How do you train volunteer managers?

It is very important for volunteer managers to not be overwhelmed by detail. They are volunteering because of their passion for the organisation or project, not because of their passion for paperwork or compliance, so they may be scared of it. When I was training one-term volunteer managers of small associations I made sure to put reassurance up front of all items to be covered. The reassurance that they were not acting in a vacuum, not starting their management term from a blank canvas. They were succeeding and building upon the previous work of other volunteer managers, to which they could turn as a template or guide. That usually worked to ease the stress of 9 out of 10 of them, and I moved on to specific task instruction from there.

Volunteers are the most vital element of the society, their needs are entirely different and more complex than the other professionals, so for the training of volunteers training need assessment is a very vital tool, that defines that what should be the training topics, one thing is very important to keep in mind while planing training of volunteers, that they should be given motivation and appreciation for all their volunteer activities

I am managing 252 volunteer for strengthening health system. We are introducing some criterias, And, we are success The key criterias are: 1. Local and localization tool use in case of volunteer recruitment. Through, they own the work, they are doing, the outcome , they can feel, they can easily access to local government as well as any government officials. 3. Very low cost, we can able to carry out work by them as well as their village, than they can jump 100% when needed. 4. As very low cast, female are in reproductive age, so their family not go for child marriage, early child pregnence..... As a while the above are a small list but many of the strategically standard for volunteering by local

I think one thing that managers and organizations need to remember (although it may seem obvious) is that volunteers are 'volunteering' their time. This means that 1. We need to respect their schedules and 2. It can be difficult to find diversity in volunteers because only those that have the privilege of giving their time are available.

I've provided volunteer management training (at no cost) for everyone from Executive Directors & COO's to just people interested in volunteer management jobs. If I were hiring a volunteer manager I'd put them through it, even if they were experienced: it doesn't hurt to return to the basics and see if there's new perspectives. For hires new to volunteer management, understanding why people volunteer and how to balance those reasons with any nonprofit's needs is like learning to play scales before chords. Giving the mile-high view before digging into org-specific needs is essential to long term success and facilitating an effective and efficient volunteer program. TL/DR: Fundamentals intro/review before org-focused needs discussions.

Just wondering current Development Friends...did Metrics kill anyone's joy in doing the challenging work of fundraising? I saw them rumbling around the bend back before 2010, and checked out of Dodge on the next bus. IMO, human-driven work outside of selling tangibles like cars, food, etc. are *never* meant to be counted like beans...jelly, kidney, white, black, red, or any other kind. I was in Sales for 9 years before entering Development, so I know from measuring success by results. The vagaries of human beings being what they are, however, the Boards of Trustees of the world need to take chill pills at each and every meeting and look at *nothing* except gross receipts and pledges to the minute. Then they should go away.

Curriculum design ensures that the tenets of the operation are clearly outlined and explained in training. There is little that is more important than that. It must be designed with adult learning, including lectures, conversations, demonstrations and assessments. List the elements needed and plan the related budget so that it is clear for anyone who wants to deploy the training in the future what they should expect to spend.

Curriculum in teammate based volunteerism becomes the tool and avenue to drive unpaid leaders to invest their talents and passion. Knowing that someone's time investment is not necessarily 9-5 M-F, varying the methodology (webinars, online & onsite training, assessments) is crucial while allowing diversity in the timeline is essential. As the main leader of the curriculum, you totally understand that your unpaid teammate are the backbone of your organization. Thus, ensuring what you want your desired results to be as far as competencies and character is concerned, must be part of your trainings. Competencies will appeal to gifted and generous people while your character traits will awaken people that hadn't though of helping you!

Depending on the program, it is beneficial when you can observe volunteers and choose the managers. By looking at specific skills and talents, leadership styles, etc., managers that have the ability to lead is more important than managing the people. It is best if a leader of people is also a manager of programs. This brings about the best outcomes for organizations because people are empowered to be the best volunteers while the program is ran effectively.

Every organisation has an ethos and this needs to run in the veins of the people. The best way to get it into the veins of the people is to train them with a combination of lectures, conversations, demonstrations and assessments. This ensures that the leaders understand what they have signed up for and are inspired to lead. I know one visionary who took time to sit with every new leader and associate and shared his vision very clearly. This kind of investment in personalised learning was a game changer for the organisation as it created synergy. We cannot avoid training for our volunteer leaders if we want to be effective and impactful.

When I lead a big non-profit volunteer program (I changes it to teammates), there were 3 major tenets that had to be followed. 1. Accessibility: it had to be accessible to most people, at the time they could or wanted it to be available. this meant live training was either in the evening or Saturday mornings. 2. Eliminate barriers: we provided food for those live trainings. EVERY TIME. If you can't feed them while they give, you're missing an opportunity. We made it simple for people to show up live, more than watch a video somewhere. We even offered childcare one in a while! 3. Fun-filled and Passion-driven. We made it fun for people to be there, to meet people, to join in a greater cause. And we poured ample "fuel" on their fiery passion

All the Jobs I have undertaken started with being a volunteer. In Uganda, we have no specific Law on Volunteering but we treat it as Employment. To be successful in any career, my advice is to first be a volunteer. One is exposed before the real show on the job.

Build a structure where malleable enough where people can easily make decisions on clear directives and stiff enough that everyone knows evaluations are part of the organizations growth process. We always asked people to fill out surveys, key staff to follow up with teammates. Welcome feedback!

There's one thing managers should always remember: Volunteers are NOT employees! Just like employment, expectations, guidelines, rules, regulations, etcetera for volunteers are all incredibly important. However, unlike employment, unpaid volunteers can walk away at any time. As managers, it's our duty to make sure volunteers feel happy, empowered, and fulfilled. They chose to volunteer for a cause that means a lot to them, not because they want another job. Remind them of the cause regularly, thank them for their help constantly, and show gratitude often for their important service.

This is all true but to make it simple I always say your Volunteer Managers need to understand two thing… the rules and the reason. Rules are the logistics, your policies, boundaries, paperwork, etc. The reason is showing your volunteer managers why volunteers are needed and more importantly why we need the right volunteers in the right spots. If they can understand this, they can “sell it” to the volunteers and you will build a strong volunteer program.

Though you do not monetize volunteers, you can still "pay" them with different currencies. Appreciation, recognition, time investment, clear words of encouragements, being present in their time of need are all different methods to value their gift of time, willingness and passion. Some of the best "volunteers" I've had over the years have been generous with me! Invitations to their business, rebates at their club, etc. Why? I gave them attention, made their time-giving worthwhile, sent written notes, etc. You may not $$$$$, but reward other ways