GWL 377 Assignment 1: “Starting from the Bottom”

You have been hired as the volunteer program manager at a new agency (you can

choose what type of agency) and you are ready to take the first steps in the planning

stage of developing a volunteer program.

1. You are preparing to meet first with the executive director. List 3 issues you

would want to discuss to ensure you have management support for a volunteer

program. (3 marks)

I. Goals of the Organization

Would the organization's plan to use volunteers make sense

considering what it already does and what it hopes to achieve? It is

important to engage the executive team by discussing the needs of

their program as and where they are having problems reaching their

goals (Points of Light Foundation, 2003, p.4).

II. Capacity to Manage Volunteers

Working with volunteers can benefit a company, but it is never truly

"free." Both time and money must be invested in it.

Instituting a new volunteer program or reenergizing an existing one

involves a process that covers a range of management functions and

are interdependent (Points of Light Foundation, 2003, p.1). Time must

be invested in creating volunteer involvement policies and operational

mechanisms before accepting volunteers. Then, it takes time to find

 GWL 377 Assignment 1: “Starting from the Bottom”

and train volunteers. Additionally, after recruiting volunteers, a

consistent time commitment is needed to keep in touch with them.

III. Risk Management

Risk management involves identifying risks and developing risk

control strategies. Some examples of the ways that risk can be limited

include clear job descriptions with clear boundaries, modifying jobs to

reduce risk, screening of all volunteers, adequately training all

volunteers, regularly supervising volunteers, developing policies that

guide volunteer behaviour, and purchasing necessary insurance

coverage (Decoda Literacy Solutions, 2021, p. 8).

2. You are preparing for your meeting with staff to involve them in the process and

assess their readiness for a volunteer program. Present your agenda for the

meeting, listing areas for discussion and explain why it is important to have

volunteer involvement. (3 marks)

Volunteer Program Meeting

OBJECTIVE
To gain staff involvement in the process of volunteer program development.

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED
 Assessing Staff Attitudes Towards Working with Volunteers (Needs Assessment)
 Building Organizational Support
 Developing a Supportive Climate for Volunteers
 Organizing a Volunteer Advisory Committee
 Volunteer Program Tracking Systems
 GWL 377 Assignment 1: “Starting from the Bottom”

(Points of Light Foundation, 2003, p.1)

Why it’s important to have volunteer involvement:

 Providing outreach to the community

 Supplementing staff resources and experiences

 Providing needed skills when the financial resources are not there

to hire the appropriate staff

 Allows for community input/feedback on agency services

(Green, 2022, slide 7).

3. At the meeting you handed out the staff assessment survey for volunteer

involvement. Read the completed example and explain 3 ways the answers

direct your next steps. For example, what will you need to do to address

concerns/ attitudes about volunteers and develop the practical skills the staff will

need to supervise volunteers? (4 marks)

Issue #1: How volunteer roles blend with staff roles

Solution: Develop a concrete plan for the roles and responsibilities of

volunteers as well as staff or volunteer leads.

Issue #2: How much time needed to train volunteers

Solution: Develop a concrete training schedule for volunteers that should

be strictly followed by volunteers and staff.

Issue #3: Workload of volunteer supervisors

Solution: Ensure comprehensive training schedule for volunteers to avoid

unnecessary repeating basic orientation and training. Develop concrete

GWL 377 Assignment 1: “Starting from the Bottom”

supervisor roles and responsibilities to avoid extra workload.