Amongst the numbing partisan bickering that was the 2015 General Election, the voluntary sector was hardly the topic on the lips of most politicians – despite, as many a long-suffering charity CEO will tell you, being so often relied upon to soften the blow of continued austerity on those who need it most.
One mention it did get, however, was David Cameron’s promise that all public sector workers and employees of companies with staff of over 250 would receive three days’ volunteering leave under a Conservative government. Aside from my personal political opinions, I see daily the value of employers giving their staff time to contribute to charitable causes – our latest impact report attests to that.
While there were doubts after its absence from the Queen’s speech, the Minister for Civil Society has confirmed that the government will push ahead with this pledge. If true, that will mean 15 million people; with three days each, my sharp mathematical skills tell me that that results in something like 350 million hours of volunteer work ready to go. Ignoring for the moment all the corollaries that follow such an influx, the question on the lips of directors of smaller charities will be: how can I make the most of this? Here are some tips to get going:
- Stick to your processes. Review how your charity recruits and manages its volunteers. Is someone responsible for coordinating them? Is any training on offer? Make sure the structures are in place to make it as efficient as possible. Check out advice from places like KnowHow NonProfit.
- Have a plan. Don’t just bring in volunteers for the sake of it – make the most of the skills they have. Lay out achievable goals in the time that is available and ensure your volunteers know what is expected of them. Yes, people are doing it out of the good of their hearts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a little demanding!
- Go get ’em. Just as with donations, most volunteers gravitate towards the big organisations they’ve heard of, which usually have extensive volunteer coordination strategies. Now you’ve got your plan, make the most of social media and any contacts you have to get the word out. Approach your local Volunteer Centre for advice and free advertising and check out sites like Do-It and Timebank. Talk to your supporters and ask directly for their help.
- Follow up. Once the volunteers have seen the great work your organisation does, don’t abandon them – keep them engaged! Send simple ‘thank you’ cards, add them to your mailing list and tell them about the impact their time has had in the community.
- Don’t be afraid to say no. Free resource is great but it’s never completely free. If you don’t have the time to train extra volunteers, the infrastructure to manage them or simply the need to bring them in, stick to your guns. You could end up creating a much bigger headache for yourself if you don’t.
A well run volunteer programme can turn the good intentions of an army of people into real impact for your charity’s beneficiaries – but as with anything, the key is to go in with a plan.