The Real Lives of Volunteer Coordinators
A Blog for us to Learn from Each Other
Written by Kasey Murphy Volunteer Coordinator Resource Community Weekly Recap: Nov. 23 - 30
So many volunteers and Volunteer Coordinators are adapting to their new normal of operating under virtual circumstances. A great way to make sure volunteers still feel connected and refreshed with new procedures is by implementing a virtual volunteer orientation.
A virtual volunteer orientation could be great for newly recruited volunteers or for volunteers who might need a refresher on new rules and activities! Volunteer orientations are a great way to introduce new volunteer initiatives, reinstate rules like social distancing, and provide a detailed overview of the volunteer program.
Volunteer orientations are also a wonderful opportunity to acquaint volunteers with each other and with you as a Volunteer Coordinator. But, this can be quite hard in a virtual environment to do. It is a great idea to try to play some games over the video platform! This might be a tad awkward at first, but remember you are the initiator and you can make virtual volunteer orientation fun for your volunteers!
Advice From The Comments on Virtual Volunteer Orientation Games
“I really enjoyed a training ice breaker where our facilitator gave everyone 1 minute to find an item near them and then we came back and talked about why it made them happy or was meaningful. There was such a variety of responses from puzzles to succulents to cookies.”
Kahoot Quizzes
“Those physical energisers such as patting your head and rubbing your hand on your stomach are great on zoom as everyone gets involved and the laugher starts!”
“I liked a training ice breaker where we were asked to tell our name and one 'mundane' fact about ourselves (instead of the usual 'interesting' fact...). It was easier to think of and fun too. Everyone came up with different little facts, like what they had had for breakfast.”
“I’ve been using Mentimeter in my info sessions, but at that point in the game they don’t really need to know each other. I just find it opens them up to asking questions and staying engaged.”
“My favorite inclusion activity...if you were going to take a road trip with me what are 3 things you should know.”
2 truths and a lie.
If you would like to comment or see any more comments, go to the post here!
Resources For Virtual Volunteer Orientation
Show Them The Facts - Volunteer Stats that will make people want to volunteer for your organization!
Check Out Some Ideas In Here! The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up Virtual Volunteering In Your Organization
Volunteer recruitment is one of the most important tasks of being a Volunteer Coordinator. With today’s technology, we are lucky to have multiple different platforms to recruit volunteers from! But, it does lead to some confusion.
Which volunteer recruitment sites are best?
There will always be a great way to recruit volunteers that work best for your organization, but let’s check out what some people in our community have said!
Advice From The Comments On Volunteer Recruitment Sites
“In the town of the facility, maybe the web page or organizations such as VFW, American Legions, Womens Auxiliary.”
“Facebook posting to groups that I belong to and posting to my LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.”
“We had a paid VolunteerMatch account that got a lot of traffic. Our website also got a lot of people googling. We post on our local Volunteer centers.”
“Think about your mission and those that benefit from your mission. Think about speaking to professional groups that have similar interests.”
“If they have virtual options that you can accept volunteers world wide, VolunteerMatch has been incredibly successful for us.”
“VolunteerMatch and NextDoor”
“Social media (particularly Facebook)”
“High schools”
If you want to see all of the comments or give any more advice and information, check out the post.
Resources For Volunteer Recruitment Sites
Promote Volunteer Info Sessions For Volunteer Recruitment
Lastly, as an extra, we wanted to shout out to one Volunteer Coordinator who has been providing free webinars. This next one is a great way to reset your goals after COVID might have totally uprooted your 2020 goals. Check it out!
