Measure Twice, Cut Once: The Science of Volunteer Risk Management
While there are nuances of effective volunteer management that depend on the culture, mission and programs of your nonprofit, there are some aspects that must be followed like the directions for an angel food cake: donft mess with the recipe.
- Provide explicit direction. Volunteers want to succeed. And, generally speaking, they want to meet the high standards set by your volunteer program. To help them do so, you need to provide explicit direction about what you expect and what is required to volunteer in your program. You may expect an ongoing commitment of five hours per week, or a minimum level of weekly contact between a volunteer mentor and his or her mentee. Whatever you require, say so. Unless youfre recruiting volunteers from a group of psychics, it isnft fair or appropriate to assume your volunteers will be all-knowing.
- Ensure widespread communication. Do what you can to get your critical volunteer policies in the hands of the people who need them most.your volunteers. A set of policies gathering dust in the office of the director of volunteers is of no use out in the field, on site, or where services are delivered and risks arise. Many nonprofits have developed volunteer handbooks as a way to capture core policies in a single location. Some groups give paid and volunteer staff time to read the manual and require that they initial each page. Others also post these policies on a Web site. There is no single gbest methodh for distributing information about volunteer service requirements and expectations. For many organizations multiple communication methods are necessary to get the word out. And always make certain that volunteers have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification.
- Monitor policy implementation and revise policies that aren't working. Solicit feedback from your volunteers about your risk management activities and policies. Doing so will help you determine whatfs working, whatfs unclear, and what policies need to be changed or scrapped. Got complaints?! Turn complaints into progress by involving those who complain in updating and revising policies.
- Get help. It's a sign of strength.not weakness.when you reach out to outsiders for help developing or updating your volunteer risk management program. Obtaining an independent review of your policies before you implement them is an excellent risk management strategy.