Planning A Volunteer Position

“Just get some volunteers to do it.” Now, if it was only that easy! The steps for planning a volunteer position and volunteer management go hand in hand for your non profit organization or fundraising effort. Volunteer job descriptions, conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements in addition to meaningful work are all important things to consider. There are a few key things to think about as you begin to create and fill a volunteer position.

What Can Volunteers Do?

Well, of course there are many things that volunteers can do to assist your organization or cause. But here is a good break down:

Tasks or jobs that staff don’t want or can’t do.

• It may be because staff are too busy or not skilled enough.
• Volunteers are “free” and it doesn’t make sense to pay staff to do tasks that can easily be accomplished with dedicated volunteers.
• Volunteers free up staff time to accomplish other things that typically are not “busy work”. Don’t get me wrong – busy work is important and needs to be done too!
• Huge efforts (or events) that require multiple hands, muscles or minds to accomplish a big things (like an auction, fundraising gala, building a playground, etc.)

Volunteers Can Extend Your Staff Resources

Sometimes there is simply too much work for staff to complete. This is where volunteer management and planning a volunteer position are critical. Volunteers can serve as assistants to staff providing a valuable asset in accomplishing tasks and extending resources.

For example,

• Jobs that provide direct assistance to your organization’s clients or constituents
  (Mentoring, counseling, providing information or technical support, etc.)
• Office Administrative Help
  (Answering phones, filing, data entry, copying, etc.)
• Direct Staff Assistance
  (Clerical projects, research, special event preparation, etc.)
• Outreach
(Speaker’s bureau, participation at outreach events, fundraising activities)

Volunteer Job Design and Description

In order to keep your volunteers engaged and happy, you need to take into consideration a few key items. This is one of the areas where careful and thoughtful volunteer management will pay off in the form of happy volunteers!

The work or task must be meaningful from the standpoint of both the volunteer and the organization. You should provide the volunteer with some information about the purpose of their work and how it benefits the overall mission of the organization or cause.

For example, just stuffing envelopes is really boring. However, if you give an explanation of the fundraising campaign, have the volunteer take a few moments to read the fundraising appeal and ask questions and talk about what exciting things will be done with the money raised…your volunteer will feel part of something important. You will explain that without their effort, the entire project can’t be completed.

The volunteer should feel some type of ownership over the project or task. This theory applies even if the job is just for a few hours. Set a goal along with the purpose (as noted above) for their job. People like to know what is expected of them.

Of course, volunteers that serve on committees, or are part of bigger projects will have a series of goals and objectives to keep them motivated and moving toward your shared goal. Invite the volunteer to share any feedback regarding improving the processes around their task and truly value their feedback. (They may give you an idea that you’ve never thought of before!)

Manage Expectations – The Volunteer Job Description

Seriously, a job description for a volunteer? Doesn’t a volunteer just show up and do the work? Well, in some instances this may be true. However, if you truly want to have volunteer feel valued and make them see that your organization is professional, you really must have a job description.

A job description clearly outlines what your organization’s expectations are for this person. Many organization's fail on this critical piece in volunteer management. It is really simple and very necessary.

It also does something very important. It creates accountability for the volunteer as well. They understand that you a) took the time to be thoughtful and create a clear job description with goals for their tasks and efforts and b) you feel that they are qualified to do the work.

Click here for an office assistant volunteer job description
Click here for an Auction and Raffle Chair Job Description

Provide Appropriate Supervision

Here is where volunteer management is key. Does the job require one-to-one staff oversight for a complicated project (such as a complex mail merge and multi-piece mailing)? Or is it is a project where the objective is fairly obvious and the volunteer is “set loose” and told to go for it?

Either way, make sure that the volunteer feels comfortable about your expectations of their efforts. Allow ample time to have them ask questions, seek clarification and offer their suggestions about the work. Make them feel valued – because they are!

A Volunteer’s Time

Just because a volunteer isn’t paid doesn’t mean that their time isn’t valuable. Just the opposite…their time is priceless. So it is a good idea to treat it that way! Here are some things to consider when planning a volunteer position:

• Can the work that needs to be done be flexible for the volunteer or will you require that they work at a certain time for a fixed amount of time?
• Can the work be done on the evenings or weekends?
• Would it be possible for the work to be done from their home or office or does it need to happen on-site?

Other Considerations for Planning a Volunteer Position

• Where will they work, sit, stand?
• Do they need a phone? Their own phone number?
• Do you give a volunteer their own email address?
• Do they need a computer – their own or can they share?
• Do you have a clear understanding of what tasks or activities the volunteer will perform?
• What training will be needed for the volunteer to be successful? Who is responsible for training – is it ongoing or episodic?
• How do you include the volunteer in the flow of office communication or other important information?
• Who supervises the volunteer? Who supervises the volunteer if the supervisor is unavailable?
• Does the volunteer need special supplies?
• Does the volunteer have special needs (i.e. hearing impaired, physically disabled, etc.) that still enables them to participate in your organization but requires a little extra effort by you?
• Do you have a volunteer orientation process?
• Do you have a volunteer conflict of interest policy and/or confidentiality form they need to sign? (hint…you should! Especially if your volunteers deal with sensitive or confidential information.)