The nonprofit culture in Seattle is fortunate to have to a wealth of consistent volunteers to help nonprofits succeed, as well as an abundance of skilled volunteers from the baby-boomer era. But the infrastructure of volunteer management at nonprofits needs what some call "professionalizing."
The Volunteer Impact Program (VIP), an opportunity funded by United Way of King County's Volunteer Center, provides the chance for hunger organizations to assess their volunteer-management programs and make improvements to those programs. United Way partnered with Executive Service Corps (ESC), which will provide volunteer consultants, to implement the program.
INEFFECTIVE USE OF VOLUNTEERS
With a little more than $20,000, VIP plans to assist 20 organizations. So far, five organizations have been accepted, though 14 have been prescreened for approval. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, Jan. 8, though that will be extended if 20 organizations have not been selected. The nonprofits chosen so far include the North Helpline (Lake City), Volunteers of America-Greenwood Food Bank, Immanuel Community Services (Queen Anne) and the Church of Mary Magdalene (Queen Anne).
More than 600 volunteers help out at the North Helpline-Emergency Services and Food Bank each year. "While we've been lucky to have so many volunteers," said North Helpline executive director Amy Besunder, "the actual volunteer-management piece has been something we haven't been able to focus our energy on, and volunteers are our most valuable resource."
The organization relies on a core group of about 20 volunteers to train additional volunteers, but Besunder said the current system does not allow for the most effective use of volunteers.
"Ultimately, without a firm volunteer training and retention program, the organization would be at-risk for no longer being able to operate," Besunder said. "[The VIP] appealed to us because it's about creating a sustainable volunteer culture."
ASSESSMENT
Working with ESC consultants, the VIP participants will assess their volunteer-management programs for strengths and weaknesses, learn and strategize how best to engage volunteers and maximize their time - both for them and for the organization.
"A lot of these programs have people come in sort of ad hoc, which is wonderful," said VIP and Leadership Coaching manager Wendy Graff, "but to really maximize what these kinds of programs can offer to a growing need in our community, they need to have a better system to recruit, utilize and retain volunteers."
Though the field of volunteer management isn't new, volunteer management has gained a new spotlight. Nonprofits need to find a better way to use "skilled volunteers," Graff said.
"More and more, we see volunteers who want to donate their time in a way that is a good match for them intellectually and skill-wise, Graff said. "The program is a step toward recognizing volunteers, getting as much out of volunteers as we can and allowing volunteers to be able to give as much as they can."
The program begins this January and ends in October, and includes training, an assessment of the volunteer program and the development of an agency plan to increase the impact of volunteers.
"One of the things we're hoping to get out of this," Elder said, "is to have the structure and training program in place, as a way of attracting a volunteer coordinator to the staff."
Plus, the chance to discuss what works and what doesn't with fellow nonprofits and consultants is more than a good opportunity, Elder noted.
"A lot of nonprofits struggle with the capacity to actually manage volunteers that are coming to their doors," said Nikki Russell, volunteer initiative manager for United Way. "Volunteer management has been around for years; it's just a lot of nonprofits haven't kept up."
MORE APPLICANTS WELCOME
Russell teaches volunteer management courses throughout the year and is designing the curriculum for the VIP program, which she said will undoubtedly help the participating nonprofits.
"It's going to help them develop a new appreciation of what's required to manage volunteers effectively and engage volunteers in really impactful ways," Russell said. "This is a chance to focus on current ways of volunteer management - identifying areas where they could improve and also get a sense of what they're doing well."
Based on feedback Russell's received from interested organizations, struggles with volunteer management range from technology problems of tracking and communicating with volunteers to the ability to recruit and retain volunteers.
For organizations that have struggling volunteer-management programs, VIP is an opportunity for free training, assessment and consulting to develop a new volunteer-management program.
VIP is designed for hunger organizations, such as a food bank or meal-delivery program, that have operated for at least three years; have at least two part-time paid staff and an active board; and have a minimum budget of $50,000.
More details about qualifications and the program can be found at escwa.org.
