How to Best Support and Utilize Your Volunteer Workforce

A nonprofit organization that relies on help from volunteers to advance its mission has to nurture positive volunteer experiences while also making the most of their volunteers’ contributions. It’s important that organizations develop volunteer management policies that will ensure that both volunteers and the organization are satisfied with volunteers’ duties.

Offer Thorough Training

It would be unreasonable for an organization to expect that volunteers start their work with all of the knowledge that they need to produce outstanding work. Even when a volunteer has worked or volunteered in a similar role in the past, all organizations operate differently. Volunteer coordinators need to implement training programs that will cultivate volunteers’ ability to perform their duties with skill and care.

Make the Experience Educational

Many volunteers aren’t working with an organization for the sole purpose of volunteerism. In fact, individuals are often looking to learn job skills. In addition to training on volunteer duties, organizations should strive to impart educational elements with practical applications into their volunteer programs.

The quality of training is fundamental to volunteers’ ability to complete their duties with ease and accuracy, and the balance between education and work is a key component of ensuring that volunteers have a good experience with an organization and are willing to commit their time for an extended period of service.