Volunteers are more important than ever for associations. So it makes sense to association managers to invest in volunteer management. Managing volunteers also makes sense to your members. Members who volunteer want to know how they’ll benefit if they offer time in volunteering for your association. The Directors of your board want to know how the finite resources of the association are being wisely invested to create value and benefits for members. When maintaining a high rate of return on investment for both you and your members is important to your association, effective management of volunteers plays a critical role.

It’s not complicated. The effective management of volunteers isn’t a set of complicated theories that are challenging to understand and apply. Every principle and best practice in the effective management of volunteers is easy to understand and straightforward to put into practice. Yet despite the relative simplicity of these volunteer management premises, many association leaders fail to put them into practice.

Be it from simply not knowing how to effectively manage volunteers to not placing sufficient priority on this leadership function, associations experience tangible losses when volunteers are not managed effectively. Opportunities are missed. Commitments go unmet. Members become frustrated. Staff becomes wary. Over time, members find other places to funnel their energies and ideas when the patterns repeat. Or, conversely, staff finds reasons to do it themselves and micromanage capable volunteers.

Associations experience tangible benefits when volunteers are managed effectively. The resources of unpaid staff are available to advance your association’s mission. Perspectives from outside the organization are included in program and leadership decisions. Members benefit from the knowledge and experience gained through volunteering. Directors see the finite resources of the association being deployed wisely. Prospective members are drawn to the energy, focus, and enthusiasm being created by engaged volunteers. Engaged volunteers, the outcome of effective association volunteer management, are created when our volunteer management best practices include tools for recruitment, retention, and recognition. 

Recruiting volunteers
There are two key steps in recruiting volunteers:

1. Identify the type of individual or group (skills, knowledge) that you need for the specific outcomes for each position. The first step is concerned with targeted marketing. It rejects the assumption that any member with a pulse will do. Ask what type of member would be qualified for this position? What type of member would be interested in this position? What skills and knowledge will this member need? Where are places you might find this type of member? Who do you already know who might be interested? Who might be able to help in recruiting for this position? Then make the effort to create a volunteer position description. Elements of the position description should anticipate any questions that the volunteer will have and should clarify expectations of the position.

2. Ask the identified individual or group to accept the position. This second step seems to be unnecessary at first. Yet the top reason given by those who hadn’t volunteered was that no one had asked them. Consider providing a simple contract that both you and the volunteer sign, including agreements on what each of you will do to support the volunteer position, the standards and principles, and the benefits created by the position.  Volunteers are relieved when they know that there aren’t hidden responsibilities that are only disclosed after they say yes. The tools of good recruitment are simple but effective. They’re also effective in improving retention. Retention is the ability of your association to maintain engaged and productive volunteers.

The tools of good recruitment are simple but effective. They're also effective in improving return. Retention is the ability of your association to maintain engaged and productive volunteers.

Retaining volunteers
Retention happens when you pay attention to these four elements:

1. Connect with the motivation
2. Prepare for the responsibility
3. Share the contribution to the big picture
4. Treat as equals to staff

1. Retention happens naturally when you are able to connect with the motivation that brought your volunteers to the association. Members need to belong, to feel good about their skills and knowledge, and recall their reasons for volunteering. Those reasons can include improving the benefits experienced by members, exploring career options, learning more about the field, or expanding their professional credentials. Make time to regularly help this connection to happen. It’s easy for any of us, volunteer or not, to get caught up in the doing and lose perspective.

2. Retention increases when volunteers are oriented and trained for the position. Make sure they have the tools, processes, access, and background to accomplish their responsibilities. Set them up for success.

3. Retention increases when volunteers know how their individual contributions support your mission and move toward your vision. They probably won’t understand this perspective unless you share it with them. Don’t leave them wondering how they are making a difference for your association.

4. Retention increases when volunteers are treated as equals to staff. Share as much appropriate information with them as you can. Ask for their opinions. Involve them in problem solving, planning, and evaluation. And give them the same opportunities for learning as you give to staff. Our default mode is to restrict information and opportunities for involvement. In doing so, we limit our ability to retain our carefully recruited volunteers.

Recognizing volunteers
The third R is Recognition. Sometimes an afterthought, recognition is the means for you to let your volunteers know the depth of your appreciation for their contributions. Members know the difference between sincere recognition and obligatory recognition. Obligatory recognition is one size fits all. Sincere recognition is what is most meaningful to the recipient. Consider both formal and informal means. Formal means include banquets, annual meetings, annual reports.  Informal means include acts of kindness, invitations to events, small gifts.  Rarely is recognition about money. Frequently it is about the message you deliver when you take the time to say, “thank you” in a way meaningful to the volunteer.

Recognition, Retention, and Recruitment are interrelated. One cannot be done well without the other two. Each one supports and strengthens the other two. As a unit, these three forms the foundation of effective association volunteer management. By investing wisely in these three R’s, you, your association, and your members will gain many returns.

Deborah L. Kocsis and Susan A. Waechter are directors of Cornerstone Consulting Associates, LLC, with offices in Granville, Ohio and Midland, Michigan. E-mails: deb@cornerstoneconsultingassociates.com and sue@cornerstoneconsultingassociates.com.