World Sport Chicago is a 501c3 nonprofit that promotes sport programs to improve life in underserved Chicago communities. It was formed from Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid effort and aims to provide sustainable youth programming through sport. Volunteers are vital to World Sport Chicago's events and programs. The organization works to create meaningful volunteer roles, provide training and support, and recognize volunteers to foster connection to its mission of using sport to strengthen individuals and communities.

1. VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

2. WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an independent 501c(3) non-profit organization that teaches positive values and
leadership through sport. The organization acts on the belief that sport has the power to strengthen individuals, and in
turn, Chicago’s communities. World Sport Chicago promotes programs and events as well as collaborates with several
community partners, public agencies and Chicago’s professional sports teams to deliver impact and change.
WHO WE ARE
HISTORY
World Sport Chicago has a unique history as the living legacy of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic
Games. The organization has evolved substantially since the bid. However, the collaborative spirit that drove those
efforts remains central to the work of World Sport Chicago.
The mission of World Sport Chicago is to promote the development of sustainable sports programming that improves
the quality of life for under-served youth in Chicago and at-risk communities.
World Sport Chicago does this by:
Teaching life-enhancing values and character development through sport
Leveraging on-going sport programs and events to engage families and strengthen communities
Directing resources and technical expertise to communities of need for high-quality and sustainable programming
Sharing practices and innovations to develop thought leadership on the positive impact of sport
Advocating sport-for-all, regardless of physical and visual abilities
MISSION
WSC is a
leader,
catalyst and
collaborator
in social
development
through
sport.

3. A UNIQUE VOLUNTEER HISTORY

4. DIFFERENT STORIES WITH COMMON NEED
WSC is the
living legacy
of Chicago
2016
• To host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• To contribute to Olympic Movement irrespective of
whether Chicago hosts the Games
• To make a lasting contribution to the both the City
of Chicago and the youth of this great city
• To promote the development of sustainable sports
programming that improves the quality of life for
under-served communities
• To help build access to sport
• To research and share best practices
• Bid Operations/Staff Augmentation
• Event Resources
• Community Awareness & Marketing
• Community Support & Service
• Competitive Advantage
• Event Resources
• Mentors
• Community Support
• Number of Registered Volunteers: 25,000+
• Volunteer Management Staff: 2 full-time staff
• Location of Volunteers: International
• Number of Events Per Year: 150+
• Number of Volunteer Hours Served Per Week: 500+
• Number of Registered Volunteers: 3,000+
• Volunteer Management Staff: 0 full-time staff
• Location of Volunteers: Regional
• Number of Events Per Year: 15+
• Number of Volunteer Hours Served Per Week: not
measured
GOALS
THE NUMBERS
ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

5. VOLUNTEERS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
According to Jill Friedman Fixler of the JFFixler Group, volunteer engagement is “a strategy that builds
organizational capacity through staff and volunteer collaboration and the development of high-impact,
meaningful opportunities that create greater influence and outcome for the organization.”
CREATING & MARKETING MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
TRAINING & SUPPORT
RECOGNITION & CONNECTION TO THE CAUSE
Volunteers
are a vital
part of any
non-profit
organization.
Come from an Investment in Volunteer Management

6. MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
CREATING MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
• When creating a role think about the impact the role has on the organization and share that with volunteers
• Volunteers are donating their time and talents – don’t take that for granted
• Think about the feeling the volunteer will have at the end of the shift when you create the shift
• Try to provide opportunities at various times and locations over the course of the year
• Gather feedback from volunteers on the experience for future reference
Ask yourself -
would you
want to do
what you are
asking your
volunteers to
do?
MARKETING
MEANINGFUL
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
• Make sure your volunteers know
where to find information about
opportunities and how to sign up
• Consistency helps support
registration and attendance
• Use more than one method of
communication
• To manage expectations and help
people find the roles that are
right for them, the opportunity
posting should provide a
description of the event or
program they are supporting as
well as details about what they
will be doing
• Inform volunteers about the
opportunity with enough time to
plan

7. TRAINING AND SUPPORT
TRAINING VOLUNTEERS
• Educating volunteers about the organization
• Shift briefing emails that prepare the
volunteer for their role and give them
information on the event
• On-site training so volunteers feel confident
with their role and knowledgeable about the
event/program
• Someone to turn to with questions or
concerns
How prepared
volunteers
feel not only
impacts their
performance,
but their
impression of
the
experience
and the
organization
TRAINING STAFF & CAPTAINS
• Working with volunteers does not come
naturally to everyone
• Every interaction counts
• Tools can be used to help staff excel with
volunteers
• Staff and captains need to be comfortable
enough in their role to support volunteers
• The person managing the event/program
is not always the best person to manage
the volunteers
• Utilize volunteers to provide greater
support and leadership

8. RECOGNITION &
CONNECTION TO THE CAUSE
RECOGNITION
• Even if they are not looking for it – recognition counts
• Timely recognition shows volunteers that they are a
priority to the organization
• Empower volunteers and staff to be part of the
recognition
• Recognition does not have to be expensive
• Building community is an important part of
recognition and retention
A major
motivation for
volunteering
is the cause
CONNECTION TO THE CAUSE
• It is not always clear how what a volunteer
is doing impacts the mission.
• The sharing of success stories helps keep
volunteers connected and excited about
the organization
• Personal testimonies and the words of
others goes a long way
• Volunteers are ambassadors for the cause
– when they feel knowledgeable and
inspired by the cause they are more driven
to engage and share