The Real Lives of Volunteer Coordinators
A Blog for us to Learn from Each Other
Last updated by Kasey Murphy on 03/17/2021 If you are a new volunteer coordinator you already have a pretty good idea of what you might be getting yourself into, but this article will lay it out in a bit of a different perspective for you.
Volunteer Coordinator job descriptions can be extremely vague or extremely detailed - sometimes it can be overwhelming. Each organization operates differently, and even though volunteer coordinators have similar responsibilities and tasks all around, there will always be something specific that one organization does and another organization does not do.
So, be sure to relate this information to your organization and try to figure out what detailed responsibilities you will have to do.
All in all, remember that being a volunteer coordinator is way more than just one job. You will have busy days and not so busy days, and it is always important to capitalize on free time to improve your policies, organizational involvement, and volunteer program!
Volunteer Coordinator Job Description
We have compiled some of the best Volunteer Coordinator Job Descriptions we can find to help showcase all of the different roles that a volunteer coordinator will be responsible for. A volunteer coordinator job is no easy one, but there are so many tools and communities that can help you along the way!
The basic volunteer coordinator job description will go over the 4 R’s of volunteer management: recruitment, retention, revenue, and recognition. These are the four most important parts of being a successful volunteer coordinator! The recruitment part will bring more volunteers, retention will keep them, revenue will increase organization success, and recognition will keep volunteers and the community involved.
Beyond this, a volunteer coordinator job description will include logistics like using certain software to keep records of volunteers and keep track of volunteer hours.
If your organization does not have a volunteer time tracking system, we highly recommend finding one and using it. It will make your organization more efficient and organized, and help you do your job!
Volunteer Coordinator job descriptions might also include event planning tactics, social media responsibilities, and creating a brand for the organization and volunteer program!
Volunteer Coordinator job description usually lists all of the responsibilities and duties, which will be a lot. But, most of these responsibilities and duties will take place over a long period of time or will be a gradual completion.
Volunteer Coordinator Job Description Duties:
Keep and manage volunteer information
Create a healthy volunteer environment
Recruit volunteers with various techniques
Create events that help the organization, community, and volunteer involvement
Track volunteer work & volunteer hours
Organize volunteer training sessions
Checklist For Volunteer Coordinators
This checklist goes through all of the things a new volunteer coordinator can get involved in! Please keep in mind that these will not be something you can do once and check off of the list.
They are mostly a work in progress and something you can continually work on throughout the first year of being a volunteer coordinator!
Figure out your organization’s top priorities when it comes to the volunteer program - this will help you understand what you need to prioritize and what all of your tasks and efforts should be focused on.
Go Over Volunteer Onboarding Process - one of your main goals will be getting new volunteers. So one of your first tasks should be to see how volunteers are onboarded and welcomed into the organization
Go through volunteer training - you can’t fully understand what your volunteers do until you do it yourself! Make sure you go through training, fill in gaps and fully understand everything from a volunteer perspective.
Make plans on how you will get more new volunteers to the program - this is a process and a brainstorming session that will always be taking place. Be creative with volunteer recruitment and think of ways to find new volunteers!
Learn the current events and volunteer opportunities that the organization offers - you will want to know the events that volunteers respond well to, as well as the ones you need to make a schedule around.
Create a plan for volunteer retention - think of certain ways you can immediately show volunteers that you appreciate them - then continue this tradition throughout your career!
Identify How You Will Measure Volunteer Impact - volunteers like to know they are making a difference, and it is good for you to do this, too! One way you can measure volunteer impact is by tracking volunteer time and compare it to certain amounts of money raised or initiatives completed.
Create New Events To Help Your Mission - create new events that inspire you and volunteers! This allows you to get more involved in your own way.
Create Events To Promote Social Impact Between Volunteers - Most volunteers love a social aspect, so be sure you are providing enough to help them have fun!
Learn The Volunteer Software & Why It is Important - if your organization already has volunteer software, you need to learn it so you can gather data and analyze your volunteer program and initiatives. You also need to see why it is important, so you can motivate your volunteers to use the software as well! If your organization does not have a software, you can look into some!
Figure Out A Scheduling System That Makes Sense For You & Volunteers - some volunteers might want to be scheduled regularly, while others might want to sign up for shifts on their own time. As a volunteer coordinator, you should be able to accommodate both options!
Write A Volunteer Handbook - once you have really nailed down your volunteer program and made it a little bit of your own, write a volunteer handbook to remember all of the changes and distribute them to new volunteers!
Circle Back! - being a volunteer coordinator is all about self-reflection, volunteer reflection, and organization-reflection. Once you make changes - evaluate if they were good or bad. Then, make a whole new plan for next year!