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
One of the recurrent nightmares of any volunteer manager is encountering a situation in which they may have to consider ‘firing’ a volunteer. For many this prospect creates severe stress, both over the appropriateness of the action and over fear of possible legal and political consequences. In this sessions we will provide a series of toll and resources to help you with this situation when it arises.
Trainer: Stuart Garland
International Volunteer Day (IVD) December 5th is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organisations and individual volunteers to make their contributions visible – at local, national and international levels – to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme works closely with partners and governments to establish national volunteer programmes to create structures that foster and sustain local volunteerism in countries. Through the Online Volunteering service volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organisations over the Internet.
The International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.
Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development by advocating for the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming.
Through the Online Volunteering service, volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations over the Internet. Every day thousands of people are volunteering, online or on-site, contributing to peace and development, working to achieve the MDGs and engaging people to shape the sustainable development agenda.
IVD 2016’s theme #GlobalApplause – give volunteers a hand, recognizes volunteers worldwide and all they do in making peace and sustainable development a reality.
Customer Service is probably the last thing you think of when you think of your volunteer programme. Well you’d be surprised how much an impact good customer service can have on your volunteers. From day one to day-to-day management there are a lot simple things you can do to make sure the volunteers experience is a good one, lest we forget they are ambassadors for your programme and your organisation.
Trainer: Stuart Garland
Customer Service is probably the last thing you think of when you think of your volunteer programme. Well you’d be surprised how much an impact good customer service can have on your volunteers. From day one to day-to-day management there are a lot simple things you can do to make sure the volunteers experience is a good one, lest we forget they are ambassadors for your programme and your organisation.
Trainer: Stuart Garland
Just how representative is your volunteer programme of today’s society and cultures? Volunteer Involving Organisations are now collecting data and monitoring their volunteer programmes for a variety of reasons including; planning, reporting, income generation, equality and diversity, and meeting quality standards such as Investing in Volunteers. In this workshop we will look at gathering, storing and utilising the data to make your volunteer programme the best it can be.
Trainer: Stuart Garland
Measuring the impact of volunteering activities is increasingly important as the demand for organisations to evidence impact and outcomes becomes greater.
The Volunteer Impact Assessment Toolkit (VIAT) provides information and customisable tools, which organisations of all sizes can use to measure the impact of volunteering and therefore evidence what is being achieved. This course will guide people through the Toolkit handbook. Exercises and group discussion will be used to guide participants through the different stages of conducting an impact assessment and to start planning their own assessment.
The price of this course includes a hard copy of the toolkit and access to the VIAT web portal.
Trainer: Stuart Garland
