Throughout the past year, AFA has made great strides in improving the experience and productivity of our volunteers. The Volunteer Management Plan, first implemented in the summer of 2005, incorporates a holistic approach to the volunteer experience. The recruitment, training, evaluation, and recognition of our volunteers must work in conjunction with each other to be most effective. This plan provides the framework for the exponential increase in volunteer effectiveness that is necessary to achieve our desired future.

Last month we asked you, our volunteer corps, to provide feedback and suggestions for continued improvement in this area through our Volunteer Experience Survey. Many themes emerged from your responses; below is a summary of the results.

Recruitment & Appointment

Overwhelmingly, volunteers cited forming connections with peers and contributing to the profession as the major reasons for getting involved in AFA. Many of you value the opportunity to network and get to know colleagues. Whether you are a new professional trying to get your foot in the door or a seasoned professional looking to serve as a mentor to younger members, volunteering is seen as a good way to make these connections.

Many of you got involved because you strongly believe in the fraternal movement, the profession, or the Association. Several people cited the fact that volunteers are necessary to the Association and this could not be more true - your commitment is tremendous. People are frequently amazed that there are only 3 staff members at the Central Office yet AFA has so many resources and services. This is directly attributed to our strong volunteer corps.

Surprisingly only a handful of people indicated volunteering for the purpose of learning a skill or gaining professional development. Certainly these can be outcomes of volunteering, but they are not the reasons that influence AFA members’ decision to volunteer.

One disappointment revealed in the survey results is that many of you either don’t know you have a position description or don’t feel that it is helpful to your work. The Association made improvements this year in this area and provided volunteers with clear expectations, goals, and intended outcomes, but evidently we still have much work to do to make this impact our volunteers in a way that is helpful and meaningful. Our goal is that throughout the recruitment and appointment process (and subsequently the volunteer experience) all volunteers are knowledgeable about the work they are committing to do.

Training

The level of training and support for volunteers greatly increased this year. For example, last fall, rather than waiting until the Annual Meeting to begin training, we began preparing volunteers for their new roles in October. Volunteer leaders (elected positions, committee chairs, liaisons, editors, etc.) were sent a Volunteer Toolkit containing documents and information to help them learn about their roles and were provided contact information for the individuals with whom they needed to transition. A Basic Training virtual seminar was held in mid-October for volunteer leaders to provide the fundamentals necessary to have a successful volunteer experience by educating them on the Association’s policies and services.

The Basic Training seminar was rated highly for preparing volunteer leaders to perform their duties and several people mentioned feeling better prepared prior to the Annual Meeting. The Volunteer Toolkit was also cited as being a helpful resource that volunteer leaders referred to throughout the year.

During the 2005 Annual Meeting, all volunteers were invited to attend the Volunteer Development Program. This program had been restricted to volunteer leaders in previous years. While the program was rated highly, only about one-third of our volunteers attended. Those of you who were not able to attend (either because you were not at the Annual Meeting or were participating in other programs that conflicted with this program) mentioned feeling disconnected from your committee or from the Association. This highlights the fact that we need to focus more attention on training volunteers outside of the Annual Meeting.

It is also clear from your feedback that you want more concrete training on how to be a good volunteer and do your job well. The Volunteer Development Program has had a large personal/professional development component for the past two years. Based on your comments and suggestions we have completely redesigned this program for 2006. We hope that these changes will lead to even more productive and meaningful volunteer experiences.

Evaluation

Over the summer, all volunteers were asked to participate in an evaluation process that allowed them to reflect on their own performance as well as that of their volunteer supervisors and any volunteers they supervise. This was the Association’s first attempt at a comprehensive evaluation and we were thrilled to conclude the process with evaluations for 75% of our volunteers. Once the evaluations were compiled, volunteer supervisors were encouraged to discuss the results with their committee members.

The reaction from those of you who fully participated was very positive. You appreciated the opportunity to give and receive feedback about your performance and used the results to assist your professional development. For some, this process validated that you are on the right track and accomplishing the goals of your position. For others, this was a good chance to refocus and redirect your energy. Those of you who were having unfulfilling volunteer experiences had the opportunity to share your frustrations in a positive and productive manner, and in some cases that feedback led to improvements.

The volunteer evaluation was intentionally scheduled to fall mid-year so the results could be used to improve volunteer effectiveness, guidance, and recognition where necessary. However, many of you felt that the timing was not productive, particularly those of you in volunteer roles with timelines or “busy seasons” that had yet to be realized.

One of the most valued aspects of the evaluation process was the structured conversations that followed the completion of evaluation forms. Using the 360-degree evaluation to guide the follow up conversation was extremely beneficial in incorporating the feedback to develop a plan of action for improvement, future involvement, and continued motivation. Many of you did not have follow-up conversations with your supervisors and shared that you would have liked this opportunity. Our goal for the future growth of this process is to ensure that these conversations are happening more consistently and are a productive means for the development and recognition of our volunteers.

Recognition

Many of you commented on the added attention the Association has given to volunteers this year and are aware of our attempts to make your experience a positive one. The addition of the Volunteer Coordinator (Anne Arseneau), increased communication to volunteers, and greater opportunities for feedback have all contributed to volunteers feeling supported in their roles. With nearly 250 AFA members contributing to the success of the Association and the betterment of the fraternal movement, our volunteers certainly deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments.

We are extremely pleased with the positive impact our new Volunteer Management Plan has had on our volunteers’ experiences and effectiveness, yet as with anything there is always room for improvement. Please contact Anne Arseneau, Volunteer Coordinator, or Amanda Bureau, Director of Member Services, with any additional suggestions or comments you may have to continue these enhancements. We appreciate your involvement in this volunteer renaissance – it’s an exciting time for the Association and we welcome your active participation in creating the future.