Finding and keeping Volunteers Kit

The following extracts from the Finding and Keeping Volunteers kit produced by the NSW Meals on Wheels Association offer a planned approach to attracting volunteers.

Volunteers are the heart and lifeblood of community services throughout Australia. Across the country many thousands of dedicated people regularly give of themselves to support others.

But in today's fast and busy lifestyle, the challenge for all community service organisations is to attract, and keep, their volunteers. Add to this the rapidly changing nature of community services (and therefore the varied skills required in volunteers), and it is clear that activities to recruit and support volunteers must be well organised and co-ordinated.

The full kit is available from:
NSW Meals on Wheels Association Inc
Level 4, 80 Cooper Street
Locked Bag 1100
SURRY HILLS  NSW  2010

or follow this link to the NSW Meals on Wheels Promotional Kit Order Form (opens in a new browser window)

Understanding your volunteers

Volunteers fulfil a very special role in the community. Each does so for his or her own reasons. Their contribution and commitment is critical to the success of HACC funded organisations and many other organisations. They are your lifeblood.

So, before talking about recruiting, it is worthwhile spending a few minutes considering what makes volunteers tick. Why do some people volunteer their valuable time to help others? If we truly understand volunteer motivation, we will be able to develop new volunteers and keep those who are already with us.

Why do people volunteer?

Our research shows the reasons are many and varied. Just consider these typical comments. Each reveals a different motivation:

• "Because I want to give something back to the community."
• "I might need the service myself one day."
• "I would just like to do something good for other people."
• "Because it's a really worthwhile service."
• "They helped my mother, so I wanted to help them."
• "To keep me busy. I can't stand doing nothing."
• "I've got some skills, and I want to keep using them."
• "I like to meet people."
• "So I can learn a new skill."
• "Because I needed to do something worthwhile when I retired."
• "Now, I have the time to. Before I didn't."
• "I was just lonely."

Interesting, isn't it? Actually, for each person there is probably a combination of reasons. And some groups of people might have reason in common.

The important thing to remember is that:

People volunteer for their reasons, not yours.

So, understanding why people volunteer makes all the difference - both in what we say to potential volunteers and how we say it.

Why do volunteers stay?

Almost all organisations have volunteers who have been with them for a number of years. Why do they stay? Certainly, it is not only out of a sense of duty. For many, it's because they really enjoy it.

Their volunteer work fulfils a need. It makes them feel good, important and useful:

• "I love the good feeling I get from it."
• "It's the thanks and appreciation I get, both from the clients, and our co-ordinator."
• "I feel needed. Useful."
• "They're all my friends now."

Three factors are dominant:

• A feeling of self worth
• The appreciation they are shown
• A strong sense of 'family', friendship and camaraderie.

So once we have our volunteers, the secret to keeping and encouraging them lies in developing and nurturing these three things. Tapping into these feelings and motivations is an important part of the activities suggested in this kit.

Another interesting and important consideration is that a person's reasons for remaining a volunteer can change. You can watch for this, and adapt the volunteer's duties to accommodate their changing needs.

Planning: The key to success

A well-planned volunteer recruitment program is essential. Planning will help you to focus your efforts and maximise the use of resources. In this section we outline, step by step, the basic elements of a comprehensive volunteer recruitment plan.

On first reading it may seem a little complex. But it is not really, and wherever possible we have provided checklists and outline to help. Remember, good planning will ensure a better result.

One further important point about planning - to do it properly will take time. But the time you invest at the start will ensure a more effective program. So don't rush it, and use the planning checklist to determine just how long it might take.

Combine forces for better results

Before you start, consider the benefits of developing a volunteer recruitment program together with other HACC funded organisations in your area:

More Opportunities
Together, you can offer potential volunteers a wider range of options and opportunities.

More Ideas
Together you can develop even more innovative or creative ways to find and keep volunteers. Two or three heads are much better than one.

Combined Strength
This way you won't be competing with each other - for example, in getting stories into the local paper, or space on the community noticeboard.

Shared Resources
Together you will have a more efficient use of valuable resources. Just one person may be needed to answer phone responses; advertising costs are shared and activities may be co-ordinated. If translation of the resources into other languages is required those costs can be shared too.

A closer relationship between HACC funded organisations can pay off in other ways, too. You might find that a volunteer from another organisation is looking for a change, and referral to you might be just the solution. Or maybe one of your own keen volunteers is physically no longer able to work in your area. He/she might, however, be ideally suited to one of the tasks covered by another organisation.

Community Recognition
A combined campaign will have greater 'visibility' in your community and help to build positive feelings about volunteering and the valuable services you provide.

Step 1
Form your steering committee

Form a small working group who will have the responsibility of developing and implementing your program. If you are combining with other HACC funded organisations, make sure they are represented on your committee.

Invite people who you feel have skills or expertise in this area. It may be an opportunity to involve particular volunteers who are looking for some extra, or organisational involvement. Don't just rely on your normal committee.

• Is there anyone who has marketing, promotional or public speaking experience? Are there any newer volunteers who may be good contributors?
• Is it appropriate to invite a representative from the local ethnic community to participate?
• Remember, if you are going to invite an outsider (not already a volunteer) to be on your committee they may not know much about your organisation at present. To win them over, you have to promote yourselves a little.
• Consider your local Council. Perhaps their Publicity Officer, or another staff member, would like to help. You might find that these people already have media and other contacts which could be useful. In addition, involving the council at this level may just lead to some other resources (like photocopying, leaflet distribution or access to community noticeboards) being more readily available.

Step 2
Identify your new volunteer requirements

This is one of the most important steps, because it sets the direction for everything to follow.

You need to be able to answer four questions:

1. How many new volunteers do you need?

An analysis of your rosters should provide this figure. But don't just aim to replace those you have lost. Can you build a larger pool of volunteers overall? Think beyond the present situation, and try to forecast your needs for the next 12 months.

Take the opportunity to think laterally about your service and how you classify your volunteers.

• Is this the time to create some new volunteer positions in specific areas or roles? (Some examples might be on the management committee, at the enquiry desk, or on working groups to establish new services.)
• How about new services? Will you need additional volunteers for these, and will they need certain skills?
• Are there organisational or support roles that need to be filled by people with certain skills or experience?
• What are the needs of your community? Are there people with special needs such as those with dementia, people of non-English speaking background, or Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders? Would they benefit from receiving support from volunteers with similar backgrounds or particular expertise?

Lastly, maybe now is the time to think about any restructuring to spread the load. Perhaps you will be looking for a particular number of volunteers with certain skills, to take on tasks previously done by others in your organisation.

2. What do you need them to do?

Are they to work in the field, in co-ordination, on certain projects? How many in each area?

3. What skills and qualities should they have?

This is a critical question because of the personal nature and importance of relationship-building that underpins our work.

We often have a 'feeling' for the type of person we want, their characteristics and qualities. Now is the time to clearly describe these. It will help later when you come to interview potential volunteers and allocate tasks.

You will need to consider such things as:

• The personal qualities important in a volunteer
• Do they need particular physical capabilities (eg ability to assist with wheelchairs, lift eskies of frozen meals etc)?
• Do they need to be able to drive? Have their own car? Have a bus licence?
• Any special knowledge or skills required such as an understanding of a particular ethnic group, ability to speak another language etc

Consider too, what you can offer in terms of training and support to develop new skills. This may appeal to a certain group of potential volunteers.

4. When do you need them, and how often?

Is your need urgent, or ongoing? An ongoing program of volunteer generation, ensuring you have a regular flow of new people, will be best.

If possible, identify exactly when you need the volunteers. That is, which days and at what times.

Perhaps now is the time to look again at your scheduling. Rather than rigidly expecting new volunteers to meet your schedule, can you be more flexible with dates and times, to match the volunteers' availability?

5. Are there any special 'home' requirements?

Some volunteer work (particularly Respite Care) may call for the volunteer to provide support in his/her own home. If so, are there any particular requirements such as safety and easy access? Also, do you need to be sure that others in the volunteer's family are happy with the arrangement?

Step 3
Determine the target groups

The previous section, 'Identifying your new volunteer requirements', should have provided you with a clear understanding of the number and type of people needed. It is now important to consider to whom, or to which groups of people, you will direct your volunteer recruitment messages. We call them you 'Target Groups'.

Why target groups?

It can be very productive to match the New Volunteer Profile to a specific group in the community - thus focusing your efforts for a better result. Advertisers and marketers do this all the time.

Let's consider an example. Say your organisation (Meals on Wheels/Food Services in this case) has decided to start a frozen meals service, and you want to do the deliveries on Monday evenings between 6.00 and 8.00 pm. A good target group for this might be working men and women aged 35-50.

Identifying target groups also means that you can tailor your volunteer recruitment messages to appeal directly to them. Show them that volunteering with you will fulfil their needs. For example:

• To just-retired men or women - "Your skills and experience are valuable to us."
• To older single men and women - "Meet some new friends and help others at the same time."
• To people working in local businesses - "You can make a big difference to someone else. It takes just one lunchtime a month."

This does not mean that you will ignore general or broad promotion in the community. This is important too, and is covered later under "The 'Broad' Campaign".

Three Important Target Groups

Our analysis shows that, for HACC funded organisations, there are three primary target groups with the greatest potential to generate new volunteers. They are:

Retired Men

• Available in increasing numbers
• Have skills which may be of use to you
• Looking for ways to remain active
• May need to feel they are continuing to make a meaningful contribution
• In early retirement, they often do not have established weekday networks and friendships
• Can introduce variety, or another dimension, to your organisation's overall volunteer profile

People 35-50 years

• May be working (part-time or full-time), not working, or unemployed
• May have children at school, and be able to spare time during the day
• For others, children may have left school ad so their school-based volunteer work has reduced
• Others may be available for duties out of normal daytime hours

Women 50 years and over

• The 'backbone' of most volunteer HACC funded organisations already
• Many have established weekday networks and friendships
• For others, families might have moved on, so they find themselves with spare time, and maybe a 'gap'

Other target groups

Of course, there are many other possible target groups. For example:

• Ethnic communities
  In determining your new volunteer requirements, you may have identified a particular need for volunteers from certain ethnic backgrounds. If so, you will need to identify target groups in you community.

• Young People
  Your organisation might want to introduce younger people, so the target could be students in their last year of high school, at TAFE or university.

• Employees
  You may feel there is potential in the business houses in your area. So you might target staff of banks, insurance companies, manufacturers etc. In this case, recruiting small 'teams' of volunteers can be very effective.

The important point, however, is to ensure your target groups:

• Meet the volunteer profile you prepared earlier
• Have the potential to generate the numbers of new volunteers you need

Step 4
Identify your 'local heroes'

Some of the most interesting stories in the paper, or on radio and television, are the ones about people. Ordinary people, doing extra-ordinary things.

You can use such special people to give your volunteer-finding activities strength, interest and the personal approach. We will call them you 'Local Heroes', and we are sure there are at least a few in every HACC funded group.

So who are they? Your 'Local Heroes' might be:

• Your oldest volunteer, your youngest, the longest serving
• A local identity who is already a volunteer (for example a local Councillor, church leader, businessperson, or media personality)
• A volunteer who is a member of one of the clubs or organisations you will be targeting for new volunteers
• Or simply a volunteer showing outstanding dedication and compassion

Don't just settle on one or two 'Local Heroes'. Find as many as you can, so that you can build up a store of interesting stories and anecdotes for use with the media and in personal presentations.

As you recruit your 'Local Heroes', let them know how important their participation is and don't forget to thank them.

Step 5
Nominate your 'volunteer champions'

To get your message across clearly and convincingly to prospective volunteers, you will need a few good spokespeople. These are people who are comfortable and confident doing such things as talking to a group of prospective volunteers, or conducting a media interview.

We will call these people 'Volunteer Champions'. They will be your 'public face' and help to carry the message to your Target Groups. They are your ambassadors.

It is very likely you will find one or two people already on your committee, or among your current volunteers, who will be prepared to be your Volunteer Champions. They may:

• Have had past experience with public speaking and media contact
• Be confident and outgoing
• Be leaders in the local community
• Be a known local personality

Alternatively, a Volunteer Champion may be someone ideally suited to the task, but just needing some support or training (which you might provide) to gain particular skills.

So recruit your Volunteer Champions. Make sure they are enthusiastic about their role. Show them that they are not on their own, but an important part of a total integrated program of volunteer-finding activity.

Step 6
Prepare a timetable

A critical part of planning is to prepare a timetable of activities. But, before preparing your timetable, you will need to work your way through the next sections of the kit.

In drawing up your timetable, be realistic. Everything takes time to organise, and your resources (both your own time and funding) may be limited. Also, you will need to consider:

• Keep your Target Groups in mind, so prepare your timetable by target group.
• Do you want to run a 'burst' of volunteer-finding activity, or a continuous program throughout the year? Many organisations find the continuous approach works well.
• Depending upon whom you are targeting, some times will be more effective than others. For example:
  It might be best to approach parents with school-age children in March, after their children have settled-in to new classes. Avoid school holidays.
  Consider the weather. Older potential volunteers will be less likely to join if it is cold and wet, or too hot. March, April, September and October are good months.

Bear in mind your existing schedule of activity. Are there times when you are already very busy (such as AGM's, end of year financial reporting or funding application time)?

Step 7
Prepare a budget

This is another planning function which should be undertaken after you have determined your activities.

In the past, your organisation may not have separately identified volunteer-finding activities in its annual budget. But, in the interests of good planning and management, it is a good idea to do so.

No matter what you decide to do, there are likely to be some costs involved. It is important to ensure you know up-front what these will be and then budget for them. Or, once you have a look at the costs involved, you may need to seek special additional funding or alternatively modify your activities to reduce the budget.

Also, by separately identifying your new volunteer program costs, you may be able to go to particular funding sources (such as the local council, community service organisations, ethnic community or sporting clubs etc) for support.

Be sure to consider any salaried staff costs. If staff will be involved in extra work in your new volunteer program, include the additional salary costs in the budget.

The costs of your volunteer-finding program is another good reason to consider working together with other HACC funded organisations in your area. Pooling of resources and money can be a productive way to increase effectiveness.

Step 8
Choose your mix of activities

It is not likely that any single activity will generate all the volunteers you need, and will continue to need. More often than not, it takes a range of activities to make up a comprehensive new volunteer program.

In the next four sections of this kit we will guide you through different types of volunteer-finding activity, or campaigns. From these, you can select the mix of activities which best suits your organisation's needs and most effectively reaches your identified Target Groups.

Remember, the best volunteer-finding programs are based on quality, not quantity. That is, you should target your efforts where they will have greatest effect.

The 'Direct' Campaign

In a 'Direct' campaign activities are targeted to the particular organisations and groups most likely to have people which fit your 'New Volunteer Requirements'. This campaign reaches a selected audience with a strong direct message which can be personal, and tailored to each group.

The 'Broad' Campaign

These are activities of a broader, mass-media nature, which reach a larger number of people, but the message may not be as direct and personal. 'Broad' activities are important in general publicity, and in keeping your organisation in front of people.

The 'Bring a Partner or Friend' Campaign

This is where existing volunteers help in bringing others along. 'Word of mouth' is an extremely effective motivator, and experience shows that some of the best recruiters are enthusiastic, happy, current volunteers.

The Open Day

The Open Day is an opportunity for you to show larger numbers of potential volunteers around your operation - introducing them to the organisation in a relaxed, friendly environment. Open Days also provide the chance to build a closer relationship, and understanding, with key contacts, community leaders etc.

The Personal Elements

We all love a 'people' story - something we can relate to personally. And HACC funded organisations are very personal. People helping people, every day, in many ways. There is lots of human interest, and there are many stories to tell…stories which will effectively capture the interest of your potential volunteers.

This is where you 'Local Heroes' are important. Real life stories about them and their clients can form the basis of various communications such as talks, press releases, media interviews etc. Also, promoting the many benefits your volunteers get from volunteering is another good way to promote the personal side.

So no matter which activities you decide to implement, make sure you really highlight the personal element.

Supporting, Informing, Recognising and Training Volunteers

It is important not to take your volunteers for granted. Volunteers don't need to be specially rewarded. For most, their incentive is the feeling they get from doing something worthwhile for others.

But volunteers do like to be appreciated and recognised. We all need to feel needed.

A simple "thank you" goes a long, long way. So try to make sure every one of your volunteers is thanked personally for their help, every time they are on duty.

Why not take the 'thank you' a step further and send to every volunteer, at the end of the year, a card or a personally addressed note of appreciation and good wishes.

Keeping volunteers informed

The very personal nature of the work done by HACC volunteers means that it is important they be kept informed of any changes in the circumstances of their regular clients. Often volunteers build relationships with their clients and your sensitivity and understanding of this will be appreciated. Regular Newsletter On a broader level, some organisations find a regular Volunteers' Newsletter is a great way to keep their people informed and interested. The newsletter can carry details about:

• Welcoming new volunteers
• Recognising others who may have reached a milestone (such as 5 or 10 years service)
• Changes to procedures or the services offered
• Upcoming events such as Open Days, social events etc
• Details of other happenings, like changes in the Committee, talks to local groups, media publicity etc
• Any interesting tidbits or feedback from volunteers about their work

A cartoon, crossword or a joke or two will help to make it fun.

A newsletter once every three or four months would be ideal. And it need not be a 'profession' publication - just as long as it is full of chatty news of interest to your volunteers.

Volunteer feedback - a valuable resource

In addition to being an excellent source of information, your volunteers will really appreciate being asked for their suggestions or opinions. Try to make sure they feel their comments and contributions are valuable and welcomed.

Often something will occur to a volunteer while they are 'on the job' and it is best to get this input straight away. So provide the opportunity for this important oral feedback at any time.

• Some organisations have a 'Suggestion Box' and regularly encourage volunteers and staff to use it
• Others use a regular (maybe once a year) Volunteer Survey

Feedback may take the form of a 'debrief' if a volunteer is experiencing stress or difficulties. Sometimes the work, or particular incidents, can be emotionally draining so it is very important that someone with the necessary skills is available to provide support when needed.

The morning cuppa

As we know, the social side of volunteering is very important. One of the things many volunteers really like about their participation is the friendships they make, and the time they spend with others.

One way you can enhance that feeling is the regular morning (or afternoon) cuppa after each volunteer session. It is a great chance for friendly chat and feedback. So make sure the kettle's on and everyone knows they are welcome.

Volunteer social activity

Volunteer social activity is another good way to build a friendly group feeling. Some organisations have a Christmas function at a local restaurant or club. Others might organise an outing or a bus trip.

Perhaps you can run some sort of fund-raising activity during the year to help defray the costs. Or maybe you could approach local service clubs, business houses or the Council for help in a once-a-year recognition of the valuable work of your volunteers.

Recognising volunteers

Recognising the special or outstanding efforts of particular volunteers can be done a number of ways. Those with a certain number of years of service might receive a certificate, or perhaps a special letter of thanks from your President, your State Association or the local Mayor.

Your State Association may have certificates or badges specially designed for this purpose.

Don't forget that such achievements can be a good 'hook' for a local media story.

On a more general note, there are some particular times in the year which can be the catalyst for local volunteer recognition:

• National Volunteer Week (2nd week in May)
• International Volunteers Day (designated by the United Nations as December 5).
• Meals on Wheels/Food Services Day (1st Wednesday in September)

On such occasions you could:

• Arrange for the local Council and/or State and Federal MPs to recognise your volunteers in some way (a personal letter, small function or advertisement in the local paper are examples)
• Host a thank-you morning tea for your Volunteers
• Drum-up some good, heart-warming local publicity

Training Volunteers

From time to time there will be a need to train your volunteers. There may be a new procedure to follow; new clients who need volunteers with special skills; or a new service you are offering.

Training volunteers is no easy task. Sometimes volunteers find it difficult to see the need for training. Sometimes they may be apprehensive about new things. But training can show volunteers that you value them and their skills. It can bring them together to learn new things of interest, share experiences and swap idea.

Any organisation recruiting new people should have structure in place to maintain and enhance the self-esteem and practical skills of their volunteers.

It is not the task of this kit to cover the procedures and practices of volunteer training. However for assistance and advice in this area we suggest you contact your State Association, and the Volunteer Centre of NSW or your local Volunteer Referral Agency.

For further information

Contact	:	NSW Meals on Wheels Association Inc.
Address	:	Level 4, 80 Cooper Street Locked Bag 1100 SURRY HILLS NSW 2010
Phone	:	02 8219 4200
Fax	:	02 8219 4299
Email	:	nswmow@nswmealsonwheels.org.au

WWW

:

http://www.nswmealsonwheels.org.au