Archive for the ‘Volunteer Project Development’ Category

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4 Tips for Preparing for an (Awesome) Volunteer Project

Monday, December 10th, 2012

You’re ready! You’ve got a great idea for a volunteer project that can help your community. You’ve gotten a nonprofit partner (or you are a nonprofit), and you have a plan for having the project be more than just a one-shot project. You’re ready to do something.

Before you sit down to think up a task list, remember some of the preparation tasks that need to be done to make sure you have an awesome volunteer project.

Assess the situation

Typically, project planning starts with a needs assessment. Your most effective projects will emerge where several components come together, including an assessment of needs, opportunities and resources. Once you know the project’s needs, then you can sort out the options and choose a focus.

A needs assessment can be as simple or complex as you choose to make it. You can

  • Do a community walk to see the neighborhoods where your project will take place and talk to residents and business owners.
  • Interview community leaders, agency staff and other residents.
  • Conduct a survey in the community or at a local school to help find direction for your project.
  • Host community forums or town meetings to talk about visions and priorities for the community.

Set priorities

It is likely you will be able to identify dozens of needs. Getting people together to brainstorm freely is an important first step. The goal is to identify the effort that would best match the needs, resources, readiness level and hoped-for outcomes of everyone involved.

With time and creativity, you will have innovative ideas that get everyone excited.

Link the project to the community

Before moving into the details of planning, take time to flesh out the project objectives for everyone involved.

The service provided may appear to be the same whether or not you make strong community connections, but the impact is quite different. When community members have a voice in guiding the project’s direction, they’re able to contribute their knowledge of what their community needs help in achieving. With community input, the impact of the project can be longer lasting.

Recruiting volunteers

Recruitment volunteers can be a difficult, but working with a nonprofit partner can make things easier. Use traditional networks to find and recruit volunteers, and branch out to digital resources like the Make A Difference DAYta Bank to make your project visible to a digital audience.

Once you’ve recruited your volunteers, don’t forget to have a volunteer orientation so that volunteers have a good idea of what they’ll be doing and how to do it.

 

Have you planned your own volunteer projects? Let us know what tips you have in the comments!

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Tips for Planning a Service Project: Focus on Your Community

Friday, September 14th, 2012

Do you want to create an impact in your community?  Do you see a need that isn’t being met and want to act to fix it?  Do you want to inspire and move people to act with you?

Do you know where to start?

Your first step is going to be working with your community to identify the issues that affect it the most.   While you may be tempted to simply plan a project without any kind of outside input, your project will have a greater impact if you involve the community.

You may already have a passion for a particular issue, such as education, the environment or the economy.  However, a community needs assessment is still an important part of designing a service project.  A community assessment can be as simple as taking a walk through your neighborhood or as involved as surveying the whole city where you live.

What’s most important is focusing on the community when you’re trying to identify a need to address through service.

There are a lot of different ways to find a community’s need.  You should select one that fits the scope of the volunteer project you’re planning.  For a one-day project, you may want to choose an assessment method that doesn’t require a lot of time.  For a long term project, devote a little more time to conduct an in-depth assessment to make sure you effectively use your resources.

Some ideas for doing a needs assessment:

Brainstorming

Gather volunteers and community members to talk about community issues or needs.  As a group, look at the causes and effects of the issue you’re trying to address, and then brainstorm potential projects that can address that issue.

Community Dreams

As you spend time in your community, talk to other members of the community about the kinds of change that they’d like to see happen.  What would they change if they had an unlimited pool of resources?  What would they do to make that change happen?

Community Walk

Invite members of the community out for a walk through the community.  On the walk, ask community members about the changes they’d like to see in their community.  Being out in the community can help to highlight the needs that need to be addressed.

Survey

Conduct a formal or informal survey of community members to identify issues or needs.  Ask questions like

  • What problems do you see in the community?
  • What are the most pressing issues in the community right now?
  • What types of service projects would be most beneficial for the community?
  • List two things you want to change in the community.

Finding out what your community’s needs are is the first step in making change sustainable.  If there isn’t community support for your project, all of the work that you’ll put into planning your project won’t have as big of an impact.  Learning what a community’s needs are and working to meet them in a way that is meaningful to the community is a great way to insure that your work will be supported after your project is finished.

What did you do to find a community need that you could address?  What were your first steps in planning a service project? Let us know in the comments!

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Conducting a Successful Volunteer Program Evaluation

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Effectively evaluating your volunteer program is important to ensuring the completion of your organization’s service goals. Evaluations can be done as often as necessary, but they should be a part of your volunteer program.

An evaluation provides data to make critical decisions about a program to better a volunteer program or experience. This data can also be used to tell the organization’s story and how it engages its volunteers. Evaluations can analyze goals, outcomes, or the actual program.

How can your organization conduct an informative evaluation? Check out our 10 steps, below to properly perform a volunteer program evaluation.

1.      Recruit an evaluation team: In order to recruit an evaluation team, determine how many people you will need to complete this process. You should also decide what skills these people will need and how much time should be devoted to the evaluation process.

2.      Identify your purpose: Your evaluation team and other employees should understand why you an evaluation is being conducted in the first place. This decision should have goals to be reached through this process. Decide what your organization will do with this data, once it is collected.

3.      Connect the program evaluation with the organization’s goals: It should be determined through the  evaluation, whether or not the program is supporting the organization’s goals.

4.      Identify and utilize resources: How can your organization support the evaluation process? Determine what this process will require and how your organization can meet those requirements. How will your organization use this data in the future?

5.      Identify interest points: The evaluation will have a target audience, whom you are conducting this evaluation for. How will this information be useful to them?

6.      Identify the audience: Who will be using this data? The results should be written in a style that is understandable for the target audience to utilize in the future.

7.      Design the evaluation:

a.    What type of evaluation will you use to achieve the desired outcome? Will it be goal-based, process-based, or outcome-based?

b.    Identify the necessary information

c.    The evaluation methods to be used.

d.    The instrument that will be used to conduct the data collection.

e.    Test the evaluation to determine it effectiveness.

8.      Conduct the evaluation: Collect the necessary data to ensure effective results. The means with which you conduct your evaluation are based upon the data you wish to obtain. Whether you use surveys, questionnaires or interviews, it will be based upon the necessary results.

9.      Analyze results and interpret data: Depending on the type of data, analyze it to determine the necessary next  steps for your program.

10.  Communicate results: Share your results with your target audience to determine the next steps for your program.

After your results are collected, your organization can determine a variety of conclusions including program success and volunteer retention rates.

How does your organization conduct evaluations? We would love to hear your tips and suggestions in the comments section below!

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Conducting A Site Visit

Thursday, August 16th, 2012

The idea of planning a volunteer project can be daunting! With all of the step involved, be sure to take time to visit the potential project site to determine the greatest needs. Whether you are working at a shelter, a park or a community service organization, a site visit will help you identify potential projects and ensure your project runs smoothly.

Here is what you should accomplish during the site visit:

  • Verify directions. As you drive to your initial site visit, take note of the driving directions that were given to you. Make sure that they are accurate, as you may need to provide driving directions to volunteers.
  • Learn about the organization’s needs. During the site visit, ask questions that will help you understand what the organization’s greatest needs are and the ways that ongoing or one-time volunteer support can have the greatest impact in meeting those pressing needs.
  • Begin planning. Discuss possible project opportunities with the agency or school. What projects can you work on together? What goals do you both wish to accomplish within the community?
  • Identify tools and materials needed. Brainstorm with the agency or school about the types and amounts of materials that will be needed to complete prospective projects. Also, discuss how the organization has secured tools and materials in the past. Can they provide any of the materials needed? Do they currently have partnerships with that provide in-kind donations for project materials?
  • Confirm the organization’s involvement and participation. Determine the type of participation you can expect from the organization during projects. Will they have supervisors and potential volunteers to work with you at the project? What will their level of involvement be? Are they donating any materials or services? Will they speak to volunteers before or after projects? In addition, discuss how they have recruited volunteers in the past.
  • Create backup plans. Identify projects that can be expanded or reduced based on weather, volunteer attrition or other unforeseen circumstances.
  • Become familiar with the site and its amenities. Important details about the site should not be overlooked, including accessibility to water (for clean up or drinking), restroom facilities, adequate parking, first-aid kits and the nearest hospital.

What do you like to focus on during site visits? Let us know in the comments below!

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5 Tips to Better Volunteer Communication

Monday, July 30th, 2012

As a volunteer manager, it is important to keep your volunteers up-to-date and in the loop with important information regarding your organization. Communication is also a key step to project management and it should be an essential step in every service project planning steps. What is the best communication strategy for your organization?

Check out our communication suggestions below and decide which one will work best for you!

  1. Social media: Our culture is increasingly becoming more reliant on technology. This heavy reliance makes a social media strategy essential for any emerging business, including the nonprofit sector. If your organization can secure funds to make a social media team possible, it will be worth every penny! Your organization can use social media to communicate important event dates and details, new resources, service projects, nonprofit news, and project tips. Social media can help your organization market itself at a low cost, which will help your organization attract a new audience.
  2. Newsletters: A great way to keep your volunteers informed is to publish a frequent newsletter. Newsletters can contain a variety of information including upcoming projects, organizational news, and volunteer spotlights. Your organization can save money by distributing these newsletters via email lists. The best way to begin compiling email lists is by collecting personal volunteer information on project days.
  3. Telecommunication: Utilizing cellular phone technology is another way to reach a large number of volunteers without taking a lot from your annual budget. Choose a text-messaging program that volunteers can opt into to receive organizational updates and service project information.
  4. Volunteer orientation: Prior to service projects, assign times for volunteer training/ orientation. At volunteer orientation, inform your volunteers about your organization’s mission and purpose, important information regarding the upcoming project (attire, transportation, specific requests), and explain project expectations. Allow volunteers to give input and meet organizational staff and other volunteers.
  5. Volunteer resource guide: Publish your organization’s volunteer resources online for volunteers to access, when needed. These guides can serve as information for volunteers who wish to plan their own projects. These guides should communicate every necessary detail for volunteers so that they know what to expect at each planning and execution step.

 

Project communication is essential to the success of your project. Make sure that you make this step a priority within your organization. As you can see there are many different communication tools that your organization can use that do not cost a great deal of money. It is important for your organization to choose a communication tool that will fit your organization’s style.

How does your organization communicate with its volunteers? We would love to hear your tips, insights, and questions in the comments section below!

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Screen for Success!

Monday, July 16th, 2012

Recruiting volunteers is the first step to a successful volunteer program within your organization. Training your volunteers to be an effective part of your organization is equally important.

Once organizational, programming, and volunteer goals have been identified, position descriptions and standards for each program will need to be developed, as well. Think of volunteer program as similar to job training. You do not want an employee who does not meet certain standards for the listed project description. If the volunteer is unable to meet basic standards, reassignment may be necessary.

How can you ensure a successful screening process? Follow our suggestions below to better develop your program needs.

  1. Application process: When conducting a volunteer interview, every volunteer administrator should identify the necessary education and skills to be successful for the project. The volunteer administrator should be able to identify the volunteer’s skills and nurture them to allow for successful participation in the project. The overall volunteer administration department should be able to identify the desired skills after conducting interviews with various volunteers during the screening process. It is important to identify the volunteer’s employment status, education, skills, past volunteer experience, and availability.
  2. Interview process: The interview process is just as important as the job description. The organizational representative can find out more about the volunteer’s qualifications by interviewing them for various focus areas. The interview allows the administrator to identify the volunteer’s strengths and weaknesses.
  3. Job descriptions: Job descriptions are very important because they identify the assignment expectations for potential volunteers. An ideal job description will include the job title, how it relates to the work of the organization, list of specific requirements and accountability, standards of performance, what education/ experience is necessary for the position, necessary attitudes and values, time commitments, location of the assignment, the supervisor, and a brief description of the supervisory relationship. The job description should also identify the benefits for volunteers.
  4. Needs analysis: The application and interview processes can help volunteer administrators identify volunteer training needs. Why should you conduct this type of analysis?
    1. Identify whether or not this volunteer has the qualifications to be competent at this particular position.
    2. Identify volunteer needs that may be needed as a result of various changes that have taken place.
    3. Identify the gap between volunteer performance and expectations.

To be successful at needs analysis you must:

a.       Define the goals or purpose of the needs analysis process.

b.      Determine the necessary methodology.

c.       Design the questions.

d.      Organize the data.

e.       Review the findings.

f.        Develop training recommendations.

g.       Repeat the process on the same skills and behaviors 6 to 12 months later.

h.       Be easy to use and practical to implement.

i.         Create guidelines to develop needs analysis questions.

j.        Build the organization’s skill priorities into the questions.

k.      Organize questions into job categories and competencies.

l.         Build a pool of questions to use for possible surveys.

m.     Analyze current volunteer skills and compare them to organizational needs.

n.       Identify volunteer strengths and areas that need development.

 

The screening process is the first step in ensuring the overall health of your organization’s volunteer program. It is important to develop and define a uniform analysis across the organization. We hope that by following these tips you will see a more successful program!

What steps has your organization used to establish a successful volunteer screening process? We would love to hear about it in the comments section below!

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4 Steps to a Spectacular EVP!

Monday, July 9th, 2012

According to a 2011 Deloitte survey of volunteer impact, 93% of employees who volunteer are more satisfied with their current employer. Why? Employees feel more connected to their employer when they feel that they are giving back through their profession. They are more likely to establish lasting relationships with their co-workers and feel more respected in their profession.

What is an employee volunteer program? An employee volunteer program is a planned effort sponsored under and individual’s employer to effectively volunteer in the surrounding community. These programs can be carried out through philanthropic partnerships or individual employees.

How can your company better implement a volunteer program as a part of the job description? Check out our tips below to get you started!

  1. Identify business priorities: The first step to establishing a successful workplace volunteer program is to identify which business objectives can be achieved through the actual program efforts. These priorities can be identified in a mission statement. Let employees and outsiders know that volunteering is an important aspect of the overall business of your company or organization. You can better tailor your volunteer interests by studying your current mission statement and matching it to a philanthropic mission.
  2. Identify your employees’ interests: Seek individual interests and concerns to better match your program to what your employees care about. Let your employees know that you want to start a workplace volunteer program. After getting their attention about the program, survey your employees. It is very important to let your employees have their input to allow for more involvement in the projects and help them feel more connected to the company and their new program.
  3. Identify community needs: Your program should target critical community needs that need to be addressed. After you identify the most critical issues that your employees care about, contact your local volunteer groups or community organizations to see how these issues are currently being handled. You can identify an organization to volunteer with based on these assessments.
  4. Put it together: After collecting all the necessary information, you will be ready to prepare a purpose statement. Through your program you will be able to: Connect people with opportunities to serve, build capacity for effective volunteering, promote volunteering, and meet local needs.

Developing an employee volunteer program will not only benefit your community, but it will also generate a more positive workplace for all involved. Get your employee volunteer program started today to see the many benefits that will come!

Need help getting started? Check out our more than 250 action centers nationwide or Points of Light’s Corporate Institute to start a program within your company today!

Have you started an employee volunteer program? Do you have any tips? We would love to hear about it in the comments section below!

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14 Ways to Better Engage Your Volunteers

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Most volunteer managers can agree, retaining regular volunteers can be a daunting task at times. It is important to not get discouraged when you are constantly seeing more new faces than familiar faces. Remember, one hundred percent retention of volunteers is an unrealistic goal.

You may be asking yourself, “how can I ever retain one volunteer if the odds are against me?’ Check out the tips below to help ensure a more active volunteer group within your organization or at your service projects!

  • Opportunities for evaluation: Evaluation can be informal. Just read your volunteer’s body language and verbal cues to see how they are feeling about the project. If their cues seem more negative than positive, ask them to come talk. You can ask them questions such as, “what do you like most about your job?” or “what can we do to make your time more fulfilling?”
  • Vacations and leaves of absence: To ensure volunteer enthusiasm and interest, offer regular volunteers the option of promotion for good performance. If your volunteer is feeling overwhelmed by personal obligations, allow them a leave of absence or vacation until they are able to serve again. Keep in touch with them to let them know that you care about their well-being.
  • In-service training: Training can be a great reward for dedicated volunteers to learn valuable skills for not only their volunteer work, but also their personal life. If your organization has a conference coming up or an opportunity to meet with a professional trainer in the field, reward them with the opportunity.
  • Staff meetings: Allow volunteers to attend staff meetings within your organization in order to give them a voice in projects. If that is not possible, coordinate volunteer team meetings so that they can share opinions.
  • Presentations: Invite volunteers involved in an interesting project to share their work at a staff meeting.
  • Advocacy opportunities: Invite your volunteers to advocate with governmental agencies, their opinion may mean more because they are not paid to give it.
  • Volunteer advisory council: Form a volunteer council to help develop policies and share project ideas. The council should have the chance to meet with your organization’s board members, too.
  • Expense reimbursement: Reimburse your volunteers for their out of pocket expenses such as gas or clothing. Making a small budget for reimbursement will pay off in the long run.
  • Benefits: Treat your volunteers like your staff members. Volunteers need food and drink, a safe working environment, and excess insurance if they are driving frequently.
  • Personnel file: Keep record of your volunteers’ involvement so that you can right a reference later or be reminded of good performance. This file will help you keep track of your dedicated volunteers.
  • Interesting tasks: Vary the work given to volunteers to ensure fulfillment and prevent boredom.
  • Respecting volunteers: No volunteer is “just a volunteer.” Remember, volunteers are unpaid staff members; they should be treated with the same respect as paid staff members.
  • Volunteer socialization: Create opportunities such as picnics or ice cream socials for volunteers to network and celebrate successes together.
  • Staff appreciation: Recognize and thank staff members that work well with volunteers. If staff feel appreciated, they are more likely to connect and interact with volunteers.

 

It is important to provide inclusive projects for both your volunteers and your staff members to guarantee retention. When volunteers feel their work is both meaningful and fulfilling, they are more likely to return.

How does your organization better retain its volunteers? We would love to hear your retention policies in the comments section below!

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50 Fun Ways to Volunteer Summer Style

Monday, June 4th, 2012

Summer vacation is here, that means it is time to volunteer! Whether you are an individual wanting to volunteer, or a family, summer is the perfect time to introduce community service into your life. Why? Summer means great weather, better moods, and less hectic schedules. It is a great time to be outside being proactive in your community or inside enjoying the air conditioner and helping your neighbors.

Not sure how to get involved? Below is a huge list of ideas to get your summer break started in the social good direction!

  1. Summer reading anyone? Sign up to read a book to children at your local library.
  2. Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
  3. Volunteer at a summer camp as a counselor.
  4. Sign your kid up for Grab the Torch Summer Leadership Camp.
  5. Plant a community garden.
  6. Be a lifeguard at your neighborhood pool.
  7. Sell cold lemonade to your neighbors for free
  8. Bring water to your local dog park on a hot day.
  9. Start a school supply drive for needy children starting school in the fall.
  10. Mentor a child through program such as the Boys and Girls Club
  11. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity
  12. Check with your local animal shelter to see if they need dog walkers
  13. Get your child to clean out their room and donate old toys to a children’s shelter or Good Will.
  14. Give blood to the Red Cross
  15. Help clean up a river in your community.
  16. Help a young child or adult learn how to read.
  17. Put a quarter in a jar everyday of the summer and donate your collection to your favorite charity!
  18. Volunteer to clean up an older neighbor’s yard.
  19. Make dinner for a family in need.
  20. Volunteer at your local museum.
  21. Volunteer at your community zoo.
  22. Clean up a nature trail.
  23. Plant a tree or a vegetable garden.
  24. Start a neighborhood watch program to improve public safety.
  25. Make sure your family is prepared for hurricane season.
  26. Hold a garage sale and donate your proceeds to a local charity
  27. Start recycling
  28. Hold a fundraising barbecue for your favorite charity.
  29. Adopt a shelter cat or dog
  30. Make cards for soldiers over seas
  31. Visit a senior in a retirement home.
  32. Teach a class at your local community center.
  33. Teach older adults how to use a computer.
  34. Volunteer at your local Fourth of July celebration
  35. Plant flowers at military cemetery.
  36. Volunteer to drive a senior citizen around
  37. Clean up your local park
  38. Volunteer your services at a nonprofit organization
  39. Volunteer for the Special Olympics
  40. Organize a dog and cat food drive for your local shelter
  41. Volunteer at a summer festival
  42. Join generationOn and Alex’s Lemonade Stand June 8-10 to help raise money for cancer research.
  43. Nominate a volunteer for an award contest.
  44. Register for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
  45. Nominate a community do gooder for Scholastic’s BE Big Contest.
  46. Help coach a youth sports team.
  47. Volunteer at a local fair.
  48. Collect cans and donate them to a food bank
  49. Teach English or learn a foreign language
  50. Check out one of our more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers to find an opportunity near you!
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8 Steps to Get Your Employee Volunteer Program Started

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Individual and family volunteering makes a huge impact on the community. Employee volunteering will not only make an impact on the surrounding community, but also on the work environment. Employees who volunteer together will feel more connected to the community in which they work, and also closer to their coworkers.

Starting an employee volunteer program in your workplace is easy to do. It will help shape your company’s image because you will be giving back to the community that you work in. Follow the eight steps below to get your employee volunteer program started today!

  1. Assess both your employees’ and community’s interests and needs. Survey employees to assess their current interests and past volunteer experience. Check out your local HandsOn Network action center or other local volunteer center to find volunteer opportunities near your workplace.
  2. Identify business priorities and goals that can be met through an employee volunteer program. A successful program will reflect business goals while adding value to the overall business objective. You can use your business plans when writing up your employee volunteer program to better incorporate the two.
  3. Secure your company’s top management support. All levels of management and departments should encourage employee participation in the program. Identify senior managers that can participate in various projects to get better participation from all employees.
  4. Develop a program structure and program policies. Encourage participation from all employee levels. Try to develop an employee committee who can dedicate themselves to greater participation. Develop written policies about employee participation in service events (i.e. how many project must staff members participate in). Learn best practices of employee volunteer programs so that you may implement them into your program.
  5. Design volunteering projects in line with financial support. Try to volunteer at organizations that your company supports or is considering supporting. Your company’s philanthropy donations will mean more to the organization, if they are also backed by volunteer support.
  6. Measure the program and evaluate its results. Develop methods for measuring overall employee satisfaction with the program and actual participation. Regularly evaluate whether or not the program is meeting the company’s overall strategic goals. By answering these questions, you can begin planning the next projects to better meet these goals.
  7. Establish a rewards program for participating employees. Reward will help build program participation. Develop an awards system for employee
    s to encourage their participation from extra vacation time to a t-shirt.
  8. Publicize your company’s efforts both internally and externally. You can communicate your employee’s efforts through the Internet or by contacting your local newspaper article. By reporting your results, the community will look more favorably at your company, and other companies may be more enthusiastic about starting a program of their own!

 

Employee volunteer programs are a great way to better your employee’s morale and will also boost community support. It is important to build your company’s image through volunteering within the community.

Does your company have an employee volunteer program? We would love to hear about it in the comments sections below!

Today’s post comes from Luci Miller. Luci is an AmeriCorps member on the Points of Light Digital team. Luci has recently joined other members in planning staff volunteer projects.

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