How To Manage Volunteers at an Association Level

You already know how vital volunteers are to your association. They take on an array of roles while becoming loyal voices for your mission. 

On the practical side, they often carry out about one-quarter of the work your association does. Meanwhile, association members may spend one-third of their time engaged in volunteer management. You need volunteers, but they need your guidance, too!

However, they’re in short supply. Although an average of 63 million people volunteer annually, that number is spread thin among associations — for-profit and nonprofit alike.

Knowing how to manage volunteers effectively plays a large part in how effectively they help your association. Let’s look at this multifaceted matter, including how to manage a volunteer program, one piece at a time.

[Related: Strategic Planning for Associations: If You Don’t Plan, You Will Fail]

What Can Volunteers Do for Your Association?

You might first think of grunt work when you imagine volunteers. That’s fair. Whether they’re unloading goods or staffing an event, their efforts and energy are invaluable.

Still, volunteers are — and can be — far more than dedicated workers. After all, they volunteer because they believe in what your association does and stands for! Truly knowing how to manage volunteers involves realizing what they may be besides independent staff:

• Leaders
• Donors
• Fundraisers
• Advocates
• Lifelong members
• Board members

In other words, volunteer tasks run the gamut from face-to-face outreach to behind-the-scenes administration and beyond. For example, one study finds 87% of volunteers multitask as donors and volunteers!

Volunteer management becomes a critical skill when you grasp the scope of their potential. Fortunately, you can nurture deep, lasting relationships with volunteers when you use a logical yet people-friendly approach. 

That’s how to manage a volunteer program with your association’s immediate and long-term objectives in mind. 

[Related: Big Data and Its Importance for Association Decision-Making]

What Is Volunteer Management?

We’ve mentioned the term several times, but what does “volunteer management” mean? It’s no buzzword. 

In short, volunteer management is a strategic way to work with volunteers to fulfill your mission and meet your goals. 

It starts with your association’s first interaction with a potential volunteer and continues through ongoing follow-ups. It’s not a one-and-done process per program or event. Some organizations think of a volunteer management plan as a human resources matter, but it requires a distinct skill set. 

Naturally, a world of difference lies between paid employees and unpaid volunteers. 

For example, effective volunteer management doesn’t mean just getting work done efficiently, capably and affordably. It also means helping volunteers do work that aligns with your association’s mission and matches their abilities.

That’s why volunteer managers and association management companies (AMCs) step in and excel at weighing all these angles. They know people-centric strategies as well as association-based requirements. 

Note: When you work with volunteer managers and AMCs, you increase your chances of achieving goals. They take the helm as volunteer coordinators, while you save time and focus on your association.

[Related: How To Measure Your Association Management Company]

Why Is Volunteer Management Key for Your Association?

It’s clear why managing volunteers well is crucial to reaching your goals. 

As with any undertaking that leans on people, you must coordinate your mission/objectives, the people involved and your bottom line. Volunteer management has to happen with those factors top of mind. 

Recruiting, engaging and retaining volunteers must be strategic acts. And those differences between volunteers and your current members are significant. 

Think about it for a moment:

• Volunteers come from many walks of life. 
• They have a spectrum of skills and abilities. 
• They’re invested in the work, and they want to support your mission.

Volunteer management demands a delicate balance.

Without proper management, a well-intentioned program can turn into well-intentioned chaos — and lead to wasted costs. Morale can suffer alongside member retention. That’s doubly true if your association enlists volunteers for a major program or lengthy project. 

In essence, the volunteer management process is your association’s map away from squandered potential and toward success.

[Related: Your Guide to Nonprofit Succession Planning for Boards]

Volunteer Management Best Practices

Your association, volunteer managers and/or AMC also use volunteer management best practices from start to finish. These guidelines help leadership manage volunteers with finesse as well as measurable outcomes.

Here’s how to manage a volunteer program with personal and practical tact:

• Ask questions to make sure volunteers are the right fit for your association, mission and program.
• Offer training, support and resources, and make them easy to access.
• Set your internal and external volunteer expectations with clarity and honesty.
• Remain positive and encouraging — regularly remind volunteers that you appreciate them.
• Get volunteer feedback, and listen to their answers.
• Measure efficacy and key performance indicators (KPIs), such as how many volunteers actively participate, throughout the program.
• Plan to improve the next volunteer-driven program with what you learn from the current one.
• Try to nurture and maintain relationships with your volunteers — they may become longtime members, donors and more. 

Volunteer management best practices help ensure each volunteer both adds value and feels valued. 

And remember: Managing volunteers involves showing leadership as well as reaching goals and connecting with people. That’s only one reason an AMC can handle volunteer management intelligently. 

[Related: How To Create an Environment of Collaboration and Consensus-Building]

A group of volunteers bands together. (via Freepik)

How To Manage Volunteers at Your Association

Now that we’ve covered the major bases, here’s how to manage a volunteer program step by step. 

1. Establish Roles and Responsibilities

Outline what roles you need to fill, internally and via volunteers. As you do, consider what you need now and what you’ll need at the program’s end. Leave room for flexibility — needs can change at the drop of a hat.

Next, meet with your team and/or board to make sure you’re all on the same page. Finally, place the program’s set roles and responsibilities where everyone can reference them easily.

Note: Some associations and AMCs use project management or volunteer management software throughout the process. 

2. Start Recruiting Volunteers

Begin recruiting potential volunteers. Multiple avenues are available, from social media platforms to paper/online forms to personal networks. Recruitment may be more difficult if you’re a nonprofit organization — 62% say it’s a struggle.

If you hit hurdles, ask your members for recommendations — places of worship, workplaces, community events and more offer recruitment opportunities. Brainstorm with your team if you feel your outreach efforts aren’t working, or enlist an AMC for maximum exposure.

[Related: The Importance of Member Surveys for Associations]

3. Get To Know Your Volunteers

Ask volunteers questions as they sign up. For example, discover what motivates them to volunteer for you and what they hope to gain from the experience. 

After getting acquainted, provide volunteers with initial training and onboarding materials. These materials should cover when they start, who they reach out to and where their responsibilities lie. Make your association’s mission and the program’s goals clear.

Note: Depending on the nature of your program/event, you may want to run background checks. 

4. Create Open Communication Channels

Tell volunteers how to reach your association, your team and anyone else involved in running the program. The association’s phone number isn’t enough. Make sure they can contact you online (for example, through website forms), send text messages and email you. 

Additionally, list the names of the people with whom volunteers should speak. Designate one or more members for unique issues, like transportation, information and assistance. If you work with an AMC, its team coordinates communication for you.

[Related: 9 Tips for Writing a Great Association Newsletter]

5. Train Volunteers Thoroughly

Before the program begins, train volunteers thoroughly on their exact roles and responsibilities. Try to make training enjoyable! Volunteers also appreciate knowing the program’s objectives and precise timeline so they can measure their efforts.

Provide volunteers with additional training and onboarding information as needed. The materials you offer should be easy to understand and retrieve. If possible, offer in-person and online training.

Note: On your end, training and onboarding materials tell you how to manage volunteers per project, person and KPIs. An AMC knows what training materials various volunteer roles need.

[Related: Do You Train Your Board Members and Committee Chairs?]

6. Give and Get Constructive Feedback

Ask members how they feel in their roles and whether they notice any problems as the program progresses. Offer tactful suggestions if you see volunteers struggling. These conversations don’t just show that you care — they show that your association listens. 

Internally, establish how members should respond to volunteer feedback, negativity and criticism. Determine how your volunteer management process might change according to participants’ input.

[Related: Keeping Association Leaders and Staff Accountable]

7. Celebrate Volunteers and Their Work

Return to those volunteer management best practices, and let participants know you appreciate them. Without their work, your program or event couldn’t happen!

As always, coordinate with your team and/or AMC if you hold a volunteer appreciation event when the program ends. How you demonstrate their value factors into whether they volunteer the next time — and become long-term supporters, members or donors.

Note: Even small gestures, like thank-you cards and public social media announcements, engage volunteers in a big way.

8. Follow Up With Volunteers

Don’t leave your volunteers hanging when the program ends. If volunteering for your association was gratifying, they’re far more likely to do so again. 

Keep any contact information they offered when signing on, and send encouraging reminders before your next program starts.

Note: An AMC knows how to manage a volunteer program sharply — its team executes these steps while promoting your mission. An excellent AMC is an all-in-one successful volunteer management solution that plans and guides a program from day one.

[Related: How To Find the Right Association Management Company]

Find Premier Volunteer Management With CM Services

At CM Services, we offer 40-plus years of excellence as an AMC. We genuinely enjoy helping our clients find the smartest routes to growth and success. 

Our executive leadership services ensure your volunteer management process is in expert hands:

• Board and committee management, including volunteer recruitment and coordination
• Strategic and operational planning, including pinpointing your mission and goals
• Project management, including managing events and volunteer programs with SMART goals
• Financial and accounting services, including resource protection and allocation

Please see our full suite of services for even more ways to bolster your association.

Contact us anytime if you’re unsure how to manage a volunteer program or event. We’re happy to partner with you!

Featured image via Freepik