Presentation from PINs Leadership Development workshop: Volunteer Engagment with Marisa Gelfusa from Volunteer Toronto

1. Volunteer Engagement-
The Fundamentals
Marisa Gelfusa, Director
Training and Professional Development, Volunteer Toronto
mgelfusa@volunteertoronto.ca
Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs), TRIEC
Toronto, December 4, 2012

2. What are you passionate about?

3. Today
 Engagement
 Volunteer Engagement Cycle
 The Cycle in Your Network

4. Engagement

5. Consider...
 Why does your network have volunteers?
 What do your volunteers bring to the
network?
 What do volunteers want to get from your
network?
 What are the actual benefits of being an
active volunteer in your network?

6. The Big Picture

7. Motivation: Why do people volunteer?
2010 Canada Survey of Giving, Participating and Volunteering
ww.givingandvolunteering.ca
 93% To make a contribution to community
 77% To use skills and experiences
 59% Personally affected by cause / mandate
 50% Explore one’s own strengths
 48% To network or meet people
 47% Friends volunteer
 23% Improve job opportunities
 22% To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs

8. Why don’t people volunteer?
2010 Canada Survey of Giving, Participating and Volunteering
 68% Do not have time
 62% Issue of long-term commitment
 53% Gave money instead of time
 44% “Nobody asked me”
 27% Health problem or physically unable
 26% No interest in volunteering
 24% Did not know how to get involved
 18% Financial cost of volunteering

9. Why involve volunteers?

10. Spectrum of volunteer engagement
Being
informed
Being
Supportive
Active
Participation
Leadership

11. Your Role
 “Passion Detective”
 Connector
 Facilitator

12. Engaging Volunteers
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Create and Maintain Balance

13. Manage the Balance
13
Needs of the
volunteer
Needs of
the network

14. The Volunteer Engagement Cycle
Planning
Recruitment
and Selection
Orientation
and Training
Supervision
and
Evaluation
Recognition
MOTIVATION
RETENTION

15. Planning:
 How will we engage volunteers ? How will we invite
them to volunteer?
 How will we discover and document their skills and
motivation?
 How will we plan for succession?
 What are the tasks and what is the spirit in which
they are to be accomplished?
Important Tools: Clear mission and objectives,, position
descriptions, guidelines/policies, data collection tools

16. Recruitment and Selection
 Who do we need for these tasks?
 What skills and attitudes are we looking for?
 How do we choose?
 How do we ensure that we are getting the
right person?
Tools: Data collection tools, interview grids, risk
management process

17. Orientation and Training
 How do we inform others on our mission, activities,
and the spirit in which we do things?
 What other types of information may help our
volunteers be successful and engaged?
 How do we get everyone “rowing in the same
direction”?
Tools: Regular orientation and training events,
volunteer guidelines, learning aids, updated
information

18. Supervision and Evaluation
 Who is responsible for the work getting done?
 How do we provide supportive and corrective
feedback?
 How do we ensure that we are maintaining
engagement?
 How do we evaluate the volunteer program?
Tools: Mutual feedback mechanisms, position
descriptions, policies / guidelines

19. Recognition
 How do we recognize volunteer contribution?
 How do we build on what is going well?
 How do we identify what will be meaningful
for individuals and for the group?
 How often do we have formal recognition
events?
Tools: Data collection, formal events, informal
recognition, teambuilding activities

20. Exercise: The Cycle in Your Network

21. Motivation
Motivation:
• Comes in clusters
• Can change over time
• Is sometimes unknown to the volunteer
• Can be increased or decreased due to
internal or external factors

22. What do volunteers want?
• To meet their needs
• To do something meaningful
• To receive appropriate recognition
• To understanding the impact
• Respect
• Proper tools, proper training
• To be seen, heard and valued
• To receive appropriate supervision, regular mutual
feedback
• To be successful

23. In closing…
If you want to go quickly, go alone
If you want to go far, go together.
African proverb

24. Resources
Volunteer Toronto www.volunteertoronto.ca Connects people with volunteer
opportunities; promote volunteer needs; provides consultation &
training on volunteer management
National Survey on Giving, Participation and Volunteering
www.givingandvolunteering.ca
Volunteer Canada www.volunteer.ca national resource on volunteerism;
download Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement
Charity Village www.charitvillage.ca resources, position & event postings
Energize Inc www.energizeinc.com resources on volunteer management
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