Volunteers

Give me a list of 20 things to do and I might shut down. Give me list of five things to do, with clear instructions and a timeline, and I can excel.

Sadly, transitions in staff replacements in the nonprofit world typically do not lend themselves to smooth transitions of information.

Your job is to change the culture and mind-set in your organization that a special event is everyone’s responsibility. If you increase the importance of a special event in your organization, other positive results will follow!       

If you engage volunteer leadership in a campaign — and it dramatically increases your success if done correctly — you need the right strategy. This includes preparation, and it includes leadership that makes a leadership gift — whatever that means for your particular organization and effort.

By focusing on strong and sincere donor relationships, learning their needs and interests, and providing appropriate opportunities, you also help donors experience the joy of giving and leave a legacy.

Back in 2009, when current FS Editorial Advisory Board Co-Chair Jo Sullivan was senior vice president of development and communications for the ASPCA, she offered "Tips for Creating Cause Ambassadors."

Never have a board member come up to you or others and say, "I signed up to do what?" Clarity is key to success, and shell games are for casinos. Do not mix the two!

The three most common ways to measure the value of volunteer time, as outlined by the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the University of Texas at Austin, are: Multiply the number of volunteer hours by the average hourly wage for a worker based on local or national statistics; calculate how much it would cost to hire paid employees to do the volunteer task; and calculate how much the volunteer would be paid at his or her regular job for the number of hours contributed.

I knew my new volunteer campaign leader “got it” when, at the first facility design meeting, she threw out the design and created one with the patients’ needs in mind.

When you are working with volunteers, be sure that you honor their time and your commitments. Explain clearly what you expect — and what they can expect. Be sure that you set volunteers up for success.