Volunteering SA & NT : Managing Volunteers

National Volunteer Week 14-20 May 2012

Volunteers - Every One Counts

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia, and provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our communities and to say thank you to the more than 6.4 million Australians who volunteer

Managing Volunteers

Attendees from The Australasian Retreat for Advanced Volunteer Management

Volunteer Management and Leadership

VSA&NT encourages self-reliance in volunteer management, recruitment, retention and recognition of volunteers. We actively promote effective volunteer management and practices for those involved with volunteers in any capacity.

Roles of Volunteer Managers
The role of the volunteer manager can be divided into the following categories:

Planning and organising
Staffing
Leading
Monitoring and evaluating.

Volunteer Manager Responsibilities include:

Having a clear understanding of the philosophy of volunteering and related issues, and of the need to develop high quality policies and practices which maximise the contribution of volunteers without exploitation of any party
Understanding job requirements, and writing clear and well defined job descriptions
Analysing personal skills and attributes as they relate to job requirements
Ensure appropriate training is undertaken in order to maintain high quality performance
Continually recognising volunteer contribution
Assisting the organisation's board, management and paid staff
Liaising with staff members who are responsible for supervising volunteers within their own unit and providing them with all necessary information, training and support
Promoting a team approach, with all members understanding each other's roles and responsibilities
Immediately addressing any concerns expressed by management, paid staff and/or volunteers in relation to the volunteer program
Ensure that volunteer involvement is adequately resourced in terms of supervision, support and training as well as in relation to funding
Being accountable in terms of the use of human and financial resources
Keeping up-to-date with developments in relation to the concept of volunteering and current issue.

101 Top Tips to Recognise Volunteers

Recognising volunteers doesn't have to involve spending a lot of money. There are many ways you can show them you appreciate them without having to spend a cent! Click here for tips to help you recognise and thank your volunteers all year round.