from:

http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=410963

Vineyard, Sue. (1993). Megatrends And Volunteerism: Mapping The Future Of Volunteering.Downer’s Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

On training employees to work with volunteers

Stallings, Betty. (1996). Training Busy Staff To Succeed With Volunteers: Building Commitment

and Competence in Staff/Volunteer Teams. Pleasanton, CA: Building Better Skills.

http://www.statcan.ca/

http://www.nonprofitscan.ca/nsnvo_intr.asp

http://www.e-volunteerism.com/





http://www.e-volunteerism.com/

http://www.nonprofitscan.ca/nsnvo_intr.asp

http://www.statcan.ca/





On policy development

Graff, Linda L. (1997). By Definition: Policies For Volunteer Programs. Dundas, Ontario: Linda

Graff And Associates Inc.

On employee/volunteer relations

Scheier, Ivan. (1993). Building Staff/Volunteer Relations. Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

Susan J. Ellis. “Staff Resistance and the Highly Skilled Volunteer.” Available at:

http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/may99.html

On preparing the organization for volunteer involvement

Brudney, Jeffrey L. (1990). Fostering Volunteer Programs in the Public Sector: Planning,

Initiating, and Managing Voluntary Activities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Jenkins, Shirley. (1999). “Preparing For Volunteers.” Chapter 7 in Management of Volunteer

Services in Canada: The Text . Ginette Johnstone (ed.). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone Training And

Consultation (JTC) Inc.

On record keeping systems

Ellis, Susan J. and Katherine H. Noyes. (1990). Proof Positive: Developing Significant Volunteer

Recordkeeping Systems. Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

McCurley, Steve and Sue Vineyard. (1997). Measuring Up: Assessment Tools for Volunteer

Programs. Downers Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing. 1997.

General Texts

There are three general texts on volunteer program management that address the preparatory steps

covered in this chapter as well as many of the topics covered in the remainder of this handbook.

Each one of these has been produced in a different country, but readers will note amazing similarities

across these volumes in how best to organize the involvement of volunteers. All three are valuable

assets to the volunteer program manager’s library.

Johnstone, Ginette. (ed.). (2004). Managing Volunteer Services in Canada: The Text . (Third

Edition). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone Training and Consultation (JTC) Inc.

McCurley, Steve and Rick Lynch. (1996). Volunteer Management: Mobilizing All the Resources

of the Community. Downer’s Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

Noble, Joy, Louise Rogers and Andy Fryar. (2003). Volunteer Management: An Essential Guide.

Second Edition. Adelaide, South Australia: Volunteering SA Inc.







2. VOLUNTEER POSITION DESIGN

Nonprofit organizations report that volunteer recruitment is becoming increasingly difficult and

complex. This is no doubt exacerbated by a recent decline in the proportion of Canadians

volunteering, accompanied by an increase in the numbers of organizations trying to recruit volunteer

helpers. That means increasing competition for a diminishing supply.

People have many good reasons not to volunteer and those who do volunteer these days do so in a

conscious, planned, and purposeful fashion. As a result, thoughtfulness about the kinds of

positions offered to prospective volunteers is one of the most important elements in generatingsuccess in volunteer involvement. Positions must be well-suited to the interests, needs and

limitations of the kinds of people who want to volunteer. Unattractive positions will make every

other part of volunteer management more difficult.

Think Outside The Box

It is understood that many organizations are limited in the extent to which they can modify existing

volunteer positions or be flexible in the design of new positions. However, it is often the case that

organizations “get stuck” in traditional ways of doing things, and simply do not stop to think about

how a simple modification of a position, e.g., where it takes place or when it takes place, can havea huge impact on who might volunteer to do the work. “Out of the box thinking” is best practice

here. Push yourself when you answer the question, “Could this position be altered in any way to

make it more attractive or more accessible to additional or different types of volunteers?” Consider

these illustrations:

• Certain positions at SJA must, by definition require a long-term commitment because the

screening and training necessary to equip those volunteers to meet performance standards are

so extensive. However, recent Canadian statistics indicate that the second most frequently

given reason for not volunteering is that people don’t want to make a year round commitment.

Knowing, for example, that some prospective volunteers go south for the winter while other

prospective volunteers head to their cottages in the summer, could a willingness to consider job-sharing open up a whole new recruitment market?

• The job-share approach is also being used successfully by organizations who find it

increasingly difficult to recruit leadership volunteers into executive positions such as president

and vice-president. The workload can be a big deterrent in such positions and the possibility

of job-sharing makes them seem more “doable” to busy people who have the skills but are

reluctant to make such a large commitment.





Principles Of Good Volunteer Position Design

Here are some tips on volunteer position design. Not all of them will be possible in all programs,

but the more you can integrate these principles into new and existing positions, the easier it will be

to find and retain volunteers.

• Design short-term positions wherever possible. Most volunteers these days will only commit

to time-limited work that has a clear beginning and a clear end point.

• A minority of prospective volunteers will accept long-term positions, so having a few of them

available at any given point allows you to offer a wider variety of opportunity to those who

may be interested in a long-term association with your organization.

• Design positions that have specific and clearly identified duties. Help volunteers to know

exactly what it is you expect them to do. This will help target recruitment efforts to those

with appropriate interests, skills and knowledge for the position, facilitate the initial screening

process and enhance the retention of volunteers.

• Involve volunteers in meaningful work so they feel they are accomplishing something, thattheir work is purposeful, and that the position interests and challenges them. Do not give all

the boring, routine, or menial work to volunteers.

• Define the results (outcomes) you want your volunteers to achieve and share those

expectations with volunteers. In contrast to popular thinking, prospective volunteers are not

necessarily scared off by significant position responsibilities. Rather, they need to know that

their precious time is being well spent on making a difference. So give them something to

be responsible for.

• Develop a climate in your program or project that welcomes volunteers’ input, implements

their suggestions, and makes them feel part of the team.

• Allow and encourage ownership by helping volunteers develop a clear sense of the full picture

and of their “piece of the whole”. When volunteers have a sense of control over their own

tasks and understand how their work contributes to the larger effort, they are more likely to

take pride in their efforts and meet the performance standards you need them to meet.

• Make sure volunteering is as safe as possible and demonstrate to volunteers that you are

looking out for their well-being. Conduct a risk assessment on each volunteer position, and

ask volunteers to let you know immediately if they feel at risk.

• Offer opportunity for advancement to those volunteers who are looking for increased

responsibility and/or growth and skill development.

• Keep to your commitment - don’t ask for more and more.

Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, and their interests are equally varied. Having a range of positions that appeal to a range of motivations, capacities, and limitations makes your program more

attractive to a wider diversity and a larger number of prospective recruits. Keep in mind that

attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder. What might seem an inviting position to you may not

be seen as such by others, and what may be of no interest whatsoever to you may be just the

volunteer role another individual was hoping to locate.





One of the cardinal rules of volunteer program management holds that volunteer positions should

be adjusted wherever possible to fit the needs and interests of the volunteer rather than the

other way around. Organizations that have been engaging volunteers over many years or decades

may become narrow in their vision of how certain tasks are to be accomplished. Continuing to offer

volunteer positions in the same format as they have been offered for many years is sometimes thevery reason why it has become increasingly difficult to recruit new volunteers - the old positions no

longer match the needs and interests of the modern volunteer workforce. Hence, older organizations

in particular, may need to make an extra effort to imagine how work might be done in different ways.

To stimulate some “out-of-the-box” thinking, the following table lists a series of volunteer position

characteristics, each one of which presents a range of position design options. The more of these

possibilities that can be built into a range of positions, the greater the likelihood of successful

recruitment and placement, and the greater the likelihood of volunteer satisfaction and retention. A

more diverse workforce is a valuable by-product of creative volunteer position design.

short-term .... long-termone-shot .... over-time

day-time .... off-hours

regular .... on-call

on-site .... off-site/at home/at work

direct-service .... supportive, indirect

with people .... isolated

leadership .... follow directions

independence .... highly-supervised

challenging .... simple

quiet .... exciting, high-pitch

high profile .... behind-the-scenes

heavy demands .... low stress

steady .... job-share, job pair, seasonal

jump-right-in .... ease-in, opportunity to learn the ropes

Position Descriptions

There should be a current and comprehensive position description for every volunteer position. At

minimum, every position description should include:

• position title

• purpose of assignment

• position duties and responsibilities

• scope of authority and reporting requirements

• term of assignment

• minimum qualifications

• supervisor/contact person

• risk assessment





Position descriptions should be reviewed regularly and kept current. Ensure that your program is

in compliance with the Screening Cycle policy outlined in the national operational policies and

procedures manual. The standardized volunteer position description template is included here as

Appendix C

Further Information on Volunteer Position Design



Volunteer Canada. (2001). A Matter of Design: Job Design Theory and Application to the

Voluntary Sector. Ottawa: Volunteer Canada. Available at:

http://www.volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/MatterofDesignEng.pdf

Volunteer Canada. (2001). Youth Works! Creating And Developing Youth-Led Volunteer Projects.

Ottawa: Volunteer Canada. Available at:

http://www.volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/youthworks.pdf

Charity Channel has carried a series of articles on position design. Check these:

Stills, Michael Lee. “Volunteers ‘A La Carte.’” Available from:

http://charitychannel.com/article_5257.shtml

Hawthorne, Nan. “Developing a Good Volunteer Position Description.” Available from:


Merrill, Mary V. “Volunteer Workouts!” Available from:
















3. RECRUITMENT

There is an assumption in many organizations - particularly among the older and well established

organizations - that if volunteers are needed, all that has to be done is to communicate that need

through the community and people will respond. And, indeed, that has been the case for many

organizations over the last several decades. Volunteers were just “there” when you needed them.

But not so anymore. Decreasing supply, increasing demand, a generalized absence of “spare time”

and a host of other demographic, economic, and social variables are combining to make volunteer

recruitment more challenging than ever before. The consequence is that nonprofit organizationshave to work both smarter and harder at volunteer recruitment.

The principle of getting the “right” people in the “right” position has become more critical for many

nonprofit organizations since so many volunteer positions now involve important, complex,

responsible, and sometimes “essential” duties. More advance planning, more thoughtful

consideration of where the “right” volunteers can be found, and more selective application of

publicity methods that will get the “right” message to the “right” people are the hallmarks of

successful recruitment these days. Keep in mind this simple truth about recruitment: how you

recruit will largely determine who responds. If you are not getting enough volunteers or you are

not getting the right volunteers, the problem may not be in the volunteer labour pool available to you.

The problem may be in how you are going about trying to attract prospective volunteers into your organization.

Here’s another critical truth about recruitment: having to turn people away because they are not

appropriate for the position(s) is unpleasant for everyone involved. Better to specifically target

recruitment efforts and thereby increase the likelihood of response from volunteers who are well-

suited to specific position requirements. The fewer volunteers you have to turn away, the more

time saved in the long run, and the less damage done to your organization’s reputation.





Recruitment Planning

Recruitment publicity is an exercise in marketing, and the choice of recruitment publicity method

should be based on the target market being sought. Best practice involves focussing your efforts at

the target populations that are most likely to have the skills and characteristics you are seeking rather than launching broad publicity campaigns that appeal to no one in particular. For example, if you

want to recruit hairdressers, don’t put up a flyer in a dental academy. Post in the schools of

hairdressing, try to get a free or reduced-rate add in a hairdressing trade magazine, or better still, go

directly to hair salons and ask for help. If you are looking for volunteers who must be able to work

every week at the same time of day, do not reach out to rotating shift workers since they will simply

not be able to meet your requirements. So do a bit of planning before you try to round up people off

the street.

HOW

Planning The Recruitment CampaignTO

Review the results of the needs assessment work you did in the planning step previous to this.

To plan the volunteer recruitment effort, ask these questions:

• what do our “ideal” volunteers look like for this position?

• what skills and characteristics are needed in the volunteers we are seeking?

• what kinds of people have those kinds of skills and characteristics?

• where are those people to be found?

• what publicity vehicles are most likely to reach them?

• what message will motivate them to volunteer for our initiative?

Face-To-Face Is Still The Most Effective Method

Do not make the mistake of thinking your recruitment materials have to be fancy or expensive to be

effective. In fact, year after year and decade after decade, the one thing that hasn’t changed about

working with volunteers is this: a direct and personal approach by word of mouth is still the

most effective recruitment method. In fact, the fourth most frequent reason given by people for

not volunteering is that no one had asked them. All of the general appeals on cable TV and in

community newspapers and bulletins don’t seem to sink in for a lot of people. Personal ambassadors

directly asking for help will generate a far greater response than all the flyers and public service

announcement you might write. Don’t discard the latter methods or any other method you can

mobilize to get your recruitment message out, but concentrate on the personal ask since that is likely

to generate the best results.





Publicize The Rewards

Remember that most people who volunteer do so purposefully, and most are looking to get

something back from volunteering. Popular opinion has it that people are more selfish these days,

and more self-centred. The “me” generation. If that is true, then trying to appeal to prospectivevolunteers on the basis of what they might be able to give to others might not be effective with some

prospective groups of volunteers. In contrast, recruitment campaigns built around what the volunteer

might expect to gain from his or her involvement might be the route to take.

The potential benefits of volunteer work vary widely, from making business contacts and learning

about a new community, to meeting people, helping a cause, making a difference in the community,

learning new skills or honing existing skills, exploring strengths, and improving employment

opportunities. For many volunteers the good feeling one gets from helping others is also an

important enough. Best practice recommends that you identify and publicize the potential benefits

of volunteering for your organization and/or your project - more people will respond.

Be careful not to minimize the size of the volunteer position or the skills required. Being less

than forthcoming benefits no one in the long run. Since many volunteers are attracted by the

opportunity to make a difference with their time and talents, accurately portraying both what the

position requires and what can be achieved through it is the approach most likely to generate

recruitment success.

Value In Diversity

Communities - even small communities - across Canada are increasingly diverse. It benefits most

nonprofits to mirror the diversity of the communities in which they exist. This helps to ensure that

services are relevant and meaningful to the people served by them.

Diversity can mean a broad spectrum of characteristics, including, for example, race, ethnicity, age,

gender, country of origin, sexual orientation, education, income, native language, religious beliefs,

and cognitive and physical abilities. Ask yourself: how representative is our volunteer work force?

It is useful and often revealing to do a survey of your current volunteers. Check the resulting profile

against the population profile of your own community. Identify the gaps consider why they exist.

Give some thought to how community needs might better be addressed if your volunteers truly

represented the diversity of those you serve. Broadening the volunteer base can also broaden

community and individual support for your organization since research proves that those whovolunteer give not only time but also money to the same organizations.

If you decide to broaden your recruitment efforts and reach out to diverse population, be sure

to do a bit of housework first. As much as we like to believe that we are a tolerant people,

many kinds of prejudice lie just beneath the surface. Research continues to demonstrate that

many volunteers from diverse cultural and disability populations respond to deliberate

recruitment efforts only to find offensive attitudes among new organizational colleagues and

prohibitive barriers in the work environment.





HOW

Preparing For DiversityTO

If you deliberately set out to increase the diversity of your volunteer corps, do not expect the

new volunteers to do all of the adapting. Follow these steps before you launch your diversity

campaign:

• Check your own attitudes and perceptions and those of others in your organization.

• Learn about those you are reaching out to.

• Find out what is important to them.

• Do some research on the important features of their culture, their holidays and their holy

days.

• Consider what some of the barriers to their involvement might be.

• Provide training and education to employees and volunteers on what you discover.

• Work to reduce identified barriers, make changes in the work site and be prepared to

amend policies to facilitate their participation.• Implement zero tolerance policies for discrimination and prejudice and bolster them

with meaningful penalties for non-compliance.

Only when this ground work is done will your organization be truly ready to invite

participation from diverse populations. Only then will you organization be in a position to

reap the rich rewards of a diverse volunteer workforce.

New “Markets”

In the face of volunteer shortages, organizations are finding that they need to tap new markets for

their recruitment campaigns, and three specific populations have emerged recently as particularly

promising.

• family volunteering : People have less and less free time as the challenge of combing family

responsibilities with employment pressures for two-wage-earner and single-parent families

seriously cut into time that might otherwise have been available for volunteering. Multi-

tasking is now a dominant feature of our culture as already-too-busy people try to cram more

into 24 hours by doing more than one thing at the same time. Enter family volunteering.

Creating volunteer opportunities that can be done by family members together opens up awhole new market for recruitment campaigns. Volunteering with children allows parents not

only the opportunity to spend “quality” time with their children, but also the vehicle through

which they might teach and model important values such as community spirit, generosity,

neighbourliness, helpfulness, team work, and so on.





• employee volunteers: The corporate sector is beginning to understand the wide range of

benefits that accrue from corporate social responsibility. No longer content with mere

chequebook philanthropy, companies of all sizes and types are seeking ways through which

they can benefit the communities in which they do business, and simultaneously increase

profits. One of the increasingly popular methods of this sort is employer sponsoredvolunteering programs through which corporations off a wide range of facilitation,

encouragement, and incentives for their employees to volunteer in the community. This looks

like it may be one of the few growth markets for volunteers in the near future and

organizations that respond with specific opportunities that suit employees and employee-

teams may be rewarded with an important new source of volunteer labour ... along with

potential corporate sponsorships as well.

• persons with disabilities: The nonprofit track record for successfully engaging people with

disabilities in volunteer work is pretty dismal. We have been far too content to let barriers

go unchallenged and the sector has not, in general terms, been inviting or inclusive in its

outreach efforts. It is probably safe to say that the corporate sector has done more to reduce barriers in the workplace than the nonprofit sector has, and this certainly holds true for the

volunteer workplace. The irony is that at a time when organizations are increasingly desperate

for volunteers, there is a vast pool of extremely talented people who would be more than

happy to volunteer if only some of the barriers were removed. The important point here is

that the majority of barriers are both simple and cheap to overcome.

A little bit of creativity mixed with an honest and genuine will could open up a huge pool of talent

to those organizations willing to step outside the traditional recruitment box and look in new

directions for the help they so desperately need.

Immediate Response

It is widely recognized that the motivation of new volunteer recruits is very fragile. It has a

short shelf life. The fastest way to lose a prospective volunteer who has made the initial contact is

to ignore them or in any other way lead them to believe you don’t need them or don’t respect them.

Best practice insists that all initial inquiries from volunteers be responded to immediately. Volunteer

centres across the continent consistently report that the most frequent mistake made by organizations

seeking new volunteers is the failure to immediately follow up on a volunteer’s first expression of

interest. Remember that spare time is an extremely rare commodity these days. It is a precious gift

and must be honoured and valued as such.

As an aside, this is one important reason why it is a good idea to hire a paid manager of volunteers.

While volunteer coordinators can do a good job, it is rare that they can be “on duty” on the full time

basis that it takes to be immediately responsive to initial inquiries from new volunteers. It is true

that paid managers of volunteers get too busy as well, but there is a better chance that a dedicated

staff position provides a better chance of immediate response, and less potential to both miss the

opportunity and create a poor image of your organization as one that either doesn’t value volunteer

contributions or doesn’t need them.





Further Resources On Volunteer Recruitment

Central Volunteer Bureau Of Ottawa-Carleton. (1998). Stronger Together: Recruiting And Working

With Ethnocultural Volunteers. (Revised). Ottawa: Central Volunteer Bureau Of Ottawa-Carlton.Available from: http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pc-cp/pubs/e/Strongr1.htm

Dyer, Fraser and Ursula Jost. (2002). Recruiting Volunteers: Attracting the People You Need.

London: Directory of Social Change.

Ellis, Susan J. (1994). The Volunteer Recruitment Book. Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

Esmond, Judy. (2001). Count Me In! 501 Ideas On Recruiting Volunteers. Victoria Park, Western

Australia: Newseason Publications.

Fryar, Andy, Rob Jackson and Fraser Dyer. (2004). Turn Your Organization Into A Volunteer Magnet. A free E-book available from: http://www.ozvpm.com/.../CO94-VolunteerMagnet1.2pdf

Haines, Mike and Eva Schindler-Rainman. (1990). Volunteers: How to Find Them How To Keep

Them. Second Edition. Vancouver: Volunteer Vancouver.

Lautenschlager, Janet. (1992). Bridges to the Future: Supported Programs for Volunteers with

Special Needs. Ottawa: Voluntary Action Directorate of the Department of Multiculturalism and

Citizenship.

Levant, Rebecca and Keith Seel. (1995). Creating Bridges: A Practical Planning Guide and

Checklist for the Development of a Cross-Cultural Volunteer Program. Calgary, Alberta: Volunteer

Calgary.

McCurley, Steve. (1991). Recruiting Volunteers for Difficult or Long-Term Assignments.

Downer’s Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

Merrill, Mary V. (2001). “Building Relationships To Engage Corporate Volunteers.” Topic Of The

Month. July. Available from:

http://www.merrillassociates.net/topic/2001/07/01/building-relationships-to-engage-corporate-vo

lunteers/

Merrill, Mary V. (1999). “Attracting Workplace Volunteers.” Topic Of The Month. June.

Available from: http://www.merrillassociates.net/topic/1999/06/01/attracting-workplace-volunteers/

Pyle, Robert K. (1997). Pathways: A Guide to Involving Persons with Disabilities in Volunteer

Programs. Calgary: Volunteer Centre of Calgary.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pc-cp/pubs/e/Strongr1.htm

http://www.energizeinc.com/.../Volunteer

http://www.energizeinc.com/.../Volunteer

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pc-cp/pubs/e/Strongr1.htm





Rehnborg, Sarah Jane and Betsy Clubine. “Volunteer Recruitment: Tips From The Field.”

Available at:

http://www.serviceleader.org/new/managers/2004/03/000213.php#2-2

Sutton, Charyn D. (1992). Pass It On Volunteer Recruitment Manual: Outreach to African- American, Latino/a And Other Diverse Populations. Philadelphia, PA: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of

America.

Volunteer Canada. (2001). Volunteer Connections: Creating An Accessible And Inclusive

Environment . Ottawa: Volunteer Canada. Available at:

http://www.volunteer.ca/volcan/eng/content/vol-management/resources.php?display=3,0,3#acces

sible

Volunteer Canada. (2001). Volunteer Connections: New Strategies For Involving Older Adults.

Ottawa: Volunteer Canada. Available at:

http://www.volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/OlderAdults-Eng.pdf






1. SJA believes that the initial screening of volunteers is just the beginning of a series of

ongoing efforts that the organization must undertake to ensure that it continues to have the right

volunteers in the right positions, and that volunteers’ performance meets the organization’s

standards of excellence. For this reason, we use the term “initial screening” to refer to this first

element in the volunteer retention cycle, distinguishing it from ongoing screening efforts which

are discussed in the “Supervision and Ongoing Placement Support” section of this handbook.

The perspective of screening as an ongoing process is clearly reflected in the SJA Screening

Cycle policy and more specific how-to information can be found there.


4. INITIAL SCREENING

Despite efforts to aim recruitment publicity toward people who meet the minimum qualifications for

the position, not all applicants will be appropriate. Keep in mind also that while rare, some

volunteers may be ill-intended or downright dangerous.

The goals of initial screening1 are:

• to identify those volunteer candidates who are suited to the requirements of the volunteer

position

• to rule out everyone else

As cold or callous as it may seem, the reality is that there are responsibilities and liabilities that

accompany volunteer coordination these days and the volunteer supervisor not only has a right

to turn away unqualified candidates, s/he has a duty to do so. Placing an unqualified or

otherwise unsuitable volunteer benefits no one, and may expose volunteers, event participants,

employees, and/or the general public to risks, and the organization to liability.

This is not to say that prospective volunteers who do not have all of the attributes or skills necessary

to do an excellent job cannot be brought up to requisite standards through careful orientation,

training, coaching, and supervision. It does mean, however, that minimum requirements are just that,

and they need to be respected. If it isn’t a requirement upon application, it isn’t aminimum standard.Never lower your initial screening standards and never cut corners when screening, no matter

how well you think you know the person or how highly recommended they are. The principle

of equal treatment consistently applied is a benchmark of effective (and legal) screening.





Human Rights Legislation

Turning a volunteer candidate away for any reason other than their not meeting minimum

qualifications for the position may violate his or her human rights, so screening standards should

be based squarely on the requirements of the position as outlined in the position description. Allcandidates for any given position should go through the same initial screening processes and be

treated the same as every other candidate for that position. The screening process must be bias-

free, objective, and conform to all human rights statutes applicable in your area.

Consult the national operational policies and procedures manual, and in particular, the policy on

“Respect in the Organization” which applies here. Ensure that every employee and volunteer is

oriented to this important policy.

Determining Initial Screening Protocol

There are many initial screening mechanisms available to volunteer program supervisors. The

challenge is to select the screening methods that are appropriate to each position. The general rule

about thoroughness in initial screening and the selection of specific screening devices is this: the

screening tools that are implemented in the initial screening protocol should be well matched

to the risks and demands of the volunteer position. That means that you may need to apply

different initial screening devices to different volunteer positions. For example, how you initially

screen the volunteer treasurer for the special event might be very different from how you initially

screen the volunteers you place teaching bicycle safety to children. Different volunteer position

demands and risks warrant suitably tailored initial screening mechanisms.

Where a volunteer position involves an element of trust - for example the position may give

volunteers unsupervised access to vulnerable people, confidential information, valuable property,

or money - the initial screening protocol will need to be more thorough. Where a volunteer position

involves little risk to anyone, where the duties do not require specialized skill or knowledge, and

where the consequences of volunteer error are minimal, initial screening can be less thorough.

Every organization must decide for itself which screening mechanisms are appropriate for its own

positions and settings, but clear policy should be in place to guide screening protocol development

decisions.





Available Initial Screening Tools

Following is a brief description of ten readily available screening devices. Based on a careful

assessment of each volunteer position, choose the screening devices that are most likely to help you

to determine candidate suitability.

• position description. The position description establishes the legal basis for screening

candidates out; there must be clear and defensible continuity between the requirements of the

position and the screening techniques used; screening more or less than the position

description calls for can create trouble. Be sure that volunteer position descriptions are kept

up to date and include all minimum qualifications. Be sure to include skill sets, knowledge,

and experience both necessary and useful to the position since this will not only help in the

choice of screening tools to be used in the initial screening process, but it can help you to

defend your screening decisions if they are challenged by a volunteer application who has

been rejected.

• written application form. This would be a minimum requirement for all volunteer positions

since basic demographic data, at minimum, should be kept on file for all volunteers.

• reference checks. When the background and previous performance of a volunteer is relevant

to the current application, or in any position of trust, the reference check is a highly

recommended screening mechanism. How many references and of what type (e.g., employer,

personal, family member, previous employment/volunteer placements) are a matter of

judgement, based on the demands and risk level of the position. Reference checks have

often been dismissed as an unreliable screening mechanism, but current best practice

holds them up as a new cornerstone of effective screening. Their effectiveness, however,

depends largely on the competence and thoroughness of the reference checker, so make sure

your reference checker(s) is fully skilled, takes the role extremely seriously, and stays current

with new standards and procedures.

• qualifications checks. Qualifications checks include, for example, obtaining proof of a

candidate’s qualifications e.g., valid driver’s license and class; diploma or degree;

professional licence; proof of specific trade, skill or qualification such as valid CPR or life

saving certificate. These kinds of checks are important where the position description calls

for specific qualifications. Keep in mind that a startlingly large proportion of applicants for

paid positions claim qualifications they do not have. The same almost certainly holds true for

applicants for volunteer positions even if to a lesser extent. This screening mechanism isusually cheap and relatively easy, and oddly, often omitted from otherwise comprehensive

screening protocols. A good measure of cynicism may not be out of place in the initial

screening process.





• police record checks. Police record checks (referred to as PRCS in SJA policy), provide

information on the existence of candidates’ previous criminal behaviour and convictions for

which pardons have not been granted. Police record checks are highly recommended for all

positions of trust, but do keep in mind that a clear police record check is not a guarantee of

either harmlessness or suitability. Recent research indicates that there are manypotentially harmful people who seek positions of trust in nonprofit organizations as an

easy avenue to access vulnerable people and who have simply never been caught doing

anything wrong. They have no police record and would pass through this particular

screening device undetected. The lesson: beware false negatives! Police record checks are

most useful when combined with other screening devices. Since there are different levels of

police record checks available, consult with the police department or detachment in your area

to find out what is covered in the checks and how they are to be accessed.

• driving record check . This screening mechanism is highly recommended wherever regular

volunteer duties include operation of a motor vehicle or when volunteers will be transporting

clients.

• credit bureau check . This screening mechanism is recommended wherever volunteer duties

include handling significant amounts of money or authority for significant financial

transactions.

• interviews. Personal interviews provide an in-person assessment opportunity and are highly

recommended for most positions of responsibility and when personal presentation,

communication skills, and/or public relations are involved. Interviews are considered the

cornerstone of almost all initial screening protocols.

• performance assessment . Through this mechanism, the volunteer demonstrates a specific

skill required in the successful completion of the volunteer position, e.g., computer

programming, typing, equipment usage, public speaking, etc.

• medical certification. When a position requires a specific physical capacity such as strength,

stamina, fine motor coordination, night vision, etc., an organization may require volunteers

to supply a physician’s certification of fitness to perform the work in question. Proof of

current immunization, a recent tuberculosis test, and so on would also fall under this type of

screening device.

There is a wide range of other initial screening tools available. Devices such as personality tests,honesty tests, lie detector tests and so on may be increasingly common in the hiring processes for

executive positions in private companies, but most of these would be inappropriate, if not outright

invasions of privacy, for the greatest majority of volunteer positions.

Since appropriate initial volunteer screening is an important element of risk management, care must

be taken in the selection of screening devices to be used for each position, choosing those that will

provide the information needed to make an informed decision about applicants’ suitability.





Documenting Screening

All of the steps of the initial volunteer screening process should be documented carefully for every

candidate. If your initial screening protocol generates private or confidential information about

applicants, be aware that you have a legal duty to guard the privacy of the information you collect.Privacy legislation varies by province, so be sure to check the legislation in your area and ensure full

compliance with all that applies. Policy should be in place to guide what information is collected,

how and where it is stored, for how long, who may gain access to it and for what purposes, when and

how it is destroyed.

Your screening documentation can turn out to be invaluable if you are called on to justify a screening

decision and be aware that documentation can be subpoenaed in certain legal actions, so consider

carefully what you write.

Assessing The Information

Sifting through the information you have gathered about each potential recruit can be more or less

complex, depending on the intensiveness of the initial screening process and the clarity and

consistency of the information you have gathered.

It is very helpful to have clear minimum standards for each volunteer position and an equally clear

sense of the characteristics that you are looking for in the successful candidate(s). These provide a

yardstick against which to measure each candidate’s suitability.

It is important to have clear policies about automatic disqualifiers for each position. Obviously not

meeting minimum standards would be a disqualifier, but additional guidelines can also be very

helpful. For example, if the position involves working with children, any previous history of violent

behaviour or misconduct with children might be considered an automatic disqualifier. If the position

involves handling significant amounts of cash, any previous criminal history of theft or fraud might

reasonably be considered a disqualifier. If more than one reference check reveals problems in

previous paid or unpaid positions that are relevant to the position currently applied for, this

information taken together might be considered a disqualifier.

Minimum standards and automatic disqualifiers help you to put some boundaries around your

assessment process. The key is to be fair and consistent in your hiring decisions. The SJA Screening

Cycle policy will guide what you make of the information you collect.

When screening for a volunteer position in which there are many openings, the goal of the

information assessment process is to rule out those candidates that are unsuitable for whatever

reason, and accept the rest for placement. This may guide you in your use of the information you

have gathered.




2. Sample rating forms can be found in Beyond Police Checks: The Definitive Volunteer

& Employee Screening Guidebook (Graff, 1999: Chapter 4).


Following are five principles for information management and assessment.

• The information you gather must be documented. Take notes during the interview and

reference checks. Make a copy of proof of qualifications, police check, driver’s licence - all

of the proof that has been gathered. Make sure that your notes are factual and related to position requirements.

• The more uniform the documentation methods, the easier it is to assess the qualifications of

candidates, both in absolute terms and in relation to one another. Wherever possible, develop

recording forms that standardize intake of information. The application form is an obvious

example, but others such as a Telephone Reference Check form or a Performance Assessment

form can also be useful.

• Impartiality is critical in screening. Assess information in a consistent and fair manner.

Rating tools can be developed to standardize your assessment of information gathered on

reviewing application forms and interviews.2 Not only do they help you to assess the meritsof individual applicants, but when completed, they leave proof behind of your efforts to

objectively rate all candidates.

• Always keep an eye open for “red flags.” Red flags are signals to investigate further, and they

come in many forms. For example, a candidate’s very narrowly defined preference for clients

with whom he or she will work (e.g., 6-7 year old boys of slight build from single parent

families; seniors who live alone and who have very little extended family involvement) may

signal a candidate’s search for potential targets of abuse. Any inconsistency in information

gathered either within one screening mechanism (e.g., between the information provided by

two referees in the reference check mechanism) or between two mechanisms (e.g., the

information provided on the application form versus the information that turns up in a

qualifications check) should be viewed as red flags.

• Beware false negatives. The absence of negative information in the screening protocol, no

matter how thorough, does not constitute assurance of suitability or harmlessness. In

particular the absence of a criminal record does not necessarily mean that the candidate has

no history of criminal activity. It may simply mean he or she has not been convicted. The

possession of a valid driver’s licence does not constitute proof of excellent driving skills. Be

certain that your initial screening process is reasonably thorough and remember that the initial

screening process is just the beginning. Organizations have an ongoing responsibility to

ensure that they have the right people in the right positions. Do not be lured intothinking that all risks are eliminated by a comprehensive initial screening process.





Making The Decision

Once the initial screening process has been completed and the requisite information gathered about

the volunteer applicant, a decision will have to be made about acceptability.

For simple and straightforward volunteer positions involving low risk and low or nonexistent degrees

of trust, the decision making process will be easier. Sometimes choices are clear. One candidate

emerges head and shoulders above the other applicants and is offered the position. However, in

altogether too many cases, the final decision does not emerge clearly from the mass of information

you have gathered. For example:

• more than one candidate may be well-qualified for a single open position

• a candidate may appear to meet minimum qualifications but not seem quite right for the

clients he or she is seeking to work with

• one reference check may be less than glowing while another one or two reveal no problems

in previous positions• a person may have all of the right qualifications on paper and they all turn out to be valid as

claimed, but the interview reveals personal presentation characteristics which you think may

present a problem on the job

• a criminal record turns up but it is old and not directly relevant to the position being applied

for

In situations such as these there is no magic formula to aid the decision making process. Weigh all

of the information together, balancing the relative merits of the desire to give people an opportunity

to participate in volunteering and prove their capacity, against consideration of the requirements of

the position and the growing demand that due diligence be done. Leaps of faith are not uncommon,

and while healthy skepticism is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to screening, faith and

confidence in human nature and in the generosity of the human heart surely still have a place in the

human service system as well.

Remember, that you can always ask for confidential advice and consultation from the Director of

Community Services in your Council, and if further information is needed, the Director of

Community Services at National Office is available to talk with about those tough “judgement calls.”





HOW

Saying “No”TO

Unfortunately not all volunteers who apply will be suitable for the position for which they’ve applied..

Keep the following techniques in mind if you have to turn down a volunteer candidate:

• notify people as quickly as possible

• candidates may experience feelings of embarrassment and/or rejection so be as respectful as

possible in delivering the message

• a personal approach (i.e., telephone) is more respectful than notification in writing, particularly

for those applicants who have gone to the trouble of a personal interview

• be tactful, supportive and constructive

• saying less is better than more; if pressed for reasons for the decision not to accept the

volunteer, concentrate on the absence of a fit between the candidate’s abilities and the

requirements of the position

• do not lie, even if doing so seems kinder or less awkward

• thank the candidate for their interest and application efforts• where possible and appropriate, you may suggest other volunteer opportunities the candidate

may pursue

The Limitations of Initial Screening

No initial screening protocol can guarantee suitability or harmlessness. Initial screening is only

one element in an overall risk management strategy. Multiple risk mitigation strategies in the post-

screening environment are available to buttress uncertain screening decisions, and ongoing screening

mechanisms such as probation, supervision, performance reviews, program evaluations, anddisciplinary processes can all be used to monitor the “correctness” of the hiring decision and/or bring

new hires up to speed and on track. At minimum, ongoing support and supervision are always

necessary, no matter how thorough the initial screening has been.

The Screening Cycle outlined in the national operational policies and procedures manual provides

more details about how the initial screening process is supplemented by additional protocol

throughout the course of a volunteer’s involvement with the organization.





Up-Screening

Be aware that if a volunteer enters a placement that is significantly different from the one initially

applied for, certain additional screening processes may need to be initiated. For example, if an

applicant came into the screening process with the aim of working on a special event fundraisingactivity but decided, once he or she gets to know more about the organization, that direct service

work - a position transporting clients, perhaps - was more attractive, then the organization may need

to initiate additional screening mechanisms such as a driver’s record check and/or a police record

check which may not have been core components of the screening process for the fundraising

position. This need to “up-screen” holds true for new recruits moving into positions that are

significantly different from those initially identified as of interest, as well as for any volunteer or

employee who, after any length of time in the organization, takes on a new position with significantly

different responsibilities from those for which he or she was initially screened..

Further Resources on Initial Screening

Andler, Edward C. (1998). The Compete Reference Checking Handbook . New York: American

Management Association.

Crowe, Roy. (1997). Resource Kit For Interviewing Volunteers. Vancouver: Volunteer Vancouver.

Deems, Richard S. (1996). Interviewing: More Than a Gut Feeling . West Des Moines, IA:

American Media Publishing.

DeMey, Dennis L. And James R. Flowers, Jr. (1999). Don’t Hire a Crook! How to Avoid Common

Hiring (and Firing) Mistakes. Tempe, AZ: Facts On Demand Press.

Graff, Linda L. (1999). Beyond Police Checks: The Definitive Volunteer & Employee Screening

Guidebook . Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff And Associates Inc.

Hauge, Jennifer Chandler and Melanie L. Herman. (1999). Taking the High Road: A Guide to

Effective and Legal Employment Practices for Nonprofits. Washington, DC: Nonprofit Risk

Management Center.

Patterson, John C. (1998). Staff Screening Tool Kit: Building a Strong Foundation ThroughCareful Staffing . 2nd Edition. Washington, DC: Nonprofit Risk Management Center.

Wendover, Robert W. (1996). Hand-Picked: The Complete Guide to Finding and Hiring the Best

Employees. Shawnee Mission, KS: National Press Publications.





5. PLACEMENT

Placement is the process of connecting screened volunteers with specific volunteer positions. It has

two components. The first phase of volunteer placement involves working with each new volunteer

to identify a specific position for which they will be oriented and trained. That position may or may

not be the position they or you had in mind when the volunteer initially applied to volunteer with

your organization. The second phase of placement takes place after orientation and training as the

volunteer actually begins work in the selected position.

The compatibility of the volunteer’s interests, limitations, and qualifications with the specificrequirements of a given position is one of the most crucial determinants of success in volunteer

programs. There are very rarely “bad” volunteers. When things don’t work out, it is much more

likely that an otherwise “good” volunteer is simply in the wrong volunteer position.

Keep in mind that many people will come into volunteering with less than accurate understandings

of about what the work actually entails. Some will have a particular type of work in mind and find

out in the initial screening and placement process that the position doesn’t really involve the kind

of activities they had envisioned, or they realize that they might not enjoy performing the position

duties to the extent that they had anticipated.

Mutual benefit is the hallmark of excellence in volunteering and the foundational premise of the placement process is that the greatest majority of volunteers are looking to get something back from

their volunteer work. As we have noted above, volunteer motivation varies widely, but nearly every

volunteer has some reason(s) for wanting to volunteer. The essence of successful volunteer

placement is to uncover what each volunteer’s key motivations might be and then match them

to the right position so that the volunteer gains what s/he wants while at the same time

contributes whatever the organization requires of them. When the benefits of the volunteer-

organization relationship are flowing in both directions, volunteering can be a wonderful thing.

When benefits stop flowing in either direction, trouble of one sort or another is soon to follow.

Because a number of volunteer positions at SJA require both high reliability and extensive

commitments of time, it is very important to ensure that prospective recruits for such positions bewell aware of position demands from the outset. It serves no one well for a volunteer who has

devoted considerable time and energy (and sometimes expense, as well) to go through your

screening, orientation and training process only to find out several months down the line that they

really are not qualified or there is some other insurmountable impediment to their ongoing

involvement that they might have been informed about much earlier on. It can be tempting to

underplay position requirements so as not to scare off prospective volunteers, but honesty and

full disclosure are better for everyone involved.





Flexibility on the part of the volunteer screener/placer is the key to success in volunteer

placement. Attempting to convince a volunteer to take a position that doesn’t really interest them

or doesn’t give back whatever it is that they seek through their volunteer work will often produce

a failed volunteer placement. While it is tempting to put the needs of the organization first because

that is where the sense of urgency originates, the manager who starts where the volunteer is at,discovers the motivation of each volunteer (and each is unique!) and then links that motivation

creatively to organizational need will be rewarded with higher productivity, greater volunteer

satisfaction, fewer performance issues, and extended retention rates.

HOW

Linking Volunteer Motivation With Organizational NeedsTO

To achieve a good “fit” between the volunteers’ interests and organizational needs, follow

these steps:• Listen carefully to volunteer expectations

• look a little deeper than the surface for volunteer motivations - sometimes volunteers

are reluctant to give voice to what they want back

• encourage volunteers to tell you what they are looking for in their volunteer work and

help them to feel safe to name their motivations

• if volunteers are unable to identify what it is they want back from their involvement

spend a bit of time talking to them about what interests them, what they don’t like, and

what they might consider to be a meaningful reward from their work with your

organization

• be prepared to consider volunteers for positions other than they have initially identified

• most important, be prepared wherever possible to adapt volunteer positions to better suitvolunteers’ interests, skill sets, and limitations.

Short term positions with clear duties and clear end points are the most popular kinds of volunteer

positions these days. Prospective volunteers are reluctant to make long term commitments and

positions that are measured in hours and days (or weeks at the most) are much more attractive than

positions that stretch into months or years. It is often the case that volunteers who originally sign

on for short term positions can be re-recruited to do additional terms, but if they were asked at the

outset to give that many weeks or months, they would have declined.

By the time you have placed a volunteer in a specific position, you have probably already made a

significant investment of time and effort since recruitment, initial screening, orientation and training

are the most labour intensive functions in the volunteer retention cycle. A bit more effort in the

initial phase of the placement is much more cost effective than losing a volunteer at this point

and starting all over again at recruitment. So pay extra attention to each volunteer in their

first few hours or shifts on the job. Check in with them to see how they’re doing.





Extra support early on may make the difference in building the comfort level necessary to get the

volunteer over that hump of uncertainty and lack of confidence. Wherever possible, be prepared to

make adjustments to the position, the environment, or the tools to increase the volunteer’s sense of

satisfaction or comfort.

If the first choice of placement doesn’t work for either the volunteer or the organization, be open to

the possibility that the appropriate position may very well exist elsewhere in your agency.

Remember that you have a lot invested in this volunteer already and they have already indicated that

they want to support the work of your organization.. If you can turn those two starting points to good

use by finding another position that is mutually rewarding, you have saved your organization

considerable resources by not having to start from scratch with someone else. You will often find

in this process that volunteers have marvellous talents not previously identified and that can be

applied to great advantage elsewhere in the organization. The key is to stay open and flexible about

where each volunteer might fit the best.

Keep in mind that volunteer motivation can change over time as interests change and as goalsthat were initially set for volunteer involvement are met and/or new ones emerge. Altering

duties or responsibilities and/or transferring volunteers to new positions may allow you to keep them

connected to your program or activity for a much longer period than they initially agreed to. Being

flexible protects your initial “investment” in volunteer selection and induction, and can significantly

reduce the need to recruit new volunteers.

Further Resources On Volunteer Placement

McKillop, Mary. (2004). “Motivation And Recognition.” Chapter 11 in Management of Volunteer

Services In Canada: The Text. Ginette Johnstone (ed.). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone Training And


Merrill, Mary V. (2002). “Understanding Volunteer Motivations.” Topic Of The Month.

December. Available from:

http://www.merrillassociates.net/topic/2002/12/01/understanding-volunteer-motivations/





6. ORIENTATION

Orientation, which all volunteers need, clarifies their relationship with the organization and helps

them understand the workings of the department, program, activity, or event. A national standard

in employee and volunteer orientation is now in place at SJA and it should form the basis of all

orientation programs provided by Councils. Orientation may vary to some extent from position to

position, and Council to Council, but consider the following for inclusion in your volunteer

orientation program:

Social Orientation

Think back to the first day of any job you have held in your life. Undoubtably you will recall fear,

uncertainty, awkwardness, shyness, and a host of other not so great emotions. It is tough to walk into

any setting as the “new kid on the block.” Everybody else knows the routines. They know each

other and have established ways of relating to one another. They know the culture, the taboos, and

the dozens of small, unwritten rules that guide everyday behaviour but are invisible to new people

coming in.

Help the volunteer to find a social comfort zone as quickly as possible in the new work environment.

Many new recruits are lost at this stage due to nothing other than awkwardness and discomfort.

Keep reminding yourself of how you felt on your first day and it will help you to be more sensitiveto how your new volunteers are feeling.

HOW

Social Orientation For New RecruitsTO

• Introduce volunteers to the social community they are about to join.

• Welcome them to the team and help them to feel comfortable with their volunteer and

employee colleagues. This contributes to an early establishment of comfortable and

positive working relationships

- introduce project/program leaders

- involve employees and current volunteers in welcoming new recruits

- describe the culture and etiquette of the setting e.g., dress, customs, where to store coat

and personal belongings, where the washrooms are, who they need to connect with as

they move around the workplace, where they can get a coffee or tea, where to store their

lunch, whether people take breaks together and when, etc. etc.

These are the small things that make people feel comfortable in their environment.





Position Orientation

Here is where the volunteers will come to understand the detailed workings of their position

descriptions. The better volunteers understand expectations and performance standards, the greater

the likelihood they will achieve them. We sometimes underplay position responsibilities becausewe don’t want to scare off new volunteers or we don’t want to overwhelm them early on in their

involvement. And there is some merit to that way of thinking. People can only absorb so much at

one time. But in the long run, we are much better off to be honest and complete in our orientation

to position expectations. It’s obvious but bears note: how can we expect a volunteer to meet our

expectations if we (even for good reasons) fail to articulate those expectations clearly to the

volunteer in the first place.

HOW

Position OrientationTO

Be sure to cover these items in your position orientation with new recruits, using your own

discretion about pace and sequence, based on the demands of the position and the complexity

of the working environment:

• clearly define expectations of the volunteer position, of volunteers in general, and how

volunteer involvement fits in the larger human resources picture in your department,

activity or event

• explain the significance of volunteering in general and this volunteer position

specifically

• outline the specific details of the volunteer position

- what are the results the volunteer is expected to achieve?- what are the standards of performance they will be held to?

- what are the deadlines?

- how will work be evaluated and how will volunteers know when they have achieved

results or been successful?

- what should volunteers avoid; where are the boundaries of their position descriptions?

- who provides backup, support and information to the volunteer, and what does the

supervisory relationship look like?

- to whom can they turn when they don’t know what to do?

• convey to volunteers how important they are to the success of the activity or event in

question; help them to see their service in the larger context, and how their work fits

with the overall mission





System Orientation

System orientation is the third dimension of volunteer orientation that should take place very early

on in the new recruit’s tenure with the organization. It is an angle on how things work that we often

forget to explain and yet it is critical knowledge for the volunteer if we expect them to function wellin relation to the other parts and functions of the organization in which they work.

HOW

System OrientationTO

Introduce volunteers to the systems that underpin the program or activity in which they are

engaged.

• explain the structure and programs of the department

• explain the organizational hierarchy and give them a copy• outline all health and safety information pertinent to volunteer responsibilities and t

• work environment

• clearly delineate all policies and procedures relevant to their work

• explain all pertinent facilities, equipment, and reporting structure

• outline record keeping requirements and distribute/collect all necessary forms such as

waivers, consents, contracts, etc.

In all aspects of the volunteer orientation program, leave plenty of time for questions from

volunteers, and for interaction among volunteers, and between volunteers and employees. This isthe ideal time at which to dispel anxiety and foster ease and collegiality.

For organizations that work over distances or seek to reach out to new populations with new

technology, some volunteer orientation can be done over the internet. Information can be posted,

chat rooms set up, bulletin boards created for volunteers and supervisors to post questions,

observations and responses. There is no suitable electronic substitute for the “walk around” the new

working environment, of course, but much of the information transfer can be done through electronic

mechanisms these days.

It is usually helpful to have much of the orientation information prepared in written format to support

the volunteer orientation program. More written background and reference material will benecessary for volunteers in ongoing positions or positions of significant responsibility. There may

be a lot for them to absorb in one sitting and a volunteer orientation handbook can be a handy

reference for future use. Any information dealing with health and safety issues or position-related

risks should be put in writing and distributed to all volunteers.





The volunteer handbook can also serve as a quick reference to volunteers who find themselves “over

their heads”, in unexpected circumstances, or for any other reason uncertain as to what they ought

to do. Be sure to include contact information for those on duty in off-business-hours shifts, who to

contact at the organization in the event of an emergency, and both the how to and the permission to

contact authorities as appropriate in the case of emergencies, accidents, injuries, or other difficultor hazardous situations.

Most if not all of the written orientation material can be produced and disseminated electronically,

either via the internet, or on CD. Most organizations have the capacity to dress up written

presentations with graphics, photographs, music, voice overs and so on. In fact, the production

of a volunteer orientation CD, including lots of bells and whistles, would be an ideal project

for a technically savvy episodic volunteer.

Further Resources On Orientation

Ellis, Susan J. (1992). “Preparing For The Volunteer’s First Day.” In Focusing on Volunteering

KopyKit by Susan J. Ellis and Katherine H. Noyes. Parlay International. Available from:

http://www.energizeinc.com/art.html

Gemmell, Barb. (2004). “Orientation and Training.” Chapter 10 in Managing Volunteer Services

in Canada: The Text . Ginette Johnstone (ed). (Third Edition). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone Training

and Consultation (JTC) Inc.

There are many sample volunteer orientation manuals on the internet. Conduct a search on the key

phrase “volunteer orientation”.







7. TRAINING

Training is the process of instructing volunteers on specific position functions and imparting

additional position-related skills and behaviour as needed. It is the organization’s responsibility

to ensure that all volunteers are adequately qualified and trained to perform the duties

assigned to them. Even volunteers in straightforward positions who are performing seemingly

simple tasks should be assessed carefully for additional training needs. After lengthy service, it is

easy for supervisors to forget how new and foreign the work environment and position expectations

can feel to new comers. Volunteers who understand what is expected of them and have the

necessary skills to meet standards will both do a better job and gain greater satisfaction fromtheir involvement.

Volunteer training should be practical, experiential, and, as much as possible, tailored to the

individual needs of each volunteer. The involvement of employees in the design and delivery of

volunteer training can help to assure employees that volunteers are properly prepared for the work,

and help volunteers to learn about and understand the perspective of employees.

On-the-job training will usually be more effective than a classroom setting for most volunteers. Be

sure to provide training on the relevant “soft” topics such as customer and public relations,

supportive and cooperative working relationships, dependability, and so on. Volunteers will live up

to or down to your expectations, and providing detailed training on excellent job performance willincrease the likelihood that volunteers will achieve the standards you expect of them.

In more complex positions, training may need to be delivered in a series of sessions, keeping in mind

that it is difficult to absorb a lot when everything is new. Better to segment the content into realistic

units, even if that means assigning volunteers reduced duties until such time as they have acquired

the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfill all position responsibilities.

Where positions duties are complex and/or where training is extensive, written training material

should be developed to augment verbal and on-the-job delivery. As with the orientation manual

discussed in the previous chapter, a good deal of backup training material can be prepared and

delivered electronically. Consider recruiting a volunteer to produce volunteer training CDs. Thatkind of project would be ideal as a family project, a corporate volunteer team project, or just about

anybody with the technical skills and the desire to produce something both tangible and useful with

their volunteered time.





At the discretion of the department head or program supervisor, recording attendance at volunteer

training sessions creates proof that volunteers have been provided with the necessary information

required to fulfill their position responsibilities. Some organizations for which volunteer positions

carry extreme responsibilities, e.g., search and rescue squads, sexual assault centres, etc., actually

require volunteers to pass post-training tests before they are allowed to undertake their positionresponsibilities. The nature of the position will be the most signifcant indicator of how thorough you

need to be with volunteer training.

Ongoing training and updates may be appropriate for some positions. Remember to inform

volunteers of changes in the worksite or environment, policies and/or protocol, health and

safety requirements, and all other details pertinent to the fulfilment of their duties and comfort

in the work place. SJA has training manuals and instructor guides for all of its core programs.

These manuals should serve as the foundation document for all volunteer training designs.

Determining the actual content of a training program is usually the easy part. Designing an effective

outline to communicate the content is often more complex, and delivering the material in aninteresting and compelling manner is what most non-professional trainers find most challenging of

all. Below are some basic tips on volunteer training design and delivery. Links to further resources

on training are listed at the end of the chapter.

Tips On Training Design

Assess the learning needs of participants. Ask questions such as:

• what do participants already know about the topic at hand?

• what do participants need to know that they do not already know?

• what is the average age or age range of the participants?

• what do you know about the learning styles of participants?

• are they participating willingly or are they being compelled to attend?

Involve participants in the training design as much as possible. For example,

• poll participants about their learning needs and interests

• integrate their needs and interests into both content development and the delivery plan

• accommodate their schedules, other work requirements, and energy levels

Develop clear and realistic learning objectives that define the changes in knowledge, skills, and

attitudes that participants should expect to experience as a result of their involvement in the training.Best practice recommends moderation in objectives. Avoid the mistake of trying to accomplish too

much and/or delivering too much content. Adults have limits to what they can absorb.

Build learning activities into the delivery plan. This allows participants to explore the content in

more depth and shape it in a way that will make it more meaningful to them. Opportunities to

discuss key concepts, think about applicability to their own setting or work site, express their own

thinking and opinions and reflect on the opinions of others are all useful mechanisms in the learning

process.





Develop learning activities that encourage application of session learnings. Because adult learning

is both facilitated by, and cemented through, practical application of key concepts, the provision of

opportunities to apply the knowledge can dramatically increase retention. The segmenting of

learning objectives into a series of sessions with time between to practice and apply what has been

covered in the training the last session(s) is a useful technique to maximize application of learning.

Plan the session flow. Many trainers create their training design by dividing their session into three

parts: the beginning, the middle and the end. This is a useful template for structuring each session.

A possible outline might look like this:

Beginning of Session

• introduce yourself

• briefly outline purpose of session

• review learning objectives and key concepts

• lead introduction of participants, either in a simple round, or using an ice breaker or other

introductory exercise

• review logistics - time, breaks, washroom locations• review ground rules, e.g., participation encouraged; disagreement acceptable; movement

about the room for stretch, refreshments etc permissible; etc

• review more detailed agenda

Middle of Training

• deliver main content, including big ideas, key concepts, knowledge and skill development in

logical order, layering understanding and capacity building on foundations thoughtfully

sequenced

• reinforce main points with quick recaps, bullet point summaries, exercises

• use variety of training methods throughout this section to respond to different learning styles

among participants, maintain attention, and reinforce learning

Closure of Training

• review main content

• engage participants in discussion of their learning and how they intend to apply it

• provide opportunity for final questions

• assign homework, additional readings, or ongoing learning activities

• distribute evaluation form and allow time for completion

• for younger participants ensure everyone has an arranged pick up or safe transportation home

Tips On Training Delivery

There is great truth in the argument that how training material is delivered is as important as what

training material is presented. Training is both a skill and a talent. While not everyone can be a

great trainer, just about everyone can learn to improve their training skills. If your role as an

employee or leadership volunteer involves training, it is recommended that you learn as much as you

can about how to be a good trainer, and take advantage of opportunities to advance your training

skills.





Learning in adults is extended when the material is experienced in a range of ways, so build in to the

design plan a range of learning modalities. Consider these possibilities:

• small group discussions with or without reports back

• large group discussions facilitated by the trainer or by participants on a rotating basis

• role plays with feedback by the trainer and/or participants on key observations• mock scenes

• field trips

• individual and/or group demonstrations by participants of their learnings

• case studies

• quizzes

• audio visual support (slides, overhead transparencies, Power Point presentations, flip charting,

video and audio segments, etc.)

• reinforcement with printed resources such as handouts, manuals, worksheets, checklists, self-

assessment forms, and so on.

Avoid excessive use of any of the above and always be sure that any that you use is closelyconnected to the material being delivered. Effects for the sake of effects can deter the learning

process.

Pay close attention to your participants. They will give you important feedback about your

presentation and its impact if you make the effort to look for it. Attend to body language, facial

expressions, degree of participation or lack thereof. Check in with them. Ask them how they’re

doing. If they look bored, try something different. Shift gears, ask them some questions, alter the

agenda to respond. If they look puzzled, or are wearing frowns, you may need to go back over

material that they didn’t grasp the first time. Bottom line: do not wait til the end of the session to

find out about something you could have corrected near the beginning.

Other training tips and techniques that may help to make your presentation more dynamic include:

• use examples that illustrate the point

• avoid the use of jargon and acronyms - volunteers who are not as involved in your

organization can get lost or just feel excluded by language they do not understand

• add a personal touch through stories, quotes, and photographs

• humour is a great technique to get and hold attention, reinforce learning points, and lighten

up what can be dry or serious topics; beware however, that much popular humour can be

offensive to various populations, so think carefully about how you use this tool; never use

humour that puts any person or group down; if in doubt about a story or a joke, avoid it

• work up hypothetical situations and case studies through which participants can practice andapply what you’ve taught

• be sensitive to cultural diversity; try to get to know about your participants before the session,

including their traditions and their values; if you frequently deliver training to diverse

populations, think about taking a cultural sensitivity program yourself

• integrate real-world problems into exercises wherever appropriate

• invite a guest speaker to present a portion of the session, or consider team training if another

person is available to work with you - a mix of delivery styles can help to keep people’s

interest and respond to different learning needs among participants





• always leave plenty of time for participants to ask questions, discuss, and share

• create knowledge checks and self-tests that ask learners to remember or recall information or

apply a concept that you’ve covered

• “homework" or reading before or following the training session can extend participants’

learning.• develop additional learning guides, including reading lists, other related courses, and web sites

of relevance

Further Resources On Training

“Strategies To Motivate Learners” from Senior Corps, but widely applicable. Available from:

http://seniortechcenter.org/learning_paths/training/start_lesson/creating_training_motivate.php

Tempkin, Terrie. (2004). “Simple Facilitation Tricks To Enliven Any Presentation.” Available

from:http://www.allianceonline.org/Members/Enhance/enhance_-_march_2004.enh/simple_facilitatio

n.epage

Australian National Volunteer Skills Centre - Training Materials Database. Available from:

http://www.nvsc.org.au/TrainingMaterialList.html

The Thiagi Group provides great tips for facilitators available from: http://www.thiagi.com/tips.html

... and also a long list of training games available from: http://www.thiagi.com/games.html

Developing effective training programs from the Association of Research Libraries. Available from:

http://www.arl.org/training/ilcso/index.html

The National Training Partnership offers a useful overview of training design called “It’s All In The

Design - Eight Steps To Planning A Training Event” available from:

http://www2.edc.org/NTP/trainingdesign.htm

Honolulu Community College offers a great faculty development website with hundreds of tips on

teaching, adult learning, preparing lesson plans, culturally effective communication, and lots more.

Start at the Teaching Tips Index page at:

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#coursedesign

Volunteer Today publishes a monthly column of training tips. Search their archives using “training”

as the key word, starting at: http://www.volunteertoday.com/archives.html

Gemmell, Barb. (2004). “Orientation and Training.” Chapter 10 in Managing Volunteer Services

in Canada. Ginette Johnstone (ed). (Third Edition). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone Training and



http://www.thiagi.com/tips.html

http://www.thiagi.com/games.html



http://www.volunteertoday.com/archives.html

http://www.volunteertoday.com/archives.html



http://www.thiagi.com/games.html

http://www.thiagi.com/tips.html






8. SUPERVISION AND ONGOING PLACEMENT SUPPORT

The volunteer supervisor’s central role is to create conditions under which volunteers can work

effectively and safely.

Supervision of volunteers fulfils two main functions and the effective supervisor finds ways to

routinely blend both of these in the contacts they have with those volunteers they supervise:

• provision of coaching, support and backup to volunteers to help them to stay connected,

comfortable, and satisfied in their position

• assurance that the volunteer is complying with all relevant policies, procedures, and work rules, and meeting the performance standards set for their work

Designated Supervisor

A supervisor should be identified for every volunteer. Sometimes the supervisor will be an

employee, sometimes another volunteer. The pay status of the supervisor is of little import. What

is important is that volunteer supervisors know how to work effectively with volunteers, and as we

have noted previously, it is a common mistake to simply assume that is so. Even senior employees

who have had many years of supervisory experience with employees cannot be assumed to

know how to adjust their supervisory methods to the unpaid work setting. Betty Stallings hasdone the most extensive writing on how to prepare employees to work effectively with volunteers.

See her work in the reference section at the end of this chapter.

Supporting Volunteers

Volunteers do not receive a pay cheque - at least in monetary terms. They receive their rewards in

a different form which varies widely from volunteer to volunteer. For many volunteers it is the

satisfaction gained from a job well done. For others it is simply the good feeling produced by

helping others. Some volunteers are trying to build their resumés, some are practising their skills

or looking to gain new ones, while still others are seeking a sense of identify or prestige that comesfrom advancement through the ranks to more senior positions.

That volunteers want something back from their volunteering is now a widely recognized fact in the

field of volunteer program management, and no specific volunteer motivation is either better or

worse than the others as long as it is compatible with the mission of the organization for which the

volunteer works. In fact, the simultaneous meeting of mutual needs - those of the volunteer and

those of the organization - is what makes excellence in volunteering.





“Empowerment is sharing the

responsibility and authority

necessary to get the job done.”

Bill Wittich. Keep Those

Volunteers Around. (2002: 51)

The “currency” of paid employment is the pay cheque. The currency of volunteering is the work

and what it accomplishes. It is this distinction that leads most volunteers to need more feedback

and more day-to-day recognition and appreciation for their contributions than employees. This is

not to suggest that employees do not need feedback or appreciation as well, but the effective

volunteer leader knows that acknowledgement of contributions and recognition of work well doneis critical to success in the volunteer-organization relationship. Knowing that their work is important

and meaningful is what keeps volunteers coming back day after day, so spend more time looking for

volunteers doing things right than you do looking for problems in performance, and take every

opportunity you have to tell them about the good they are accomplishing. There is great truth in the

saying that “what gets rewarded gets repeated.”

Increased attention to individual volunteers adds to the cost of their involvement but ignoring this

essential ingredient of volunteer supervision will, in the long run, result in higher volunteer attrition

rates, thereby increasing the high front-end costs of finding, screening, training and placing

replacements. Supervisors of volunteers must stay aware of this key principle of volunteer

supervision.

Empowering Volunteers

It has been argued that the most important responsibility of a

supervisor of volunteers is to create an environment that

empowers volunteers to perform their duties. Empowered

volunteers take on increasing degrees of responsibility for their

own actions and increasing involvement in the decisions that

affect them. Because volunteers (like the population at large) are

evermore highly educated and increasingly skilled, the

empowering approach to volunteer supervision allows volunteers

to give their best to the job, and in turn, allows the organization to receive the greatest benefits from

volunteer involvement.





HOW

Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Volunteer SupervisionTO

Here are some tips to enhance the effectiveness of volunteer supervision:

• provide sufficient orientation to the organization

• provide and reinforce clear and appropriate position expectations

• provide proper training and the resources required to do the job

• implement a performance monitoring and evaluation system that hold volunteers

accountable for achieving identified performance standards

• articulate a clear vision of program or project success

• enhance the competence and confidence of each team member

• build and maintain positive working relationships and creative teams

• provide meaningful work

• allow volunteers the authority to offer input into how things can be made better • involve volunteers in program planning

• be available to volunteers when they need direction, support or backup

• allow for flexibility, expansion, transfers, and promotions in volunteer positions

• attend quickly to conflict and seek growth from conflict and diversity

• demonstrate faith in volunteers, offer visibility and recognition where appropriate and

desired

• create a motivating environment and volunteer positions that challenge but do not

overwhelm

Boundaries

If volunteers create trouble for themselves or the organization, it will most often be out of good

intent rather than ill intent. Volunteers are typically good people who want to help. They

sometimes do not understand why they should not do more than their position description permits.

Therefore, the identification, communication, and reinforcement of position boundaries becomes

very important. The definition of “appropriate” behaviour may not always be apparent to volunteers,

and supervisors will need to make certain that people know where the edges of their duties are.

In addition to understanding what actions are inside and outside of their mandates, volunteers alsoneed to have a very good understanding of the boundaries around volunteer-“patient/client”

relationships. What constitutes “appropriate” behaviour? What does inappropriate behaviour look

like? Organizations should have many of these principles articulated in policy.





Consider these items for policy development:

• while volunteers are expected to be friendly with the people to whom they deliver service, is

it acceptable for them to become “friends” as well?

• what is the difference between being friendly and being friends?

• is it acceptable for volunteers to “see,” e.g., socialize with, go drinking with, chat via theinternet with ... those persons they have met as “clients/patients” in their work with SJA?

• if a volunteer supervises other volunteers, where is the boundary between the “on the job”

relationship, and off duty conduct? Should a volunteer supervisor supervise a close friend,

or should a conflict of interest be declared?

• under what conditions is physical contact allowed between volunteers and those to whom they

deliver services, e.g., can a Therapy Dog volunteer provide physical assistance to a patient

who is walking down the hall, transferring from a wheelchair into bed? Can a Youth Program

volunteer take some of the young people on non-SJA recreational outings, to the volunteer’s

home? Is hugging allowed?

• is any form of intimate contact permissible e.g., could a Therapy Dog volunteer on duty in a

nursing home give help to a client who is using the toilet, or to an elderly client who hasfallen off the toilet when no employees are right there to help, .... ?

• is it appropriate for Youth Program volunteers to have contact with the young people they

meet through their SJA volunteer work outside of SJA activities? e.g., is it permissible for

an SJA volunteer to invite a youth to the volunteer’s home? Is it acceptable for youth to

“sleep over” or accompany the volunteer on holiday?

HOW

Defining BoundariesTO

The following guidelines will help keep the motivation of volunteers high, and prevent

volunteers from straying outside the limits of their position description

• identify in position descriptions, and reinforce in all orientation and training sessions the

limitations of the position and the kinds of responsibilities volunteers should and should

not take on

• provide examples of prohibited activities and help volunteers to identify situations in

which they may be tempted to exceed position duties

• clearly explain the reasons why prohibited actions are prohibited (volunteers are much

more likely to comply with a policy or rule if they understand why it exists)

• pay particular attention to boundary issues where volunteers connect directly with

patients/clients or event participants, especially if clients or participants are in any wayvulnerable or isolated

• clearly describe what on-duty relationships should look like, including appropriate and

inappropriate ways of relating to supervisors, peers, and “clients”





Volunteer Retention

The quality of the new recruits’ early experience on the job is most critical to volunteer

retention. The greatest loss of volunteers occurs during this initial period when volunteers’

expectations come face to face with the reality of the work. The greater the “disconnect” betweenthe two, the greater the likelihood of losing volunteers. Therefore, it is important to assist volunteers

through the ups and downs of this transitional period while making sure the “match” between the

volunteer and his or her expectations of the position is appropriate.

Distance Supervision

The supervision of volunteers who work in unstructured or normally unsupervised settings requires

special supervisory attention in three key areas:

• Keep them connected to the organization. To help volunteers to feel connected, special effortsmay be needed to create a sense of bonding or identification between the volunteer and the

program and organization.

• initiate more frequent personal contact with the off-site volunteer

• remember that off-site volunteers aren’t around to stay current with even the most obvious

changes in the office environment (e.g., office switching, staff changes, cupboard

reorganization, etc.) and team member lives (e.g., birthdays, marriages, children’s

graduations, etc.)

• be sure to welcome volunteer input in planning and decision-making

• wherever possible and appropriate, be certain to invite the volunteers who work off-site or in

isolation to participate in organization activities, e.g., “Stop by the office if you can on

Tuesday afternoon. It’s Sharon’s birthday and we’re getting a cake.”

• look for ways to create opportunities for distance volunteers to connect with other agency

personnel and their peers, e.g.,“We thought it might be a good idea for all of the

(offsite) volunteers to have the chance to meet each other once in a while. Could you

join us for a coffee on (date) ?”

• Be creative about communication linkages.

• expect communication difficulties to arise since they are common to long distance

management; make an extra effort to touch base with off-site volunteers

• give regular updates and feedback

• avoid volunteers beginning to work in job- or program-silos by passing along as muchinformation as possible to them about events and changes in the program and organization

• exert supervisorycontrol to contain the energies of the “go-getter” and “hero-wannabe” types

of volunteers who might be more tempted at a distance to exceed the boundaries of the

position description, e.g., set clear priorities, establish clear responsibility for results, limit

scope of authority, clarify accountability, and reinforce policies; make these regular substance

for supervisory sessions when you do check in with them





• Exert supervisory control to contain the energies of the “go-getter” type of volunteer who might

be more tempted at a distance to exceed the boundaries of the position description, e.g., set clear

priorities, establish clear responsibility for results, limit scope of authority, clarify accountability,

and reinforce policies; make these regular substance for supervisory sessions when you do check

in with them

Further Resources on Volunteer Supervision

Lee, Jarene Frances with Julia M. Catagnus. (1999). What we Learned (The Hard Way) About

Supervising Volunteers. Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

McCurley, Steve and Rick Lynch. (1996). “Supervising the Invisible Volunteer.” Chapter Nine in

Volunteer Management, Mobilizing All of the Resources of Your Community. Excerpts availablefrom:

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/invisible.htm

Stallings, Betty. (1996). Training Busy Staff To Succeed With Volunteers: Building Commitment

and Competence in Staff/Volunteer Teams. Pleasanton, CA: Building Better Skills.

Wittich, Bill. (2002). Keep Those Volunteers Around . Fullerton, CA: Knowledge Transfer

Publishing.





What Is Performance Management?

“Performance management reminds us that

being busy is not the same as producing

results. It reminds us that training, strong

commitment and lots of hard work alone

are not results. The major contribution of

performance management is its focus on

achieving results -- useful products and

services for customers inside and outside

the organization. Performance management

redirects our efforts away from busynesstoward effectiveness.”

Source: Retrieved from

http://www.mapnp.org/library/perf_mng/de

fntion.htm

9. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

This chapter deals with the often unpopular subject of evaluating volunteer performance. To be clear

from the outset, it is entirely appropriate to `evaluate' the performance of volunteers. Volunteers

should be no less accountable for their behaviour and performance than any other member

of the team. Some people, even experienced managers of volunteers, wince at the thought of

monitoring and “managing” volunteer performance. To some, it seems antithetical to volunteering.

The thinking goes something like this: “If volunteers

are good enough to work for us for nothing, who are

we to be critical of their efforts?” That sentimentmight have been an appropriate perspective twenty or

more years ago when the concept of due diligence was

relatively unheard of, when law suits were less

common, and when the public held nonprofits to a

much lower degree of accountability. It has no place

in modern volunteering ... unless the work of the

volunteers in question is completely unimportant and

errors in performance have no consequence of note.

While the concept of volunteer performance evaluation

is something that managers of volunteers may need towork at accepting, it may be even more surprising to

some volunteers. There are still volunteers and

prospective volunteers who, really without giving it too

much thought, assume that volunteering is a pretty

easy-going activity that happens without much fuss or

bother. Most would agree, if pressed to consider it for

a few moments, that volunteer work is usually

important enough to warrant some manner of quality assurance.

This is a critical concept that volunteers must understand and willingly accept from their earliest

contact with your organization. No one - pay status notwithstanding - should consider themselvesabove accountability. That would suggest that a volunteer’s participation in volunteer activity was

more important than the results of their work for the organization and those it serves. Such a sense

of entitlement really has no place in modern volunteering any longer. To not monitor volunteer

performance, or to lower standards for unpaid workers communicates the messages that their

work is not sufficiently important to monitor and that we don’t care what they do or do not

do for us.

http://www.mapnp.org/library/perf_mng/defntion.htm








Following are important principles that underpin volunteer performance evaluation:

• feedback on volunteer performance doesn’t necessarily mean criticism; volunteer supervisors

should actively seek opportunities to catch volunteers doing things right and be certain to

express appreciation and praise wherever possible

• volunteer performance feedback should not be reserved for just the formal appraisal sessions;regular feedback, particularly of the positive variety, reinforces excellence and establishes a

more receptive attitude among volunteers for those times when enhancements in performance

are called for

• volunteer performance evaluation reflects the importance of volunteer contributions to the

program or activity in which they are engaged

- an absence of feedback is both demeaning and disturbing

- without feedback, volunteers cannot know how to achieve success and that is the fastest

route to the destruction of volunteer motivation

-volunteers do not volunteer to do a bad job, and constructive and supportive feedback is a

significant component of volunteer recognition

- performance evaluation helps the program to better involve volunteers and ensures thatvolunteer involvement is contributing as much as possible to the aims of the program or

activity





HOW

Evaluating Volunteer PerformanceTO

• make performance feedback a positive experience; criticism should always be

constructive; the focus should not be on what is inadequate, but on how performance

can be improved; feedback is never punitive; identify volunteer strengths and interests;

identify growth areas, provide support and learning and development opportunities that

help volunteers to improve their skills and capacities

• performance feedback can be informal and low key, as long as volunteers clearly hear

messages about what is and is not working well; the light touch should not be so light

that the volunteer misses the message

• offer whatever assistance you can to help volunteers to meet standards, e.g., more

training, more coaching, more frequent supervision, a buddy to work with, an altered

work environment, etc.• use evaluation as a human resource management tool e.g., assess changes in volunteer

motivation, interests, and volunteer-related goals; re-check placement, contract terms,

position description, training and skill development requirements; make changes

wherever possible that will lead to enhanced volunteer satisfaction and related successes

• since performance feedback should be as much about what volunteers are doing right as

what they need to improve, it is most effective when it starts as soon as volunteers enter

their positions and continues throughout volunteers’ involvement; if volunteers

understand that this is “how we work here” then they expect feedback from the very

beginning, and resentment has no opportunity to develop

• correct problems immediately; do not save up a list of errors for the annual review!

• performance feedback can be based on information from a variety of sources, e.g., directobservation, submitted reports from the volunteer him or herself, employees or other

supervisor feedback, self-evaluations, program records, third party feedback

If a problem arises in a volunteer's performance, be sure to consult the SJA Discipline policies and

procedures. They outline the specific steps that supervisors must follow.





Follow-Through

Along with positive reinforcement for work well done, a plan should be created that sets out

expectations for change/improvement when warranted. The plan should be detailed and specific

about performance/behaviour changes, and include a deadline by which the volunteer will beexpected to exhibit the requisite changes.

Failure to follow through on performance improvement plans is one of the most common

deficiencies in performance management programs. Not following up sends a clear signal to the

volunteer that you were not serious to begin with and suggests that future feedback will be equally

meaningless. Every request for performance enhancement should be followed-up on by the agreed

upon date, and additional feedback provided to the volunteer regarding their efforts to meet

standards. Additional improvement plans should be created or disciplinary action initiated if the

volunteer fails to fulfil the performance improvement plan in the agreed upon time frame.

Further Resources On Evaluating Performance

McCurley, Steve and Sue Vineyard. (1998). Handling Problem Volunteers. Downer’s Grove, IL:

Heritage Arts Publishing.

McCurley, Steve. “Volunteer Evaluation”. Part of the CASA volunteer program management

resources, available at:

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/voleval.htm

There is an abundance of help on the web around performance evaluation and management. Search

on key phrases such as “performance management” and “performance improvement plan” and you

will find plenty of practical assistance, sample worksheets and templates from multiple sources.





10. RECOGNITION

Recognition is the volunteer’s pay cheque and volunteer recognition is an element of volunteer

involvement that is taken extraordinarily seriously at SJA. A formal volunteer recognition system

generates deeper commitment, longer retention, and a stronger will to do one’s very best.

Recognition is therefore good for the volunteer and good for the organization that engages the

volunteer.

A full volunteer recognition system is in place throughout SJA. It tracks involvement and assigns

rewards to volunteers in all positions. Investiture into the Order of St John represents the pinnacleof this system through which SJA’s most dedicated volunteers receive the highest possible

recognition for their contributions.

Principles of Volunteer Recognition

Following are nine principles of volunteer recognition that have emerged from decades of volunteer

program management, combined with new knowledge about how the volunteer labour force is

changing. Organizations which finds ways to integrate these principles into their volunteer

recognition programs will reap rewards in volunteer productivity, more congenial relationships, less

conflict, greater volunteer satisfaction, and the ever-prized enhanced volunteer retention rates.

• Volunteer recognition should be meaningful to the volunteer upon whom it is bestowed. The

“one size fits all” concept definitely does not apply here. Formal receptions, certificates and

plaques are appreciated by some volunteers and virtually meaningless to others. Some

volunteers volunteer for the public profile and status, but most volunteer to make a difference.

For the former, the public acknowledgement of a reception or awards ceremony helps to keep

them connected and committed to the organization and its mission. For the latter, regular

recognition of their presence along with feedback on the value of their accomplishments will

be much more effective than all the pins and certificates in the world.

• Volunteer recognition has a “short shelf life” and must be given frequently and repeatedly.Recognition should be thought of as a continuous and ongoing process from the start of a

volunteer’s entry into a program.

• Everyone appreciates courtesy, respect and positive reinforcement. So give these things

repeatedly.





• Employees rarely understand how important volunteer appreciation is to volunteers, and the

need to give continuous appreciation can generate resentment in employees who do not see

that recognition is the volunteer’s pay cheque. Do not assume that employees understand how

vital volunteer recognition is or that they know how to deliver it appropriately.

• Recognition must be delivered in a timely fashion - as close as possible to the achievement

of the volunteer. An immediate thank you is better than a proclamation six months later.

• Volunteer recognition must be honest and sincere. If you do not mean it, do not say it. Make

sure recognition is consistent, fair (and perceived as fair) and deserved - if you reward

volunteers who are not performing well, it only de-values the good work of others; if

recognition is not consistent, favouritism may be suspected.

• The basis for recognition can vary. Historically, organizations have based their volunteer

recognition systems on length of service with the organization. Typically, incremental awards

have been given for long-term commitment. Since most volunteers now prefer short-term positions and organizations are responding creatively with short-term assignments, the basis

for volunteer recognition must change from length of service to nature and degree of

accomplishment. This should be reflected in policy.

• Good management of the volunteer program is recognition in and of itself. Volunteers

recognize a well-run volunteer program and appreciate your attention to their efforts. Regard

to their working conditions, their safety and well-being, the tools and information they need

to fulfil their position well - these are the things that really demonstrate to volunteers that you

notice their presence, care about their experience, and respect their precious gifts of time and

skills.

• Maintain accurate records on the work of all volunteers including the nature of the work they

have done, the hours of service they have worked, and the kind of accomplishments they have

achieved. The SJA Unity program is designed to meet this need.





Further Resources On Volunteer Recognition

Vineyard, Sue. (2001). Recognizing Volunteers: The Art, The Science, And A Gazillion Ideas!

Downer’s Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

Vineyard, Sue. (1989). Beyond Banquets, Plaques and Pins: Creative Ways to Recognize

Volunteers and Staff. Downers Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

Wittich, Bill. (2003). 77 Ways To Recognize Volunteers. Fullerton, CA: Knowledge Transfer

Publishing.

The St. John UNITY Program

UNITY is SJA’s online registration database that will help keep complete records for all students,

instructors and volunteers across the country. Within each contact record there will be information onregistrations, volunteering service hours, qualifications and any honours and awards the contact has

received. This tool will be beneficial to both the Councils and the clients because no matter what Council

or branch you walk into, the information will be readily available and up to date. This will be helpful in the

prevention of duplicate records in multiple branches and Councils as well as maintaining up to date

information on the individual or account.

UNITY will be especially beneficial to volunteers and the management of volunteer involvement. A

complete record of all qualifications, classes taken, events attended etc. will be available for each

volunteer. As well as the employees of SJA being able to update the records, the volunteers will also have

the opportunity to go online and view their own information. This can be achieved by requesting a user ID

and a password from the local Council and going to the E-Volunteer website that has been developed for

this specific purpose. Here they volunteers can see all of their personal information, events attended, position/roles achieved, and all honours and awards received. The volunteer will also be allowed to request

participation on upcoming events within their unit or Council.





11. DISCIPLINARY ACTION

It does not happen often, but from time to time volunteers will step far enough out of line to require

disciplinary intervention by the supervisor up to and including dismissal.

There are more- and less-effective ways to fulfill every volunteer position and to deny that some

volunteers do not always measure up to minimum standards conveys the impression that the work

is irrelevant and insignificant. Every program that engages volunteers must consider that at

some point it may have to deliver corrective action and even dismissal in connection with a

volunteer’s substandard performance or inappropriate behaviour. As is the case withemployees, corrective action must be based on the volunteer’s failure to meet the requirements of

the position which is another good reason to prepare comprehensive position descriptions. They

establish the basis for accountability and the rationale for corrective action.

It is important to note that not all mis-performance by volunteers constitutes grounds for disciplinary

action. Far from it. In most instances, problems with volunteer performance are appropriately and

effectively addressed through the provision of positive and supportive intervention such as position

modification, extra support, training and/or coaching (for more on this, see the chapter on

Supervision). Disciplinary action is only triggered when the behaviour clearly calls for a more

serious intervention, such as when a volunteer fails to respond to non-disciplinary methods of

performance management, or when the behaviour demonstrates carelessness, intent to doharm, serious poor judgement, or risks the safety of people or public trust in the organization.

The Right And The Obligation To Act

The most common weakness in disciplinary processes in volunteer programs is the failure of

supervisors to intervene early enough when a volunteer’s performance is not satisfactory.

The disciplinary function is identified as the most difficult aspect of volunteer program management,

probably because most of us do not like conflict and genuinely care about the feelings of others.

Some even question whether volunteers can be disciplined or dismissed because they are volunteers.This doubt is based on an outdated notion that because volunteers give and give, the organization

has no rights in the equation. This could not be further from the truth. It is true that volunteers give

of themselves and their skills and their time, but that does not mean that the organization does not

have both the right and the obligation to ensure that the volunteer’s involvement is contributing to

the achievement of the mission, and represents the most effective and efficient application of

organization resources towards that end. Remember that organizations do not exist to give

volunteers a place to volunteer. Nor do volunteers have an entitlement to participation.





The bottom line is that every organization that involves volunteers should reserve the right to require

compliance with all policies, procedures and work rules, and to respectfully request enhancements

in position performance when a volunteer is not meeting performance standards. A volunteer’s

failure to respond to direction of this nature may generate the need for termination of their

involvement.

The SJA Discipline policies and procedures in the national operational policies and procedures

manual clearly outline steps to follow regarding disciplinary action. Every volunteer supervisor

ought to know the specifics of this policy and procedure and follow them without deviation.

Early and constructive intervention is often the best way to avoid having to step in with more serious

repercussions later.

Further Resources On Disciplinary Action

Deblieux, Michael. (1995). Documenting Discipline. Wes Des Moines, IA: American Media

Publishing.

Deems, Richard S. (1994). I Have To Fire Someone! Wes Des Moines, IA: American Media

Publishing.

Graff, Linda L. (1999). Yes You Can! Discipline and Dismissal of Volunteers. AudioWorkshop™

Dundas: Linda Graff And Associates Inc.

Hauge, Jennifer Chandler and Melanie L. Herman. (1999). Taking the High Road: A Guide to

Effective and Legal Employment Practices for Nonprofits. Washington, DC: Nonprofit Risk

Management Center.

McCurley, Steve. (1993). “How To Fire A Volunteer And Live To Tell About It”. Grapevine.

Jan/Feb. Available from:

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/fire.htm

McCurley, Steve. (1998). “Why Good Volunteers Do Bad Things: A Look At The Subtleties Of

Volunteer Motivation”. Grapevine. Nov/Dec. Available from:

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/motivation.htm

Visconti, Ron and Richard Stiller. (1994). Rightful Termination: Avoiding Litigation. Menlo Park,

CA: Crisp Publications, Inc.





An organization cannot

manage the risks it does

not identify.

12. RISK MANAGEMENT

All volunteer involvement generates some degree of risk. The degree of risk changes from setting

to setting, depending on variables such as the nature of the work volunteers are asked to do, the

environment in which the volunteers perform their duties, the level of vulnerability of those

volunteers work with and have access to, and the effectiveness of the management systems in place

to guide and support volunteers’ efforts.

In reality, life is full of risks and in this sense, volunteer participation is no exception. Indeed, if we

needed a guarantee of zero risk, most of us would never get out of bed, drive a car, board a plane,invest our money, or allow our children out of the house. The mere presence of risks related to

volunteer involvement should be neither the focus of attention nor a cause for alarm. What

is important is how we manage those risks.

Risks must be identified and controlled. The more attention given to

risks at a conscious level, the greater the likelihood of identifying

their presence early and managing them appropriately.

Risks are usually present both in the coordination of volunteer

involvement (how the program manager(s) and agency administration organize involvement), as well

as in the work itself. The general rule is that the more demanding the work, and/or the moredirect the contact between the volunteer and the “client”, the greater the potential risk.

Volunteers are often in positions of significant risk. It is good to keep in mind that risks may also

exist even in what appear to be straightforward and relatively safe volunteer positions. For

example, youth volunteers in an after-school activity program with younger children always work

on site, in the company of adults who actively supervise the work. What is the risk you might ask?

The young children are driven home by their parents, but many of the youth-mentors have to walk

across an unlit parking lot on their way home. The parking lot is dark and isolated in the winter

months. That constitutes a risk.

Nonprofit organizations have both a legal and a moral responsibility to attend to the safety and well-

being of those they serve, those who work for them, and others who come into contact with their operations. As a result, nonprofit organizations must integrate risk management into all of their

planning and decision making activities. This applies broadly to all aspects of an organization’s

activities.





Risk Management Assumptions

It is prudent to assume the following as you begin to think about and apply risk management:

• There are no absolutes and no guarantees in risk management. The implementation of a risk

management system cannot prevent all risks. Things can, and do, still go wrong.

• Ignoring the potential for trouble never makes it go away and often exacerbates the outcome.

• Risk management is not designed just for the extremely risk situation; it should be applied to

all volunteer activity.

• Making every reasonable effort to control risks will often avert disaster and/or minimize the

magnitude of harm that results should a risk actually materialize.

• If something does go wrong, any attempts that have been made to anticipate and prevent the

loss or tragedy through a risk management process will constitute concrete proof of diligence,and consequently reduce personal and organizational exposure to liability.

• To be effective, risk management must be a continuous process rather than a one-time project.

Rising Standards

A few recent high profile cases of abuse by people in positions of trust in nonprofit organizations

have served to dramatically raise legal standards and demands for public accountability. These

changes have arisen so quickly that organizations which have not significantly increased their

attention to risk management in volunteer services in the last three to five years, are very likely

exposing both volunteers and clients to greater risk of harm and the organizations to greater

liability. Best practices that were considered adequate just a few years ago would be judged as

woefully sub-standard if not wholly negligent by today's standards. Risk management has become

an indispensable function in the management of volunteer resources.

Risks and liabilities related to volunteer involvement are exacerbated by two associated trends.

• First, Canadian society has become significantly more ‘litigational’. In a clear pattern no

longer confined to the United States, people are suing others more often, and nonprofit

organizations are not immune from legal accountability. Organizations are being sued across

the country, sometimes specifically because of the activities of volunteers.

• Second, as resources become scarcer, organizations look to volunteers to take on increasingly

responsible positions. Economic pressures on nonprofits have lead to cutbacks and layoffs

and that means there are fewer supervisory employees to oversee performance standards

among volunteers. Less supervision invites greater risks. It is generally true that volunteer

involvement has expanded faster than resources are being allocated for appropriate

volunteer program oversight. The result is that organizations fail to keep pace with

constantly increasing legal and public accountability standards.





As long as volunteers are confined to simple and routine chores, away from direct contact with

clients or the public, agency administration has little with which to concern itself regarding risk. As

soon as an organization chooses to assign demanding, responsible, and direct-service work to

volunteers, the consequence of error multiplies, and an obligation arises to responsibly manage

volunteers as the real workers they have been asked to become. As the employer, organizations havecorresponding ethical and legal obligations to ensure that volunteers work in the safest manner

possible, in the least hazardous environment that can reasonably be created.

The Aims Of Risk Management

The possibility of accident, injury, loss or damage is always present. But this is the case in nearly

everything we do. It is important not to ignore risks, but it is equally important not to become

immobilized by them either. What is needed is a rational, systematic approach to risk management

that reduces and controls risks as much as reasonably possible.

There are two central and distinct aims of every risk management process.

• Prevention of harm and loss must always be the first priority of every risk manager. It is

clearly preferable to keep things from going wrong in the first place than it is to deal with the

consequences of tragedies and disasters after the fact.

• Liability reduction is a close second aim of every risk manager. Given that things can and do

go wrong, even with the best prevention mechanisms in place, it is entirely appropriate to

undertake measures that reduce personal and organizational liability exposure.

Risk Management Is Not Difficult or Mysterious

Risk management may sound complicated and highly technical, but the reality is that in most

circumstances, it is neither. In fact, we all engage in risk management all of the time; we just do not

label our actions and decisions as such, and we are not as systematic about our efforts as we probably

should be.

Tremper and Kostin (1993: 4) make good sense when they say:

“ At its heart, risk management is not a new trick, and it's not something mysterious. It's an

orientation to everything you do that is highly consistent with every charitable mission. Risk

management is not just looking for trouble, it's looking for solutions that make your organizationmore effective.

Doing good offers no exemption from doing good well.




3 A comprehensive overview of this particular model applied to volunteer involvement

can be found in the author’s risk management manual, Better Safe ... Risk Management In

Volunteer Programs & Community Service (Linda L. Graff, 2003).


Risk Management Means Much More Than Buying Insurance

One of the most prevalent and most serious risk-related errors made by nonprofit executives

(boards and senior staff) is to think that risk management is synonymous with buying

insurance and that buying insurance somehow manages risks. Not only are these assumptionsinaccurate. More importantly, they actually serve to increase risks rather than decrease them!

Risk management involves identifying risks and then setting about to control them. There are

hundreds of ways that organizations can control risks - implementing strategies, policies, boundaries,

workplace changes, etc., that prevent things from going wrong or lessen their severity if they do.

Insurance is merely the financial bandaid that is applied after a risk has actually materialized

and the organization is facing a financial obligation as a result. Buying insurance neither

diminishes the likelihood that a risk will materialize nor lessens the potential magnitude of

harm should it do so. In fact, the focus on insurance more typically diverts decision makers

from doing due diligence.

This is not to say that organizations should not purchase insurance. On the contrary. But to assume

that insurance is either the best or only response to risk is foolhardy at best, and negligent at worst.

Using A Risk Management Model

The essence of risk management is planning and prevention. The aim is to anticipate risks in

advance and then take conscious and appropriate measures to control or reduce those risks to a

tolerable level. While we all engage in risk management at an unconscious level all of the time, a

deliberate and systematic approach works best, and following a risk management model can prompt

us through the right steps at the right time to ensure appropriate risk identification and management.

There are many risk management models available to support an organization’s risk management

program. The one we favour and which is in widespread use throughout SJA is relatively simple

four-step model that also offers useful guidance about four distinct approaches to risk control.3 A

full explanation of the model is beyond what we can include in this handbook, but Councils and

Units are strongly urged to implement some form of organized risk management in connection with

volunteer involvement.





HOW

The Four Ps of Risk EliminationTO

Risk management is a complex and serious matter, fundamental to all effective nonprofit

management. This typology merely illustrates that there are many different ways of

approaching prevention of harm in connection with volunteer involvement.

Position: Are there changes to the volunteer position that could be made to prevent or reduce

harm?

Person: Are there changes related to the person in the position or to the personnel complement

of the program that could prevent or reduce harm?

Physical Environment: Are there alterations to the environment in which the position takes place that might prevent or reduce harm?

Performance Management: Is it possible to supervise, support, or work more closely with the

volunteer in such a way as to enhance prevention?





Creating A Risk-Aware Culture

Enlisting help in the risk identification and management process is critical to early detection and

effective control of risks. Develop a positive organizational culture about risk management that both

empowers and rewards all personnel for risk identification, reporting and control initiatives.

HOW

How To Create A Risk Aware Culture In Your OrganizationTO

Communicate: Create opportunities to talk about risk. Help volunteers understand that risk is

a normal part of doing business. Help them to become conscious of risks in their day-to-day

environment. Encourage identification and reporting of risks wherever volunteers work

throughout the organization. Make sure that employees feel comfortable reporting risks related

to volunteer involvement. Communicate that risk management creates a safer workingenvironment for all.

Educate: Enhance risk identification skills through ongoing training, case conferences, in-

service sessions, supervisory meetings, performance reviews, etc. Help volunteers to

understand the full range of risk control options available in their own area of the workplace,

including the small things that everybody can do to increase safety. Help them to know what

issues should be reported, and to whom.

Appreciate: Reward everyone who identifies and reports risks. Make risk management a

competency area and build it into the volunteer performance management system. Announce

successes, publicly acknowledge and reward volunteers’ efforts to make the workplace and theorganization’s services safer for everyone. Attention to risk management and good risk

reduction ideas could become the basis of a special annual volunteer recognition award.

Implement: People need to see that their efforts bring results. Follow up on all suggestions.

Implement risk control strategies and report back to the risk identifier on actions that have

been taken.





Further Resources on Risk Management

Camp Fire Boys and Girls. (1996). Management of Risks and Emergencies: A Workbook for

Administrators. Kansas City, Mo: Camp Fire Boys and Girls. (Revised Ed.).

Graff, Linda L. (2003). Better Safe ... Risk Management In Volunteer Programs & Community

Service. Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff and Associates Inc.

Graff, Linda L. (1999). Beyond Police Checks: The Definitive Volunteer And Employee Screening

Guidebook. Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff and Associates Inc.

Graff, Linda L. (1997). By Definition: Policies For Volunteer Programs. Dundas, Ontario: Linda

Graff and Associates Inc.

Lai, Mary L., Terry S. Chapman and Elmer L. Steinbock. (1992). Am I Covered For ...? A

Comprehensive Guide To Insuring Your Non-Profit Organization. (Second edition) San Jose, Cal.:Consortium for Human Services, Inc.

Patterson, John. (1995). Child Abuse Prevention Primer. Washington, DC: Nonprofit Risk

Management Center.

Minnesota Office On Volunteer Services. (1992). How To Control Liability & Risk In Volunteer

Programs. St. Paul: Minnesota Office on Volunteer Services.

Seidman, Anna. (2000). Negotiating the Legal Maze to Volunteer Service. Washington, DC:

Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Available from:

http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/csb/csb_mze.htm

Tremper, Charles, and Gwynne Kostin. (1993). No Surprises: Controlling Risks In Volunteer

Programs, Washington, D.C.: Nonprofit Risk Management Centre.

Check Out These Web Sites for information on risk management

www.allianceonline.org

www.charity-commision.gov.uk

www.eriskcenter.org

http://www.iciclesoftware.com/vlh7/http://www.law-nonprofit.org/

http://www.ncinfo.iog.unc.edu/pubs/electronicversions/slb/archive.htm

("Legal Issues in School Volunteer Programs" (4-Part series))

www.nonprofitrisk.org


http://www.allianceonline.org/

http://www.charity-commision.gov.uk/

http://www.eriskcenter.org/

http://www.iciclesoftware.com/vlh7/

http://www.law-nonprofit.org/

http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/

http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/

http://www.law-nonprofit.org/

http://www.iciclesoftware.com/vlh7/

http://www.eriskcenter.org/

http://www.charity-commision.gov.uk/

http://www.allianceonline.org/






REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

SJA Resources

St. John Ambulance Intranet

St. John Ambulance national operational policies and procedures manual

Other Resources

Subject-specific references have been included at the end of each chapter throughout this

handbook. Following is a list of the more general titles and many of what we consider to be the

best and most influential titles in the field of volunteer resources management.

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

(Revised Edition). Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

Esmond, Judy. (2001). “Boomnet: Capturing the Baby Boomer Volunteers.” Monograph. Perth:

Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Western Australian Government. Retrieved from

http://www.dpc.wa.gov.au/volunteer/boom.pdf

Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. (no date). “Best Practices for Developing a

Volunteer Program.” Retrieved from http://www.gosv.state.md.us/pubs/bestprac/seco1.htm

Graff, Linda L. (2003). Better Safe ... Risk Management In Volunteer programs & Community

Service. Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff And Associates Inc.

Graff, Linda L. (1999). Beyond Police Checks: The Definitive Volunteer & Employee Screening

Guidebook . Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff And Associates Inc.

Graff, Linda L. (1999) “Yes You Can! Discipline and Dismissal of Volunteers.” AudioWorkshop™

Dundas, Ontario: Linda Graff And Associates Inc.

Graff, Linda L. (1997) By Definition: Policies For Volunteer Programs. Dundas, Ontario: Linda

Graff And Associates Inc.

Johnstone, Ginette. (ed.) (2004). Management of Volunteer Services in Canada: The Text. (Revised

Edition). Carp, Ontario: Johnstone Training and Consultation (JTC) Inc.

MacKenzie, Marilyn and Gail Moore. (1993). The Volunteer Development Toolbox. Downer’s

Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.







Macduff, Nancy. (2004). Episodic Volunteering: Organizing And Managing The Short-Term

Volunteer Program. Walla Walla, WA: MBA Publising.

Munson, Mary Kay and Sheri Seibold. (2001). “Volunteer Management: Expanding Volunteer

Management Systems.” Retrieved from

http://www.reeusda.gov/f4hn/v2k/Volunteer_Management_Expanding.htm

Noble, Joy, Louise Rogers and Andy Fryar. (2003). Volunteer Management: An Essential Guide.

Second Edition. Adelaide, South Australia: Volunteering SA Inc.

Scheier, Ivan (1988). Staff/Volunteer Relations Collection. Philadelphia: Energize Inc.

Vineyard, Sue and Steve McCurley. (2001). Best Practices For Volunteer Programs. Downer’sGrove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

Vineyard, Sue. (1996). Stop Managing Volunteers: New Competencies for Volunteer

Administrators. Downer’s Grove, IL: Heritage Arts Publishing.

Check out some of these web sites for information on volunteer management in general

www.energizeinc.com

www.volunteer.ca

www.volunteertoday.com

www.merrillassociates.net

www.ozvpm.com

www.charitychannel.com - The Volunteer Management Review

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/index.htm

The CASA Volunteers website:

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/index.htm

Journals

Journal of Volunteer Administration. Published by the Association For Volunteer Administration.

www.avaintl.org

Canadian Journal of Volunteer Resources Management. Published by the Canadian Administrators

of Volunteer Resources. www.cavr.org

e-Volunteerism. Electronic journal by subscription, published by Energize Inc.

www.energizeinc.com

http://www.energizeinc.ca/

http://www.volunteer.ca/

http://www.volunteertoday.com/

http://www.merrillassoc.com/

http://www.ozvpm.com/

http://www.charitychannel.com/

http://www.avaintl.org/

http://www.cavr.org/

http://www.energizeinc.com/

http://www.energizeinc.com/

http://www.cavr.org/

http://www.avaintl.org/

http://www.charitychannel.com/

http://www.ozvpm.com/

http://www.merrillassoc.com/

http://www.volunteertoday.com/

http://www.volunteer.ca/

http://www.energizeinc.ca/





APPENDICES





APPENDIX A

Sample Philosophy of Involvement Statements





APPENDIX A

Sample Philosophy of Involvement Statements

Here are a few examples of Philosophy of Involvement Statements. They are included here to

illustrate how organizations have crafted their own statements about volunteers and their roles. It

will be apparent that Philosophy of Involvement Statements are typically specific, brief, and succinct,

parallelling, for example, organizational mission and vision statements. However, an organization

may write as much or as little as suits its own needs and circumstances.

“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 personalized attention to consumers, enable the salaried

staff to concentrate on the work for which they were trained, and educate the public about our

organization and its cause.” (Susan Ellis, 1996: 21)

“The achievement of the goals of this agency is best served by the active participation of citizens of

the community. To this end, the agency accepts and encourages the involvement of volunteers at all

levels of the agency and within all appropriate programs and activities....”

(Steve McCurley, 1990: 2)

“Volunteers are an integral part of our team. Without them, we would be unable to offer the

outstanding quality of programming that we provide to our clients.”

(Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton,

quoted in Linda L. Graff, 1997)

“Volunteers are secondary only to the mission of the Red Cross. It is a well understood principle

that volunteerism for its own sake is not what the organization is about. The organization does not

exist to provide opportunities for volunteer involvement, but rather volunteer participation is valued

because it helps the Red Cross to accomplish its mission and reach out to provide services in the

most cost-effective and compassionate manner possible.”

(The American Red Cross, quoted in Linda L. Graff, 1997)





“Volunteer services enhance the programs and services offered to military families and foster

community awareness, pride and ownership of the MFRC. Volunteers are carefully recruited,

selected, trained and supervised and work in partnership with Centre staff. Our philosophy of

involvement includes appropriate orientation, opportunities for personal and professional

development, and ongoing recognition. We value the collaboration of volunteers and encouragetheir input in the planning of MFRC programs and activities.”

(The Military Family Resource Centre. Retrieved from:

http://www.mfrc-ncr.org/english/Volunteer.html on September 17, 2002)

“In the decades to come, volunteers will be woven into the fabric of BLM, playing a key role in

protecting the health of the public lands and providing better service to our publics. Volunteers will

be vital stewards of the public lands by serving as BLM team members, providing innovative ideas

and key resources, and serving as ambassadors in their local communities.”

(Bureau of Land Management, quoted in McCurley and Lynch, 1996: 17)

“The mission of Community Care Peterborough is achieved through active participation of the

community. Community Care values the involvement of volunteers in providing high quality services

to clients, enabling them to live more independently in their own homes.”

(Community Care Peterborough. Retrieved from:

Http://www.communitycareptbo.org/our_volunteers/our_volunteers_right/html on September 17,

2002)

“ In two major ways the Green Giant Company recognizes and accepts its responsibility to

participate substantially and responsibly in the society of which it is a part. Its first responsibility

is to exhibit social responsibility in all of its own business activities. Additionally, Green Giant is

committed to acting with its expertise, personnel, influence, and financial resources to aid in solving

societal problems and in improving overall life-quality, especially so in the communities where it

operates. This commitment recognizes that one of the company’s most valuable assets is its own

personnel. Therefore, to carry out this commitment, Green Giant encourages its company and

subsidiary employees to participate in community and civic affairs with their personal time and

talents.”

(The Green Giant Company, quoted in Steve McCurley

“Volunteer Recruitment Campaigns. Retrieved from:

http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/vlrccamp.htm on September 17,2002)

This last one from the Burlington, Ontario Parks and Recreation Department is put into use as an

impressive part of their recruitment publicity and surely helps prospective volunteers to feel that

volunteering for this organization would be both worthwhile and appreciated:

http://www.mfrc-ncr.org/english/Volunteer.html

http://www.mfrc-ncr.org/english/Volunteer.html





“Volunteers, and the contributions they make through volunteering, significantly enhance the quality

of life, community spirit, and leisure time opportunities in Burlington. Volunteers are a valuable

human resource requiring and warranting support and encouragement to maintain and develop

their skills and to ensure their continued involvement in the provision of leisure opportunitiesthroughout the City. The Parks and Recreation Department will continue to develop and provide

support for volunteers and volunteer groups to ensure their continued involvement in leisure services

and to develop this resource to its fullest.”

(Quoted in Linda L. Graff, 1997)





APPENDIX B

Summary: Assessing and Meeting the Needs of Your Community



APPENDIX B

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE OF CANADA

Summary: Assessing and Meeting the Needs of the Community

GENERAL

1. St. John Ambulance members serve their communities by providing training in various health

care programs to individuals and groups, and through direct service using volunteers skilled in first

aid, health care and health promotion. St. John Ambulance is a non-profit organization, and to

remain viable, relevant and strong, it must be operated in a business-like manner.

2. This instruction offers guidance to assessing the needs of the community in which your unit

operates. The objective is to provide community service relevant to the community’s needs. The

overall process addresses three questions:a. Where are we now?

b. Where do we want to go?

c. How can we get there?

3. A detailed explanation of this process, and step-by-step procedures to assist in the process is

available in Assessing and Meeting the Needs of Your Community (SJA – 2000). This document can

be used in conjunction with the St. John Ambulance Recruitment Guide (SJA – 2000).

DEFINITIONS

4. A need is a circumstance, requirement or potential problem that requires some course of action.

5. Needs assessment is an attempt to find out what people need or want, and how St. John

Ambulance can best address them. It is a systematic process for finding out who has the need, how

important it is that the need be filled, and how many people are experiencing the need. Needs

assessment should also examine why a particular need exists to help determine some possible

solutions for meeting identified needs.

6. Evaluation is the systematic and objective assessment of performance. It is necessary to carry out

evaluations throughout a project, to ensure goals are being met, to determine what works and what

doesn’t, and to provide guidance for developing the most appropriate next steps. Evaluations

determine whether the project is successful, both throughout its development and after its

completion.

OVERVIEW OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT PROCESS

7. Effective implementation of needs assessment within your community involves progress through

five phases: entry, needs assessment, planning, action, and evaluation and renewal



ENTRY PHASE

8. Focus on the existing situation: Where are we now? Areas to cover are:

a. Historical Background

Determine what programs are currently offered by St. John Ambulance, what services are

provided, and how they are provided.

b. Client Analysis

Determine:

i. those clients presently receiving St. John Ambulance services;

ii. other client groups not being served;

iii. whether the size or composition of these client groups will be changing;

iv. what services might be expected and what demands might be made.

c. Competitor Analysis

Ascertain which competitors are servicing the client base, and what programs or services they

offer. Determine if the competition is effective, and what their marketing strategies are (price,

promotion, etc.).

d. Environment of the Target Community

Learn as much as possible about the environment in which you want to introduce a new program.

Look for:

i. physical characteristics (area layout, visible barriers, where people gather);

ii. population (proportion of age groups, seniors, families with children);

iii. economy (prosperous, level of unemployment, etc.);

iv. power structure (the most powerful and influential people in the community, and how they

react to social and health concerns. How can they best be approached? What are the

appropriate communication channels? How can the power structure help or hinder? How isSt. John Ambulance perceived in the community?).

NEEDS ASSESSMENT PHASE

9. Focus on health needs and public acceptance: Where do we want to go? The following tasks

should be undertaken during this phase:

a. Identify the issue and initiate action;

b. Gather facts, opinions and perceptions about community health needs. Whenever possible,

involve people in gathering information about themselves to heighten their commitment tosupporting your project;

c. Determine community priorities;

d. Learn what skills and resources already exist, including people, services, facilities, materials,

programs and funding available in the community;

e. Ensure acceptance of the proposed project from key individuals, to gain legitimacy for it;

f. Decide which issues to tackle first. Choose a priority and identify the target group;

g. Increase public awareness of the issue. Convince others that the problem exists;

h. Gain commitment to action;

i. Move to the planning phase.



PLANNING PHASE

10. Focus attention on how to respond to the needs: How can we get there? Explore and choose

methods of responding to health needs, and acquire necessary resources. It is essential to ensure the

groundwork is done, that both the entry and needs assessment phases are complete before planning

specific strategies.

11. The planning phase has three major tasks:

a. Develop an initial business plan. Include:

i. statement of need, with background information about the focus of the proposed project;

ii. basic values upon which the plan is based;

iii.overall goal of the plan;

iv. target group to receive the service;

v. objectives: the desired behaviour change or awareness to be achieved;

vi. roles, tasks and timelines required to carry out the plan;

vii. budget and other resource requirements, and how they will be acquired;

viii. evaluation plans.

b. Review the business plan with relevant individuals and groups. Involve people who are helpful

and interested, people with influence, and people from the target group to keep the plan realistic

and relevant.

c. Finalize the business plan, based on the review. Include:

i. tasks and timelines:

· who is responsible for what;

· dates for completion of steps of the project;

· how the service will be provided.

ii. resource plan:

· how many volunteers;· recruitment and retention strategies;

· volunteer training (type of training and how to carry it out);

· materials;

· facilities;

· financial impact of the plan, and necessary funds;

· budget preparation, including who has spending authority;

· how to acquire resources.

iii.evaluation plan:

· marker for completion of plans;

· staying within resource limits;

· accomplishment of goal;· client satisfaction.

ACTION PHASE

12. During the action phase, attention is focused on community action.

13. The major task is implementing the plans developed during the planning phase. It is now time

to call in the commitments people made, and to mobilize resources so that the plan can be carried

out.



EVALUATION AND RENEWAL PHASE

14. This phase focuses on evaluation and rejuvenation. After each phase, ongoing evaluation

provides answers to what has been done, what the next immediate objective should be, and

alternative methods for reaching the objective. The final evaluation examines the new existing

situation, determining where the project is currenly, and where it should go in the future.

15. Evaluations should lead to a re-examination of the new situation, which may result in changesand renewal of some aspects of the project.





APPENDIX C

Standardized Volunteer Position Description Template



Position Description

TEMPLATE – SJA First Aid/CPR Instructor Sample

Position Title:

What is this position to be called?

Eg. St. John Ambulance First Aid/CPR Instructor

Participant Group:

Who are the people participating in the programs and services?

How vulnerable are they?

Does the position involve direct work with: Preschoolers, Children (9-12 years), Children (6-9 years),

Youth, General Public, Seniors, Families, Persons with a disability, Others (describe)

Eg. Volunteer instructors will deliver first aid/CPR training to……

Term of Appointment:

What is the time frame? Is it renewable? How often? How many hours a week/days a month? Is there

a concentrated period of work?

Eg. Three-year certification period, requiring monitoring. Instructor’s hours vary.

Goals of the Position: What is the primary function of the position? What is the purpose of this position? How does it

contribute to the mission of the organization?

Eg. Instructors deliver classroom training, which raises funds for the Association, or allows Community

Services to perform their duties.

Tasks:

List responsibilities. List all of the duties of the position broken down into reasonable sized tasks.

• educate

• motivate

• responsible for course administration that documents the training accomplished

• advise clients on compliance with the relevant Occupational Health and Safety legislation

• etc.

Boundaries and Limits of the Position:

List the Do’s and Don’ts of the position

• The instructor must adhere to the current protocols and procedures as communicated by the Training

Office

Skills/Knowledge/Experience:

What are the criteria for selection: What skills are needed or would be useful? What interests might it

appeal to?

• The instructor must be 18 years old

• Have at minimum a current St. John Ambulance Standard First aid certificate, a current St. John

Ambulance Level C CPR certificate, attende• Etc.

Qualifications:

What skills are needed or would be useful? What interests might it appeal to?

Leaders of volunteer groups that require first aid/CPR training, persons responsible for Occupational

Health and Safety programs, or health care workers often find instructor certification useful.

. . . /



Suitability Factors:

What personal qualities must the person posses to succeed in the position? Are there personality traits

that would be an asset in doing this position?

• impartial

• organized

• outgoing

• personable

• professional appearance

Orientation/Training Required:

• leadership training

• respect in the workplace training

• access to SJA policies, procedures and operations manuals

• event-specific orientation

Support/Supervision/Evaluation:

• 24/7 access to divisional duty officer

• reports to unit coordinator (formerly referred to as divisional superintendent)

• initial police record check followed by annual attestation

Working Conditions:

• Working outside in all kinds of weather

• Long periods of walking, standing or sitting

• Potentially stressful environment

• Required to multi-task

Benefits:

• financial costs covered and reimbursed as and when possible (at Council discretion)

• gain leadership experience for resume, personal satisfaction and promotion within SJA

• opportunity to identify personal strengths

• opportunity to experience wide range of community events

• opportunity to be recognized as a community leader • organizational recognition for achievements

Screening Measures:

Refer to SJA Screening Cycle policy

Level of Risk:

• High risk

working effectively with volunteers

Documents

volunteer setting

grafflinda graff

goals of volunteer involvement

volunteers handbook

handbook design

volunteer employee teams

initial screening protocol

training design