Hosting Volunteers

According to Volunteering Australia “volunteering is a reciprocal relationship – the community and individuals benefit from the efforts of volunteers, while volunteers themselves experience the satisfaction of giving, enjoy increased community involvement, learn new skills, build confidence and gain experience”.

It is estimated that 41 per cent of Tasmanians volunteer in excess of three million hours annually within the sport and recreation sector, with twice the number of males as females volunteering in this sector (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Report Tasmania, 1994).

Volunteer activities in sport and recreation vary from on-field roles such as coaching, umpiring and marshalling, to off-field tasks such as committee and administrative roles.

Volunteering Australia
Volunteering Tasmania
Managing volunteers
Organisations’ responsibilities
Organisational development and education programs
Club Association Management Plan
Volunteer Management Plan
Developing a volunteer strategy
Screening committee members and treasurers
Recruiting and retaining volunteers
Retention
Recognising our volunteers

Managing volunteers

Managing a club or association properly requires that structures be put in place that detail what the organisation does, how it operates and what processes need to be followed. These structures are important for both commercial and not-for-profit organisations and refer equally to the management of paid and volunteer workers.

Volunteer management deals with a number of complex issues ranging from developing appropriate voluntary working conditions, to supervising and training volunteers and providing rewards and recognition for their contributions. Below are a number of information resources that have been developed to provide information on these and many other areas relating to volunteer involvement in organisations.

Organisations’ Responsibilities

Organisations have a range of responsibilities relating to workplace safety, compliance with relevant legislation and the provision of meaningful tasks for volunteers. The information below details a list of organisational responsibilities:

budget for volunteer program costs, including recognition, supervision, insurance, evaluation, travel, out-of-pocket expenses, honorariums, stipends and administrative overheads
assign an individual to coordinate the volunteer program. this position should include continuing education and quality training programs for the coordinator
ensure all requests for volunteer work are processed through the coordinator
provide clear job descriptions for all volunteer positions
provide volunteers with a clear explanation of their rights and responsibilities
provide volunteers with a clear explanation of the organisation's rights and responsibilities
accept volunteers as co-workers and remember to invite them to staff functions
ensure volunteers are recognised in a meaningful way
provide opportunities for volunteers to express ideas, suggest improvements or air their grievances
give volunteers regular feedback about their performance
trust volunteers with confidential information to carry out their work, if appropriate
respect the volunteer’s right to say "no”
protect the volunteer against exploitation and harassment
apply all relevant policies to volunteer positions, including Occupational Health and Safety, Equal Employment, Grievance Policy, Travel Reimbursement Policy and Ethnic Affairs Policy
ensure that volunteers are not required to incur excessive expenses for carrying out their tasks (including parking expenses)
consult with volunteers, if appropriate, on matters that affect their work
enable volunteers access to the decision-making process where possible and appropriate
provide training as appropriate.

Organisational development and education programs

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) offers several programs to assist sporting clubs and organisations to improve their management practices. While designed specifically for the sport industry, the information contained within the programs is of relevance to the wider sport and recreation sector.

Club Association Management Plan

The Club Association Management Program (CAMP) aims to improve the environments in which sport and physical activity services are delivered. Subjects undertaken as part of this nine-module program include:

creating a club
club/association planning
committee management
conducting a meeting
financial management
sponsorship, fundraising and grants
marketing and promoting sport and recreation
event management
legal issues and risk management.

For more information about this program, please contact CAMP on toll free 1300 130 121.

Volunteer Management Plan

The Volunteer Management Plan (VMP) aims to develop excellence in volunteer management by focussing on good practices across a range of volunteer management issues. There are six modules in this program:

Recruiting volunteers.
Retaining volunteers.
Managing event volunteers.
Volunteer management policy.
The volunteer coordinator.
Volunteer management: A guide to good practice.

For more information about this program, please contact VMP on toll free 1300 130 121.

Both the CAMP and VMP program modules can be delivered as interactive workshops through the Tasmanian Sport and Recreation Skill Centre. Please telephone (03) 6228 3555 for details.

Booklets for each module can be purchase through the Australian Sports Commission Publication Division by calling (02) 6214 1915.

The Australian Sports Commission Club Development Network provides a range of material to assist organisations to attract, train, manage and retain volunteers. Membership in this network is free. Click here for more information:

http://www.ausport.gov.au/supporting/clubs

Developing a volunteer strategy

If your organisation is thinking about involving volunteers for the first time, or developing new volunteering projects, the attached document may assist you to identifying and clarifying important issues relating to volunteering. Click here for more information (pdf format - 30kb)

Screening committee members and treasurers

Volunteer committee members have an ethical and sometimes legal responsibility to monitor an organisation’s performance. Reference checks for individuals involved in committee and board positions may also be worth considering.

Sport and Recreation Tasmania recommends that all organisations and individuals involved in committee and board positions make themselves aware of their legal responsibilities.

Recruiting and retaining volunteers

Volunteers will continue to serve as long as they feel that their efforts are accomplishing something, that their talents are appreciated and that they make a difference.

Primary factors that determine whether volunteers stay or leave include:

Expectations for behaviour:
What the agency expects of the volunteer in relation to work, clients, others and themselves.
Rules
Formalised regulations for how work is done; demands of the program on those involved.
Systems
The processes for carrying out work.
People
Appropriate relationships with others.
Communication
How information is shared.
Rewards
What is rewarded, how and when?
Climate
Norms or unwritten rules governing behaviour.
Setting
The physical surroundings and other related factors.
Success and impact
Perceptions and definitions of making a difference.
Individualism
What the volunteer brings to the position: expectations, time constraints, skills, adaptability, wellness, experience, energy, stability, commitment, needs, motivation and self-image.

Retention

The following practices are encouraged in order to maintain a healthy and growing volunteer-base.

Provide volunteers with an induction kit at the beginning of their volunteering activity.
Identify one-off positions for volunteers with time-constraints.
Ensure the club/association has a succession plan.
Develop and implement a meaningful reward and recognition program.
Match the skills, interest and experience of volunteers with available volunteer positions. An interview with the volunteer is a useful way to ascertain what their skills, experiences and interests are.
Gain feedback from volunteers on a regular basis to identify their motivations, potential and level of satisfaction with the volunteering activity.
Establish processes to ensure volunteers don’t become overworked and “burn out”.
Provide training for volunteers.
Maintain volunteer records to aid in future planning for the organisation, professional development for the volunteers and the development of recognition programs.
Remember that volunteers are offering their services but still need to be respected and given due consideration.

Recognising our volunteers

Volunteers need and appreciate being recognised for their efforts, but not every volunteer likes to be recognised in the same way. Therefore, it is important to thank volunteers individually, and often, in a way that is meaningful to them. This may be as simple as a thank you card, presenting a certificate of appreciation or hosting a morning tea in their honour. Whatever method you choose, remember to recognise them personally and often. It’s the only form of payment they receive for their contributions to the organisation. Here are some things to consider when reviewing how well your organisation recognises the contributions of volunteers:

How do you recognise your volunteers?
Is there a special place for them to park when they come to work?
Do they receive certificates and pins at an annual dinner?
Does your program budget include funds to pay for special training registration fees?
Do they get a birthday card or Christmas card from you or the participants in your sport?