When cash resources are tight, the value of volunteer resources assumes additional importance to nonprofits and governmental organizations. Every volunteer hour is value added to the organization. In Minnesota, the value of the volunteer time is an estimated economic contribution...
The charity volunteering I do involves a lot of driving. The organization can afford to pay for gas, but the volunteer coordinator refuses to accept claims. Should they reimburse us? Or should we have a stipend from which to pay...
A US study conducted by The Independent Sector, a US-based not-for-profit organization, confirms that when people are worried about their personal economic situation, overall giving and volunteering drops. Their facts suggest that giving drops by more than 50% and volunteering...
Volunteers are one of the most important assets of nonprofit and charitable organizations in Canada. They bring time, enthusiasm, and skills to the organization or to a program. They can also make the delivery of programs far more cost-effective. Many...
Did you know that the word volunteer comes from Latin, and can be translated as "will" (as in doing something out of one’s own free will)? In not-for-profit organizations, volunteer leaders are the proverbial airplane pilots unless, of course, yours...
Recruit, recruit, recruit... Why is everyone so focused on recruitment of volunteers? It seems that every organization I meet these days is focused on recruitment. If only we had more volunteers! If only we had more volunteers...it would solve all...
Build understanding and collaboration: Paid staff are respected and are empowered to fully participate in planning, decision-making and management related to volunteer involvement. There is a conscious, active effort to reduce the boundaries and increase the teamwork between paid and...
What could cars and oil changes possibly have to do with building successful volunteer-staff teams? If you are scratching your head, then read on… The analogy comes from Donna Lockhart, CVRM, of RETHINK GROUP. Her father always told her that...
I am frequently asked, "How do we motivate our volunteers?" My response is, "You don't." Volunteers bring their own unique motivations to their work. A good volunteer manager learns to identify those motivations and then helps each volunteer achieve a...
I have some volunteers that are more trouble than they are worth, but they are good-hearted people who mean well. Another team leader suggested I fire them. Can a nonprofit ethically get rid of people who want to help? Not...
