Today I am drawing a diagram of my vision for retaining volunteers. It has the following four components: Training, Support, Reflection and Appreciation.
Training: Teaching an individual skills necessary for success. Without training, volunteers can feel overwhelmed and unprepared for the challenges they find.
- On-line trainings
- Perpetual growth, learning does not have to end if you are an advanced leader
- Trainings given on-line reach a mass of people
- Trainings given to groups create a community and promote discussion
- Include volunteers in deciding what trainings they need
- Get to know your volunteers
Every Day Support: Help and guidance given to volunteers on a daily and weekly basis to promote the success of their programs
- Weekly Phone Calls
- Bi-Weekly Group Meetings
- Bi-Weekly one-on-ones
- Site Visits
- Make working with your volunteers personal, learn about whats important to them
- Create a supportive community for your volunteer
- Available at any time for questions or concerns
- Mediate Conflicts
- Help volunteers learn the leadership dynamics of the group, it is important for volunteers to know how to work with different leadership styles
Reflection: Spending time thinking about volunteer experience and how it effects the community at large
- Educate volunteers on the impact they make in the community
- Lead activity for volunteers to think about what they have done, why it is important and how to improve upon their work
Appreciation: Expressing gratitude for one's help
- Large Scale appreciation events with awards
- Personalize your volunteer appreciation
- Know your volunteers' likes and dislikes
- Use "Love Language" to deduce which is appropriate for you
- Submit volunteer achievements to the local news paper
- Small awards received frequently and immediately have a greater effect then large rewards given over long periods of time
Training: Teaching an individual skills necessary for success. Without training, volunteers can feel overwhelmed and unprepared for the challenges they find.
- On-line trainings
- Perpetual growth, learning does not have to end if you are an advanced leader
- Trainings given on-line reach a mass of people
- Trainings given to groups create a community and promote discussion
- Include volunteers in deciding what trainings they need
- Get to know your volunteers
Every Day Support: Help and guidance given to volunteers on a daily and weekly basis to promote the success of their programs
- Weekly Phone Calls
- Bi-Weekly Group Meetings
- Bi-Weekly one-on-ones
- Site Visits
- Make working with your volunteers personal, learn about whats important to them
- Create a supportive community for your volunteer
- Available at any time for questions or concerns
- Mediate Conflicts
- Help volunteers learn the leadership dynamics of the group, it is important for volunteers to know how to work with different leadership styles
Reflection: Spending time thinking about volunteer experience and how it effects the community at large
- Educate volunteers on the impact they make in the community
- Lead activity for volunteers to think about what they have done, why it is important and how to improve upon their work
Appreciation: Expressing gratitude for one's help
- Large Scale appreciation events with awards
- Personalize your volunteer appreciation
- Know your volunteers' likes and dislikes
- Use "Love Language" to deduce which is appropriate for you
- Submit volunteer achievements to the local news paper
- Small awards received frequently and immediately have a greater effect then large rewards given over long periods of time
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