Written by Kasey Murphy

We all know when it comes to volunteer management and coordination, there are so many different tasks to focus on, and at different points in time different tasks take priority. This week’s recap is a great example of that! We have three completely different topics from this past week. Let’s check them out. 

#1 - Volunteer Training Modules

Volunteer Training Modules are a great way to really prepare volunteers for their incoming position within your organization. Volunteer preparation for being a volunteer within your organization is extremely important because volunteers who feel knowledgeable about their role and program are more likely to succeed and stay as a volunteer within your organization. 

For volunteer training modules, a tool is usually needed to really pull all of the details together. 

Here are some of the comments: 

• “One option would be google classroom. It's free and very easy to use. I taught a summer grant writing program and used it and everyone liked it.”

• “What about Facebook Groups? It has learning modules.”

• “We use Moodle... not free! But used across whole org - so for staff and volunteers.”

• “We are also thinking about a online orientation complete with questions we were looking for anyone that has it already what kind and how many questions do you use ? For the short quiz we were thinking doing filming a video on zoom and they can access it anytime.”

To view all of the comments, visit the original post here. 

Some additional resources related to volunteer module & software: 

• Volunteer Orientation - What To Include To Make Them Truly Beneficial

• Dig Deeper When Comparing Volunteer Management Systems - We’ll Show You How

#2 - Volunteer Bulletin Board

A volunteer bulletin board is a wonderful volunteer engagement tool. It is a great way to show volunteers off in a sense, but also a great way to grab their attention. 

The tough thing about volunteer bulletin boards is that they can be a challenge to change or create new ideas on, which is a great reason to reach out to the Volunteer Coordinator Resource Community. 

To read all of the comments, or write your own - check out the post here. 

Here are some more ideas we have for volunteer bulletin boards: 

• Post a leaderboard for volunteer hours - make the bulletin board like a sporting event theme! 

• Newspaper style - spread news about the organization or upcoming events like a newspaper article. 

• Volunteer Appreciation Quotes - From other staff members. (Could be inside flowers for spring) 

• Create a volunteer tree, have other volunteers anonymously fill out “leaves” with compliments towards other volunteer’s efforts! 

#3 - What To Do With Too Many Volunteers 

During COVID especially, volunteers have more time on their hands and have offered to help out with volunteering. This might be hard for organizations because they are at their capacity for opportunities they can manage and volunteers they can take in, but still, they have volunteers who have not been able to volunteer. 

Here are some of the comments: 

• “There is nothing wrong with a waiting list. This is a pretty common issue”

• “Do you have an ambassador program set up? I ask all new volunteers/volunteers waiting for jobs to follow us on all our social media accounts, like/comment/share our posts, sign up for and read our e-newsletters, read our blog, talk about us with their friends and family, etc. They are small actions, but really do help our organization and keep people somewhat engaged.”

• “We also do monthly virtual "Lunch and Learns" for our volunteers (or anyone in the community) that offer deeper dives into different aspects of our organization/the issue. Mix of staff/leadership/outside presenters. It's not a huge volunteer "opportunity" but at least a way to engage volunteers with a touch point!”

• “Are you a part of a volunteer network? Maybe you could share with other organizations and then pick them up when you need them in the future? Especially if you are an organization that requires specialized training and can't use "done in a day" volunteers, it's good to have a reserve when you need those tasks accomplished.”

• “Post the opportunities and allow people to sign up, limiting the number.”

To view the full post and all of the comments, check it out here. 

Here are some resources we think you should check out! 

• Organize Volunteers and Your Volunteer Program With Volunteer Software

• Combine Volunteer Scheduling and Volunteer Time Tracking By Using Track It Forward As A Volunteer Scheduling Tool

Lastly, we are looking to create some more articles that will be helpful to volunteer coordinators everywhere. Is there anything you have been itching to find out, but can’t find it online anywhere? We want to help by doing the work and research for you! 

Comment on this post if you would like for us to consider an idea to write!