Volunteer Leaders - Planning for Volunteers

Much of the success of a volunteer program can be determined early on – during the planning phase that precedes a recruitment campaign. Starting with a well thought out volunteer position description and making sure policies and procedures are in place before a volunteer arrives, help ensure that the volunteer’s experience with the program is rewarding for the volunteer and the organization.

Defining Volunteer Work

Defining the work you would like a volunteer to perform is one of the first steps in working with volunteers. A well written volunteer position description serves several functions in a volunteer program. They are marketing tools when you are recruiting volunteers, and, because they summarize the position’s basic requirements, they also screen out volunteers who are not a good fit for the particular position. For the volunteer manager, defining position descriptions can help you think through how you need to prepare in terms of supervision, training and support.

As a relationship develops between a volunteer and an organization – the position description is a reference both the volunteer and the manager can look back and refine as a volunteer’s role at the organization changes. Though concise, a position description contains a wealth of information. Basic elements of a position description include:

• Title – The title should briefly describe the volunteer’s role.
• Purpose/Desired Results – Defining a purpose lets volunteers know what they will accomplish. This is not trivial – it helps to motivate and give direction to volunteers.
• Contact Information/Logistics – The position description should list the contact person, information about timeframe (general and specific), location and any other logistical information.
• Responsibilities – Describe the general activities associated with the position.
• Qualifications – List the skills that are associated with this position. Make sure to note whether they are they required skills, or merely desirable. If there are any requirements associated with the position (current sawyer certification, for example) make sure to list them.
• Participants – Here you can define who can participate in this particular activity. If there are age restrictions, for example, or if you are focusing on recruiting youth, you can include that here.
• Training – Describe any training provided – required and optional.
• Benefits – People volunteer for many reasons, and not all of their reasons are purely altruistic. Describe tangible and intangible benefits the volunteer may receive. See Recuitment .

Preparing to Manage Volunteers – Policies and Procedures

In addition to position descriptions, all relevant volunteer program policies and associated forms should be in place before a volunteer starts. Just as a position description should give a volunteer a good idea of what they will be doing, the intake forms and policies will ensure that volunteers understand what rules, regulations and other club or program expectations. This common understanding between volunteer and manager will help resolve - and hopefully avoid - any misunderstandings that arise over time.

In addition to general policies developed by clubs and program managers, all A.T. volunteers are officially volunteers for the National Park Service or the U.S. Forest Service, and certain A.T. specific procedures have been developed for A.T. volunteer managers. Volunteers are entitled to certain protections, and are required to report hours annually and, for certain positions, ensure that their volunteers are properly certified.

Managing all of the data association with a volunteer program, whether required or optional, can be a challenge for volunteer managers. Storing volunteer data, from contact information, skills and interests to required data on certifications and hours requires an efficient recordkeeping system. Though the A.T. volunteer managers are not required to keep comprehensive data on their volunteers, maintaining more than the minimum records required can be helpful for evaluating the true impact of your programs. The A.T. volunteer database can help with your record keeping.

Questions or Comments? Contact Jeanne Mahoney at jmahoney@appalachiantrail.org