Reed Dewey, Volunteer Froniter Presentation

1. Thrive. Grow. Achieve.
Build Capacity With
Dynamic Volunteer
Engagement
Reed Dewey, Principal
Wednesday, September 11, 2013

2. Build Capacity With Dynamic
Volunteer Engagement
Reed Dewey, Principal
www.VolunteerFrontier.com

3. Getting Started
• Informal, fun & confidential
• About Reed
• About you:
1. Organization & role
2. What you most want to get out of today?

4. Attendees will:
• Learn about the business case for better
volunteer utilization
• Gain strategies for advocating for better
engagement of volunteers
• Learn about nonprofit trends and the
impact of dynamic volunteering
Continued – next slide
Learning Objectives

5. Attendees will:
• Benefit from case examples and session
discussion
• Have an assessment of where their
organization is related to volunteer
engagement
• Gain a framework for moving forward
• Take away tools and a first-cut plan of
action
Learning Objectives

6. Including – Real Life Success Stories
Findings from the
Volunteer Engagement Stars Report
A partnership between Volunteer Frontier and the
Center for Nonprofit Advancement

7. • Great recession
• More need, fewer resources
• The toll on nonprofits
• Impact on staff and
volunteers alike
The Current Environment

8. How Agencies Have Responded?
• More time & energy on fundraising
• Reducing costs and services
• Using rainy day funds – if available
• Volunteer Power? Often seen as nice add
on but not central to operations.

9. The Untapped Resource…
Capacity Building Volunteers
• Leaders & Managers
• Professionals for projects and ongoing work
Volunteers that are strategically engaged for results

10. Nonprofit Capacity Challenges…
Nonprofits…
• 48% struggle with funding core
programs
• 38% lack of resources for
infrastructure – the top challenge.
• 79% spend 2% or less budget
supporting infrastructure
Common Impact Studies, 2008 & 2010

11. The Challenges...
• 9 out of 10 nonprofits said they need
more skilled volunteer support.
yet…
• 57% of nonprofits say they don’t have
the capacity to engage skilled
volunteers
Deloitte Study, (2009)

12. Only:
• 6% of NPs think they effectively
balance volunteer skills well
• Only 8% think they were effective at
defining volunteer roles
• Only 13% felt they provided sufficient
resources for volunteer engagement
Reimaging Service Report, 2009
More Challenges…

13. Talk time…
What have been
your challenges with
engaging volunteers?

14. Talk time…
What have been
your successes with
engaging volunteers?

15. The Opportunities
Nonprofits with 50 volunteers AND
strong volunteer management model…
core organizational capacities were
significantly stronger
Only 11% of all nonprofits
met this threshold
Reimaging Service Report, 2009

16. Opportunities
Nonprofits can get large return on
investment by utilizing skilled boomer
volunteers
• Self-directed teams
• Volunteers to orient, train, and coach
other volunteers
National Council on the Aging, Respectability
Initiative Study, (2010)

17. Golden Opportunities…
• Volunteers donate ten times
more than non-volunteers
($2,593/yr vs. $230/yr).
• 67% of volunteers donate to the
same charities where they
volunteer.
(Source: Fidelity, Volunteerism/Giving Rpt, 2009

18. US Giving:
• 81% from individuals
• 14% from foundations
• 5% from corporations
Volunteers who give – major implications
for Major Gifts (especially older givers)
Source: Giving USA, 2011

19. Complete the
Volunteer Engagement Self- Assessment
Time Out - Mini Assessment…

21. Would you fix up this house?

22. Focus: Home Repair for Low-Income people
(part of National Network)
Volunteers: 1,500 total
Number of volunteer hours: 12,000 hours
Value of volunteer service: $500,000
Agency Budget: $1.2 million
Number of clients served/year: 235
Delivered: $1.3 million in repairs

23. Engages Broad Cross-Section of
Volunteers:
• Episodic
• Skilled
• Leader
• House Captain
• Area Coordinator
• Ambassador
• Strong business engagement in all areas

24. Talk time…
To what degree does your
nonprofit leverage the full
spectrum of volunteering?

25. Evolution of a nonprofit…
See the board.

26. After hiring staff…
See the board run!

27. Opinions and Beliefs About the
Role Volunteers Can Play..
• Starts early in most organizations
• Is often hidden, unspoken
• Is part of the organization culture

28. “We tried having a
volunteer but they…”
(did something bad or didn’t do enough, etc…)
One strike, volunteer engagement is out
But, staff don’t work out? Hire another one!

29. • Staff overworked, don’t have time
• Short-term time horizon
• Perceive little benefit
• Staff concerned about their jobs

30. A Little Bit About
“Organizational Culture”
Edgar Schein (2004) identifies three distinct
levels in organizational cultures:
• artifacts and behaviors – (physical,
spoken)
• espoused values (values and rules)
• assumptions - (unconscious, deeply
embedded)

31. Talk time…
What is your organization’s
overt and covert attitudes
towards volunteers and how
they are engaged?

32. Senior Management…
What are they thinking about?

34. Talking Management’s
Language:
Volunteers build our capacity,
by:
1. Raising funds
2. Saving money
3. Doing more mission
4. Leveraging (funders love this)

35. Trend #1
Agencies Seeing the Interchangeable
Nature of Their Stakeholders
Social media & engagement
marketing is driving the
change.
The nexus of donor
and volunteer engagement…

36. Social Media Frenzy!
80% of internet users participate
in voluntary groups…
Source: The Social Side of the Internet, Pew Internet
& American Life Project, 2011

37. Source: The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine
Based on the “Ladder of Engagement”
Creators
Evangelists
Donors/Volunteers
(Reed added this)
Spreaders
Listeners

38. Power of Engagement…
DC Region’s Give To The Max Campaign:
• Only one day to give online
• Nonprofits told friends to give
• For Love of Children: $86,000
• Little Lights Ministries: $38,000 (726
gifts)
Through Razoo & local community foundation network

39. Steal ideas from the fundraisers!
Elements of Cultivation:
• Get people interested
• Seek out their ideas
• Ask for money
• Show results
Invite, Educate, & Engage

40. Stakeholders move around…
Volunteer, board member, donor, champion…
See volunteers as friends
and champions first.

41. • Staff: 10 full-time; 2 part-time
• Volunteers: 515 total; 53 ongoing
• Number of volunteer hours: 6,600
• Value of volunteer service: $211,200
• Agency Budget: $800K

42. • 40,000 e-mail list
• 4,000 members
• 3,750 Facebook followers
• 1,250 Twitter followers

43. “We’re seeing that with social media, the
lines are blurring between who’s a follower,
volunteer, or contributor.”
- Shane Farthing, Executive Director, WABA

44. WABA Tips…
• Write volunteer support into grants
• Focus on engagement
• Regular e-mails
• Separate volunteer E-mail list
• Semi-autonomous volunteers
• Encouraging special projects

45. Talk time…
To what extent does your agency
see the interchangeable nature
of its stakeholders?
and…
Do you see ways in which
stakeholders could be further
cultivated for a variety of efforts?

46. Human Services – Helping low income
people
Volunteers: 11,000 total; 125 ongoing
Number of volunteer hours: 30,000 hours
Value of volunteer service: $669,600
Agency Budget: $1,150,000

47. “It’s about giving your time, stuff, and
money. If you understand our work,
our hope is that you’ll end up giving all
three!”
- Mark Bergel, Executive Director

48. Wider Circle Hot Tips
• Tapping the power of interns
• Education to all who’ll listen
• Inspiring message of hope
• Using volunteer leaders liberally
• Hard to know who’s a volunteer!
The culture: positive, fast paced,
empowering for staff and volunteers.

49. Trend #2
Agencies Shifting From
Management to Engagement Model
Agencies interviewed said…
• Moving more to two-way dialogue
• More selling and helping people
connect with the mission
• More volunteers have WIFM (what’s
in it for me) & want to see results

51. A Changing Paradigm?
FROM TO
volunteer management  volunteer engagement
recruitment  cultivation and networking
placement  negotiation and agreement
supervision  support
recognition  acknowledgement
controlling  empowering
Pre-set positions  position sculpting
Source: Boomer Volunteer Engagement, by Fixler, Eichberg & Lorenz, 2008
and Scott Martin. Minor modifications made by Volunteer Frontier.

52. Capacity Building Volunteers -
Especially Boomers and Younger…

53. • Human Services Agency for Seniors
• Staff: 22 full-time; 12 part-time
• Volunteers: 580 total; 150 ongoing
• Number of volunteer hours: 700+/-

54. Iona Hot Tips…
• Staffer has volunteer screener (sort
direct service & skilled vols up front)
• Skilled volunteers have one-one
interview with staff/lead volunteer
• Write volunteer support into grants
• Staff see success - now want more
volunteers
• Development volunteer story

55. Iona Website
• Specific, but also open ended
• Get people to call to find out more
• Engage first, then figure out best fit
(example next page)

56. From Iona Website…
Specialist Pro-bono Volunteers |
Time : Weekdays 10-5 (and virtually)
Provide professional expertise and tangible
guidance to Iona. Areas of need include:
Marketing/ Communications, Business
Development and Financial Planning.

57. Talk time…
Pros and Cons of:
Volunteer Management
vs.
Volunteer Engagement
Directions: Break into pairs, talk about
what you think are the pros and cons
of each approach & when best used?

58. Volunteer Engagement Paradigm…
Ties into volunteer motivations and
effective recruitment of volunteers…
characteristics of age cohorts…

59. Changing Generational Characteristics
Traditionalists Boomers Gen-Xers Millennials
Valued civic duty,
respect for
authority, blending
in, following the
rules,
organizational
loyalty
Suspicious of
organizations;
anti-authoritarian;
motivated by self-
fulfillment
Empty nesters?
Self-reliant and
independent;
questions
authority,
respects
competence,
not titles
Entrepreneurial;
Self-confidence,
sense of
individuality and
uniqueness
Increasing Individuality

60. Volunteer Motivations
based on McClelland’s Motivation Theory
I lead
(Power)
I benefit
“Good for me”
Added: Not part
of original theory
I belong
(Affiliation)
I make it
better
(Achievement)

61. Talk time…
What motivates each volunteer?
Do you know? (it’s OK if you don’t know!)
I lead
(Power)
I benefit
“Good for
me”
I belong
(Affiliation)
I make it
better
(Achieve-
ment)

62. Trend #3
Well-Managed Nonprofits Are
Investing in Capacity Building
Volunteers
• Fundraising volunteers
• Skilled volunteers
• Leader/project volunteers

63. Fundraising Volunteers
Staff: 15 full-time; 16 part time
Volunteers: 720 total; 580 ongoing
Number of volunteer hours: 23,295
Value of volunteer service: $1,181,121
Agency Budget: $2,500,000

64. Arlington Free Clinic – Hot Tips
• Annual Fundraising event - staff
support the Volunteer Leaders. Raise
$600K with minimal staff time
• Community Council - Members
provide professional services and
contacts to their network
• Non-Board Members serving on
finance committee

65. Skilled Volunteers…
• Staff: 83 full-time; 11 part time; 5
temporary
• Agency Budget: $24 million
• Network: 700 nonprofit partners
• Skilled volunteers: Provided $228,000 in
professional services lat year

66. “Volunteers bring expertise and passion
to the Food Bank which is profound.”
- Lynn Brantley, CEO
Capital Area Food Bank

67. Capital Area Food Bank
• 145 individual skilled volunteers gave
$36,000 in services
• Law firm gives $101,000 in legal
services
• Consulting firm gives $25,000 in
consulting
• Ambassadors program

68. Talk time…
To what degree could your agency further
involve volunteers in skilled volunteering?
Directions: Take a moment and jot down 2-3 new
areas where you could utilize professional
volunteers. Note a few areas where skilled
volunteers are already being engaged.

69. Leader/Project Volunteers
New Your Cares Leadership Ladder
Report (2009)
• Improved marketing and communication
• Revamped volunteer orientation
• Better communication with volunteers
• More leadership development
opportunities

70. New York Cares –
“Volunteer Engagement Scale”
1. Shoppers
2. Episodic contributors (one time)
3. Short-term contributors (2-4
projects)
4. Reliable regulars
5. Fully engaged volunteers
6. Committed leaders

71. Leadership Ladder Report
Results:
• E-mail subscribers (80% increase)
• Conversion to volunteers (70% up)
• Individual volunteering (20% up)
• More team leaders (84% increase)
New York Cares, 2009

72. Major NY Cares conclusion…
“Organizations wishing to retain
more volunteers should take
serious steps to ensure that
from the minute volunteers walk
in the door, they are cared for,
appreciated, and responded to
as individuals.”

73. Staff: 4 full-time; 4 part-time
Volunteers: over 390 total; 200 ongoing
Number of volunteer hours: 29,469
Value of volunteer service: $736,725.
Agency budget: $590,350
Number of clients served/year: 1,800+
Hospice
Caring of
Montgomery
County

74. Hospice Caring of
Montgomery County…
• Volunteer leaders run most agency
fundraising events (50% of budget)
• Volunteer house team model
• Good staff-volunteer relations
• Training helps vet volunteers
• Group facilitators

75. “With the right training and support,
volunteers can take on positions of
great responsibility and leadership.”
Jeannette Mendonca, Executive Director
Hospice Caring of Montgomery County

76. Putting it All Together…
Action Steps To Greater
Volunteer Engagement
(Review Handout Together)

77. Putting It All Together…
1. Complete planning sheet -individually
(10 minutes)
2. Get into pairs (15 minutes)
Each person talks (7 min) about their
thinking from the planning sheet and
seeks input from the other person.

78. Recommendation #1
To demonstrate results…
Track of how volunteer engagement is
helping save money, raise funds and
do more mission

79. Recommendation #2
To be inviting for volunteers…
Create An Organizational Culture
That Embraces Volunteers.
• Assess where you are
• Engage stakeholders
• Start with pilot – new uses of volunteers
• Integrate volunteering across the agency

80. Recommendation #3
To attract leaders…
Make Capacity Building Volunteers
a Part of the Team.
– Try not calling them “volunteers”
– Give them professional identity
– Give them ownership

81. Recommendation #4
To get more in-kind services and support
Involve the Business Community –
in Skilled Volunteering &
Ongoing Partnerships.

82. Recommendation #5
To attract volunteers…
Appeal To the “New
Breed” of Volunteer.
• Find the best fit for volunteers and the
agency.
• Roles & assignments with tangible
outcomes.
(also a good book by Jon and Tom Mckee)

83. Recommendation #6
To utilize volunteers well…
Invest in Volunteer Management.
• Train and support volunteers & staff
• Dedicate staffer to volunteer
engagement.
Write $$ into grant apps for volunteer
Support.

84. Recommendation #7
To avoid getting burned…
Verify Volunteer Competency &
Dedication - Then Trust Them.
(Especially for leader and skilled volunteers)

85. Recommendation #8
Strive for longer term volunteers…
Give ownership/leadership to volunteers.
Utilize interns & other regulars.

86. Thank you!
Reed Dewey, Principal
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