How can you prevent common volunteer challenges and risks?

1 Recruitment and retention

One of the main challenges for volunteer managers is to find and keep enough volunteers to meet the needs and goals of the organization. To recruit and retain volunteers, you need to understand their motivations, expectations, and preferences. You can do this by conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups, or by using online tools like VolunteerMatch or Idealist. You also need to provide clear and accurate information about the volunteer roles, responsibilities, and benefits, and match the volunteers with suitable opportunities based on their skills, interests, and availability. To retain volunteers, you need to offer ongoing support, feedback, recognition, and appreciation, and create a sense of community and belonging among the volunteers.

2 Training and supervision

Another challenge for volunteer managers is to ensure that the volunteers have the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to perform their tasks effectively and safely. To do this, you need to design and deliver comprehensive and relevant training programs that cover the mission, vision, and values of the organization, the policies and procedures for volunteering, the specific skills and competencies required for each role, and the ethical and legal issues related to volunteering. You also need to provide regular and constructive supervision, guidance, and coaching to the volunteers, and monitor their progress and performance. You can use online platforms like Moodle or Zoom to facilitate training and supervision, especially during the pandemic.

3 Communication and feedback

Communication and feedback are essential for maintaining a positive and productive relationship with the volunteers, and for resolving any problems or conflicts that may arise. As a volunteer manager, you need to establish and maintain clear, consistent, and respectful communication channels with the volunteers, and use various methods and tools to communicate with them, such as email, phone, social media, or newsletters. You also need to solicit and provide feedback to the volunteers, both formally and informally, and use it to improve the quality of the volunteer program, recognize the achievements and contributions of the volunteers, and address any concerns or complaints they may have.

4 Motivation and engagement

Motivation and engagement are key factors that influence the satisfaction, retention, and performance of the volunteers. As a volunteer manager, you need to foster and sustain the motivation and engagement of the volunteers by understanding and meeting their needs, values, and goals, and by providing them with meaningful and rewarding experiences. You can do this by aligning the volunteer program with the mission and vision of the organization, creating a positive and supportive work environment, offering flexibility and autonomy to the volunteers, providing opportunities for learning and growth, and celebrating and rewarding the volunteers for their efforts and impacts.

5 Risk management and safety

Risk management and safety are crucial for protecting the health, well-being, and rights of the volunteers, as well as the reputation and assets of the organization. As a volunteer manager, you need to identify and assess the potential risks and hazards that the volunteers may face or cause while performing their duties, such as physical injuries, emotional stress, legal liabilities, or data breaches. You also need to implement and enforce appropriate measures and policies to prevent or mitigate these risks, such as screening and background checks, insurance coverage, waivers and agreements, emergency plans, safety protocols, and confidentiality rules. You also need to educate and inform the volunteers about the risks and their responsibilities, and provide them with adequate support and resources in case of any incidents or accidents.

6 Evaluation and improvement

Evaluation and improvement are important for measuring the outcomes and impacts of the volunteer program, and for identifying and addressing any gaps or areas for improvement. As a volunteer manager, you need to develop and use effective methods and tools to evaluate the volunteer program, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, or analytics. You also need to involve the volunteers in the evaluation process, and solicit their feedback, suggestions, and testimonials. You also need to use the evaluation results to improve the quality and efficiency of the volunteer program, and to demonstrate the value and benefits of volunteering to the organization, the volunteers, and the community.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?