What Does Volunteer Management Involve?
As the name implies, volunteer management involves managing volunteers. There are plenty of tools and resources that can help management to do this. Organisations need volunteers, but those volunteers require proper coordination. This is something that management provides. The goal of volunteer management is to utilise the resources of volunteers in the most effective way possible. That way, both volunteers and the organisation will benefit. You’ll discover that there are many approaches to volunteer management, as well as different strategies that can be followed. We utilise many resources when finding the best methods of volunteer coordination, such as international literature on the topic. Courses in online trustee training provide all you need to know to boost your confidence about such.
There is a limited pool of volunteers available, and the marketplace is fairly crowded. Organisations need to take care of volunteers so that they are able to retain them. Not only do organisations have to compete with each other for volunteers, but potential volunteers must choose between numerous opportunities. Many of the clients we work with want to enhance management, increase recruitment, and get a clearer picture of the influence volunteers to have.
At the time of writing, more than 47,000 organisations are recruiting volunteers. There are upwards of 1.4 million live opportunities for volunteers right now. When looking at these numbers, it’s clear that organisations must take the appropriate approach to volunteer management. Not only is it essential to draw in potential volunteers, but it’s important that organisations retain the volunteers they have.
These are some of the best ways for organisations to increase their appeal to volunteers:
Research shows that it’s essential to act quickly during the recruiting process, and providing necessary information is also important. One survey found that 36{5d5c1da3ba6166948ba80341857d99d368cb3525939419b723348d9de83ff7bb} of would-be volunteers struggled because applications were not responded to or because of a lack of information from the organisation.
Learn more about what volunteers are looking for, as well as what they can offer. Work to foster a positive relationship between the organisation and the volunteers.
Let volunteers know how their works will be benefiting the community, the organisation, and other beneficiaries.
Strive to make volunteer positions more attractive. Share photos that showcase volunteers at work. Talk about the positive impact volunteers have. Make sure volunteers have job titles that accurately describe their role.
You should also confirm that your website displays properly on mobile. Currently, more than 50{5d5c1da3ba6166948ba80341857d99d368cb3525939419b723348d9de83ff7bb} of potential volunteers are accessing sites via mobile devices, and that number is likely to increase going forward. Opportunities should always be advertised on sites that are mobile-friendly.
The Best Suggestions for Volunteer Management
Seek out independent guidance. Set benchmarks and assess your processes. Make sure you’re living up to the Investing in Volunteers best practice indicators.
Make sure that volunteers have an appropriate level of support. Work to boost confidence in volunteers. Provide them with the information they need. Offer additional support through advisers or peer to peer groups.
Make sure volunteer achievements are recognised. Celebrate new qualifications, volunteers that contribute large numbers of hours, and the positive outcomes that you achieve.
Look into CRM solutions, while this can be an investment, it can make it much easier to manage and track volunteer applications, outcomes, and other information. It can make it easier to coordinate volunteers, increasing your efficiency. Many organisations utilise CRM.
Track Volunteer Impact
Stakeholders typically want to see the impact volunteer work is having. That’s why it’s essential to collect the right kind of data. You’ll want to ensure you’re using an effective data collection method, analysing data regularly, and using that information in an effective way. You should begin by creating an impact framework. This will make it possible for you to collect many types of information, like:
The motivations and goals of volunteers, as well as information on demographics and diversity
The delivery is provided by volunteers, ranging from hours to financial contributions
The benefits volunteer gain, including social, economic, and personal benefits
The value that volunteers offer to the organisation
The ways volunteers are helping organisations to improve sustainability and to grow in-kind and financially