Tips for small non-profit organisations on briefing volunteers

Typically, a non-profit organisation is originally set up by an individual, or a small group of friends/colleagues/family members, to achieve a certain objective or to contribute towards the betterment and well-being of a specific group or cause. The founding members usually have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, and are truly passionate and enthusiastic about doing something to make a difference.

Once they actually get the project off the ground though, they soon find themselves stretched quite thin. It's often an unpleasant surprise to discover that there's actually far more to do than initially envisaged! :-) First of all, there is the organisation to set up and manage. Then there are the actual activities that the group wants to focus on and run. Multiple to-do lists start to form and each action item starts developing long, jellyfish-like tendrils of smaller action items, which trail merrily behind, waiting to be done :-) So if the organisation is small and there are no paid secretariat staff yet, the founding members definitely need volunteers, wait, make that a lot of volunteers, to help them out with everything:-)

Fortunately, these days there is no shortage of volunteers in the Klang Valley at least. Volunteerism has become so popular amongst all ages and communities that most non-profit organisations find that hopeful volunteers are contacting them non-stop and offering to volunteer (instead of them having to chase after volunteers).

So what's the best way to optimise this wonderful supply and demand equilibrium? That's right, welcome the eager volunteers on board and give them stuff to do a.s.a.p:-)! To make this a mutually fulfilling arrangement though, the organisation must first invest time and effort in coming up with a proper plan for volunteers so that their time will not be wasted, and they will enjoy the experience and feel like they are contributing something valuable to the organisation and the community/cause that it serves.

Here are some simple, easy-to-implement tips:

A. Before the Volunteer Session 
1. Identify the tasks for which volunteers are needed
2. Break down each task into mini-steps/processes required to complete it
3. Identify what tools, information, materials, resources and other items the volunteers would need in order to complete each task
4. Make a list of available volunteers for the various volunteering slots, and assign the tasks accordingly
5. Preferably, contact the volunteer before their session to give them a quick briefing as to what they will be doing. This could be in the form of a short email, or even a watsapp/FB message.

B. During the Volunteer Session
1. Be there earlier to ensure everything is set up
2. When the volunteers arrive, do a quick briefing to make sure everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing. The briefing should cover the specific tasks for the day, as well as general stuff that needs to be done during every volunteer session (such as cleaning tools, storing them away, clearing up the area, etc)
3. Encourage the volunteers to document what they're doing, take photos etc.

C. After the Volunteer Session
1. Encourage the volunteers to do a write-up in their own words together with photos, which can then be posted on social media.
2. Thank the volunteers for being a part of the activities and ask if they might want to do the same task again sometime, or try something new, and whether they might be interested in committing to a regular volunteer schedule.
3. Get their contact details and keep them in the loop on upcoming events and activities to continually build engagement.

Hope the above tips are helpful :-) Comments, questions or requests to cover particular topics, email me at spiralcom1701@gmail.com