Non-Profit Networking
 

Whassup GCers? I work for a non-profit as a volunteer manager. Is anyone else in volunteer management (or any other area in non-profit management)? If so, let's share some best practices. How do you inspire them? How do you keep them coming back year after year? Have you ever had to let one go? If so, how'd you go about doing it? What is the age range of the volunteers that you work with?

Share, share, share!! :)

I have done that in the past and it is a tricky balance in terms of setting goals and work plans as you would with a regular employee, but the "pats on the back" until your palms are raw and other forms of encouragement need to be there because they do not have a paycheck as their motivator and sometimes their commitment can get soft if you aren't supporting and encouraging them. Now if they are not a good fit for your group, you need to redirect their talent and energy in a way that doesn't drive you crazy. The best recruitment tool for volunteers is other happy volunteers on board - you need to be a business and return calls and keep your administrative ship above board to keep talent. A good PR machine helps too - although it is altruistic work, if people see and hear about themselves in the news, etc. and if that catches the attention of others in their lives (friends, employers, etc.) it helps. You would like to think that people would do it for no recognition, but that tends not to be true.

This helped more than you know
 

This was some of the BEST advice!!! Especially the administrative part. Thanks!