Training Ideas, Resources, Tools

This Training Design presents a thought-provoking, high-level exploration about the volunteer management field and its future. According to those who attended the recent presentation of this material by author Katherine H. Campbell, Executive Director for the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration, it is not for the timid!  Come prepared to challenge the status quo and examine the complexities of titles and the nuances of duties. Use this Training Design to provide an opportunity to talk with colleagues about how we define and influence the collective work we do as volunteer professionals.

To be effective and to thrive in upcoming years, volunteer programs must learn to engage Millennials, that slice of population also referred to as “Generation Y” and generally born somewhere between the mid-1970s to the early 2000s. As this generation assumes its role in the workplace and begins to build families, it is essential that volunteer managers tap into the energy, technological expertise and passion for community involvement that Millennials have to offer.

This Training Design focuses on qualities of the Millennial generation, both inside and outside the workplace. The objective is to discuss motivations and work styles of this generation in order to enhance communication skills and encourage effective recruitment, supervision and retention of these volunteers. The authors – three AmeriCorps VISTA members assigned to the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA) – developed and implemented the training for volunteer managers, Millennial individuals and other MAVA members interested in professional development in this area.

 

In February 2010, United Way of King County in Seattle, Washington, launched an intensive volunteer management capacity-building model in partnership with Executive Service Corps of Washington. Called the Volunteer Impact Program (VIP), it was designed to help food banks and meals programs more effectively recruit, involve and retain high-value volunteers. During this nine-month program, key staff benefited from cohort-based training and peer learning, and worked with volunteer consultant teams to assess volunteer management capacity and develop action plans. They also received small grants to implement key elements of their action plans.  

This e-Volunteerism feature article offers a summary of the VIP experience. It shares the preliminary results for VIP participants, and identifies lessons learned in delivering an intensive volunteer management capacity-building program to local nonprofits

If your organization still hasn’t fully embraced the Internet to support and involve staff and volunteers, this Training Design is the key to bridging your organization’s digital divide. Jayne Cravens, who directed the Virtual Volunteering Project and helped pioneer the concept of involving volunteers via the Internet, has created a development plan that successfully introduces five crucial Internet tools, helps explain their importance to your organization, and provides tips to help your staff and volunteers finally embrace online technology. This Training Design is also a wonderful resource for those who are somewhat Internet savvy but might need a refresher course on how to use online forums, social networking sites, audio and video programs and automatic alerts. Cravens’ “Personal Online Skill Development Plan” will help shrink the digital divide for everyone.

Founded in 1904, the American Lung Association is the nation’s oldest voluntary health agency. Our work throughout our first century has been innovative – ours was the first disease-specific organization to couple the skills and expertise of the medical professional with the dedication and commitment of the lay volunteer, which is now the model most other voluntary health agencies follow. Volunteers were integral to the founding of our organization almost 100 years ago and still play a significant role in our efforts to prevent lung disease and promote lung health nationwide. With 1,300 staff and 130,000 volunteers working to achieve our mission in our 200 Lung Association offices, you can imagine the enormous challenges we face to stay connected and offer the essential learning needed to help those with lung disease.

As Director, Volunteer Management and Learning and a member of our organization’s Learning Center, the use of technology and e-learning techniques is an essential part of my efforts to enable idea sharing and learning opportunities no matter where our staff and volunteers may be located. The following article outlines some of the methods that we are employing.

When designing a training workshop or planning a conference, you probably consider using an icebreaker or two as part of your format. Before settling for conventional icebreakers that you have used time and again in the past, take a moment to read this Training Design. Author Jim Laden explains why the “games people play” represent new ideas for icebreakers, which can bring added meaning and fun to the age-old practice of helping participants get to know each other. “Hello, my name is. . .” may never be the same again.