Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving. It’s simple: staff and volunteers each have expectations. If these expectations are the same, all has the potential to go well, but what if they are different? This webinar will address who your volunteers are, their importance and how to establish a productive working and rewarding volunteer – staff relationship. It takes energy and time, but holds the promise of a huge win-win for all parties involved.

1. Managing Volunteers & Expectations: A Win - Win
Phyllis Lasky
September 8, 2010
Use Twitter Hashtag #npweb
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3. Today’s Speaker
Phyllis Lasky
Phyllis Lasky Consulting
Hosting: Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership
Assisting with chat questions: Chris Dumas, FirstGiving

4. A Win – Win
Phyllis Lasky Consulting
plasky1@comcast.net
Nonprofit Webinar
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
September 8, 2010 4

5.  Began with Ben Franklin
◦ Volunteer fire departments
◦ Lending libraries
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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6.  A movement that is in high gear
◦ Children and young people looking to
―make a difference‖
◦ Retirees wanting to keep busy and
to give back
◦ Retirees who are not ready to retire
 A very special group that needs
focused attention
◦ All ages in between —
particularly those who are working!
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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7.  We love ‗em and have always had them
 They perform specific jobs
◦ Often clerical, e.g., mailings
◦ Phone duties
◦ Filing
 They save staff time
 They save agency money
 It‘s potentially good public relations
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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8.  Fundraising events
 Thank you events
 Bylaws
 Investment
 Other, specific to your nonprofit
 AND THEN THERE‘S THE BOARD…
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9.  It‘s about all the organization and ―me‖
 Let‘s look at this paradigm another
way…
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10.  Is your organizational culture ready and able
to do what it takes to make the volunteer
experience a win – win?
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11.  Are volunteers included in your
strategic plan?
 Do you consider your board
to be volunteers?
 Are there resources for
volunteer management?
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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12.  Target the volunteers that you want
◦ Be clear about what the volunteers will do
◦ Describe background and interests needed to be
successful
◦ Provide a job description for each position
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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13. ◦ Is the organizational culture a fit with
the need?
 Is a structure in place to support
the volunteers and the staff?
 Is an open exchange of
information encouraged?
 Do you listen to your volunteers?
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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14.  Individuals who volunteer want to meet an
immediate personal need:
◦ Are you ready?
◦ Remember to listen
◦ Be responsive
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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15.  Should you ―make these days work?‖
 Think creatively about who is coming
◦ Opportunities abound
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16.  Ambassadors
 Donors
 Other
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17.  Consider:
◦ Your needs and theirs
◦ Is there a consistent need over the course of a
year
◦ Attrition
◦ Refreshing your volunteer pool
 Setting goals
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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18.  Invested volunteers provide good value:
 Manage their needs and yours
◦ Growth
◦ Ownership
◦ Continuity
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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19.  Culture and finesse
 Good luck!
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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20.  Meal de rigueur
 Naming the volunteer position adds to the
incentive
 Awards
 Warning:
◦ Use care with $$ value!
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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21.  Aren‘t your volunteers donors--
and vice versa?
◦ Define a donor for your organization
 Find ways to integrate all donors
into your organization‘s culture…
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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22.  Your strategic approach to volunteers will pay
off…
And remember to…
© Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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23. © Phyllis Lasky Consulting 2010
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24. Phyllis Lasky Consulting
Communications
Training
Development
Interim management
57 Park Avenue Extension
Arlington, MA 02474
website: www.laskyconsulting.com
email: plasky1@comcast.net
tel: 781.646.7176
mobile: 617.710.3967
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25. Find the listings for our current season of webinars
and register at
NonprofitWebinars.com
Chris Dumas
Chris@NonprofitWebinars.com
707-812-1234
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