Volunteers

You will draw your volunteers from your members and from the community at large. Your volunteer pool may include affected individuals and their families as well as people who are not directly affected by the condition your organization supports but who are interested and want to get involved. They may be able to provide assistance to your organization that will save you money on vital functions, for example, designing educational materials.

Individuals in your community can include family members, neighbors, interns or students from local high schools or colleges, retirees, local professionals and consultants who may be willing to offer pro-bono services, and others.

For these current and potential volunteers, ask:

• Have you actively recruited them?
• What skills do they have and how can you capitalize on them?
• Do they have specific limitations as a result of being affected or of caring for someone who is?
• Can they offer help consistently over time? Or are they best available on a per-project basis?
• Are the roles of current volunteers clearly defined?
• What difficulties do you have retaining them?
• Do you have volunteers you would be better off without?

The Nonprofit Risk Management Center offers a multitude of resources for nonprofit organizations' volunteer programs.

To learn more about the liability laws in your state for non-profits and volunteers, check out this report.

Internal Links

• Organizational Assessment: Determine Goals
• Characterize Resources
• Organizational Assessment: Characterize Condition
  • Characterize Resources: Leadership
  • Characterize Resources: Mentor
  • Characterize Resources: Expertise
  • Characterize Resources: Vision
  • Characterize Resources: Funding
  • Characterize Resources: Media Access
• Compare Goals and Resources, with the Characteristics of the Condition
• Volunteer - Peer Coaches