Tip of the Month

Super Volunteers!

We’ll all meet our share of super volunteers. (Yes, we will!)  Their special powers may vary: perhaps they are so committed (and tireless) that they regularly take extra shifts; they might have lots of great ideas or they might be extremely organized—able to bewitch all of those papers and projects, supplies and schedules into perfect order and compliance; or they possess the kind of social energy and kindness that effortlessly draws clients, staff and other volunteers into their orbit. And what about the ones that keep returning year after year until they become a part of the institutional memory for the volunteer program or the organization itself?

Well, we can call ourselves lucky when these volunteers find us and our organizations—and we should feel lucky! We should also express gratitude. With all of the demands on our time, we still need to make time for the volunteers that make it so much easier for us.  As we all know, retaining great volunteers is key to building capacity and freeing volunteer managers and other staff to concentrate on deepening the volunteer project or possibly expanding it.  

The reality, however, is that most super volunteers don’t arrive at our doors with all of their strengths and skills obvious. Here are some suggestions for discovering, cultivating and appreciating the strengths that all of our volunteers potentially bring:

1. Foster open communications:

• When they first come on board, ask them  about all of their skills, even ones that may not seem to fit the project; ask them what they hope to learn or develop as a volunteer; and keep in touch with them regularly to see if and how those goals are being met. Send them annual or semi-annual surveys and let them know if their survey answers led to any changes. Convene regularly scheduled conference calls where groups of volunteers can discuss issues and share ideas. Encourage them to let you know if they are having any difficulties with their volunteer project.  Tell them about special needs you may have for help with new volunteer recruitment, training or mentoring. Ask them for suggestions about how they can take on more responsible roles.

2. Provide a learning environment:

• Many volunteers choose a volunteer opportunity because they are very attracted to the organization’s mission.  Develop a Facebook or LinkedIn group for your volunteers which ties them to the agency’s bigger picture—and ask volunteers with strong social media skills to help moderate it. Circulate lists of books, articles, websites, films which shed light on the mission.  Ask them for recommendations regarding advanced training or skills workshops you can offer them. And ask your agency to invest time in the continual education of dedicated volunteers by inviting them to annual volunteer meetings or conference calls with the Executive Director or other key program staff.

After all, even super volunteers  may not know all of their strengths, skills, and interests, which is part of what makes the job of volunteer manager so rewarding and challenging! 

Many thanks to NYAVA’ s very own SUPER volunteer, Pamela Davis, for this great tip!

Sign up for our Principles & Practices course for more great volunteer management tips.

Featured Member

Caitlin Moses

Caitlin is a Program Manager at Project Sunshine, an organization that provides free educational, recreational, and social programs to children and families living with medical challenges.  She focuses on coordinating events for corporate volunteers who do direct work at hospitals or medical facilities and corporate groups who do remote activities like making craft activity bags to give to children. 

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