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Service Events
Relevant effective practices for: International Volunteer Day
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Click  next to each title below to view the abstract.
Click on a title link to read the effective practice in full.
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Creating imaginative recognition events for senior volunteers
Recognition events such as annual banquets are held periodically by many service organizations to reward those who participate in volunteer service. Finding new ways to make these events fun and meaningful each year can be a challenge. This effective practice provides creative approaches for Senior Corps recognition events, including ideas on venues, time of day, speakers, separate or joint events, small recognition items, and certificates. Compiled from ideas shared on the National Senior Service Corps e-mail discussion list (NSSCTalk) from February 2000 to May 2002.
Read more.
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Recognizing student volunteers with leadership awards
Although service is its own reward, it's human nature to desire recognition! At Ferris State University, leadership awards are given annually through a collaboration of the Student Leadership and Activities Office and the Student Volunteer Center. With more than 200 registered student organizations on campus participating in community service projects during the year, individuals and organizations are selected based on number of total hours reported, creativity and variety of service projects, and the impact their projects had on the community. Candice D. Fortman, Americorps*VISTA, with the Michigan Campus Compact, submitted this effective practice in September 2005.
Read more.
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Conducting value-based volunteer training
Conducting volunteer training that both shares information and skills, and develops
a quality relationship with the volunteer manager and between volunteers, is an
important aspect of value-based management. This effective practice, excerpted from
materials written by the Shanti National Training Institute, presents simple,
practical ways to conduct value-based volunteer training, and was shared by the
National Service Leadership Institute at the 2002 National Senior Service Corps
Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 2002. Read more.
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Exploring ways volunteer managers can use value-based leadership
A volunteer's experience is influenced in critical ways by his or her relationship
with the volunteer manager. Volunteer retention and quality of service to clients
are enhanced when the volunteer manager treats volunteers as valued assets.
Volunteer management based on value-based principles increases the likelihood of
longevity of service, even when things become difficult or challenging. This
effective practice, outlining simple ways to recognize the value of volunteers, is
excerpted from materials written by the Shanti National Training Institute and
distributed by the National Service Leadership Institute at the 2002 National Senior
Service Corps Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 2002. Read more.
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Preventing volunteer burnout
Volunteers leave for many reasons, including burnout. Sometimes the causes of
burnout are within the volunteer and sometimes they are found within the service
organization. There are several steps organizations can take to help volunteers
avoid burning out, leaving and feeling terrible about it. This effective practice
is from Nan Hawthorne, editor-in-chief of Volunteer Management Review and founder
of CyberVPM online forum. Read more.
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Keeping volunteers motivated by maintaining positive communication
Good communication with volunteers is essential to helping them stay enthusiastic
and inspired and should begin from the first moment of contact with a volunteer.
The deeper the connection you can develop, the more engaged your volunteers will
be during the assignment, and the greater the potential for future volunteer
support. This effective practice was shared by Lori Jean Mantooth of Hands On
Network in fall of 2006. Read more.
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Engaging staff in reducing the volunteer attrition rate
Staff can aid the volunteer program manager in reducing the turnover of volunteers.
Positive communication, recognition, important tasks, and a "thank you" now and
again can contribute to keeping volunteers. But first, staff members have to believe
that a high attrition rate is costly to the organization. This effective practice
from Nancy Macduff provides a way to calculate the cost of getting each volunteer
as a way to motivate staff. Adapted with permission from VolunteerToday.com,
August 2002. Read more.
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Developing a survey to assess volunteer satisfaction
Assessing volunteer satisfaction is an important, yet difficult task. The RSVP of Montgomery County (PA), Inc. has developed a survey to measure issues of concern and areas of improvement important to volunteers. The survey, which is provided, was developed using ideas from NSSCTalk e-mail discussion list members. Linda Millison, Executive Director of RSVP of Montgomery County (PA), Inc. submitted this effective practice in February 2002. Read more.
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