Managing volunteers
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This document provides guidance for volunteer coordinators to help keep volunteers engaged and satisfied. It summarizes 12 common reasons why volunteers quit organizations or stop participating. These reasons include burnout from taking on too much too quickly, feeling excluded from inner circles, feeling a lack of growth opportunities, and a sense that their efforts cannot contribute to success. The document advises showing appreciation, providing a variety of roles, and ensuring volunteers feel in control of their level of involvement.
![- . THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY'S SUCCESS'99
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100 *
Washington DC 20037 * (202) 333-0008 * www.LP.org
Koop· Voluntoors
12 steps to keep your volunteers happy
"1 volunteer!"
Those two words are guaranteed to
their own needs. Holding volunteers, in other
words, is more a matter of maintaining their joy
bring a smile to any Libertarian Party than of maintaining their conviction."
leader. As a smaU, grassroots organization, the Here are Dr. Sandman's 12 reasons (slightly
LP was built by - and is still largely powered by edited). Notice how many of them mirror the
- the volunteer spirit of its members. difficulties that your Libertarian Party
But the words ''1 volunteer'" merely.begin .orqanizatiorrrnay.be. having with your
the process. After that first rush of enthusiasm volunteers.
dissipates, LP leaders notice that many
volunteers stop volunteering - or simply stop 1. BURN OUT. People often leave
showing up for LP events. organizations when they are asked to do too
How can we change that? much too fast. We are all familiar with the
According to Dr. Peter M. Sandman - a phenomenon: A newcomer at the March meeting
professor at Rutgers University - the secret is speaks up at the April meeting, is appointed
to focus on the needs of the volunteers. committee chair at the May meeting, and
In the late 1980s, Dr. Sandman was a doesn't show for the June meeting. To avoid
volunteer coordinator for the Nuclear Freeze burn out, we should try to offer volunteers a
movement, and wrote an article entitled, series of slowly increasing responsibilities.
"Holding Your Volunteers." His advice applies
not just to the Freeze movement, but to any 2. COOL OUT. The opposite of asking
group that relies on volunteer support. people to do too much too fast is not asking
Sandman wrote: "1 want to list for you the them to do anything at all. In many groups this
12 most common reasons why volunteers quit is the number one reason for leaving: No one
their organizations ~ or, more often, simply invited me to the workshop, no one asked me to
disappear. Most of the 12 can be dealt with ,---,-, if ., help with.the [neighborhood] canvass, no .one
we are paying attention to organizational told me they needed me. The solution to "cool
maintenance. None of the 12 reasons for .out" is straightforward. Don't be diffident. about
quitting, by the way, is people changing their ,. asking, and don't lose track of people. Be
minds about the issues. Note also that none of especially careful to touch base with volunteers
the 12 is 'not enough time: That's what many who missed the last meeting, so the lack of a
former volunteers will tell you if you ask why role doesn't become a reason to miss the next
they left, but it's a cover story. Their day didn't one as well.
get shorter, after all; they just decided to
reallocate the part of it that used to go to [you]." 3. KEEP OUT. We old-timers
Instead, noted Sandman, volunteers leave inevitably gravitate to each 'other at gatherings,
because the volunteer work "no longer satisfies especially when we've been through tough times](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/managingvolunteers-110331230849-phpapp02/85/Managing-volunteers-2-320.jpg)
![know how to appreciate volunteers - the doesn't produce disgruntled minorities. Even if
American Cancer Society comes to mind - use your group decides things by vote or by fiat, the
everything from newsletters to awards banquets crucial need is to listen to the losing side.
to endless desktop pen sets to make the point. Volunteers who quite over a policy disagreement
almost always report that the majority (or the
9. EXTERNAL OPPOSITION. chair) didn't understand their position. If you
If family and friends are opposed to a can summarize the minority viewpoint
volunteer's volunteering, odds are you'll accurately and respectfully, the minority will
eventually lose that volunteer. The obvious usually accept the decision. A coronary is that
solution is to avoid external opposition in the volunteers who weren't present when a decision
first place. Family and friends are in a real sense was made are the ones most likely to see it as
"contributing" some of their time with the grounds for quitting, so try to make key
volunteer; find ways and occasions to thank decisions when the dissidents are there to
them. Better still, lessen the contribution by express their dissent.
involving them directly. Even family members
who do not want to volunteer themselves may 12. NOT ENOUGH FUN. Yes, of
still want to meet the people and get a sense of course [achieving your political goals] is serious
what goes on during aU those [volunteer] hours. work .. But we.mere. humans need parties .and
And think about external opposition that rises picnics and softball teams.
out of skepticism about the cause rather than "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of
resentment of the competition. Involvement is your revolution."
the best way to cope with this, too, but second
best is to make sure volunteers bring home a
steady stream of "ammunition" demonstrating
the wisdom and effectiveness of [your
organization's] work.
1o. EXTERNAL CONFLICT.
Personality conflicts, tensions, and even quarrels
may be acceptable at home or at a paying job,
but not at a volunteer job - especially not a
political one. Part of the problem is imagining
that people who share political values are always
going to like each other. Part of the solution is
accepting that we may not like each other. Once
the conflict is acknowledged, the rest of the
solution depends on the style of your group.
Some groups mediate the battle, some encourage
the battlers to duke it out, some urge them to
make up, and some reorganize the work so they
won't have to deal with each other so much.
11. POLICY DISAGREEMENTS.
Sometimes - though less often than we image
- the conflict is genuinely over policies rather
than personalities. A consensus decision-making
process will help here. Though it takes forever, it
leads to better decisions, and unlike voting it](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/managingvolunteers-110331230849-phpapp02/85/Managing-volunteers-4-320.jpg)
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- 1. THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY'S SUCCESS'99 * 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100 Washington DC 20037 * (202) 333-0008 * www.LP.org Volunteers Do's and don't's for managing volunteers Do... Don't ... Take a clipboard with a volunteer sign-up Be upset if people say they will be there sheet wherever you campaign. and don't show. Ask them again next time. Treat them like gold. Ever get angry at the volunteers. Keep accurate records of their names, Everccriticizestaff, other volunteers, or the phone numbers, etc. candidate in front of them. Give them something to do as soon as they Talk about some volunteers in front of offer to help. others. Remember to express your gratitude Forget to thank them for their efforts. sincerely. Remember they could be doing something else! Pay attention to each individual's strengths Let them leave non-campaign materials and weaknesses and assign tasks accordingly. around your headquarters. Schedule 50% more volunteers than you Let the hard-core, long-time Libertarians think you will need for any project. scare the new people. Keep them "in the loop" as much as pos- Allow volunteers with "good ideas" to side- sible. Make them feel part of the campaign. track your plan. Keep an eye open for the really competent ones who may be moved up to a staff job. Make sure you have a volunteer coordina- tor who is OKwith making lots of phone calls. Always Remember: "Goushaw's Rule of the 100" Help your candidate remember their names. "When you have contributed 100 hours or $100, Have the candidate show up (briefly) then you are entitled to an opinion on what I during volunteer events and thank each person. am doing." Try to have a job for the kids, too. Shred- ding sensitive documents is a good one. Help them to stay motivated by sharing good news and making them feel important. Encourage the candidate's spouse to par- ticipate in volunteer activities.
- 2. - . THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY'S SUCCESS'99 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100 * Washington DC 20037 * (202) 333-0008 * www.LP.org Koop· Voluntoors 12 steps to keep your volunteers happy "1 volunteer!" Those two words are guaranteed to their own needs. Holding volunteers, in other words, is more a matter of maintaining their joy bring a smile to any Libertarian Party than of maintaining their conviction." leader. As a smaU, grassroots organization, the Here are Dr. Sandman's 12 reasons (slightly LP was built by - and is still largely powered by edited). Notice how many of them mirror the - the volunteer spirit of its members. difficulties that your Libertarian Party But the words ''1 volunteer'" merely.begin .orqanizatiorrrnay.be. having with your the process. After that first rush of enthusiasm volunteers. dissipates, LP leaders notice that many volunteers stop volunteering - or simply stop 1. BURN OUT. People often leave showing up for LP events. organizations when they are asked to do too How can we change that? much too fast. We are all familiar with the According to Dr. Peter M. Sandman - a phenomenon: A newcomer at the March meeting professor at Rutgers University - the secret is speaks up at the April meeting, is appointed to focus on the needs of the volunteers. committee chair at the May meeting, and In the late 1980s, Dr. Sandman was a doesn't show for the June meeting. To avoid volunteer coordinator for the Nuclear Freeze burn out, we should try to offer volunteers a movement, and wrote an article entitled, series of slowly increasing responsibilities. "Holding Your Volunteers." His advice applies not just to the Freeze movement, but to any 2. COOL OUT. The opposite of asking group that relies on volunteer support. people to do too much too fast is not asking Sandman wrote: "1 want to list for you the them to do anything at all. In many groups this 12 most common reasons why volunteers quit is the number one reason for leaving: No one their organizations ~ or, more often, simply invited me to the workshop, no one asked me to disappear. Most of the 12 can be dealt with ,---,-, if ., help with.the [neighborhood] canvass, no .one we are paying attention to organizational told me they needed me. The solution to "cool maintenance. None of the 12 reasons for .out" is straightforward. Don't be diffident. about quitting, by the way, is people changing their ,. asking, and don't lose track of people. Be minds about the issues. Note also that none of especially careful to touch base with volunteers the 12 is 'not enough time: That's what many who missed the last meeting, so the lack of a former volunteers will tell you if you ask why role doesn't become a reason to miss the next they left, but it's a cover story. Their day didn't one as well. get shorter, after all; they just decided to reallocate the part of it that used to go to [you]." 3. KEEP OUT. We old-timers Instead, noted Sandman, volunteers leave inevitably gravitate to each 'other at gatherings, because the volunteer work "no longer satisfies especially when we've been through tough times
- 3. together, or when we have work to transact and 6. CAN'T LOSE. As many front- gossip to transmit. This leaves newcomers sitting running political candidates have learned to painfully alone, watching the inner circle and their dismay, working for a sure thing strikes pondering the invisible "Keep Out" signs we most people as just as pointless as working for a didn't mean to post. You can't stop the futile longshot. For purposes of volunteer formation of cliques, and you can't stop wanting morale, the ideal probability of success is about time with your friends. But you can consciously 40%: We're a little behind but with your help we're reach out to newcomers. In larger groups you going to pull into the lead. Be especially alert can even institutionalize a buddy system. Pair for the anticlimax that follows a victory. You each newcomer with another newcomer to need to celebrate the success, of course, but be compare notes with, and with an old-timer to go sure to connect it in advance to the next step and to for basic information. the step after that, so the pause to celebrate is always following by a reason to keep working. 4. PULL OUT. Newcomers may become old-timers, but they don't want to feel 7. NO GROWTH. Alienated labor is that they must. That is, people are more likely bad enough when you're paid for it; it's to participate when the extent of their intolerable when you're not. Volunteer work .participation is safely under theircontro 1. ..'_._ should beinterestinqrat.should offer variety, Organizational commitmentsare like personal . change, achancefor.personal growth. There is commitments in this way: No.one likes to feel boring work to be done: nf course. But spread it trapped, and so the sense that a person or group around (officers too); make it fun where you is clutching desperately provokes a strong can; and alternate it with more interesting impulse to escape while there's still time. Part of work, volunteer training, and other plums. Note, the solution is to project desire but not however, that boredom is in the eye of the desperation. The rest of it is to let the volunteer beholder. Some of your volunteers may prefer control the commitment; when a volunteer sets the conviviality of an envelope-stuffing party to explicit limits ("1 don't want to sell tickets to the tension of a Congressional lobbying visit. the lasagna dinner"), respect them. But most do not; though they may not complain (until they quit), they expect a chance to grow. 5. CAN'T WIN. Nothing scares Look around for volunteers who may be in a no- volunteers away faster than the sense of futility growth rut, and offer them a spicy new - either the feeling that the work is doomed to challenge. defeat or the feeling that the goals are unclear, that defeat and victory hardly apply. To forestall 8. NO APPRECIATION. this "can't win" feeling, try to build instead a Volunteers don't just enjoy being appreciated. sense .of efficacy, a sense that the goals are They need it (without.it they tend to lose faith . worth achieving, that the.qroup can achieve .:,in.the .value.ofszhatztbeyre doing) 'and they . them,and that the volunteer .is contributing .... es.erve .it. Ata.minimum, d appreciating . significantly to their achievement. This means volunteershas.fhree .components. The most defining explicit short-term objectives as well as obvious is "thank you": We are grateful for what the long-term vision, and it means making a you have done. But just as important - and far fuss each time an objective is achieved. Don't let more often neglected - is "please": We are not people go out on an afternoon canvass without taking for granted that you will do more. And a standard of how many homes, how many perhaps the most crucial aspect of appreciation signatures, and how many dollars represent a is meticulous attention to logistics: Returning successful afternoon - and don't let them go phone calls, answering notes, passing along horne afterward without crowing over the information, scheduling meetings at times the success. volunteer can make. Organizations that really
- 4. know how to appreciate volunteers - the doesn't produce disgruntled minorities. Even if American Cancer Society comes to mind - use your group decides things by vote or by fiat, the everything from newsletters to awards banquets crucial need is to listen to the losing side. to endless desktop pen sets to make the point. Volunteers who quite over a policy disagreement almost always report that the majority (or the 9. EXTERNAL OPPOSITION. chair) didn't understand their position. If you If family and friends are opposed to a can summarize the minority viewpoint volunteer's volunteering, odds are you'll accurately and respectfully, the minority will eventually lose that volunteer. The obvious usually accept the decision. A coronary is that solution is to avoid external opposition in the volunteers who weren't present when a decision first place. Family and friends are in a real sense was made are the ones most likely to see it as "contributing" some of their time with the grounds for quitting, so try to make key volunteer; find ways and occasions to thank decisions when the dissidents are there to them. Better still, lessen the contribution by express their dissent. involving them directly. Even family members who do not want to volunteer themselves may 12. NOT ENOUGH FUN. Yes, of still want to meet the people and get a sense of course [achieving your political goals] is serious what goes on during aU those [volunteer] hours. work .. But we.mere. humans need parties .and And think about external opposition that rises picnics and softball teams. out of skepticism about the cause rather than "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of resentment of the competition. Involvement is your revolution." the best way to cope with this, too, but second best is to make sure volunteers bring home a steady stream of "ammunition" demonstrating the wisdom and effectiveness of [your organization's] work. 1o. EXTERNAL CONFLICT. Personality conflicts, tensions, and even quarrels may be acceptable at home or at a paying job, but not at a volunteer job - especially not a political one. Part of the problem is imagining that people who share political values are always going to like each other. Part of the solution is accepting that we may not like each other. Once the conflict is acknowledged, the rest of the solution depends on the style of your group. Some groups mediate the battle, some encourage the battlers to duke it out, some urge them to make up, and some reorganize the work so they won't have to deal with each other so much. 11. POLICY DISAGREEMENTS. Sometimes - though less often than we image - the conflict is genuinely over policies rather than personalities. A consensus decision-making process will help here. Though it takes forever, it leads to better decisions, and unlike voting it