Sometimes it feels that we surround ourselves with policies and they bear little impact on the day-to-day management of our volunteers. This one-day course will explore exactly what policies you need. You’ll be able to explain the rationale for the various policies and explain their function. We’ll explore other policies currently in use and review their impact in terms of the quality of their volunteer programmes.
The early relationship a volunteer has with an organisation has tremendous impact on the future success of the partnership between both. When volunteers are not genuinely welcomed and / or given the information they need to successfully serve the organisation, they can’t carry out their tasks to the best of their ability and in some cases, may leave the organisation. On this course we will provide you with the tools and resources you need to ensure your prospective volunteers are trained in a manner that best supports your organisational aims and objectives.
Suggesting that an organisation initiates performance reviews of volunteers is often met with resistance. A growing number of Volunteer Managers are countering these perceptions, choosing instead to see performance review as a reflection of the importance of volunteers in an organisation. It is a mutual way to express appreciation, identify problems and needs, and determine the volunteer’s future involvement in the organisation.
International Volunteer Managers Day (IVM Day) is celebrated globally on November 5 each year. The day is put aside to allow volunteer managers a chance to reflect on and celebrate the critical work they do, and more importantly, it allows an opportunity for them to educate others about the significant role they play in mobilizing the often complex resources volunteers bring with them.
Mission / Statement of Values
We celebrate the profession of volunteer leadership because:
- Volunteer Managers have the skills and knowledge to help people be part of the solution in meeting community needs. Even in cynical times, they practice the art of the possible.
- Volunteer Managers change lives — both the lives of volunteers themselves and of those served by well-led volunteers. It is a life-changing profession. Volunteer managers provide the leadership and direction that allows people to build a good and just society and to mend the social fabric. Without professional leadership, people’s time, talents and efforts could be wasted.
- A well-run volunteer program shows the community, including potential donors, that the organization is not afraid of public scrutiny and involvement and endeavors to make the most efficient use of monetary assets.
- Well-led volunteers become an advocacy and public relations force for an agency or program — a force no amount of money could buy.
2017 Theme – Be The Voice
Join our IVMDay 2017 campaign! Make your pledge to “Be The Voice!” for volunteer managers and demonstrate how we are agents and advocates of change for volunteers and volunteering. IVMDay Chairperson, Andy Fryar, kicking off the campaign Look who’s make a pledge to “Be The Voice!”: Make your personal pledge: Make your organizational pledge: Make your sector pledge: Please feel free to post your pledge via the ‘Get in Touch’ box below, or email your photos to andy@ozvpm.com
Get Resources for International Volunteer Managers Day from the IVMD web site.
Interviewing candidates for volunteer roles is imperative to ensure you are selecting the most qualified person. A key outcome of conducting an interview is the mutual acquaintance of the volunteer applicant and the prospective volunteer supervisor. Without this significant screening step, many misplaced or inappropriate volunteers begin to volunteer with the organisation. In this session we’ll look at how to manage the interview process and give you the skills required for effective interviewing.
Effective relations between paid staff and volunteers can lead to an enjoyable and productive workplace for both groups. Organisations wishing to involve volunteers need to firstly consult with those individuals with whom the volunteers will be working. Volunteer roles, management and support, needs to be clearly defined with paid staff to reduce the risk of mistrust.
Staff need to see that volunteers complement and strengthen their capacity and enhance the capability of the organisation to achieve its goals rather than fear their involvement. This training will provide strategies and ideas for successful staff and volunteer relations
Trainer: Stuart Garland
