Integrating skilled volunteers into your existing volunteer program is both exciting and scary. If you're thinking about adding skilled volunteers to your program, or if you've just started, this webinar can help you make the experience successful for both the volunteer and the organization. Navigating the introduction of the idea into your organization, developing the art of delegating work to volunteers, and setting achievable outcomes will be covered.
1. Engaging Skilled Volunteers
To hear the presentation by phone call:
(914) 339-0029
Access Code: 896-351-537
Jennifer Bennett, CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training @JenBennettCVA
Matt Wallace, Senior Associate, Nonprofit Relations @itsMattWallace
Follow the conversation on Twitter! Use #VMLearn
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VolunteerMatch Overview
“VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good
people and good causes to connect.”
91,665 Nonprofits… 74,361 Active Opportunities…. 6,706,533 referrals since 1998
• VolunteerMatch has been around for 14 years, and is the top-ranked website for online
volunteer recruitment and employee-volunteer programs
• Our Learning Center offers over 20 webinar topics focused on volunteer management
and VolunteerMatch tools, serving an audience of over 6,000 attendees each year
3. VolunteerMatch & Walmart:
Fighting Hunger Together
What are our goals?
• Support nonprofit organizations that are working to end
hunger in local communities.
• Provide hunger relief organizations with the resources
they need to deploy, manage and expand their volunteer
engagement program.
• Support, train and share best practices for engaging
volunteers, and creating a multi-faceted relationship with
volunteers – donors, advocates.
• Increase visibility of the need for volunteers at hunger
relief organizations.
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Introduction
• Defining Pro Bono Consulting & Skilled
Volunteering
• Getting Started
– Building Support
– Developing Projects
– Finding the Talent
– Managing for Success
• Working with Corporations
• Q&A
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Who are Pro Bono
Consultants?
• All volunteers have skills
• Pro bono consultants use professional skills
• Traditionally associated with attorneys
– Now also being applied to other professions
• Marketing/PR
• Graphic/Web Design
• IT
• Accounting
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Getting Started: Building
Support
• Identify Stakeholders
– Board, Exec. Management, Program Managers,
Paid Staff, Volunteer Staff
• Communicate to create buy-in
– How could the impact of staff members,
programs, the organization be expanded by
engaging pro bono and skilled volunteers?
• Reach out to your champions
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Getting Started: Developing
Projects
What could your organization accomplish if not
limited by available skills and time?
Successful projects include:
– Measurable deliverables or outcomes
– Accountabilities
– Timeline
– Evaluation
http://www.taprootfoundation.org/get-probono/be-powered-pro-bono
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Getting Started: Finding the Talent
• Communication Plan
– Internal and external
• Research Existing Volunteer Pool
– Applications, Resumes
• Recruit from Outside
– Corporations, Colleges, Professional Groups
• Screening the Candidates
– Approach as if you would be paying for service
• Say “No” and Hear “No”
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Getting Started: Managing for Success
• Define the Project
– Who, What, When, Where, How.
– MOU, Letter of Agreement
– Include key evaluation or check in points.
• Delegate
– The outcome is more important than the process.
– Let go without checking out
• Manage Expectations
– Does everyone have the same definition of success?
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Working with Corporations
• Identify skills areas needed
– May be primary or support functions
• Match corporate structure to organization
– Grassroots nonprofits consider small businesses
• Work towards creating long-term relationship
– Single day, ongoing, leadership roles
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Things to Think About
• Start Small
• Work with your Champions
• Tout Successes
• Don’t Force It
• Exit Plan
– Don’t give up, return to the phase where the project
went awry.
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Resources
Learning Center
Find upcoming webinar dates, how-to videos and more
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
VolunteerMatch Community
Ask and answer questions after the webinar – use keywords Fighting Hunger Together,
Volunteer Management
http://community.volunteermatch.org/volunteer
Fighting Hunger Together
Learn more about the partnership and how you can participate
https://www.volunteermatch.org/fighthunger
Questions?
FightHunger@VolunteerMatch.org
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Thanks for attending!
Join us online:
Like us on Facebook:
www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch
Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch
Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog:
blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/
For any questions contact:
Jennifer Bennett
(415) 321-3639
@JenBennettCVA
jbennett@volunteermatch.org