by Ying Yang

Created on: April 11, 2011   Last Updated: April 12, 2011

Volunteers are essential to the successful operation of non-profit organizations because they offer four important things: time, skills, networks and enthusiasm. Volunteer programs should utilize these aspects as much as possible, and provide a meaningful and engaging experience to the volunteers themselves.

Time.

A volunteer has to give up time that they may spend earning money in order to help your organization. This means their time is incredibly valuable, and shouldn’t be wasted! Maximise efficiency by having a structured plan of what each volunteer needs to do and making sure that they receive the resources and training they will need in advance. It is also a great idea to have volunteer briefing sessions prior to an event or project, so all the volunteers get to know each other and understand exactly what they and everyone else are doing. Pairing experienced volunteers up with newbies can also streamline the training process and the volunteers to work more efficiently.

An extremely useful way of making the most of volunteers is to have a dedicated volunteer co-ordinator within the organization. They are responsible for making sure that every volunteer knows what to do and are doing it correctly and efficiently. With a large group, delegating this management task to a few experienced volunteers is a great way to maximise support for volunteers and ensure things run smoothly. Also, use tools like check-lists, run sheets or mission statements to stay organized and on schedule.

Skills.

Volunteers have a wealth of skills and knowledge to offer. To make the most of this, organizations first need to know more about the volunteers. When doing an intake for new volunteers, make an effort to get to know them personally and find out what they do; where they work; what skills and expertise they can provide. For example, you may be looking for volunteers to serve food at an event. But, if a new volunteer is experienced in marketing, perhaps it would be more useful to put them on the marketing team and promote the event.

Networks.

Another way to make use of volunteers is to utilize their social and professional networks, and this can actually save a non-profit organization a great deal of time and money. Each volunteer is a new avenue for promoting the organization, attracting more volunteers and potentially getting external advice and donations. Organizations can make use of these networks both formally and informally. When a new staff position is available,

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