Involving the Whole Organization in Creating or

Restructuring a Volunteer Program

Louise DeIasiDeCava Consulting

Desired Outcomes

By the end of the session you will understand:

• The impact of a clear vision for your agency’s Volunteer Program in developing or restructuring your program;

• Who are the key stakeholders in the volunteer process and how they can be utilized; and

• The basics for an organization-wide plan to develop or restructure a Volunteer Program.

What is your vision for your organization’s Volunteer Program?

Process Structure

• Design Team

• Focus Groups

• Advisory Committee

• Working Teams

• Leadership Team

Accountability

Purpose

Knowledge

Authority

UtilizationWhat skills, experience and relationships do we need?How will they be used?When do we need them?

Decision MakingWho makes the decision?What can I influence?What is out of my control?

Communication Who needs to know what?When do they need to know it to keep the project on track?

Shared Direction & ClarityWhat’s in it for me?What are we trying to do?Does everyone have the same understanding?

Framework for Engagement

Current Reality Goal of the Process

Where are we? How are we going to get there?Where do we want to go?

Context

Stakeholders

ProcessDesign

ImplementationSpace

ProblemSpace

SolutionSpace

VisionSpace

Thanks to Interaction Institute for Social Change

Stakeholders Are the final decision makers;

Have expertise or information crucial to making the decision or its implementation;

Have informal influence without authority;

Can block the implementation;

Can forward the making of or the implementation of the decision;

Will be affected by the outcome; and

Will implement the decision or its outcome.

Activity

• Take a few minutes to begin thinking about who your organization’s key stakeholders might be; and

• Utilize the Key Stakeholder Handout to brainstorm.

West End House Stakeholders

The West End House identified the following key stakeholders:

– Board of Directors – Staff Members

• Including the Executive Director and senior management

– Current Volunteers– West End House Youth

• Including all ages, 7 to 18 years old

Process Structure

• Design Team

• Focus Groups

• Advisory Committee

• Working Teams

• Leadership Team

What is My Role?

Decision making

Providing input/recommendations

Receiving communication/updates

Pro

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E

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Focus GroupsFocus groups allow you to:

– Engage key stakeholders with a low time commitment;

– Gather valuable insight and feedback; and

– Utilize this feedback to shape a vision statement for the Volunteer Program and understand your program’s needs.

Activity• Each table is assigned a key

stakeholder;• As a group, your table should decide

which questions are important to ask of your particular key stakeholder during a focus group; and

• Take notes!

Process Structure

• Design Team

• Focus Groups

• Advisory Committee

• Working Teams

• Leadership Team

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Design Team

•Determined process;•Identifies Advisory Committee members;•Develops Focus Group questions for key stakeholders;•Identifies focus group participants;•Meets as needed.

-WEH Design Team: Volunteer Coordinator, Director of Development, Organization Management Consultant (Louise DeIasi)

Focus Groups

• Collect input on vision and problem;

•What themes do you notice arising in each focus group?•Meets once.

-WEH Themes: communication, improving program structure, volunteer training, effective utilization of volunteers

Advisory Committee

•Reviews focus group data;•Creates Vision Statement;•Identify key focus areas to be addressed;•Develops Working Teams and Team Charters;•Approve final product before it’s presented to leadership team•Meets monthly.

-WEH Advisory Committee: 1 Board Member, 3 staff members, 2 volunteers, and 2 youth

The Process

Working Teams

•Each team works on a specific, identified need and builds-out the necessary components;•Meets weekly for 4-6 weeks.

-WEH Working Teams: Setting Expectations, Communication, Training, Recruitment, Policies & Procedures, Retention, Measurement & Evaluation

Leadership Team

•Reviewed the Advisory Committee-approved solutions;•Propose changes to ensure successful implementation; •Approve Volunteer Program;•Meets once.

-WEH Leadership Team: Executive Director, Director of Operations, Program Director, and middle managers

The Process

WEH Key OutcomesWithin 6 months of launching our new Volunteer

Program, the WEH:• Tripled the number of weekly, recurring volunteers to

85;• Increased volunteer retention rates from 40% to more

than 80%;• Expanded skills-based opportunities focused on math

and science;• Transitioned volunteers into first-time financial donors;• Engaged volunteers in high school academic tutoring

and college preparation programs— programs that never previously benefited from volunteers; and

• Increased volunteer numbers in our literacy program, contributing to 90% of WEH youth now reading at grade level.

Questions, Comments, Concerns?