Is your volunteer program in step with "Volunteerism 2.0?"  Here are some quick tips from ICL's The Network, Spring 2011.

1.  Make volunteering a “win/win”

• Maximize volunteer energy and input in a strategic way by learning your volunteers’ specific skills and offering the chance to use them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask!
• Think of volunteers as “resources” in the same way that you think of other organizational resources. Keep in mind that many volunteers may also see you as a resource to enhance their skills and marketability.
• Watch for staff resistance and overcome obstacles by enlisting staff input, making sure all levels of the organization are on board, and creating an open and ongoing dialogue.
• Give volunteer positions legitimacy with titles and a voice in decision-making.
• Be positive: counter nay-saying tendencies, which alienate volunteers.

2.  Be resourceful

• Learn how other organizations use volunteers and “think outside the box.”
• Find helpful articles, such as “Online Resources for Finding Volunteers” (ICL), “Pulling from the Ranks: Land Trusts Shape Volunteers into Leader,” (in Saving Land), “Today’s Volunteers, New Opportunities” (ICL) and others listed in our Volunteerism 2.0 report.
• Don’t go it alone: incorporate “2.0” thinking throughout your staff.
• Continue the dialogue: keep up with the changing face of volunteers by asking other leaders about their experiences. Make an open mind and flexible approach your mantra for new possibilities.

Need help assessing your volunteer workforce capacity?  If Volunteerism 2.0 left you with great ideas but wondering how to put them into play at your organization, give Peter Lane a call at 301.270.2903. Whether through a facilitated workshop or consultation with your leadership team, we’re experts at putting your volunteer workforce to work for you.