Volunteerism

Success Factors

Volunteers are not born; they are cultivated. Organizations that depend on volunteers should strive to create a culture that honors, provides structure for, and recognizes their contributions.

There are several key areas that are critical to the success of both the volunteer and the organization:

• Organizations depending on the critical skills of volunteers need to articulate their vision, mission, and objectives for volunteers to understand their impact on the community in which the organization serves. A clear mission allows the organization to focus on its core competencies and not get sidetracked by attempting to be all things for everyone. This also aids volunteers in understanding what skills they need to possess or be willing to develop.
• It is important that the leadership of the organization provide open lines of communication and the ability to articulate the value and significance of the volunteer's contribution. Volunteers want to feel that they are making a positive impact on others' lives, and it can be very encouraging to know this.
• Volunteers need a passionate supervisor who will provide structure and accountability. Supervisors must be trained in volunteer management and given the necessary tools and resources to carry out the task or service they are responsible for coordinating.
• There is a fine line between micromanagement and careful oversight. Every volunteer must understand his or her role and responsibilities, and this starts with a clear description of the duties and responsibilities that each volunteer is expected to carry out. Oversight can be conducted formally or informally, depending on the individuals or the tasks involved, but it must be done. In addition, oversight of volunteer activities can give team members the feeling that someone cares about their overall success.
• Clear levels of authority are necessary to ensure volunteers are working within the parameters of the job function. It is important for volunteers to feel empowered and creative to solve business issues. However, clearly defined levels of authority help keep a budget, deadlines, deliverables, and results within the bounds of acceptability.
• Necessary training should be provided at the appropriate time. It can make a world of difference for a volunteer who is striving for excellence in his or her service to know how experts in the field carry out similar responsibilities. Training can be provided in the form of books, manuals, films, external seminars, or in-house training events tailored to the volunteers' level of commitment or experience. For those individuals volunteering their services on an ongoing basis, updated training with new materials and information should be available every year.
• If an organization is asking volunteers to undertake specific responsibilities or services, the organization must be serious about the importance of any mandate. There are many organizations needing volunteers, and the daily demands on our time should convince us to respect each other's time. By not providing the necessary tools and resources to get the job done, an organization is wasting precious time and energy and possibly losing the interest of the volunteer.
• Because we are all human, nothing motivates involved individuals and potential volunteers as much as regular public recognition. The impact of public recognition can be both powerful and inspiring as the organization shows its appreciation in honoring individual volunteers. Rewards, unlike recognition, should be private and do not need to be extravagant. Often, taking the time to say thank you or to acknowledge a job well done can create an appreciative culture. Such organizational cultures can in turn allow for strong team environments to flourish.

The most common reason for not volunteering one's time is the “lack of time.” We live in a society where daily demands are enormous, and for many in the United States, the abundance of material goods is overwhelming. However, volunteering one's time, talent, or money can range anywhere from 1 hour per month to several hours per day. Helping to reaffirm the dignity of humanity can be reflected by many simple forms of kindness such as providing a meal to the homeless, donating a coat to a child in need, or visiting a forgotten someone in a nursing home. Simply being observant of the needs of people around us can be a great starting place to volunteer. Random acts of kindness can be inspiring and uplifting, and they may [Page 2200]just motivate other people to give and help others out of their own creative resources.

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