1. Introduction

• Introduction
• Who is the guide for?
• What is volunteer management?
• Is volunteer management a new concept?
• The benefits of managing volunteers
• Current developments
• How to use this guide
• Glossary of terms used

Introduction

The guide is an introduction to volunteer management. It works through the sequence of tasks which would be typical when involving volunteers for the first time. It starts with a volunteer plan and then looks at putting together policies and procedures, recruiting and selecting volunteers, training, day to day management of volunteers and dealing with problems that may arise on an on-going basis.

While the guide uses the term 'volunteer' involving organisation and volunteer manager throughout, it is intended as much for groups with two volunteers as for organisations with two hundred volunteers. Most of the principles and tasks are the same regardless of size and structures.

It is likely that the guide describes what many of you are already doing but have not actually got round to putting into words, so in that way it will hopefully give you both a framework to build on and an incentive to get started. This chapter gives background information on how to use the Guide and briefly answers some of the common questions asked about volunteer management. The rest of the Guide explores the subject of volunteer management in more depth.

Who is the guide for?

This guide is aimed at people with responsibility for managing volunteers, specifically those who have limited specialist knowledge in this area, or none at all. You may not have a formal title or job description which says you "manage" volunteers, but if you are involved in recruiting, training or rostering volunteers, that means that you have a management role.

What is volunteer management?

Management in general can be described as making the most effective and efficient use of resources in order to achieve your goals. Good people management ensures that everyone involved helps the organisation to achieve its goals in the most effective way possible.

So how does this apply to volunteer management?

Once an organisation has a clear mission and goals, it has to decide what resources it needs to succeed. Whatever the initial reason for choosing to involve volunteers, organisations which address the following are far more likely to have volunteers who give their best to the organisation and in return, receive satisfaction and a sense of well-being from their volunteering.

You need to develop:

• A mission statement which says why volunteers are involved
• A shared vision of why the organisation exists and what volunteer involvement brings to it
• Short and long term goals and objectives which everyone understands
• A statement outlining the scope for volunteer involvement
• Ring fenced financial and human resources to support volunteering
• Effective monitoring and evaluation of volunteer involvement

Having clear and short statements on each of these will provide a solid foundation for good volunteer management.

Volunteer management is about ensuring that the organisation benefits as much as possible from volunteer involvement and that the volunteer benefits by being part of it.

Is volunteer management a new concept?

In the past, many organisations involving volunteers relied on informal structures, systems and relationships. Although this often worked well and a certain understanding and culture evolved, more recently many organisations involving volunteers have put in place more formal structures which help both the organisation and volunteer understand their relationship better.

Some of the reasons why this is happening are:

• Funding sources requiring greater accountability and evidence of how things are managed
• Growing evidence to show that volunteer management benefits organisations and volunteers
• Some organisations had difficulty in attracting volunteers which prompted organisations to review why this was happening. Poor organisation and management was a key reason.
• Volunteers were leaving organisations because their expectations aren't being meet. Again this prompted organisations to review their work
• The development of a national network of volunteer centres has meant that organisations are now able to get advice, support and guidance in all aspects of involving volunteers. These centres are becoming a focal point for local volunteer activity.

The benefits of managing volunteers

There are a number of benefits to managing volunteers including:

• Clarity for the organisation and volunteer
• More likely to attract the right volunteers, hold on to volunteers and benefit from their involvement.
• A standardised approach to dealing with volunteers which provides organisations with direction and ensures that volunteers get treated fairly and equally.
• Volunteer management practices continue even when people leave.

Current developments

There is a growing body of research on volunteering activity which provides useful insights and recommendations for the future. Contrary to the perception that volunteering is on the decline, research shows that anywhere between 16.4% and 37% of the adult population volunteered their time and skills in 2006 which is slightly up than earlier studies.¹ However, the overall number of hours contributed by volunteers is fewer than earlier studies.² While this probably reflects the busier lives that people have, it does indicate that people will opt for volunteering opportunities that fit with their existing commitments and meet their expectations.

Therefore, organisations are going to have to be more creative and flexible about the type of opportunities they offer. Furthermore they are going to have to ensure that volunteers feel their contribution is valued. Otherwise, volunteers will look elsewhere.

One of the most interesting findings from research carried out by Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI), who facilitate the national network of Volunteer Centres, in 2006 is that 60% of people registered with them had never volunteered before.³ This clearly shows that if asked, people are ready and willing to volunteer. This is extremely encouraging for organisations hoping to attract volunteers.

The message for organisations involving volunteers is clear: If you want to attract, keep and benefit from volunteer involvement then you have to look after your volunteers and manage them properly and professionally.

The following statistics give a snap shot of volunteering in Ireland today.⁴

465,624 hours were spent volunteering in 2006

70% of people volunteer for an average of 5 hours per month

Male volunteers outnumbered female volunteers by 3:1

Estimates on the in-kind revenue from volunteering in Ireland range from €200- €600 million

Up to 80% of volunteers are given no training

How to use this guide

This guide gives an overview of what effective volunteer management involves. It introduces you to various aspects of volunteer management and provides some ideas and suggestions on how to get started. You may choose to read it in sequence or just pick out a particular chapter which contains answers to the specific questions you have and that's fine too as each section stands alone.

There are seven sections which broadly follow the cycle of volunteer management. The content is intended to give basic information and suggestions on getting started. It is recommended that you look at the additional material resources which are referenced in the manual. Resource material on websites is constantly being added to so it's worth rechecking on a regular basis.

Although you can "cut and paste" some of the templates, it's important to make sure that what you develop suits your organisation. You may have to make some changes to our templates to meet the particular needs of your organisation.

When writing your own materials, remember that the tone and language should reflect the message you want to get across. For example a volunteer handbook will likely use "you and us", whereas your volunteer policy and procedure will likely say "volunteers and organisation". Always keep things short and simple and avoid jargon. And finally, it's important to review your documents to make sure they remain relevant.

Glossary of terms used

Volunteer involving organisations: term used to describe organisations which have volunteers
Volunteer management: organising volunteer involvement in a systematic way that mutually benefits the organisation and volunteer
Volunteer management programme: the plan for how good volunteer management happens. It sets out the sequence of activities which ensure effective volunteer management
Volunteer manager or manager (co-ordinator) of volunteers: the person, or persons with responsibility for managing the volunteer programme and volunteers.
The team: everyone involved, paid or voluntary

1. The Active Citizenship Taskforce Report and the 2006 Census
2. The Hidden Landscape: Forays Into Mapping Non-profit Organisations in Ireland: 2006: Centre for Non-profit Management, Trinity College Dublin.
3. Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI) supports a growing network of volunteer centres. See www.volunteer.ie
4. Statistics available from Volunteering Ireland Facts & Figures Sheet. Volunteering Ireland is the national volunteer development agency. See www.volunteeringireland.ie