When it comes to high school students, a non-profit organization is very low on the priority list. Students often have homework, sports, activities, events, and more to the point, a life. They don’t want or need one more thing to do.

Flexibility is the key with students. Never, ever rely completely on high school students as your key volunteers for any crucial project. They may be absent, forget about a prior commitment, or who knows what else. There are too many variables involved.

Invest some time assembling a series of small, focused projects that are important, but not under a critical deadline. Clear directions are a must as is soda on most occasions.

Remember, you are immersed in your world and the students most certainly are not. Take a few minutes to explain the big picture of the project: how it fits into the whole of your organization.

If you can find two students to work together, then all the better. I think it’s much easier for multiple students to enter an unfamiliar environment and do new things than it is for a loner.

Lastly, I think that providing some snacks and drinks go much further in expressing appreciation than inviting students to your yearly appreciation event. Cards are nice too, but a little something to make the time go faster has always made quite an impression on students I have worked with.

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“The newest crop of potential volunteers–baby boomers–is the most educated and driven in history, with a volunteer rate among the highest. But many boomers plan to keep working even as they start doing community service. So their time will remain dear. Unless they feel they are making a difference, they’ll walk.”

The point is that non-profits will need to take a hard look at how they do things. There is a tremendous potential to tap into some free expertise.

The danger is that the meanial tasks will be pushed forward as the only thing a non-profit has to offer. That will mean the loss of this expertise. And the meanial job may not be done either.

Planners

Planners typically are the volunteers who can do the marathon. They are able to volunteer for small amounts of time over a long period time and will want to have everything planned out ahead of time.

Of course the planners may want to only volunteer for one long task, as in the case of sprinters, but they will still want plenty of notice.

Planners value the organizations they serve and one way the organization can respect them is by giving them plenty of notice when scheduling them. Calling on planners at the last second repeatedly will sometimes aggravate and frustrate them.

Give planners notice and they will be generous with their time.

Last Minute

Last minute volunteers are less likely to plan ahead. They thrive on being flexible and making decisions rapidly. To call last minute volunteers the day before volunteering is not a problem. They sometimes even take pride in their status as “emergency help.”

It is important to give these volunteers the flexibility to say no when they are too busy. Give them space and do not overburden them with last minute calls. Make sure it really is an emergency. Part of what makes them tick is that they only want to be called when they truly have an important role to fill.

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Some volunteers need to be focused and mostly stationary, working on one task for a long period of time. They want to know exactly what they are supposed to do and wish to accomplish it. They thrive in an orderly environment.

Other volunteers are able to go with the flow and prefer to be on the move, always doing something different. They are tired of their hum-drum jobs and want to do something different. Throwing these volunteers into a little chaos is just what they want, provided that it’s the job they signed up for!

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Sprinters

Some people like to sprint. They want to be busy in short spurts. Don’t ask them to sign up to do something every month and especially not every month. Though they can make exceptions, sprinters like to do things all at once with a very sharp focus. They are committed, but prefer to accomplish their tasks in one intense span of time. Don’t try to tie them down. Find them a task they can plunge into and then give them a break for a while.
Marathoners

Marathoners are interested in helping for the long haul, but in small, measured amounts. Don’t ask too much of them at once because they can only do a little at a time. If you respect the time of a marathoner, he/she will be very loyal and helpful for a very long time.

Application

These two categories apply to volunteering styles, but also to areas such as charitable giving, reading, study, etc. Once you find out whether your volunteer is a sprinter or marathoner, it should be easy to find activities that fit his/her preferences.

Purchasing such products is not a big expense. It takes a few minutes to serve them. The message is what counts.

A seasoned volunteer and staff member took special notice of how we treat our volunteers and let me know the other day that these simple every day acts go a long way in letting the volunteers know how appreciated they really are.

It’s important to find ways to affirm your volunteers on a regular basis rather than waiting for a yearly mailing or event. Just as the volunteers are expected to invest in the organization, so should the staff invest in them.

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I am convinced that one of the best ways to care for volunteers is by preparing for volunteers. When you have your facts straight, when answers are at your finger tips, and you have plenty of coffee and tea waiting in the wings, you are in prime position to care for your volunteers.

There is nothing more dreadful than having to rush around and throw a job together for a volunteer. It ups the tension a few notches and makes them feel unwanted. I think of preparation as a preemptive thank you. Having a neat work place or an organized project ready says that you value their time and are on their side.

If volunteers knows that you’re watching out for them, their time will be spent well.

After talking with a few other volunteer coordinators, I have decided that it is typically not in an organization’s best interest to focus on individual recognition unless you have only a handful of volunteers. While there may be instances where it is appropriate to celebrate an unusual number of hours worked or consistent years served, it seems that it is always safe to provide a general kind of recognition.

Focusing on individual acheivement, not matter how you put it, can always run the risk of offending volunteers who give just as much if not even more to your organization. Some ideas I have for the week include post cards saying thanks, mass e-mails, press releases, and posters in major locations around town such as cafes and supermarkets.

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For the sake of preserving the longevity of service for the maximum number of volunteers, the volunteer coordinator must carefully weigh the options and the abilities of his/her current volunteer staff. This is a time to ask hard questions such as, “If we allocate volunteers for this new/vacant area, will other programs or events suffer?” “Do our current volunteers have the time, experience, and desire to work in this new/vacant area?” It goes without saying that the big picture must be kept in mind. How important is this new or vacant area to the organization? Once you find where this program or event fits in with the whole, you must line up the need with your current volunteer core. Perhaps you will be required to recruit new volunteers. Perhaps you will have to hire another part time staff member. Perhaps you need to reallocate your current employees. Whatever the case, be careful that you are not overreaching your current volunteer boundaries.

Volunteers harvest timber for recreation center

March 19, 2006
By Johanna Sorrentino Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The Southern Vermont Recreation Center Foundation is bringing aspects of a Vermont tradition to the renovation process.

“It’s really like a barn raising,” said Phil Drinker of Springfield as he takes a break from cutting hemlock logs into 18-foot beams.

He is referring to the tag-team volunteerism that will put close to 100 beams in the roof of the foundry building to replace those that have rotted.

The renovation of the historic foundry building is the third phase of the recreation center project, which will feature an elevated walking track and gymnasium.

Most of the focus now is on the first phase of the project, completing the construction of the swim center before the Dec. 31 deadline.

Continue Reading . . .

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This will lead to an unpredictable schedule for your volunteers and your expectations must bend according to their availability. If you have a mailing to go out, have it ready at least a week before it must go out. Allow some flexibility for the volunteers. If one can come in during a Tuesday morning, but another can come in on Thursday afternoon, let them come in as they will instead of losing them for the sake of concentrating them into one time slot. The winter is not the time to be picky about when you can and cannot have help.

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Obviously some changes will not worry your volunteers as much as others. It’s typically a change in policy or program that touches directly ontheir spheres of influence. It is important to evaluate the impact of change within your organization on your volunteer core. It is crucial to make sure that your volunteers are on board as you move forward into new times.

The squeaky wheels are one of the first groups to address when negotiating change. Seek them out personally if possible, give them the inside scoop, and, when practicle, give them an out. For example, if your organization is adopting a postage meter machine, but a few volunteers will not be comfortable using it, give them the option to use the regular stick-on stamps. If no one makes a fuss about the changes, no one may notice them. Once someone raises doubts and concerns, a breeding ground for concerns and gripes may be fostered.

Once you’ve sought out the squeaky wheels and have provided alternatives for them, it is time to break the news gradually. Employ a number of different means, at least five, to communicate the changes. Here are a few ideas: newsletter, web site, e-mail, post card, letter, telephone call, weekly bulletin, word of mouth through other employees/volunteers. If you say it in five different ways, then you are most likely to connect with everyone. Give yourself some time to provide a period for questions and concerns, and then make sure there is time to respond sufficiently.

One of the best ways to negotiate change is through orientation and training for the new program or technology you are using. These don’t have to be boring events with low attendance. Ask around your town for small donations of food and snacks. Give the volunteers some social time to hang out and make an event of it. Weave the training into the event for a short period of time. It’s like combining a visit to the dentist with a cocktail party. Just make sure their time in the chair is not too long and that you do not drill them too hard! I recommend keeping the training to about 20 minutes if possible.

Make yourself available for refreshers and for assistance during their shifts. If you can’t be there, make sure a staff member is knowledgable enough to assist them with any concerns or hang ups. Training may have to be an ongoing task in order to be completely effective.

In the end you may lose a few volunteers, but there is no reason why you cannot make a time of change and transition a time to improve communication and training.

training” rel=”tag”>training, http://www.edcyz.com/volunteer-tip-we/02/ It is a very good sign when a volunteer uses the word “we.” It denotes ownership and identification. The volunteer is no longer slaving for some impersonal organization. It’s a personal matter, and he/she feels involved in the organization.