Giving Compass' Take:

• Volunteer engagement teams are important because they can ensure a mutually beneficial relationship between volunteers and community members.

• Have you been part of a volunteer engagement team that has been successful in streamlining communication processes? How does it improve the volunteer experience? 

• Other trends are popping up in the volunteer space, include the concept of unlimited volunteering. 

Volunteer Solutions is a huge program that engages over 3,500 volunteers for a diverse range of volunteer roles – think everything from Zumba instructors to medical transportation. They recruit, train, and manage, volunteers for Adult and Aging clients, Senior Centers, and Adult Day Health Cares.

I featured Volunteer Solutions a couple of years ago because the program succeeds at something that’s challenging for large volunteer programs: it is both structured and flexible.

The Volunteer Solutions team is large, especially in a field where most practitioners are a department of one. This group includes ten members – it’s almost big enough to field a football team. Within the group, each member performs a very specific role that ensures every client’s needs are met, and that every volunteer receives the support and the opportunity to serve in the way that’s most meaningful for them.

According to the Volunteer Solutions team, success boils down to two fundamental principles:

  • A philosophy that they will do everything within their power to meet the needs of the volunteers and the population they serve.
  • A commitment to close communication and strong systems.

Alongside these individualized volunteer roles are others who assist in more traditional ways, such as transporting clients to doctor’s appointments or bringing them meals via the Meals on Wheels program. Communication remains a priority. Since the team is organized around four regions, much of the communication is via phone or email. However, they have monthly in-person team meetings.

What’s most impressive about Volunteer Solutions is how seamlessly the team is integrated into the work of the agency. A large part of their role is ensuring that clients receive all of the volunteer services that they need while ensuring that the volunteers enjoy their roles.

Read about volunteer engagement team by Elisa Kosarin at Twenty Hats.