Tell It to Them Straight

As non-profit professionals, we rely on volunteers to complete our work, and the mission of our organization. Individuals who give their time and energy—above and beyond their financial commitment—are the lifeblood of charitable groups. Volunteers come in many forms. People may be long-term volunteers as a member of the board, they may be short-term volunteers as helpers for a special event, or they may be influential members of the community recruited to help lead a fundraising effort. Regardless of their role, the fullest possible level of involvement and the successful completion of their duties is critical to the progress of the organization.

Each of these volunteers needs to receive an orientation with the organization, including an overview of what will be expected of them. Often, they are prominent members of the community, with busy lives including service to other charitable groups. The temptation, then, is to minimize the amount of work they will have to do. Board members are told they need not attend every meeting. Organization volunteers are told they need only participate on a few solicitations, or simply lend their name to the effort. All of these are critical errors.

Volunteers should always be fully informed of what will be expected of them. As development professionals, we owe this to the volunteers and the organization. Our volunteers are leaders in the community, and very much aware of their potential influence and capabilities. We must let them tell us what is the limit of their potential involvement, and how far they are willing to stretch themselves on behalf of the organization or specific project. Negotiate and agree upon specific expectations.

This is a corollary of one of the first rules of fundraising: never say “No” on behalf of the prospect. We hear this said most often in regard to the financial component of a solicitation. We train ourselves and others to request the greatest level of financial support conceivable from each prospect; the gift they would make if they become extremely excited about the idea. We should hope for, and request, that same level of commitment in terms of time and energy.

There are major problems that can arise from minimizing a volunteer’s workload. First and foremost, the organization may suffer because the volunteer is underutilized. As with a financial commitment, few volunteers will offer to do more than is asked of them. Asking them to perform just a few tasks may limit the ultimate success of the fundraising effort. Regardless of how well we think we know a volunteer, they should be the final authority of how they can best help us. We should engender their leadership, and get them to help us think about their circle of peers and how their influence can be used for the greatest possible impact.

An organization may even lose a volunteer as a result of diminishing their role. One of the most prevalent complaints among non-profit volunteers is that skills they have gained in their professional lives are underutilized or ignored by the charity. We hear tales of a Madison Avenue marketing executive who is asked to stuff envelopes for a mailing but is not invited to help build a public relations program. The volunteer becomes frustrated and loses interest.

The other potential danger of diminishing a volunteer’s workload is that you may later discover additional tasks with which you need their help. This means going back to the volunteer and essentially reneging on your previous assurances of a light workload. This can be embarrassing for you and upsetting for the volunteer. They are likely to feel that they have been “sandbagged,” drawn in with assurances of an easy project, and then hit with the truth after it is too late to back out. Even if this is not the case, and your intentions at the outset were sincere, the damage is still done. The volunteer’s trust in you and the organization will weaken.

Just as importantly, these incremental increases in the workload of your volunteers suggest that there is no strategic plan for the successful execution of the project. It is all too common for an organization’s governance, or a campaign’s progress, or an event’s success, to rest on the shoulders of a handful of people. A mature effort will share the work across the broadest possible group and provide clear expectations for each leader.

Providing a clear overview of the organization’s need and negotiating the expectations of each volunteer should be a critical component of the recruitment process. The roles and responsibilities presented to each volunteer should be based on the needs of the organization and its mission, not on a desire to minimize the volunteer’s commitment. As long as the expectations are clear, the individual will tell you what they can or cannot do. Provide them with a formal job description, whether they are the chairman of the board or a call center volunteer during a phone-a-thon. Review their proposed role and secure their commitment to adhere to each of the components. This will lend structure and formality to their commitment. This, in turn, will engender their respect and bolster their confidence in the organization and the specific project with which they are helping.