The Profession

"Shaping a shared vision and mission,
matching volunteer talents with satisfying assignments,
guiding volunteers to success and building leadership within the volunteer corps require a developer of volunteer resources with an
extraordinary combination of leadership and managerial abilities.
This is the volunteer administration professional."

AVA's Portrait of a Profession

To order a copy of the AVA publication Portrait of a Profession: Volunteer Administration print off the Order Form in the AVA Products for the Professional Flyer . (You will need the Adobe Acrobat Viewer   � downloadable at no cost � to view the Flyer and order form.) Then fill out your order form and fax or mail it to the AVA office. 

The Value of Our Profession

International attention to the importance of volunteerism is at an all-time high. As the world changes and citizens find new freedom, the desirability and need for individual voluntary involvement in society have become even clearer. Most people acknowledge that volunteers are a cost-effective resource. Policy makers have realized that people from a community can be the best source for effective answers to needs and services because their solutions involve community members and reflect the values of the community. Volunteers serve in all aspects of community life: government, politics, social service, health care, education, religion, culture, recreation, and membership organizations. They work within organizations and in ad-hoc, volunteer groups for purposes that are of interest and concern to them.

With the growing realization of the importance of volunteers has come the accompanying recognition that if people are to continue to be involved, they must find their volunteer work meaningful to them and to the community they serve. In addition, organizations must manage and support their volunteer resources just as they do their financial and paid staff resources.

Over the past 30 years, leaders in the volunteer administration profession have amassed a generic core of knowledge and principles that help people who coordinate volunteers to achieve results in any setting. In addition, the Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA), the international professional organization for the field of volunteer administration, has developed competency statements, ethics and a certification process that identify the multi-discipline standards that are required of a professional administration of volunteers. While volunteer efforts throughout the world differ in terms of the culture and needs they serve, the basic standards developed by AVA are applicable to all.

Effective volunteer efforts do not just happen, but are the result of the many-faceted skills of a professional who understands and practices the principles of volunteer administration.

What Are People Involved In Volunteer Administration Called?

Throughout our communities there are many people involved in organizing volunteers. Some of the following are volunteers themselves, and because managing volunteers is implicit in meeting their goals, they are involved without really viewing volunteer administration as their "profession." Others are paid staff members who function at the executive level and are responsible for developing the volunteer resources for the agency. Some of the most common titles include:

Where Do They Work?

They may be paid or unpaid. They may work full or part time. Coordinating volunteers may be only a part of their job. They serve in many different settings in nonprofit, ad-hoc, for-profit and government programs:

With Whom Do They Work?

Leaders of volunteers work through volunteers�people who give their time with no expectation of remuneration beyond, perhaps, reimbursement of legitimate minimal expenses resulting from their volunteer work. They may organize volunteers in all-volunteer community groups or they may work within an organization, coordinating the unpaid staff (volunteers) with the paid staff to enhance the organization�s ability to reach its goals. The volunteers themselves may have specific position titles (since the word "volunteer" simply indicates the pay status of the individual, not the role he or she fulfills) or they may refer to themselves by another generic title such as:

What Are Important Convictions For Those Who Lead Volunteers To Possess?

What Is The Role of the Professional in Volunteer Administration?

The role of the volunteer administration professional is very similar to the human resource personnel professional who is responsible for paid staff in organizations. In fact, the volunteer administration professional may be managing more staff than anyone. And, because their "staff" is not paid, the volunteer administration professional must develop particular sensitivity to matching the needs of the volunteer to the assignment to ensure that the volunteer will continue to feel a sense of accomplishment without the rewards of a paycheck.

While many of the tasks may be delegated to or shared by an appropriate paid or volunteer staff member, the volunteer administration professional is responsible for the following.

Assessing the need for volunteers: Volunteers should be meeting genuine community needs, and the in-kind volunteer resources available to the community must be targeted in the most effective and productive ways possible.

Developing a compelling vision and mission: Powerful volunteer efforts are based on a positive vision of community improvement and a mission statement that gives focus and builds enthusiasm for that vision.

Generating a plan: Effective use of human resources requires that a plan of action with measurable objectives be developed in advance. Plans are subject to revision as conditions change, but without a plan, time and resources are wasted.

Developing and managing a budget: Volunteers are cost-effective, but they are not free. Budgets can include, for example, recognition events, equipment, supplies, and reimbursement of volunteer expenses.

Creating volunteer position descriptions: Written volunteer position descriptions are the basis for recruitment, training and policies and articulate expectations for the volunteers.

Forming policies: Volunteers, like paid staff, should work in an environment that is safe for them and those they serve. This requires risk management that includes a review of current insurance and training. In addition, appropriate policies need to be developed such as confidentiality, background checks or personal relationships with clients.

Recruiting, interviewing and placing volunteers: Recruitment is targeted to matching the requirements of the assignment with the potential and interests of the people who could do it. Interviews explore the volunteers� needs, and placements are made after careful consideration of an appropriate match.

Orienting and training the volunteers: Volunteers are oriented and receive initial and on-going appropriate training that helps with their assignment and enhances their feelings of achievement.

Fashioning partnerships between paid and unpaid staff in an organization: A spirit of partnership among paid staff and volunteers is encouraged through communication and sensitivity to the concerns of each.

Guiding the volunteers: Volunteers are neither ignored nor micro-managed but are given guidance appropriate to their skill levels and their ability for self- management. Volunteers are given feedback about their performance.

Keeping up-to-date records about volunteer participation: Records show hours and outcomes of volunteer efforts. These records are helpful to acknowledge the efforts of the volunteers in reports to the Board of Directors, the media, funders, the community, the staff and the volunteers themselves.

Evaluating outcomes: Evaluation is based on the measurable goals set during the planning process. Through this mechanism, success and failure can be ascertained, and appropriate changes can be made. Evaluation includes impacts on the volunteers, the constituency served and the community.

Recognizing Efforts: Recognition of volunteers is ongoing, formal and informal. It is sincere and appropriate for the individual volunteer. In an organization with paid staff, they are also recognized for their support of volunteers.

Promoting talented volunteers: Delegation of management and middle management positions to able volunteers is essential to good volunteer personnel management.

Dismissing volunteers whose relationship is not mutually valuable: Volunteers who appear not to be matched to the right assignment are counseled and receive additional training, coaching and, if necessary, reassignment. If these efforts are not successful, the volunteer is released or referred elsewhere.

Advocating for volunteerism: Advocacy can take many forms, including encouraging specific governmental legislation that supports volunteerism; reporting regularly to the Board of Directors on volunteer accomplishments; bringing volunteer concerns to the attention of the Executive Director; publicizing volunteer accomplishments; and ensuring fair treatment and respect for volunteers.
 

What Are Some Skills of the Volunteer Administration Professional?

Are Opportunities Available For Those Involved in Volunteer Administration to Enhance Their Professional Skills?

More and more colleges and universities are including volunteer management in curricula related to nonprofit management, public administration, and business administration. There are also conferences and training as well as many excellent authoritative publications now available. Visit the educational opportunities and bibliography sections of this website, or contact the AVA office at 804-672-3353 or [email protected] .

In addition, AVA offers a professional credentialling program, publishes a practitioner's journal, and sponsors the annual International Conference on Volunteer Administation.

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