Developing volunteer opportunities is easy – but ensuring that the work is truly strategic can be much more challenging. Use this exercise to identify opportunities that are both necessary and attractive to volunteers.

A Position Description details the responsibilities and expectations of the volunteer assignment and is the basis for cultivation, selection, and support of volunteers as well as measuring the impact of the volunteer’s contributions. A well-written volunteer position description is key to the success of any staff/volunteer collaboration.

Developing a position for a volunteer to completed — whether onside or remotely — takes considerations. The role be strategic (mission-aligned) and the organization needs to be certain it has the resources and time to support the volunteer to success. Use this tool to assess whether a position can effectively be implemented, including as a ‘virtual’ volunteer opportunity.

Strategic messages entice individuals to learn more about a volunteer opportunity. Use this template to develop a message that can be used online, as a script for a phone call, or shared in communications to existing volunteers.  

Episodic volunteering is on the rise. Use this checklist to plan your next Day of Service so that your organization can transform some of the one-time volunteers into ongoing commitments.

Before any work begins, volunteers and staff should clearly define and agree upon expectations. This template guides onboarding and meetings to define the goals of the work, who is responsible for what, and how everyone involved will communicate.

Outlining the scope of a project becomes a common reference for the entire project team and is vital to tracking progress. A Work Plan establishes the vision and impact of a project, outlines key action steps, and provides indicators against which leaders can measure progress.

Exit interviews provide a valuable opportunity to learn and improve the volunteer experience for the future. This template helps leaders design and conduct exit interviews that reveal useful information.

With an increasingly hybrid workforce (volunteers and staff working both onsite and remotely), building a sense of community has never been more important. Consider these tactics to build and nurture a sense of community among volunteers and staff.

The Individual Volunteer Plan is designed to customize a volunteer engagement career to meet both the volunteer’s aspirations and the organization’s needs. The benefit of using an IVP is that the process of completing the template strategically and intentionally develops leaders from within your community of volunteers—people who will take your organization into your preferred future.

For that rare occasion where training and coaching isn’t enough to ensure a volunteer’s successful performance, a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) may be useful to support a positive corrective action plan. A PIP clearly defines the problem behavior or performance and provides action steps to be taken.

Today, most volunteers seek to know that their efforts make a difference and are motivated by being acknowledged for that impact. Use this checklist to inspire meaningful ways to acknowledge the impact that volunteers have on your organization.

Build understanding of and support for volunteer engagement by discussing these questions with organizational leadership.

Are you considering starting a volunteer program – or expanding the program your organization already has? Planning is the key to developing a program that is sustainable and impactful. Use this checklist to consider the 5 key steps to planning a volunteer program, including the Why, How, Who, What, and When of engaging volunteers.