The importance of screening volunteers / L’importance du filtrage des bénévoles | Volunteer Canada

The importance of screening volunteers / L’importance du filtrage des bénévoles | Volunteer Canada: "Organizations have moral, legal and ethical responsibilities to the people they reach.

This includes members, clients, employees and volunteers. Screening is especially important for organizations that work with vulnerable people. Vulnerable people may include children, people with disabilities and senior adults.

The benefits of screening are:

People’s skills and experience are better matched to the needs and opportunities of organizations
The quality and safety of volunteer programs in communities are improved
The risks and liability for people and organizations are reduced"



'via Blog this'

Charities Can Minimize the Strain on Volunteers Too Close to a Cause - Volunteers - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Charities Can Minimize the Strain on Volunteers Too Close to a Cause - Volunteers - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: But passion can be a volatile thing, and harnessing it in a way that benefits both the individual and the organization can be a challenge. Following are ways that nonprofit managers have tried to protect volunteers and employees who have been directly affected by a group’s cause while making sure that the cause is well served.

Data Will Always Give You the Wrong Answer (When You Ask the Wrong Question) | NTEN

Data Will Always Give You the Wrong Answer (When You Ask the Wrong Question) | NTEN: "How many hours did we get from volunteers?" is the wrong question, but sadly, it's the one on which the sector is currently focused. The right question is "What is the relationship between the number of hours of volunteer time that we consumed related to the value of what we accomplished?".

Consider the information below about a hypothetical nonprofit.

I Got Dumped: The Dark Side of Volunteer/Staff Relationships

I Got Dumped: The Dark Side of Volunteer/Staff Relationships: "2010


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I Got Dumped: The Dark Side of Volunteer/Staff Relationships

November 2010

Reprinted from Contributions Magazine

I feel the need to do a follow-up to my article about volunteer management, 'The Day We First Met.' In that article, I compared volunteer management to dating. I focused on the get-butterflies-in-your-tummy phase of courtship, the proposal phase, and ultimately, the marriage. But from the responses I got from volunteer managers, there is clearly a need to address the darker side. You know—after the period of bliss has passed. How do you handle these precious relationships when things go south or you begin to feel, well (gasp), married? Or even worse, you get dumped?"

Jayne Blog on nonprofits/ngos, communications, community engagement, volunteerism, aid & development, women's empowerment, & random thoughts

Jayne Blog on nonprofits/ngos, communications, community engagement, volunteerism, aid & development, women's empowerment, & random thoughts: "There are several trends affecting those who support and involve volunteers -- not just in the USA. I research these trends on an ongoing basis, and ask volunteer managers for their feedback at every opportunity.

Here's the list I've been presenting. How are these trends affecting you, as either someone who supports and involves volunteers or as someone who volunteers (or wants to)"

Tips for training your short-term volunteers

Tips for training your short-term volunteers: "Tips for training your short-term volunteers
Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf By Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf
April 12, 2010

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So you need volunteers badly for your next big campaign or event. And as volunteer manager - or executive director, or whatever position in your organization manages your volunteers - you want to make sure it's an experience the volunteers remember, cherish, and work at effectively without ruining your reputation.

Some of the best ways to maximize the effectiveness of your volunteers are all about how you present your mission to them."

Helping volunteers exit gracefully

Helping volunteers exit gracefully: "Most of our organizations are highly dependent on the contributions of skilled and passionate individuals, and our lives would be much poorer without this. The surveys of giving and volunteering show that a high percentage of volunteer hours is contributed by a relatively small percentage of Canadians. Also, these people are often among the best donors. Making it easy for them to change how they volunteer, to take time outs, and to maintain good relationships with their organizations, should just be common sense."

Student Volunteering Can Be Blessing and Curse for Nonprofit Groups - Philanthropy.com

Student Volunteering Can Be Blessing and Curse for Nonprofit Groups - Philanthropy.com: "Student Volunteering Can Be Blessing and Curse for Nonprofit Groups

College courses that incorporate volunteerism are now part of the curriculum at most colleges and universities, writes The New York Times"

Nonprofits rethink how they use volunteers after economy causes 40% surge in volume - Dallas Business Journal:

Nonprofits rethink how they use volunteers after economy causes 40% surge in volume - Dallas Business Journal:

New guidelines on volunteer management - Third Sector

New guidelines on volunteer management - Third Sector: "New guidelines on volunteer management

By Rosie Walker, Third Sector Online, 29 August 2008

The UK Workforce Hub has published a new set of standards for the management of volunteers.

The UK Workorce Hub – run by umbrella bodies the NCVO, Nicva, the SCVO and the WCVA – says the new National Occupational Standards will improve the quality of volunteer management."