Too often the role of engaging volunteers falls exclusively to the volunteer program manager. It's not uncommon to hear the phrase "your volunteers" used within organizations. How do you make volunteer engagement everyone's job? This webinar will provide you with the tools to become an advocate for volunteer engagement. Learn how to create a step by step communication plan to reinforce the importance of volunteer engagement to key stakeholders within your organization.

1. Making Volunteer Engagement
Everyone’s Job
Jennifer Bennett @JenBennettCVA
CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training
Matt Wallace @ItsMattWallace
Senior Associate, Nonprofit Relations
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2. To hear the presentation
Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone’s
by phone call:
Job (415) 655-0056
Access Code: 690-784-930
Jennifer Bennett @JenBennettCVA
CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training
Matt Wallace @ItsMattWallace
Senior Associate, Nonprofit Relations
Follow this webinar on Twitter to
join the conversation!
Hash tag: #VMlearn
Jennifer Bennett, CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training
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3. Agenda
• Discuss how to move your volunteer engagement
program from where it is to where you want it to go.
• Address identifying and communicating with
stakeholders.
• Communication plan for stakeholders.
• Action plan for evolving your program.
• Investigate opportunities to engage volunteers in the
process.
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4. Outcomes
At the end of this presentation you will be able to
• Evaluate where your volunteer engagement program is
and where you want it to go.
• Identify stakeholders in your organization and create an
communication plan for each stakeholder
• Create an action plan to accomplish your volunteer
engagement goals
• Identify how and where you can involve volunteers in this
process
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5. Where do you want to go?
Depending on where you start you may have further to go –
What is your vision for volunteer engagement?
• Strategic planning – where do you want your program to
be in 5 years?
• Nurture and foster vision to your organization
• May not be adopted by all levels in the organization
• Consider what’s possible around expansion of impact
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6. Identify Stakeholders
Who plays a role in your organization? How do they feel
about engaging volunteers in new ways?
• Stakeholders could be organization leadership, staff,
volunteers, or donors.
• Assess where each stakeholder is on the engagement
continuum
– “I’m evaluating our volunteer engagement program. I’d love to
get your ideas”
– One on one conversations
– Opportunity for you to learn – don’t defend or attempt to change
minds
• Group stakeholders into champions, those seeking more
information, and those opposed to expanding volunteer
engagement.
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7. Create a Communication Plan
Based on your volunteer engagement continuum create a plan
for each group or each individual stakeholder.
• What type of information should be included?
– Quantitative – volunteer hours, number of clients served
– Qualitative – quotes or feedback from clients
– Opportunity for volunteer engagement
• Internal communication and external communication
– Different audiences need different styles and tones – overarching
message should be the same.
• Formal and informal communication channels
– Newsletter – formal, external facing. Who is included on the mailing list?
– Email/social media – less formal, internal and external
– Daily conversations/communication – informal
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8. Starting an Action Plan
First, assess your stakeholder continuum.
• Identify your champions
• Assess the barriers
– Attitudes
– Staff, money and other resources
– Where can you make progress, and where are the big walls?
• Is there an natural starting point or path for action?
– Remember where you want to go – 5 year strategic plan
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9. Create Benchmarks
Working from your starting point identify the milestones or
benchmarks that will help you achieve your plan.
• Engagement goals
– New volunteer opportunities, new programs/departments using
volunteers
• Communication goals
– Internal communication strategies, external communication
strategies
• Volunteer program goals
– Leadership opportunities within volunteer program
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10. Create a Timeline
When can you complete your benchmarks? Be realistic –
you still have to accomplish the rest of your job.
• Engage volunteers to help you
– You remove the barriers, volunteers build the program
• Leadership volunteers can help build the plan
– New roles for volunteers
– New opportunities for volunteers to use skills
– Model the volunteer engagement you want to see
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11. Opportunities for Engagement
Finally, after all the pieces are in place, you want to start
working with your champions to create new
opportunities.
• What are the organization/program needs?
• Engage supervising staff in position description and
screening
– Skills, experience needed, who would be successful at this?,
what training and supervision is needed?
– Engage volunteers to write the actual position, supervising staff
reviews position
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12. Make your Plan a Reality!
Remember the strategies for success.
• Start small and work with your champions
• Refer back to your strategic plan and goals.
– It’s okay to reevaluate where you’re going as the program starts
to evolved.
• Don’t get discouraged
– Tout your successes and evaluate and learn from your mistakes.
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13. Resources
Learning Center
Find upcoming webinar dates, how-to videos and more
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
VolunteerMatch Community
Ask and answer questions after the webinar – use keywords Skilled Volunteers
http://community.volunteermatch.org/volunteer
Related Webinar Topics:
•Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program
•Where Do I Go From Here? Evolving your Volunteer Program for More Involvement
•Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program
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14. Thanks for attending!
Join us online:
Like us on Facebook:
www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch
Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch
Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog:
blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/
For any questions contact:
Jennifer Bennett
(415) 321-3639
@JenBennettCVA
jbennett@volunteermatch.org
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