Working with Volunteers

Many of our Recollection Wisconsin Content Partners rely heavily on volunteers to perform a range of activities including digital collections work. Supporting a volunteer-based project or program can be challenging for any organization.

We asked our Content Partners to share their most valuable experiences working with volunteers. Their advice, Engaging Volunteers: Tips from Wisconsin Recollection Content Partners, informed our thinking about this topic and how we can share some tips and tools to help your organization engage and sustain a robust volunteer community.

Below are a few ideas to help you plan for, attract, welcome, support and recognize volunteers.

Make a plan

Before you launch a volunteer-based project, be sure you’ve selected the right project and structured it, and the volunteer experience, for success. Volunteer schedules and their commitment to your organization may vary depending on uncontrollable factors including work or family commitments, seasonal schedules, or health issues. Keep this in mind when scheduling volunteers on time-sensitive projects. Consider what volunteer knowledge, skills and abilities are necessary to get the work done. Set concrete goals and a detailed action plan. Define your time frame and how you will measure success. Provide your volunteer-based project the same attention and structure you would any other project within your organization. (Source: Skilled-Volunteering 101: Is Your Organization Ready to Engage?)

Attract volunteers

Once you have a project selected and a plan in place, gather your team. Think about what motivates people to volunteer and how you might appeal to these different motivations — a passion for a cause, leaving a legacy, making an impact, achieving personal results or the desire for lifelong learning.

Regardless of individual motivation, a well-constructed volunteer position description is critical. It defines parameters and sets expectations. With it, you demonstrate your organization’s commitment to meaningful volunteer experiences. The strongest position descriptions communicate social impact, engagement, learning opportunities, organizational context and how volunteer work supports the mission.

“Our best tool is our current volunteers who bring in friends or talk to visitors who they believe might be good potential volunteers.”

Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, Superior

Once you’ve crafted your position description, spread the word that your organization needs volunteers! Share volunteer opportunities through word of mouth, on your website and social media, with volunteer recruitment centers, and other community organizations including schools, senior centers, clubs and social organizations. Don’t forget to reach out to current volunteers. A new project presents an opportunity to re-engage dormant volunteers.

Select and welcome volunteers

What qualities should you look for in volunteers? Various competencies are important including knowledge, skills, technical qualifications, personal characteristics, culture fit, role fit, and mission alignment. Volunteers come with expectations, e.g. what they hope to get from the experience, how and when they are willing to work, what skills they want to use and what motivates them. Be sure to explore candidate goals. Listen for the “why” behind their interest in your organization and work.

Volunteers are a tremendous asset but require an investment of time and energy. Without meaningful orientation, volunteer retention may falloff. To help you think about how best to welcome new volunteers into your organization, here are a few on-boarding best practices:

  1. Get excited. Explain your mission, strategic plan and goals. Highlight services and social impact.
  2. Get settled. Orient volunteers to the location, work spaces, and organization culture. Review responsibilities and reporting relationships.
  3. Get connected. Introduce staff and leadership. Provide a tour. Add volunteers to email lists and other communications.
  4. Get started. Explain scope of their work. Communicate key goals and expectations. Set up times for check-in meetings. Determine preferred communication methods (email, phone).
    (Source: encore.org)

“One challenge we face is a lack of consistency in practices from one individual to the next. Writing down well defined guidelines and close supervision in the first months, to ensure that the guidelines are followed, has been helpful.“

Langlade County Historical Society, Antigo

If you don’t already have one in place, it’s worth taking time to create and share a volunteer handbook or manual that outlines basic expectations for your organization’s volunteer community. Here’s a sample volunteer handbook from the National Wildlife Society. While their mission and organization’s work may differ, the main content categories provide a useful framework.

Consider creating new documentation or updating existing documentation to include ongoing volunteer-driven projects. Start small and add content over time, as you grow your volunteer program.

Support volunteers

Like any members of your organization, volunteers need effective and consistent oversight and communication. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when supporting a volunteer community.

  • Always be prepared for each volunteer shift. Don’t waste anyone’s time. Have a weekly or monthly schedule or a work plan.
  • Make sure that volunteers know exactly what’s expected of them when they walk in the door each day.
  • Keep volunteer workloads manageable.
  • Give and receive feedback, and always celebrate progress and successes!
  • Provide opportunities to learn and grow, and make sure volunteers know they can say “no” as needed.
  • Be sure your volunteers feel included, appreciated and part of the larger organization.
  • Above all, be kind and respectful in all interactions.
    (Source: Mitch Ditkoff, Contributor, Co-Founder and President, Idea Champions)

Don’t forget that your non-volunteer staff may have concerns or questions about skills-based volunteers, for example, bringing in volunteers might cause fear of staff reductions, or that volunteers won’t bring professional-level expertise to the work. Address any staff concerns up front and immediately.

“I try to communicate with the volunteers as a group so that even if they’re not actively working on a specific project or task, they still feel like they’re part of a volunteering community.”

Madison Public Library

Recognize volunteers

Show gratitude for your volunteers’ contributions. Positive reinforcement feels good for everybody, and it encourages reciprocal behavior. Here’s something to keep in mind. There are four concepts that motivate people in the workplace, regardless of age, type of work or specific work environment. They are mastery, autonomy, purpose and relatedness. Consider using these concepts to develop rewards and recognition for volunteers.

For example, to encourage mastery, allow volunteers to create and share new processes and tools, invite guest speakers for a monthly “teach in”, or give books that help volunteers master new skills. To provide autonomy, allow volunteers to direct their own learning. Share thumb drives loaded with key training and program materials. To reinforce purpose, present an annual “state of our volunteer community” report to detail annual volunteer impact and successes or form a Volunteer Advisory Team to guide decision-making related to volunteer hiring, training, retention, and project work. To cultivate relatedness, host a social event for volunteers or provide name tags and branded organizational “swag” (t-shirts, mugs, hats). All these activities promote a greater sense of camaraderie, while rewarding volunteers with more knowledge, power, inclusion, and deeper opportunities for engagement. (Source: Tobi Johnson, Tobi Johnson & Associates, A New Vision for Volunteerism)

“We host a “behind the scenes” event for our volunteers, for their families and friends, to see what goes on at our museum and publicly celebrate their contribution.“

Barron County Historical Society, Cameron

Recognition can be a powerful motivator that keeps volunteers engaged but it doesn’t have to be overly complex.

  • Regularly remind volunteers how their work or project connects with the mission of the organization.
  • Don’t disappear on them! Stay connected and informed about how the volunteer engagement is going, through in-person check-ins, email or regular meetings.
  • Publicly champion your volunteers in blogs and web postings. Share their work successes with your organization leadership and larger community.
  • Even a token gift has value as recognition of volunteer contribution. Try to personalize the gift to the volunteer or the work they’ve accomplished for you.

Or, simply say “thanks!” We all appreciate a personal, hand-written thank you acknowledging contributions.

Final thoughts…

Volunteers may come to an organization to donate time and experience but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not what they can do for you that keeps them coming back, it’s what you can do for and with them to foster a positive volunteer environment. Treat volunteers with respect. They are an integral part of your organization and community. The more time you spend interacting with them, the more you will both benefit from the experience.

Consider making the following subtle pivots in your perspective:

  1. From management to engagement. Rather than simply “managing” volunteers, think about how to engage and motivate your volunteers to work collaboratively toward your organization goals.
  2. From recruitment to cultivation. Growing a volunteer community is a process, not a destination. Take time to build and maintain relationships with your volunteers. Think volunteer community, not staff.
  3. From supervision to support. Be a supportive organization for your volunteers. Allow for volunteer flexibility and independence. There are multiple paths to accomplishing tasks and projects. Be willing to change course, as needed.
  4. From reward to personal recognition. Try to personalize your volunteer recognition and their work. Volunteers want to know that their work has made a difference.  Let them know that you understand who they are and the specific value they have brought to the organization and the community.
  5. From retention to sustainability. Aim to sustain and grow your volunteer team. Be thoughtful about how you use volunteer talents, configure their work, collaborate and communicate with them to ensure the most effective relationship and volunteer environment.
    (Source: VolunteerPro)

“Remember that once they leave the building, volunteers are also ambassadors of your institution in the community. It’s important their experience is positive.“

Circus World Museum, Baraboo

Many thanks to all the volunteers who have helped to build and sustain the remarkable digital history collections shared in Recollection Wisconsin over the years. We value your time and expertise and are grateful for your ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing your community’s history. Cheers to you!

For more information about working with volunteers, take a look at Volunteer Engagement: Resources and Best Practices (PDF).